A report by the UNECE progress report on achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Europe and Central Asia finds that progress has been uneven in ECE emerging economies and has been affected by the financial crisis.
The report notes concern over progress on MDG 7, highlighting poor energy efficiency and increasing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per capita, as well as lack of safe drinking water and sanitation.
August 2012: A report from the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), “On Achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Europe and Central Asia, 2012,” finds that while the region as a whole is characterized by high levels of development, there are high levels of disparity between and within countries. MDG progress could be maximized by focusing on marginalized groups, which are most affected by economic problems such as the financial crisis, the report concludes.
The report discusses the macroeconomic context, and assesses: MDG performance in the ECE region across each of the eight MDGs; the role of metadata in the tracking of progress towards the MDGs; and demographic pressures and the sustainability of social security in Europe and Central Asia. The report finds that there are vulnerable populations living in extreme poverty, exacerbated by the global financial crisis. The region has had the most success in meeting MDG 2, with high levels of school enrollment and gender equality in schools.
The report notes concern over progress on MDG 7, highlighting poor energy efficiency and increasing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per capita, as well as lack of safe drinking water and sanitation, particularly in transition economies. [Publication: The UNECE Report on Achieving the Millennium Development Goals in Europe and Central Asia, 2012]