Monday, January 5, 2015

Final Push To Achieve MDGs And Create Sustainable Post-2015 Development Agenda 11

Introduction

The Synthesis Report on Post 2015 Development Agenda was released by UN Secretary General on 4 December 2014. We commend all who have contributed towards the production of this important Report. The Report essentially addressed World Sustainable Development What and Why questions, but did not address How questions.

We are concerned that fundamental issues raised in our Initial Comments 1,2 and 3 are ignored, yet the Synthesis Report Paragraph 22 and other Paragraphs identified in our Initial Comments Commits the UN and Partners to Business Unusual, New Ideas, New Thinking, New Ways of Doing Things, New Rules etc. In ignoring these comments, is the UN "Walking its Talk"?

We observe that ongoing World Sustainable Development Dialogue continue to proceed along Pre Synthesis Report lines instead of Post Synthesis Report lines; that comments are welcome on the Synthesis Report; that current Synthesis Report is described as Final Draft and that the Final Draft was published in 6 UN Official languages on 31 December 2014, as earlier promised. This is commendable.

We observe further that the Official Copy of the Data Revolution Report was a Printers Copy very much different from the Final Draft but the Official Copy of the Synthesis Report is essentially an official Gazette. The bad news is that an Official Copy of the Synthesis Report has been released while Global comments on same are still being taken (in ways that seem uncoordinated and inadequate). The Good News is that Global Consultation can proceed in 6 UN Languages so that comments obtained in each of the 6 languages could be integrated into a Second Version Official Copy Synthesis Report that is again published in 6 UN languages.

It is a puzzle that our comments have been blocked from inclusion on the official platform for taking comments on Final Draft / Official Copy Synthesis Report because we are the only contributor that does not have a website and this requirement could not be relaxed from compulsory to optional for just one contributor who is unable to meet this requirement. Again is this consistent with the Business Unusual Principle that the Synthesis Report seeks to operationalize in practice?

The Synthesis Report is essentially a Score Card of the Final Push to achieve MDGs’ by 2015 and Post 2015 Development Agenda. Its intention should be to summarize what has been achieved and set out what remains to be done, and most importantly HOW it is to be done, if there is to be increasing convergence between Final Push to achieve MDGs’ by 2015 and Post 2015 Development Agenda Vision, Goals and Targets: Intention and Reality. The overarching aim of this initial Comment 4 is to build on Initial Comment 1, 2 and 3 to help achieve this Synthesis Report Intention.

Big Issue – Tackling Greatest Limitations

In the work towards achieving increasing convergence between Final Push to achieve MDGs by 2015 and Post 2015 Development Agenda Vision Intention and Reality the Greatest Limitations we have identified lie in how well shortcomings, drawbacks and hindrances in each specific Community (Village to Global Geopolitical Space / Constituency) are Professionally identified and tackled, in ways that are effective, efficient and deliver sustainable benefits to Target Beneficiaries. To achieve this, there is urgent need for ongoing Sub-national, National, Sub-regional, Regional and Global Dialogue to face new direction and adopt new priorities Driven by:-
1.     Shifting away from Qualified and Conditional Business Unusual Interventions and Shifting towards Unqualified and Unconditional Business Unusual Interventions.
2.     Shifting away from addressing fundamental issues within Shadow Rhetoric and Empty Ritual and Shifting towards addressing fundamental issues within Stark Reality and Strategic Partnerships
3.     Shift away from Ideas and Models Political Leadership / Public Service Leadership in International Institutions / Governments – Developed and /or Developing is / are interested in and Shift towards Ideas and Models that are in the Interest of Private Enterprise / Civil Society / Countries – Developed and /or Developing.
4.     Shift away from Policy, Program, Project Interventions, 3PIs that are Non People Centred and Anti Poor and Shift towards Policy, Program, Project Interventions, 3PIs that are People Centred and Pro Poor.
5.     Shift away from Non Identification, Non Empowerment, Non Promotion and Non Protection of Individuals, Institutions and Governments that can support Village to Global Stakeholders Collective Action for achieving increasing convergence between MDG / SDG (MDG 2) Vision Intention and Reality wherever they could be found in our World today and Shift towards Identification, Empowerment, Promotion and Protection of Individuals, Institutions and Governments that can support Village to Global Stakeholders Collective Action for achieving increasing convergence between MDG / SDG (MDG 2) Vision Intention and Reality wherever they could be found in our World today

Understanding the Nature of World Poverty
Our Study finding is that most of the Professionals currently engaged in Fighting World Poverty on: Go To Think Tanks, Governments, International Institutions, Civil Society, Private Sector, Academics and Development Consultants sides and this explains why in the first 50 years of International Development Cooperation 1960 – 2009; the un-encouraging Scorecard is:-
1/3 Good Evaluation; 1/3 Flawed Evaluation; 1/3 Failed Evaluation
1/3 Good Policy/Program/Project; 1/3 Flawed Policy/Program/Project; 1/3 Failed Policy/Program/Project

Lessons have not been learnt from Lessons Learnt in the first 50 years and so Lessons Learning has been progressing at the same rate as Lessons Forgetting. The result is as we enter the 6th year in the second 50 years of International Development Cooperation, the Scorecard is still the same – un-encouraging. As long as relevant International Development Cooperation authorities refuse to learn from the lessons of history, World Leaders will continue to repeat the mistakes of history. The difference this time, is that given worsening World Terrorism, Insurgency, Hunger and Poverty etc the ultimate consequences of these reoccurring flaws and failures could be catastrophic for Citizens in both Developed and Developing Countries in our World today, particularly the over 2 Billion poor, including increasing number of Women, Youth and Children in US, UK, France and other Developed Countries that the UN, World Bank Group, IMF, EC etc claim to serve.

If Village to Global Stakeholders in International Development Cooperation are to have a better understanding of World Poverty, that is understand Why Terrorism, Insurgency, Hunger and Poverty etc as One is Fighting the World as basis for understanding How to Fight World Terrorism, Insurgency, Hunger and Poverty etc as One, then World Leaders need to Individually and Jointly Recognize that the following Principles are some of the Master Keys to Sustainable Success:-
1.     To Fight and Win on Successful and Sustainable basis the War on World Terrorism, Insurgency, Hunger and Poverty etc as One, there is urgent need  for all Stakeholders in each specific Community (specific Village to Global Geopolitical Space or Constituency) to fully understand and effectively deploy, the Forces that generate Individual, Institution, Enterprise and Country Prosperity.
2.     Your Enemy is Your Friend
3.     Learning all there is to learn from both positive / constructive and negative / destructive criticism.
4.     Operationalizing in Practice the 4 Shifts set out in Comment 2.

Reforming the UN Family
The UN Charter established 6 Principal Organs of the UN – the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the Trusteeship Council, the International Court of Justice and the Secretariat. The UN Family is much larger, encompassing 15 Agencies and several Programs and Bodies. 2015 is the UN 70th Anniversary year and a good time for a frank and truthful review of the UN Family, if it is to be an International Institution fit for the 21st Century.

It will be recalled that the UN was established 70 years ago to be the effective Platform for Global Collective Action for Political Stability of our World and the IMF (a member of the UN family) was established 70 years ago to be the effective Platform for Global Collective Action for Economic Stability. The Roles of World Bank Group and IMF in the deployment of Global Collective Action for Economic Stability is blurred and there is too much overlapping responsibility and uncoordinated jurisdiction among several UN Family Members, for example IMF, WBG, UNDP and so the World Poor - over 2 Billion are not getting the best from the specialist capabilities and huge knowledge available in each UN Family Member. This underlines urgent need for the review highlighted above.

While contentious areas in the Reform of UN Family Members individually and collectively can wait, non contentious areas of Reform cannot wait, if there is to be increasing convergence between Final Push to achieve MDG by 2015 and Post 2015 Development Agenda Vision Intention and Reality. This is because there is increasing evidence that some UN Family Members, particularly IMF and WBG are in reality increasing Poverty (IMF is far Worse than WBG), that is, they are delivering Services contrary to their Mission, Vision and Mandate. This evidence will continue to be ignored for as long as World Leaders are in Denial, Delusion or Deception. Should World Leaders continue to delay or deny Ordered Change in Reforming UN Family starting from non contentious areas, they knowingly or unknowingly make Disordered Change inevitable. Allowed to occur the ultimate consequences will be catastrophic. The following are suggestions on non contentious areas of Reform that select UN Family Members could embark upon immediately. Success achieved will shed light on practical options for tackling contentious areas of Reform in each UN Family Member.
IMF
1.     Convert Fund to World Central Bank
2.     Remove Operational Secrecy by establishing visible presence (same as WBG) in each of the 193 UN Member Countries
3.     Re-establish Independent Evaluation Group, IMF-IEG with specific Unit for Specific Institution within the New IMF (World Central Bank) and using the same Policy, Program, Project Cycle Management System to correctly identify Good Evaluation; Flawed Evaluation and Failed Evaluation and Defend IMF Self Correction System.
4.     Re-establish Reward and Sanction System to Adequately Reward Good Evaluation; Good Policy; Good Program; Good Project and Effectively Sanction Flawed / Failed Evaluation; Flawed / Failed Policy; Flawed / Failed Program; Flawed / Failed Project based on Short Term Reviews: 1year, 2years, 3years; Medium Term Reviews: 5years, 7years, 10years and Long Term Reviews: 15years, 20years, 25years.
WBG
1.     Re-establish Institutions – Private Finance Corporation; Public Finance Corporation; Grant Finance Corporation; Investment Guarantee Agency; Dispute Resolution Agency.
2.     Re-establish Independent Evaluation Group, WBG-IEG with specific Unit for each of the 5 WBG Institutions and using the same Policy, Program, Project Cycle Management System to correctly identify Good Evaluation; Flawed Evaluation and Failed Evaluation and Defend WBG Self Correction System.
3.     Re-establish Reward and Sanction System to Adequately Reward Good Evaluation; Good Policy; Good Program; Good Project and Effectively Sanction Flawed / Failed Evaluation; Flawed / Failed Policy; Flawed / Failed Program; Flawed / Failed Project based on Short Term Reviews: 1year, 2years, 3years; Medium Term Reviews: 5years, 7years, 10years and Long Term Reviews: 15years, 20years, 25years.
UN
1.     Re-establish Secretariat, Bodies, Programs, Funds, Institutes and Entities and saddle each with specific responsibility for specific Primary Revolution(s) – Data Revolution, Agriculture Revolution; Enterprise Revolution; Government Revolution; Applied Research Revolution; Attitudinal and Behavioral Change Revolution etc and or Secondary Revolution(s) – Nutrition Revolution’ Health Revolution; Education Revolution, Risk Management Revolution; Diplomacy Revolution; Geodesign Revolution; Financial Inclusion Revolution etc
2.     Re-establish Independent Evaluation Group, UN-IEG with specific Unit for specific UN Agency – Secretariat, Body, Program, Fund, Institute, Entity and using the same Policy, Program, Project Cycle Management System to correctly identify Good Evaluation; Flawed Evaluation and Failed Evaluation and Defend UN Self Correction System.
3.     Re-establish Reward and Sanction System to Adequately Reward Good Evaluation; Good Policy; Good Program; Good Project and Effectively Sanction Flawed / Failed Evaluation; Flawed / Failed Policy; Flawed / Failed Program; Flawed / Failed Project based on Short Term Reviews: 1year, 2years, 3years; Medium Term Reviews: 5years, 7years, 10years and Long Term Reviews: 15years, 20years, 25years.

Once each UN Family Executive Management Member, Senior Official or Junior Officer know that his / her decisions today will be subject to Short, Medium and Long Term Review with Joy of Reward and Pain of Sanction that could be enjoyed or suffered even when they are over 80 years old if alive or that will be enjoyed or suffered by their descendants if dead, People will be more careful in taking callous decisions with impunity, that is so rampant not only on UN Family Members side but also on Developed Countries, Developing Countries, other International Institutions sides today.

Global Consultation on Financing for Development Conference – Addis Ababa July 2015
The current consultation is focused on Conference Format. Four Options have been given for format of Mach 2015 Stakeholder Hearings at UN Headquarters. It appears this specific activity could be chasing shadow, ultimately resulting in consultation for consultation sake. This is because should the most popular Conference Format option be adopted, this may not be the most technically correct option. While it is important to hear the Voices of respondents, in this specific case, it is more important to give greater weight to the Voice of knowledgeable Development Consultants with expertise, experience and exposure to support relevant authorities and participants to design and deliver a Conference that will “Work”, that is deliver Sustainable Benefits to Target Beneficiaries.

If the UN does not know why past important conferences such as FAO Conference on Hunger and Poverty 1995 etc failed or why important Reports such as MDG Gap Report 2013 and 2014 have no impact on work towards achieving increasing convergence between Final Push to achieve MDG by 2015 and Post 2015 Development Agenda Vision Intention and Reality, the UN will not know how to organize an Addis Ababa Conference that will succeed on sustainable basis where past similar Conferences – Monterrey Conference; Doha Conference and Crisis Conference had failed. We wait to see how this feat of a Conference that Works, could be achieve if the Preparatory Process for the Addis Ababa Conference does not adopt New Priorities and face New Directions underlined by addressing fundamental issues raised in Comments 1,2,3 and 4.

Global Consultation on Synthesis Report
It is pertinent to note that the relevant authorities are running behind schedule articulated in the Roadmap to Addis Ababa Conference as well as Roadmap to the 70th General Assembly, September 2015. Now that the Synthesis Report has been released in 6 UN Official languages, there is urgent need to integrate Finance and Non Finance issues; Human Resources Development, HRD and Non HRD issues; Technical and Non Technical issues; Political and Non Political issues as One into a Revised Official Copy of Synthesis Report (Version 2) in 6 UN Official languages for release by UN Secretary General on 31 January 2015.

The UN Secretary General could direct the 5 UN Regional Commissions to coordinate the participation of UN Secretariat, Bodies, Programs, Funds, Institutes, Entities in their respective Regional Groups and their Partners to comment on the Synthesis Report within 2 weeks and make their submissions by 19 January 2015. The submissions will be made in the UN Official language(s) spoken by the UN Member Countries in the Region and translated into English to produce a Final Draft in English that will be translated into Official Synthesis Report Version 2 in 6 UN Official languages Gazette that would be released by UN Secretary General on 31 January 2015. There is a need to produce a more detailed Global Report that is a Summary of the earlier and current Global Consultation. This Global Report also needs to be made available in 6 UN Official languages and as soon as possible after 31 January 2015.


Common Definition

The increasing poverty levels in Nigeria, Africa, UK, Europe, US and World is a Scar on the Conscience of Researchers in Top Universities across the World, particularly in G8 Countries. To remove this Scar, Researchers in these Universities need to shift focus away from academic research aimed at advancing the frontiers of knowledge to academic research aimed at institutionalizing true development. To achieve this, there is a need for all relevant Stakeholders to have common agreement on the definition of Advocacy, True Development, Development Research, Goals, Targets and Indicators.

We suggest: Advocacy is the set of strategies and activities designed and delivered to influence: specific government, particularly the executive and legislative arms, in a specific country (for example Local Government, State Government or National Government in Nigeria) or specific Political Grouping of Countries, including the legislative arm where it exists, in a specific Sub-region e.g. ECOWAS; Region / Continent e.g. Africa Union; Global / World e.g. G20, to take particular decision, fully implement the decision and effectively monitor and evaluate the implementation to ensure increasing convergence between decision intention and reality.
Advocacy is the set of strategies and activities designed and delivered to influence: specific individual, institution or society to move from an undesired state to a desired state and to remain in this desired state. Should realities on the ground demand that the desired state be changed to a more desired state, this will be done on continuing basis.
True Development must mean the development of man – the unfolding and realization of his creative potential enabling him to improve his material conditions and living through the use of resources available to him. It is a process by which man’s personality is enhanced and it is that enhanced personality – creative, organized and disciplined which is the MOVING FORCE behind the socio economic TRANSFORMATION of Society. It is clear that development does not start with goods and things, it starts with people, their orientation, organization and discipline. When the accent on development is on things, all human resources remain latent, untapped potential and a Society can be poor amidst the most opulent of material resources. On the contrary, where a Society is properly oriented, organized and disciplined, it can be prosperous on the scantiest basis of natural wealth.

For Development to qualify as True Development, it must be all round, well balanced, progressive and self sustaining: all individual aspects must be mutually reinforcing. True Development has to be multi sectoral, multi disciplinary and multi dimensional. True Development is much more than provision of road, electricity, water, communication facilities, education and health facilities among others; however important all these may be. True Development must include the exploitation of all available resources for the maximum good, vast improvement in a peoples’ self reliance and self reassurance in their creative and managerial ability, in their productivity and production, particularly of the goods and services needed by the majority to improve the quality of their lives; vast and rapid qualitative and quantitative improvement in their individual and collective security and welfare and in their socio cultural and socio political development in the installation of a more democratic, egalitarian, civil and civilized society amongst others.

True Development must embrace every aspect of a peoples’ life – political, economic, social. The reason is that these are interconnected and interdependent. An Individual cannot want to move forward economically without first of all having the political base for moving forward economically. An Individual cannot want to move forward socially without having the political and economic base to move forward socially. So if the relevant authorities – national and international, pay attention to one while leaving the other, these authorities will be deceiving themselves while increasing the avoidable pain and misery of these Individuals, with ultimate catastrophic consequences for Citizens in both Rich and Poor Countries in our World today.

Nigeria, US and World Sustainable Development

There are predictions that Nigeria could disintegrate in 2015. Events as Nigeria race to 2015 General Elections suggest that this prophesy could become reality or Nigeria could fumble and wobble to avoid catastrophe. The World cannot afford the cost of a disintegrated Nigeria. If the World helps Nigeria to permanently avoid disintegration the World will in reality be helping itself. This is because Nigeria is the Biggest Single Black Nation on earth. If this anarchy is not tackled in Nigeria National Interest and World Interest, the legal and illegal Migration of Asylum Seekers and Displaced Persons will overwhelm Countries in West Africa, other Africa Regions, UK, other European Countries, US and other Countries across the World why these Nigerians flee to.

Also, the US is the Only Superpower in our World today. The US is in decline. The US has huge National Debts that it is unwilling to tackle (unlike the UK that is taking steps to tackle its financial problems). The Killing of US Police Officers by US Citizens opens up fundamental issues of racism, impunity, injustice, indifference, corruption and crime etc that US Leaders pretend does not exist. If this anarchy is not tackled in US National Interest and World interest, the Collapse of the US Economy will trigger Collapse of the World Economy.

The US Government now know that US National Security greatly depends on Development, Diplomacy and Defense; that Military Solution alone cannot tame World Terrorism and Insurgency; that Reconciliation Solutions are required to address World Terrorism and Insurgency. But they need to know that Charity must start from Home and the World need to know that in helping the US and Nigeria, they are in reality helping themselves.

It is clear that crime and corruption in Nigeria is child’s play compared to crime and corruption in New York alone, not to talk of other States in the US, yet Nigeria ranks high on Transparency International’s list of Corrupt Countries (Bribe Takers) and US rank low; that after US$25 Billion and countless US and Non US including Afghanistan lives, Afghanistan today poses great threat to itself and the World; that Terrorism and Insurgency situation in Iraq, Syria etc defy US Solutions; that Boko Haram defy Nigeria Solutions and that without Fighting and Winning 4 Wars from Village to Global levels: War on Poverty, Hunger, Disease and Environmental Degradation (PHDE), real and complex Political & Cultural; Economic & Financial; Social & Environmental; Peace & Security; Religious and Moral problems on the ground facing Nigeria, Africa, UK, Europe, US and rest of the World cannot be solved. It is pertinent to note that in each war there is a need to Fight and WIN 12 Battles: Battle Against Arrogance, Ignorance, Indifference, Incompetence, Indiscipline, Injustice, Intolerance, Insincerity, Inequality, Interference, Impunity and Corruption (A10IC).

A Situation where US Leaders fail to tackle Root Problems responsible for US Police Killings; where US, Canada and Europe Leaders prefer to subsidize Cows - Animals at over US$2 per day while Poor Africans – Human Beings live on less than US$1 per day; where many Poor People in Developing Countries die of starvation while many dustbins in Developed Countries have too much waste food; where US, Canada and Europe subsidy on Agricultural Production and Export worsen Pain and Misery of Poor African Farmers who produce food but cannot feed their families; where the contribution of Cows produced in Developed Countries is more than the contribution of Cars to Climate Change problems - Call for World Leaders Urgent Action towards the Evolution of New World Order: Political & Cultural; Economic & Financial; Social & Environmental; Peace & Security; Religious and Moral.

It is pertinent to note that today, all Systems – Foreign Aid, Governance, Security etc in the US and Nigeria are in state of decay. Any attempt to overhaul these Systems that is not integral part of correctly identifying all Root Problems and providing correct solutions to same will be exercise in futility. It is by helping Nigeria and Africa; UK and Europe; US and rest of the World to achieve this New World Order that lasting solutions could be found to Terrorism, Insurgency, Hunger, Poverty and other World problems in over 200 UN Member Countries and Non UN Member Countries in our World today.

World Leaders need to recognize that to delay or deny Ordered Change through Reforms that help create New International Systems fit for the 21st Century driving the evolution of this New World Order, is to make Disordered Change inevitable, with ultimate catastrophic consequences for Citizens in both Developed and Developing Countries in our World today. We have before us Road to Boom and Road to Doom. World Leaders have to make a Choice. No Choice is a Choice.

Major Groups

There is a Major Group for Civil Society – NGO Major Group; there is a Major Group for Business Sector – Business and Industry Major Group with International Chamber of Commerce as Main Organization. However, there is no Development Consultant Major Group. Yet the expertise experience and exposure of Development Consultants is required if real and complex problems on the ground facing Civil Society, Business Sector, Government, other Stakeholders including Target Beneficiaries are to be professionally tackled on successful and sustainable basis.

However, Development Consultants that could best perform in this role are those with minimum certain levels of Hard Competences – Learning and Skills and Soft Competences – Character, Courage and Mindset and who are willing to work under blended Commercial and Not for Profit arrangement.

To fill this Gap, there is urgent need to create Development Consultant Major Group with Network of Consultants in Sustainable Development, NCSD as Main Organization. Should this suggestion be accepted, we are willing to provide more details about NCSD.

Just as UN NGO Liaison Service has been created to coordinate UN engagement with Civil Society, should the idea of creating Development Consultant Major Group be welcome, there will be need to create UN Development Consultant Liaison Service to coordinate UN engagement with Development Consultants.  

One Worldwide Approach

The Official Copy of the Synthesis Report identify need for One Worldwide Approach to be adopted by all relevant Village to Global Stakeholders in each specific Community (specific Village to Global Geopolitical Space / Constituency) in our World today. The most advance such Approach available anywhere in our World today is 3PCM (Policy, Program, Project Cycle Management Approach to Benefits focused National and International Development Cooperation).

In the work towards deploying Synthesis Report ideas and recommendations, as enriched by ongoing Global Consultation (hopefully in 6 UN languages) to provide Official Copy Synthesis Report Version 2 (that we suggest is produced in 6 UN Official languages and released by UN Secretary General on 31 January 2015) to implement Final Push to achieve MDG by 2015 and Post 2015 Development Agenda, there is urgent need for World Leaders to correctly identify this One Worldwide Approach with clear Principles, Instruments corresponding to each Principle, Practices and Database as well as ways and means of Training all relevant Village to Global Stakeholders to understand How to Use the Approach in their Day to Day work. Should World Leaders reject 3PCM Option as the most Viable One Worldwide Approach, we respect their Right to make such Choice. It is our hope that the Alternative Option of One Worldwide Approach they chose will be Viable and will achieve better results than 3PCM has demonstrated capacity to achieve.

Conclusion 


Should these thoughts be welcome and acted upon, we are encouraged to work on the Draft Synthesis Report as well as the Global Report within the timelines for release of Final Global Report and Final Synthesis Report in 6 official UN languages by 31 December 2014 or 7 January 2015. We expect that enough individuals will also make required sacrifice to help achieve the deadlines.

God Bless UN. God Bless our World.

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

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