NEW YORK // The UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, tried to rally support behind a set of poverty-reduction targets yesterday, with recent statistics showing some Arab countries are expected to fail to sufficiently raise standards of health care, education and women's rights by the deadline.
The South Korean diplomat said it "would be an unacceptable failure, moral and practical" to fall short of the so-called Millennium Development Goals before a summit on hunger and other global ills at UN headquarters in September.
World leaders agreed upon 15-year targets for combating hunger and disease, improving school enrolment and child health and expanding access to clean water at the Millennium Summit in September 2000.
But, with only five years until the deadline, a new report, Keeping the Promise, warns that some targets could go unmet unless UN members work harder to tackle poverty against the backdrop of a global economic crisis.
"Our world possesses the knowledge and the resources" to achieve the millennium goals, Mr Ban writes in the report. "We must not fail the billions who look to the international community to fulfil the promise of the Millennium Declaration for a better world."
Recent data on the development goals for the 14-nation Western Asia bloc revealed that poverty had increased in some Arab countries within the time span of the goals, with the number of poor quadrupling in the region to 11 million from three million between 1990 and 2005.
The percentage of those living on less than US$1.25 (Dh4.6) a day increased steadily to six per cent from two per cent in the same period; the proportion of hungry people grew within that period and showed no signs of decreasing between 2006 and 2008.
The predominantly Arab region showed "particularly dismal" results on improving women's empowerment, with some of the world's lowest levels of female school attendance and poor prospects in politics and the job market. Yemen, the poorest country in the Arab world, will have difficulty reaching its poverty-reduction targets against a backdrop of political and economic instability.
The region recorded progress on access to safe drinking water and improving levels of sanitation, with 84 per cent of the population benefiting from better hygiene facilities, such as toilets and latrines, by 2006.
The new report shows that even very poor countries have made great strides in advancing the eight development goals by producing more food, abolishing school fees and tackling such diseases as malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/Aids.
Agricultural investment in Vietnam has helped halve the number of underweight children, to 13 per cent in 2005 from 28 per cent in 1991, the report said.
Another example of success was Rwanda, where a majority of women (56 per cent) was elected to the lower chamber of parliament in 2008.
Researchers say shortfalls in progress towards the millennial goals demonstrate a failure of leadership, blaming the "unmet commitments, inadequate resources and lack of focus and accountability" of governments.
The document echoes concerns raised by Princess Haya bint Al Hussein, a UN messenger of peace, and wife of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, who in January urged leaders to get their "priorities straight" on the millennium goals.
Quoting Sheikh Mohammed, Princess Haya said total military expenditure across the Middle East over the past 60 years amounted to more than $3 trillion, while Arab governments collectively spend one tenth of the amount their counterparts in the developed world provide for education.
The Millennium Development Goals meeting from September 20 to 22 is expected to attract key leaders, as it takes place before the annual UN General Assembly, which usually attracts dozens of heads of state from the world body's 192 members.
jreinl@thenational.ae
MATCH DETAILS
Juventus 2 (Bonucci 36, Ronaldo 90 6)
Genoa 1 (Kouame 40)
Pearls on a Branch: Oral Tales
Najlaa Khoury, Archipelago Books
Bridgerton%20season%20three%20-%20part%20one
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
What is a Ponzi scheme?
A fraudulent investment operation where the scammer provides fake reports and generates returns for old investors through money paid by new investors, rather than through ligitimate business activities.
Company%20profile
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F1 drivers' standings
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes 281
2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 247
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes 222
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull 177
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 138
6. Max Verstappen, Red Bull 93
7. Sergio Perez, Force India 86
8. Esteban Ocon, Force India 56
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
Company%20Profile
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Three trading apps to try
Sharad Nair recommends three investment apps for UAE residents:
- For beginners or people who want to start investing with limited capital, Mr Nair suggests eToro. “The low fees and low minimum balance requirements make the platform more accessible,” he says. “The user interface is straightforward to understand and operate, while its social element may help ease beginners into the idea of investing money by looking to a virtual community.”
- If you’re an experienced investor, and have $10,000 or more to invest, consider Saxo Bank. “Saxo Bank offers a more comprehensive trading platform with advanced features and insight for more experienced users. It offers a more personalised approach to opening and operating an account on their platform,” he says.
- Finally, StashAway could work for those who want a hands-off approach to their investing. “It removes one of the biggest challenges for novice traders: picking the securities in their portfolio,” Mr Nair says. “A goal-based approach or view towards investing can help motivate residents who may usually shy away from investment platforms.”
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City, Tuesday, 11pm (UAE)
Matches can be watched on BeIN Sports
ETFs explained
Exhchange traded funds are bought and sold like shares, but operate as index-tracking funds, passively following their chosen indices, such as the S&P 500, FTSE 100 and the FTSE All World, plus a vast range of smaller exchanges and commodities, such as gold, silver, copper sugar, coffee and oil.
ETFs have zero upfront fees and annual charges as low as 0.07 per cent a year, which means you get to keep more of your returns, as actively managed funds can charge as much as 1.5 per cent a year.
There are thousands to choose from, with the five biggest providers BlackRock’s iShares range, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisors SPDR ETFs, Deutsche Bank AWM X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.
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Monster
Directed by: Anthony Mandler
Starring: Kelvin Harrison Jr., John David Washington
3/5
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
Tips for taking the metro
- set out well ahead of time
- make sure you have at least Dh15 on you Nol card, as there could be big queues for top-up machines
- enter the right cabin. The train may be too busy to move between carriages once you're on
- don't carry too much luggage and tuck it under a seat to make room for fellow passengers
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Three ways to limit your social media use
Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.
1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.
2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information.
3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.