Montenegro

MDGs in Montenegro

In 2009, the Government of Montenegro initiated preparation of the new report on the Millennium Development Goals, which was presented at the MDG summit in New York in September 2010. As highlighted in this Medium-Term Report on Millennium Development Goals 2010 Montenegro (English - Montenegrin), the targets on maternal mortality, child mortality, and HIV and other diseases, have already been met, and other goals, including the one on poverty reduction, are likely to be met by 2015.

Different to the 2005 Report on the progress towards the achievement of the Millennium development goals in Montenegro (English - Montenegrin), the targets have been adjusted to the national development context, making them more ambitious than those at the global level. This higher level of ambition also reflects Montenegro’s aspirations for EU membership.

The new report, therefore, included nationalized targets and contains comparable data series calculated with nationalized indicators. The process of MDG Report preparation was led by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro, and the MDG team included five thematic working groups comprised of representatives of relevant Ministries and Civil society organizations and the representatives of the UN system in Montenegro.

In November 2009, the UN Country Team and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs organized trainings on the MDG report formulation process for inter-ministerial task force and for civil society. The first workshop was facilitated by colleagues from the UNDP Regional Bureau for Europe and CIS and UN agencies whereas the second workshop was conducted by UN focal points for MDG report preparation process and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. UN focal points for MDG development process attended numerous follow up meetings between the Task Force and civil sector and provided knowledge on MDGs, description of the Report preparation process, division of tasks for the Report preparation and they were involved in the entire process until finalization of the report. Also, draft reports were publicly presented for the sake of receiving comments/suggestions from all interested parties in an open and consultative manner.

 

Medium-Term Report on Millennium Development Goals 2010 Montenegro (English - Montenegrin): Executive summary

After the restoration of independence, at the referendum held on 21 May 2006, the Parliament of Montenegro adopted the Declaration of Independence on 3 June 2006 proclaiming Montenegro an independent and sovereign state, which assumed its international obligations.

Montenegro is a civic, democratic, ecological state and a state of social justice based on the rule of law.

The framework of its internal legal order is set forth in Article 9 of the Constitution through the principle that ratified and published international treaties and universally accepted rules of international law are an integral part of the internal legal order, and have supremacy over national legislation and are directly applicable when they regulate relations differently from internal legislation.

As an upper-middle-income country that is multiethnic, geo-politically stable and on track to meet most of the Millennium Development Goals, Montenegro is in a strong position to create optimal conditions for human security and development. There has been impressive economic growth over the last three years (on average, 9% for 2006, 2007 and 2008), fuelled by direct foreign investment (accounting for some 25% of GDP), expansion of the service sector in tourism, construction, retailing, banking and telecommunications as well as structural reform processes in the areas of public finances, price and trade liberalization.

A long-term stable and competitive economy is the main guarantor of the development of a market economy based on the free exchange of property rights. Within this framework, the following strategic development priorities have been identified: 
- Implementation of the principle of sustainable development through increasing economic freedoms and strengthening the role of the private sector; 
- Strengthening the rule of law as a prerequisite for building modern institutions of parliamentary democracy and protecting fundamental human rights and freedoms; 
- Improving living standards by delivering better public services through efficient and sustainable education, health and social care systems.

Disturbances in the global economic and financial system, at a time of an open and market-based economy, have also affected the trends in Montenegro, which, in 2009, reported a decline of 5.3% of GDP.

Although Montenegro is a relatively small country, there are significant differences in the development of its individual parts. While the coast and the area around the capital Podgorica are the most developed parts, the northern parts of the country are the poorest.

Although it can be said that, on average, there was a decline in poverty, there are still categories of the population whose position despite the economic growth remains a concern (RAE, persons with disabilities, single parents and other vulnerable groups) and for whose improvement additional efforts need to be made.

The most recent European Commission Progress Report (October 2009) points to significant progress in reforms and the development of Montenegro, but also to particular challenges aimed at achieving European standards and meeting the Copenhagen criteria and thus fulfilling the MDGs.

Reducing regional disparities and differences among certain categories has remained one of the Government’s priorities, and the process of the integration of Montenegro into the EU will provide particular opportunities for achieving this goal.

Progress on MDGs in Montenegro