Source: Daily News Egypt

North African countries are approaching universal levels of access to primary education, with an enrolment rate of 99% in 2012, compared to 80% in 1990, the United Nations' 2014 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Report showed.

Issued on Monday, the MDGs report provides the latest updates on the Millennium Development Goals, which were agreed on by all UN member countries at the UN Millennium Summit in 2000, with a target date of 2015.

The achieved goals from 2000 to 2015 form a foundation for the next global development agenda, Deputy Director of the United Nations' Information Centre in Cairo Fethi Debbabi said in a Monday press conference to announce the report.

Debbabi added that the report was issued this year in order to serve as a guide for countries and remind them of the goals one year ahead of the target set.

"The North Africa region is also moving closer to the point where male and female literacy rates are equal because the rate at which young women learn to read is growing at a faster pace than that of young men," the report said, stating that female literacy rates rose 29% from 1990 to 2011 compared to 16% for young men over the same period.

The overall youth literacy rates in the region have increased from 67% in 1990 to 89% in 2011.

Between 1990 and 2012, the proportion of people who have access to improved water sources increased from 87% to 92%, and to improved sanitation facilities hiked from 72% to 91%, according to the report.

With regard to women political participation, the percentage of women holding seats in parliament has increased from 3% in 2000 to 24% in 2014, the report mentioned, adding that Algeria is the first and so far only Arab country that has beaten the 30% mark.

Speaking about Western Asia, Debbabi said that the region made major progress on some MDGs, but miss other targets due to tensions in the region which did not provide the appropriate environment for development.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a Monday statement that millions of people's lives have been improved due to the efforts of countries in achieving the MDGs.

Many MDGs have been met with regard to reducing poverty rates, increasing access to improved water sources, improving the lives of slum dwellers and achieving gender parity in primary schools, according to the report.