Saturday, September 26, 2015

Global Push To Achieve SDGs Vision and Words with Action Agenda 1


The 193 UN Member States on 25 September 2015 formally adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – a set of 17 bold new Global Goals which the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon has hailed as universal, integrated and transformative Vision for a better World.

“The new agenda is a promise by leaders to all people everywhere. It is an agenda for people, to end poverty in all its forms – an agenda for the planet, our common home,” declared Mr. Ban as he opened the UN Sustainable Development Summit, UNSDS 2015 which kicked off on Friday 25 September 2015 and wraps up Sunday 27 September 2015.

It will be recalled that in 2014 Mr. Ban embarked upon a Final Push to achieve MDG by 2015 and Post 2015 Development Agenda that mobilized Global Collective Action to get more Countries achieve more MDG Targets as well as produce its replacement – the Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs, the new Global Goals that have been adopted.

It will be recalled further that as part of this Final Push a Data Revolution Report was released 6 November 2014; Synthesis Report was released 4 December 2015; Addis Ababa Action Agenda was adopted in July 2015 and now the SDG was adopted 25 September 2015.

The UN deserves commendation for Giant Strides made that got our World thus far. However, the Data Revolution Report, Synthesis Report, AAAA and SDG How questions have not been answered and this explains why the UNSDS 2015 has 6 Interactive Dialogue Sessions all focus on helping to find answer to Data Revolution, Synthesis Report, AAAA and SDG How questions. Can UNSDS deliver on this responsibility? Or is UNSDS kick starting process of getting fair answer to SDG How questions?

The implication of holding UNSDS after adoption of SDG, is that what World Leaders have adopted is SDG that is Vision and Words without Action and what UNSDS 2015 seek to achieve is ways and means of converting current AAAA and SDG into new AAAA and SDG that is Vision and Words with Action. Unless this conversion is achieved, it will be an uphill task for World Leaders to deliver on their promise identified above by Mr. Ban.

The acid test of credibility of SDG is how it delivers:-
1.     Better Domestic and International Trade in each of 193 Member States.
2.     Better Financing – Equity, Loan and Grant for all particularly the Poor
3.     Better War on Corruption and Terrorism and
4.     Better Environmental Sustainability.

The only way World Leaders can deliver on their promise during the adoption of SDG is to improve Coordination, Collaboration, Cooperation, Solidarity and Accountability in the design and delivery of mutual support mechanism that help each of the 193 Member States to pass this acid test of credibility of the SDGs.

To achieve this, the 193 Member States jointly and severally must demonstrate and be seen to demonstrate:-
1.     Willingness to accept new ideas, new thinking, new ways of doing things
2.     Willingness to establish new coordination, new collaboration, new cooperation, new solidarity, new accountability and new partnership
3.     Readiness to accept past flaws, past failures, past drawbacks, past shortcomings and past hindrances
4.     Readiness to build bridge between lessons learning and lessons forgetting, create learning organization and create learning society
5.     Readiness to create Demand for Planning – Research, Planning, Data as basis for creating Supply for Planning – Research, Planning, Data
6.     Readiness to create Demand for Implementation as basis for creating supply for Implementation
7.     Readiness to create Demand for Evaluation – Monitoring, Evaluation, Assessment as basis for creating Supply for Evaluation – Monitoring, Evaluation, Assessment
8.     Readiness to create Demand for Accountability – Transparency, Accountability, Citizen / Stakeholder Participation as basis for creating Supply for Accountability – Transparency, Accountability, Citizen / Stakeholder Participation
9.     Readiness to create Demand for Learning – Learning and Result as basis for creating Supply for Learning – Learning and Result
10.                         Readiness to accept One Nationwide / Region wide / Worldwide 3PCM – Policy, Program, Project Cycle Management Approach and Methodology to Sustainable Benefits focused National and International Development Cooperation Policy, Program, Project Intervention, 3PI and 3PI Training as One in each Action Agenda Item in each of the 17 SDGs applicable to specific context – Village to Global in each of the 193 Member States

These fundamental issues of Willingness and Readiness need to be complemented by fundamental issues of Ability – Capacity Building; Ability – Resources and Invitation – Mandate within National and Global Platform.

Capacity Building should be on three levels:-
1.     Individual – Hard Competences: Learning and Skills and Soft Competences: Character, Courage and Mindset
2.     Institution / Government – Processes, Procedures, Systems, Operations that empower Individuals to operationalize in practice Competences they acquire through formal and informal education and training to help achieve increasing convergence between Institution / Government Vision, Mission and Mandate Intention and Reality.
3.     Society – Political and Cultural; Economic and Financial; Social and Environmental; Peace and Security; Religious and Moral Space that empower Individuals and Institutions to Thrive in the work towards achieving Institution / Government Vision, Mission, Mandate Intention and Reality with or without chaos.
Resources include: Influence, Science, Technology, Innovation, Fund, Manpower, Spiritual, Land and Water.

For World Leaders to deliver on their promise they need to focus on Diplomacy, Development, Defense, Security, Politics, Business, Philanthropy, Religion, Communication and Advocacy within One Worldwide Approach / Methodology; One Worldwide Evaluation; One Worldwide Competences; One Worldwide Programming etc guarded and guided by:-
1.     High Level Leadership Personal and Official Commitment
2.     Common Stakeholder Language and Definitions
3.     OH2A2T2LRP – Ownership, Harmony, Alignment, Accountability, Transparency, Transformation, Leadership, Learning, Results and Participation
4.     Eliminating Duplication and Fragmentation
5.     Inclusion and Regeneration
6.     Clarify Roles – Duties, Responsibilities and Rights
7.     Agree Sanctions and Enforcement Mechanism
8.     Agree Reward and Celebration Mechanism
9.     Maintain Clear Focus on Development Results and Development Impact
10.                        Measure, Monitor and Evaluate Progress towards achieving Goals and Targets
11.                        Mobilize required Resources (see definition above) and use prudently and productively.
12.                        Build required Capacity (see definition) and ensure match between Capacity and Scope of Work.

Whereas the MDG focused on Developing Countries, the SDG is focused on both Developing and Developed Countries, that is, all 193 Member States. The High Performing Countries have much to do if they are to achieve all SDG Goals and Targets by 2030. The Laggard Countries have much more to do, first to cover lost ground achieving MDG and then accelerate to achieve SDG Goals and Targets by 2030. This underlines urgent need to select the One Worldwide Approach / Methodology for Implementing and Evaluation SDG in each of the 193 Member States driving domestication of SDG that is aligned with National Development Plan in each Country.

Should 193 Member States, UN Family Organization including World Bank Group and IMF and their Partners jointly agree to convert SDG to Vision and Words with Action within the next 3 months; for adoption of revised AAAA and SDG during Paris Climate Change Summit in December 2015, there are bright prospects of success achieving SDG Goals and Targets in all 193 Member States by 2030.

If World Leaders are to deliver on their promise, SDG Stakeholders from Village to Global level need practical help and support from External Consultants. Few Professionals have the willingness and the ability – competences required to provide such support. Of these none has the ability – resources. Those who have the willingness and the ability – competences need to be identified, invited and empowered with ability – resources to provide SDG Stakeholders from Village to Global levels with the needed practical help and support required to achieve increasing convergence between SDG Vision and Words with Action Intention and Reality in each Community in each Local Government in each of the 193 Member States.

The momentum built by Final Push to achieve MDG by 2015 and Post 2015 Development Agenda need to be stepped up to be next level and not diminished. We need a Global Push to achieve SDG Vision and Words with Action Agenda by 2030 that is a Global Movement taking the Final Push to the Next level. We need a Roadmap to Paris that delivers SDG Vision and Words with Action. We need a Global Movement that ensures all 193 Member States achieve SDG Goals and Targets by 2030. We need World Leaders to deliver on their Promise.
Will World Leaders fail over 2 Billion World Poor...?

If you require some clarification or additional information, please send email to:-

Lanre Rotimi
Director General
International Society for Poverty Elimination, ISPE /
Economic Alliance Group

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