Anindita Sitepu and Natasha Ardiani
Following its declaration by the 189 member states of the United Nations in New York in 2000, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) have since been integrated into the national development programs of
Anindita Sitepu and Natasha Ardiani
Following its declaration by the 189 member states of the United Nations in New York in 2000, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) have since been integrated into the national development programs of many nations, including Indonesia. It is probably difficult to find another country that embraced the MDGs as much as Indonesia. Under former President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s (SBY’s) second administration (2009-2014), the MDGs were incorporated into all phases of the national development plan, from budgeting to implementation. Indonesia was also one of only two countries with a Special Envoy managing the MDGs within the government – Professor Nila Moeloek, now Minister of Health.
Indonesia made significant inroads in relation to the MDGs, many of which are discussed by other contributors of this edition. The proportion of people living on income per capita less than US$1 per day has dropped by about 15 per cent. The goal of achieving universal primary education is on track. The goal on gender equality is expected to be met by 2015. There has been an improvement in tuberculosis detection by more than 50 per cent and a decrease of the disease by the same amount. The financial climate and trade, as well as the national banking system, are improving.
Despite these successes, it has been a rocky road implementing the MDGs in Indonesia. Even with such high-level support for the MDGs within the government, many practical challenges had to be overcome to achieve these goals. The approaches undertaken to manage such challenges would thus serve as useful lessons when implementing 