SP International :: Goals

A better world starts now

Ewout Irrgang, Member of Parliament
Riekje Camara, Policy Adviser, international solidarity

In the year 2000 the international community promised, amongst other things, that extreme poverty would be halved globally by 2015. Last summer, on 7th July 2007 – 07/07/07 – the fact that we are halfway to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) was celebrated. The poverty target is one of these; yet if we do nothing, in 2015 this and other promises will remain unmet.

We live in a period in which, for the first time in the history of humanity, the possibility exists not only to halve extreme poverty but even to eradicate it. What is noteworthy about the MDGs is that they represent targets to which all countries, poor and rich, have freely and consciously committed themselves. Never before has the world community set itself such concrete, measurable goals – goals, moreover, which must be achieved by a specified date.

The globalisation taking place in our time is in itself unlikely to mean an end to extreme poverty. Indeed, it has already led to a widening of differences. Hunger and want in a globalising world, a world rich enough to prevent these things, is unacceptable. If this is to be changed, a great many things must happen. The role which the Netherlands can play in this is, logically enough, modest, but nevertheless far from negligible. In this report my party sets out how we believe our country can work towards the halving of extreme poverty in the world by 2015 and its eradication in the somewhat longer term, and how we can strive for a true form of international solidarity.

The SP has long formed part of the movement for a different globalisation. We gave our help and support to the ANC in the very first election in which they were able to participate and have for some years been represented in both the European and World Social Forums. Our views are nevertheless often described as 'anti-globalisation', but the reality is more accurately summed up thus: we are searching for a more genuine international solidarity. A better world starts now!

Jan Marijnissen

 

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Contents

• Summary
• List of abbreviations

Chapters

1. Proposals for a better international solidarity policy for the Netherlands
2. Proposals for democratisation of international institutions
3. Proposals for better and fairer trade
4. Proposals for improved financing of international solidarity

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