UN MDG hearings: When NGOs Speak, Are States Listening?

The MDG hearings were divided between four themes: one on national strategies and global structures, one on accountability in the fight against poverty, one on sustainable development, and one on future policies. At each session, a group of three or four NGO speakers gave presentations, followed by shorter responses from other NGOs and comments by member states. In practice, due to time constraints and the formal setting of the General Assembly hall, the format favored reading of prepared statements over a more interactive discussion.

Among these presentations, some standouts included a biting speech by Ms. Tarcila Rivera Zea from the International Indigenous Women's Forum calling for more inclusion of the needs of indigenous peoples in the MDGs, and a thoughtful discussion of patent barriers to treatment access in developing countries by Joan Hu Yuanqiong of the China Access to Medicines Research Group.

Unfortunately, during this session, we counted only sixty representatives scattered around the member states' tables, about a third of whom appeared to be working on their laptops (perhaps they were taking notes).Hopefully, as Ms. Merlie Mendoza of Caritas Manila noted, the sparse attendance by member states did not reflect a lack of seriousness about the MDGs.