General Overview of Production of Statistical Millennium Development Goals Indicators in Turkmenistan

On September 2000 general development purposes accepted at international conferences and world summits in ninety’s were summarized in “Millennium Declaration” (Goals of UNO in Development at the Threshold of Millennium), accepted by the representatives of the countries and the heads of the states. Turkmenistan supported the initiative of the United Nations Organization and was one of 189 states which signed the Millennium Declaration. Goals in Development for the period , formed in Millennium Declaration, are assigned to consolidate World Community and facilitate people’s difficulties in various terms of possibilities selection for valuable fruitful life. Execution of these goals absolutely depends on general efforts of member states of United Nations Organization, but significant role of problem solution belongs, first of all, to the countries themselves, their ability to overcome their own difficulties.

In 2003 the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan jointly with the National Statistics Committee, the Ministry of Health and Turkmenistan Economic Union prepared analytical overview “Goals of UNO in Development at the Threshold of Millennium: Turkmenistan Report” under the auspices of UNDP in Turkmenistan. Pursuant to Millennium Declaration eight goals were defined in this overview, according to which Development Progress of Turkmenistan is assessed. Goals and tasks of Millennium Declaration aimed to be implemented by Turkmenistan pursuant to prepared overview were maximally harmonized with National Programs of political, economic and social development elaborated in the country. Many tasks targeted in the goals of UN Millennium Declaration were already solved in Turkmenistan to the moment of overview preparation. In connection with this the entire list of tasks on goals of UN Millennium Declaration was revised. It is expected to solve 13 tasks within the goals in their qualitative new form in Turkmenistan till 2015.

No. of goalContent of Goal on Millennium Declaration Tasks for On Millennium Declaration [1] [1] Accepted in the Report taking into account conditions of Turkmenistan 1224 Goal ILiquidation of abject poverty and hunger Task 1. To cut by half the share of population with profit less than 1 US dollar a day for the period Task 1. To cut three times the share of population with profit less than 50% of average monthly profit for the period Task 2. To cut by half the share of population suffering from hunger for the period Goal IIProvision of common elementary education Task 3. To provide children all over the world both boys and girls with possibility to receive elementary school education in full volume by 2015 Task 2. Expansion of population access to qualitative education of all the levels and achievement of world standards in education Goal IIIStimulation of equality between men and women and expansion of women’s rights and possibilities Task 4. To liquidate gender inequality in elementary and secondary education desirably by 2005, and on all the levels of education not later than in 2015 Task 3. To liquidate gender inequality at all the levels of education, particularly, at the third level, by 2015 Task 4. To reduce gender inequality in incomes and on labour market by 2015 [1] [1] At the World Summit in 2005, the Heads of the States took obligation to reach implementation of four tasks in addition to tasks and goals stated in Millennium Declaration На Всемирном.

1224 Goal IYReduction of children’s mortality Task 5. To cut by two third mortality among children aged to five years for the period Task 5. To reduce infant mortality by 2.1 times for the period Goal YImprovement of maternity protection Task 6. To cut by three fourth the coefficient of maternal mortality for the period Task 6. To cut by half maternal mortality for the period Goal YIStruggle against HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases Task 7. To stop spread of HIV/AIDS by 2015 and start tendency to reduction of sickness rate Task 7. To prevent sickness rate of HIV/AIDS in the country Task.8. To stop spread of malaria and other general diseases by 2015 and start tendency to reduction of sickness rate Task 8. To cut by one third tuberculosis sickness rate for the period Goal YIIEnvironmental stabilityTask 9. To include the principles of stable development to national strategies and programs and suspend exhaustion of mineral resources Task 9. To suspend exhaustion of mineral resources Task 10. To cut by half the share of people having not access to drinking water by 2015 Task 10. To reduce the share of population having not continuous access to clean drinking water Task 11. To provide significant improvement of living standards minimum of 100 million of slum inhabitants by 2020 Task 11. To provide significant improvement of household conditions of population in 2020

1224 Goal YIIIFormation of global partnership in the goals of development Task 12. To prolong establishment of open, regulated, predictable and non-discriminatory trade and financial system Task 12. To satisfy special needs of the countries not having access to the sea Task 13. To satisfy special requirements of less developed countries Task 13. To prolong the struggle with signs of the terrorism and preparation of terrorist acts Task.14. To satisfy special requirements of the countries having not exit to the sea and small island developing states (through implementation of the Programs for sustainable development of small island developing states and resolutions of twenty second special General Assembly Session) Task. 15. To solve the problems of debts of developing countries in complex with the help of national and international measures in order the level of the debt to be admissible in long term Task 16. Jointly with developing countries to develop and deploy strategies in cooperation allowing young people to find worthy work Task 17. Jointly with pharmaceutical companies to provide availability of cheap main medicines in developing countries

Database using software DevInfo (database management system assigned for monitoring of human development) was elaborated in the National Statistics Committee of Turkmenistan in 2004 for the purpose of monitoring of indicators of Millennium Development Goals under the auspices of UNICEF. The National Statistics Committee of Turkmenistan organized a raw of workshops, containing concerns of Millennium Development Goals, including ones demonstrating achievements of Millennium Development Goals by Turkmenistan, on the use of database “Devinfo” for the specialists of national statistical agencies, sector ministries and departments, regulatory bodies under the auspices of UNFPA, UNICEF. This permitted the specialists of the ministries and departments to become acquainted with the MDG indicators, what purposes they are collected for, how to work with database “Devinfo”. Statistical database “TurkmenInfo” (“Devinfo”) was developed in form of comfortable user interface allowing quick selection of necessary indicators from the database, then composition of tables, diagrams and maps and create presentations :

The National Statistics Committee of Turkmenistan is main source of information of the MDG indicators. The Ministry of Health and Medical Industry, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Economy and Development of Turkmenistan, etc. provide the data on separate indicators. Besides data received on the base of national and administrative statistics, the database is added with selective household surveys. Thus, the single selective population living standards survey was conducted in 2003 with technical assistance of Asian Development Bank. It was very significant for enhancement of population living standards statistics, and contributed to enhancement of household survey programs (data collection and processing), the methodology of households selection, monitoring of living standards and establishment of database containing also indicators related to the MDG. Multicluster indicator survey “MIKS-3” was conducted in 2006 under the auspices of UNICEF. This survey permitted to acquire essential data of the position of children and women in Turkmenistan and to wide extent was dictated by the needs of monitoring of implementation process of goals and tasks formed in Millennium Declaration and Plan “World suitable for children’s lives”.

Statistics database “TurkmenInfo” (“Devinfo”) is annually renewed. This work is implemented within “List (Program) of statistical works of the National Statistics Committee of Turkmenistan”, annually affirmed by the National Statistics Committee of Turkmenistan. The indicators of the statistical database “TurkmenInfo” were presented on the national level and regions, separate indicators divided by gender for the period Today the statistical database “TurkmenInfo” (“Devinfo”) includes 69 contains, including over 30 MDG indicators. Database on Millennium Development Goals indicators is used by the Ministry of Economy and Development of Turkmenistan, and information is provided on demand.

Thus, conducted actions and the results of efforts with technical assistance of UN Agencies in Turkmenistan contributed to: preparation of analytical overview “Goals of UNO in Development at the Threshold of Millennium: Turkmenistan Report”, where proposals on development elaborated on the base of analysis of economical and social data were provided, potential possibilities of implementation of UNO Goals were defined; extension of information/statistical potential for monitoring and reporting on achievement of development goals responsible for production of statistical data on healthcare, education, etc., and taking decisions within their authorities; database development – elaboration of statistical database “TurkmenInfo” (“Devinfo”) for production of qualitative and reliable data for monitoring of development goals’ achievement formed in Millennium Declaration.

Pursuant to the Law “On National Statistics”, the National Statistics Committee of Turkmenistan provides coordination of statistical activity and methodology works in primary accounting and statistics, the national statistics agencies are obliged to collect, process, analyze and provide statistical data in full volume and stated terms, provide regulatory bodies with statistical information of social and economic situation of Turkmenistan and execution of governmental programs. Separate data prepared by the National Statistics Committee is used also for the MDG indicators. However, at present time Turkmenistan has not any coordinating agency on concerns related to preparation of MDG data.