Thursday, May 14, 2020

Global Push To Achieve SDGs Vision and Words with Action Agenda 81


 EAG          ISPE 
 ECONOMIC ALLIANCE GROUP                                           INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR POVERTY ELIMINATION (Global NGO)             
(Global Integrated Sustainable Solutions Provider)             
    ER&A        NEHMAP Initiative
       ER and Associates Limited              New End Hunger, Malnutrition and Poverty (Global Social Enterprise)                  
(International Development Cooperation Consultants)

Open Letter to World Leaders on Winning War on COVID 19 and achieving SDGs by 2030

Your Excellencies,

My name is Lanre Rotimi and I am honored to send this Open Letter to World Leaders on the topic of “Winning War on COVID 19 and achieving SDGs by 2030” on behalf of the International Society for Poverty Elimination / NEHMAP / Economic Alliance Group as well as the 5 Billon Poor Children, Youth, Women, Men and Elders in all 193 UN Member States.

I am also sending the Open Letter to Your Excellencies in these trying times in the Whole World as a Citizen of the World.

I urge the World Media to do their part towards helping to Win War on COVID 19 and achieving SDGs by 2030 in all North and South Countries, by effectively putting substantive issues raised in this Open Letter in the Front Burner of Global Public Arena.

I will be 58 years old in 8 Days time, on 22 May 2020, the last Day of Special Ramadan 2020, a Ramadan like no other in living memory, just like there was a Lent like no other in living memory, ended few weeks ago. I have devoted over 25 years of my life pursuing Vision of World without Hunger, Malnutrition and Poverty and I know that War on COVID 19 can be Won and SDGs by 2030 achieved in all North and South Countries, if Needful is Done by all Leaders and Followers and on time.

The World Leaders to whom the Open Letter is addressed are Leaders of:-
1.   The entire UN System: UNO, WBG, IMF, WTO – Trade and WTO – Tourism Membership at Headquarters, Regional Offices and Country Offices;
2.      All Arms of All Tiers of Government in all 193 UN Member States
3.      Media System: Print, TV, Radio, Online: Global and National  

Understanding Nature of COVID 19

Your Excellencies, we express our deepest sympathies for the loss of human lives caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in North and South Countries Worldwide.

Your Excellencies, it is no longer news that COVID 19 is wrecking havoc in economies; making Children and Youth from pre-primary to University, lose vital education; worsening the suffering of those with mental health and domestic abuse problems and blocking those with non COVID 19 health problems from getting needed help.

Your Excellencies, Our urgent collective task in all 193 UN Member States is to mitigate the health, political, economic and social impacts that the pandemic is having on people in North and South Countries Worldwide and press forward to achieve SDGs in barely 10 years remaining to end 2030 target date.

The Global Challenge

Your Excellencies, there are few isolated and remote places on Earth that COVID 19 is yet to reach. It is clear that No North or South Country is Safe as long as COVID 19  remain in any Community, in any Country on Earth; that COVID 19 is Unprecedented Global Crisis demanding Unprecedented Global Response; that COVID 19 is Catalyzing Global Depression and should Irreversibility Point be passed, it would make the 1930s Global Depression Child’s Play.

Your Excellencies, there is Urgent Need to Grapple more effectively with the Global Challenge of Winning War on COVID 19 and achieving SDGs Pledge Delivery by 2030 in all 193 UN Member States. To do this, World Leaders identified above and their Domestic and Global Partners need to genuinely appreciate that the Era of focusing on problems and passing blame; parroting business as usual is obsolete and calling for Unprecedented Response yet working HARDer DOING the same old things in the same old ways and getting the same old results that is not working, is over.

Your Excellencies, if our World is to avoid the looming ultimate catastrophic consequences of Failure to Fight and Win War on COVID 19 and Failure to achieve SDGs in barely 10 years remaining to end 2030 target date, World Leaders have till 30 June 2020 to Change Course and Kick Start a New Era of focusing on Solutions and Opportunities; Needed Change and Business Unusual; Effectively Supporting working SMARTer DOING New things in New ways and getting New Results that Work. Indeed the Future of our Fragile Planet depend on World Leaders Mobilizing needed Political Will and Public Will to Drive these New Paradigms.

Theory and Thoughtful Conceptualization with Practice and Action

In the work towards effectively tackling all root cause or primary cause problems within all COVID 19 determinants / dimensions – Health, Political, Economic, Social etc, achieving success on sustainable basis greatly depends on simultaneously tackling all root cause or primary cause problems within:-
1.      Health and Wellbeing
2.      Food, Nutrition and Agriculture
3.      Economy and Empowerment
4.   Inclusive Education: Education for Sustainable Development; Education for Sustainable Production; Education for Sustainable Consumption and Education for Sustainable Citizenship as well as Inclusive Communication: Communication for Sustainable Development; Communication for Sustainable Production; Communication for Sustainable Consumption and Communication for Sustainable Citizenship; Attitudinal and Behavioral Change Communication; Political and Behavioral Change Communication; Economic and Behavioral Change Communication; Social and Behavioral Change Communication; Cultural and Behavioral Change Communication; Climate Change and Behavioral Change Communication; Environmental and Behavioral Change Communication; Communication for Behavioral Impact; Changing Attitude and Behavior at Scale Communication as One that is within Universal / One Worldwide Approach / Whole of Government / Whole of Society Approach / Whole of Agenda Approach
as applicable or appropriate in each specific Community, Sub-Country, Country, Sub-Continent, Continent and Global/Planet location context.

This Demand Design and Delivery of Theory and Thoughtful Conceptualization with Practice and Action that Work for all North and South Countries Citizens especially Poor Children, Youth, Women, Men and Elders as all North and South Countries Economy Domestic and Global Stakeholders Work Together to Succeed Together, Fighting and Wining War on COVID 19 linked to achieving SDGs in each North and South Country by 2030, other Global Goals by target date, New Country National Development Vision and New Country International Development Vision in each North and South Country in record time.

Winning War on COVID-19 – The Way Forward

Your Excellencies, Corruption Cancer in Pre Crisis hinder National and International Development Cooperation Radical/Fundamental and Rapid/Fast Change for achieving National Goals and Global Goals in both North and South Countries. Corruption Cancer is worse in Crisis situation in both North and South Countries, especially in Crisis Procurement. Yet Corruption is not the Disease but Symptom of Flaws and Failures in Government and Governance Systems and Services.  That is, remove the Flaws and Failures in Government Systems and Services and Corruption Cancer would be Cured or Significantly Healed. Winning War on COVID 19 presents short opportunity to effectively remove these Flaws and Failures, that is, Win War on Domestic and Global Corruption.


Your Excellencies, the 75 year old United Nations Original Vision need to be Urgently Revisited, if our World is to have a New UN System Fit for 21st Century that effectively help Rebuild our World for Better in the next 75 years of UN System. This underline Urgent Need for entire UN System Membership Reforms that Effectively Empower:-
1.      UNO to Deliver on its Responsibility for Central Coordination of Global Political Stability.
2.   WBG to Deliver on its Responsibility for Central Coordination of Global Development Finance Stability.
3.    IMF to Deliver on its Responsibility for Central Coordination of Global Financial System Stability.
4.   WTO - Trade to Deliver on its Responsibility for Central Coordination of Global Trade System Stability.
5.      WTO - Tourism to Deliver on its Responsibility for Central Coordination of Global Tourism System Stability.

Your Excellencies, our Organization’s Pre COVID-19 estimate of Investment required to Fund achieving SDGs Pledge Delivery by 2030 in all 193 UN Member States was US$ 700 Trillion. In this Post COVID-19 Era, Investment required to Win War on COVID-19 linked to achieving SDGs Pledge Delivery in all 193 UN Member States by 2030 is much higher. Yet the most Ambitious Investment Mobilized by UN System; Regional Political Grouping of Countries, especially the EU and Countries themselves is far below 5% of US$ 700 Trillion, the Pre COVID-19 Investment Estimate. This underlines the Magnitude of the Investment Gap and related Information, Knowledge, Research, Innovation and Ambition Gaps in all 193 UN Member States that need to be Urgently Filled.

Your Excellencies, if Original Ideas Creators present in each Country are Identified, Promoted and Protected, the HUGE Investment and related Gaps would be effectively filled using their Innovation and New Ideas for Winning War on COVID-19 linked to achieving SDGs Pledge Delivery by 2030 in all 193 UN Member States as applicable or appropriate in each specific Community, Sub-Country, Country, Sub-Continent, Continent and Global/Planet location context.

Time is of the Essence – Scope of Work

Your Excellencies, COVID-19 present short window of opportunity not only to meaningfully address all dimensions / determinants of COVID 19 – Health, Political, Economic, Financial, Social, Humanitarian, Security, Communication, Development, Governance, Risk Management, Public Sector Management, Climate Change, Environment, Attitudinal Change etc but also to meaningfully address  COVID 19 Dimension of all 17 Goals of SDGs and other Global Goals – Finance for Development -AAAA, Climate Change Action - COP21, Environment – Rio and Rio+20 and Political Economy – New International Economic Order NIEO thus ensuring that SDGs Pledge Delivery in achieved in the barely 10 years remaining to end 2030 target date.

To utilize this short window of opportunity World Leaders need to genuinely appreciate that:-  
1.    COVID 19 dimensions / determinants and COVID 19 dimensions of Global Goals identified above are 2 sides of same Coin that must be simultaneously tackled. It is Fail in 1, Fail in ALL. To avoid this COVID 19 Fear and Panic in all North and South Countries Worldwide and need to be Urgently Harness and Channeled towards Design and Delivery of National and Global Integrated Innovative Sustainable Solutions that Work for the Poor.
2.  COVID 19 is Unprecedented Domestic and Global Crisis Demanding Unprecedented Domestic and Global Response, within effective Domestic and Global Central Coordination at Community, Sub-National, National, Sub-Regional, Regional and Global levels. This Institutional Architecture is Non Existent in all North and South Countries Worldwide and need to be Urgently Built.
3.    COVID 19 is stretching all Communities, Countries and Continents: Developmentally – so Old Ideas not Working Needs to be Speedily Replaced with New Ideas that Work and Economically – so Inequality and Injustice Need to be Speedily Replaced with Dignity and Prosperity. This Demands Design and Delivery of Frameworks for Working Together to Succeed Together and in Ways that Leave No One Behind in all North and South Countries Worldwide.
4.    COVID 19 underlines importance of All Arms of All Tiers of Government in all North and South Countries Worldwide; UN System: UNO, WBG, IMF, WTO – Trade, WTO - Tourism entire Membership Headquarters, Regional Offices and Country Offices and International Institutions like entire EU Member Institutions and equivalent in other Sub-Regions Worldwide and entire AU Member Institutions and equivalent in other Regions Worldwide. This Demands Mobilizing Political Will and Public Will for getting DONE the much that remain to be DONE if War on COVID 19 is to be Won and SDGs Pledge Delivery by 2030 is to be achieved in all North and South Countries Worldwide.
5.    Harnessing COVID 19 Fear and Panic Needs to be Speedily Done to Change COVID 19 from present Force for Evil that is wrecking havoc to New Force for Good that help Organize, Orientate and Discipline Citizens all North and South Countries Worldwide to be the MOVING Force Driving TRANSFORMATION of Society all North and South Countries Worldwide to ensure all State, National and International Stakeholders in each North or South Country Economy Work Together to Succeed Together, Fighting and Wining War on  COVID 19 linked to achieving SDGs in the Country by 2030, other Global Goals by target date, New Country National Development Vision and New Country International Development Vision, in record time.
6.  UN Innovation and Non UN Innovation; EU Innovation and Non EU Innovation are Master Keys for National and International Stakeholders in each North or South Country Economy Working Together to Succeed Together, Fighting and Wining War on COVID 19 linked to achieving SDGs in the Country by 2030, other Global Goals by target date, New Country National Development Vision and New Country International Development Vision, in record time, if Original Ideas Creators are meaningfully involved in Implementing Good Ideas harvested from Meetings, Consultations and Studies.
7.    Continuing with Business as Usual and remaining Old Paradigms guarantee Failure to Win War on COVID 19, Failure to achieve SDGs in each North or South Country by 2030 and Failure to achieve New Country National Development Vision and New Country International Development Vision. Speedily Changing Course to Business Unusual and remaining New Paradigms are Basic Building Blocks, if War on COVID 19 is to be Won linked to achieving SDGs Pledge Delivery by 2030 in all North and South Countries Worldwide.
8.   Should available Technical Solutions be given required Political Solutions, all remaining Integrated Innovative Sustainable Solutions – Economic, Financial, Social, Religious etc will emerge.
9.      COVID 19 present short window of opportunity. Utilized Development Results that would have taken over 100 years to achieve, could and would be achieved in less than 5 years. Wasted, Our World will keep accelerating on Auto Pilot on MADning (Mutually Assured Destruction) Road to DOOM, with ultimate catastrophic consequences for all North and South Countries Worldwide.
10. Leaders and Followers in all Major Stakeholder Groups involved in Fighting and Wining War on COVID 19 linked to achieving SDGs in all North and South Countries by 2030, other Global Goals by target date and New Country National Development Vision and New Country International Development Vision in each North or South Country, in record time Governments – All Arms of All Tiers; entire UN System: UNO, WBG, IMF, WTO – Trade; WTO - Tourism Membership – Headquarters, Regional Office and Country Office; Universities and Higher Education Institutions – Academic Staff, Non Academic Staff, Postgraduate Students and Undergraduate Students; Business – Micro, Small, Medium, Large, Transnational Enterprises / Social and Solidarity Economy Enterprises especially Cooperatives;  Traditional Institutions; Religious Institutions; Media Institutions; Labor Unions etc need to:-
a)  Have  Common Agreement on What Unprecedented Response Mean; What their Duties and Responsibilities are in the Design and Delivery of the Unprecedented Response  and What are the Rights they would Enjoy for Performing their Duties and Responsibilities:
b)     Agree to Work Together to Benefit Together Implementing (10a).

It is pertinent to note that Working Together to Benefit Together Demand:-
1.      Willingness to try new ideas, new thinking and new ways of doing things.
2.      Willingness to try new partnerships, new cooperation and new networks
3.   Readiness to accept past failure and build bridge between lesson learning and lessons forgetting.
4.    Readiness to Change Individuals, Institutions and Governments Attitude and Behavior at Scale – State, National, Regional and Global
And this in turn Demand:-
1.      Political and Public Will that is essentially Driven by Massive Publicity.
2.      Effectively Reforming Institutions, Services and Systems Domestic, National and Global.
3.      Effective Building Capacity: Individuals – Hard Competencies: Learning and Skills and Soft Competencies: Character, Courage, Cultural, Communication, Attitude, Behavior, Discipline and Mindset; Institution – Systems, Structures, Policies, Procedures Standards and Rules Change and Society – Political, Cultural, Economic, Financial, Social, Religious Space.
4. Effectively Tackling Research, Planning, Data/Statistics; Implementation; Monitoring, Evaluation, Leaning, Results; Transparency, Accountability, Participation, Transformation; Leadership, Ownership, Alignment, Harmony and Measuring Success as One  Challenge.

UNWTO – Tourism has articulated the recommendations for Tourism dimension of Post COVID 19 in each North or South Country in Paper with link below. This amount to no issue or is no issue if all remaining UN System Membership do not articulate complementary recommendations for dimensions of Post COVID 19 in each North or South Country for which they have statutory responsibility and entire UN System Membership Deliver as One in the implementation and evaluation of these recommendations. It is clear entire UN System Membership cannot on their own do this but need Technical Advise and Reform Consultancy Support from External Consultancy Organization with demonstrated levels of Hard  Competencies – Learning and Skills and Soft  Competencies -  Character, Courage,  Cultural, Communication, Attitude, Behavior, Discipline and Mindset required to achieve increasing convergence between Winning War on COVID 19 in each North or South Country Vision Linked to achieving SDGs by 2030 in each North or South Country Vision Intention and Reality.


Time is of the Essence – Decision Hour

Your Excellencies, our World does not have luxury of time to get DONE the Global Task of Magnitude and Complexity described above. The reality is that Time is NOW for World Leaders to decide between:-
1. Our World continuing to Auto Pilot accelerate on MADning (Mutually Assured Destruction) Road to DOOM with Ultimate Catastrophic Consequences Guaranteed, if our World Fail to Win War on COVID 19 and Fail to achieve SDGs by 2030 in all North and South Countries.
2.      Our World Changing Lane to start accelerating on MAPing (Mutually Assured Prosperity) Road to BOOM with significant benefits to target groups, especially the 5 Billion Poor Children, Youth, Women, Men and Elders in all North and South Countries as all Major Stakeholder Groups – Domestic and Global Work Together to Succeed Together and in Ways that Effectively Leave No One Behind in the Global Task of Fighting and Wining War on COVID 19 linked to achieving SDGs by 2030 in all North and South Countries.

Conclusion

Your Excellencies, there is Urgent need for World Leaders to adopt All Inclusive, All Embracing and Ambitious Community, Sub-National, National, Sub-Regional, Regional and Global Integrated Innovative Sustainable Solutions adequate to help solve to real and complex COVID 19 in all its dimensions and determinants: Health, Political Economic, Financial, Social etc and SDGs/Global Goals real and complex problems on the ground facing all 193 UN Member States Governments; entire UN System: UNO, WBG, IMF, WTO Membership and their National and International Partners as well as help get DONE the much that remain to be DONE if all 193 UN Member States are to get back On Track to achieve SDGs Pledge Delivery in barely 10 years remaining to end 2030 target date.

This HUGE Investment and related resources gap demand exceptional levels of Innovation and Creativity supported by Unprecedented levels of Political Will and Public will, if it is to be filled and on time.

Your Excellencies, history beacons. Decision must be made on way forward in Common Interest, Common Future and Common Destiny of Present and Future Generations of Citizens in all North and South Countries in our World today. The Ultimate Consequences of Wrong Choice is too Catastrophic to be imagined. Yet wishes alone or good intentions alone will not prevent this looming ultimate Catastrophic Consequences from being Reality if World Leaders Fail to Change Course on or before 30 June 2020.

We Pray World Leaders make Right Decision and there is a World, indeed Better World in next 75 years, that is UN at 150 would Deliver Stronger, Safer and Richer World for all World Citizens in 75 years time.


God Bless our World.

Contact:

NEHMAP Team Leader and
Director General
Economic Alliance Group (Global Integrated Sustainable Solutions Provider)
M: +234-8162469805
Website: www.nehmapglobal.org                                                       
Email: nehap.initiative@yahoo.co.uk    info@nehmapglobal.org                          May 2020.