By the Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Australia In 2000, Venezuela, along with members of the United Nations, took on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as a commitment to global solidarity to eradicate poverty and improving living conditions of the world’s population. The MDGs have been a guide for national development strategies in specific areas that seek to guarantee human rights and equity. Since the arrival of the Bolivarian government, social policy has been guided by constitutional principles, social inclusion and participation. This has not only allowed human rights to exist, but has also aided the transformation of citizens into agents of their own development process.

2. In 2000, Venezuela, along with members of the United Nations, took on the "Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as a commitment to global solidarity to eradicate poverty and improving living conditions of the world’s population. The MDGs have been a guide for national development strategies in specific areas that seek to guarantee human rights and equity. Since the arrival of the Bolivarian government, social policy has been guided by constitutional principles, social inclusion and participation. This has not only allowed human rights to exist, but has also aided the transformation of citizens into agents of their own development process. To date, we have reached 11 Years of Revolution. This has allowed more than a decade of change in all spheres of the Nation. The Revolutionary process has achieved, despite the difficulties, improved living conditions of the Venezuelan people and Venezuela as a nation. There are numerous achievements, large steps have been taken and there are many more to take. Looking towards the future calls for the consolidation of a society guided by the values of socialism, in other words, progress on the path of solidarity, equity, social justice and efficient democracy. Introduction

3. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger Venezuela reached the goal of reducing the number of people living in households in extreme poverty by 2006, reducing the number to 11.1%. This is more than half the number of 1990. The commitment was to reduce by half the proportion of people in households in extreme poverty by 2015, with respect to that recorded in 1990, which stood at 24% 3. The number now stands at 7.2%. PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE FROM HOMES IN EXTREME POVERTY, BY LINES OF REVENUE, 1990-2009 2ND SEM GOAL 1: HALF THE PROPORTION OF PEOPLE IN ETXREME PROVERTY BETWEEN 1990 AND 2015

4. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger TRENDS OF NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCY IN CHILDREN UNDER 5 Years 1990 - 2008 (*) This goal is assessed by indicators of nutrient deficiency (malnutrition) and prevalence of undernourishment. Venezuela met this target well before 2015. Nutritional deficits in children under 15 declined by 51.9%, from 7.7% to 3.7% GOAL 1: CONTINUATION

5. ACHIEVE UNIVERSAL PRIMARY EDUCATION GOAL 2 : ENSURE THAT BY 2015 ALL CHILDREN HAVE COMPLETED THE CYCLE OF PRIMARY EDUCATION Venezuela has reached the goal of eradicating illiteracy among young people, well before 2015. Universal access to primary education is now reflected in the increase in net enrollment rates and the proportion of children that have reached the sixth grade. Primary school enrolments from the years 2000-01 to 2008-09 is now significantly higher than in the mid-1990s. NET RATE IN PRIMARY EDUCATION SCHOOL PERIOD 1990/91- 2008/09

6. PROMOTE GENDER EQUALITY AND EMPOWER WOMEN This goal has been met in the sense that there is a much higher number of women, aged 15 and older, are employed and remunerated in the non-agricultural sector. The trend has been occurring since1990 when it accounted for 34.81% of total occupied and employed in the nonagricultural sector, reaching 41.96% in 2009. The result of this indicator shows the increasing involvement of women in economic productivity and their important contribution in the production process. GOAL 3: ERRADICATE GENDER DISPARITIES PROPORTION OF WOMEN EMPLOYEES NOT PAID THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR YEAR 1990-2009

7. Reduce child mortality Venezuela is on track to achieve the goal of reducing child mortality, with a figure of to 11 deaths per thousand live births recorded for 2015. There is a need to continue and deepen the health policy to further reduce this figure. Infant mortality in Venezuela has shown a downward trend since the late 1950s. For 2008 the mortality rate among children under five years stood at 16.4 per 1,000, which represents a decrease of 47.6% over 1990. This is due to policies implemented by the Government aimed at reducing child mortality GOAL 4 HAVE INFANT MORTALITY RATES REDUCED BY TWO THIRDS BETWEEN 1990 and 2015. INFANT MORTALITY RATES (Under 5 years) 1990-2008

8. Improve maternal health The decline in maternal mortality is a major challenge to Venezuelan society as a whole. This lead to the creation of the Child Jesus Mission, which provides institutional changes in the comprehensive care of the mother and child, such as effective access to family planning, emergency obstetric care, transportation services for the time of delivery, prenatal care and care for quality of obstetric services. GOAL 5 : HAVE MATERNAL MORTALITY RATES REDUCED BY THREE QUARTERS BETWEEN 1990 AND 2015 MATERNAL MORTALITY RATE PER 100,000 N.V.R 1990-2008

9. COMBAT HIV / AIDS, MALARIA AND OTHER DISEASES The goal of halting and reversing the incidence of HIV / AIDS poses great challenges for the entire Venezuelan society. The most affected group is 30-39 years for men and between 25 and 34 for women. The main source is sexual transmission, and the number of female patients has increased in recent years. To overcome this there needs to be a consolidation of sexual education programs to prevent sexually transmitted diseases and prevent teen pregnancy. Similarly, it is essential to sponsor efforts to prevent the spread of the virus from mother to child. GOAL 6 : REDUCE AND PREVENT THE SPREAD OF HIV / AIDS BY 2015

10. COMBAT HIV / AIDS, MALARIA AND OTHER DISEASES GOAL 6: CONTINUATION RATE IMPACT ON MALARIA, TB and Dengue 1990 - 2009

11. ENSURE ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY The Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela states the importance of preserving of the biosphere, conservation of watersheds, reservoirs, national parks, amongst others. It is the country with the highest protected areas in the Americas. This constitutional mandate is being implemented by the Simon Bolivar National Plan 2007-2013, specifically in Chapter II "Supreme Social Happiness," which sets as a priority the objective to: "... Ensure the administration of the biosphere to produce sustainable benefits ...." GOAL 7 : INTEGRATE THE PRINCIPLES OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT INTO POLICY, AND CREATE PROGRAMS TO REVERSE AND PREVENT RESOURCE DEGRADATION

12. DEVELOP A GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP FOR DEVELOPMENT. The Venezuelan Government is promoting policies to ensure universal access of communication and information to the people. Since 2000, the policy has increased the Venezuelan people's right to access, use, implementation and appropriation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). These tools allow the active participation of the people in their socio-economic and decision making power. GOAL 8 : MAKE AVAILABLE THE BENEFITS OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES, ESPECIALLY INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION.

13. Venceremos!!!