The Big Divide
A Ten Year Report on Small Island Developing States and the Millennium Development Goals

This report provides a comprehensive assessment of progress on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) from a small states perspective. The authors compare the performance of 46 small island developing states (SIDS) with 10 benchmark states, illuminating achievements and highlighting areas in which countries are falling behind.
The data, 2000–2010, shows that despite their many commonalities, a ‘big divide’ separates these countries across the range of MDG economic, social and environmental indicators. The report also highlights aspects of the MDG system that are not well attuned to the interests of small states, and recommends how these issues can be resolved. The analysis and recommendations presented in this study will be very useful in the context of on-going international discussions on the MDGs in the light of their conclusion in 2015, and in consideration of successor goals.
The data, 2000–2010, shows that despite their many commonalities, a ‘big divide’ separates these countries across the range of MDG economic, social and environmental indicators. The report also highlights aspects of the MDG system that are not well attuned to the interests of small states, and recommends how these issues can be resolved. The analysis and recommendations presented in this study will be very useful in the context of on-going international discussions on the MDGs in the light of their conclusion in 2015, and in consideration of successor goals.
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Foreword and Acknowledgements
The UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were agreed by the UN General Assembly in 2000 as a worldwide strategic commitment for monitoring progress towards sustainable development. The UN has published many reviews on the MDGs, covering both global and regional perspectives. This report from the Commonwealth Secretariat focuses on progress made by small states. It is based on data collected in 2010 – ten years after the UN Millennium Declaration – and provides a comparative analysis of progress made by 46 small states against 10 benchmark states.
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Click to download PDF - 22.86KBPDF
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Click to Read online and shareREAD