ISPE EAG
INTERATIONAL
SOCIETY FOR POVERTY ELIMINATION ECONOMIC
ALLIANCE GROUP
Briefing # 7: Can How Answer to AAAA and SDG Vision and Words with
Action Be Found in 3 Days of UNSDS 2015?
Global Call to World Leaders, Representatives of 193 UN Member States, 9
Major Groups, other CSOs’ and other Stakeholders.
By Lanre Rotimi and Peter Orawgu. 14 September 2015
As
we race to the 70th UNGA that appear set to adopt the latest SDG (Sustainable
Development Goals) outcome document, “Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda
for Sustainable Development”, during the UN Sustainable Development Summit,
UNSDS, New York, 25 – 27 September 2015, the appalling situation in Europe
suggest urgent need for pause to reflect on 70 years of UN, to determine if the
UN is fit for the 21st Century alongside reflecting on flaws and
failures in the Finance for Development, FfD and Post 2015 Development Agenda
Processes, with a view to determining whether fair answer to SDG and AAAA
(Addis Ababa Action Agenda) questions could be found in 3 Days of UNSDS 2015 as
well as the implication for our Fragile Planet of arriving at forced or failed
answer to SDG and AAAA How questions as basis for final endorsement of SDG by
70th UNGA in September 2015.
It is clear that it would take at
least 3 months to negotiate fair answer to SDG and AAAA How questions leading
to endorsement of revised SDG and
revised AAAA that is Vision and Words with Action in November or December 2015.
The Big Question World Leaders and World Parliamentarians - IPU Members
need to answer and very quickly too is: Why the rush to endorse SDG that is
impotent to address European Crisis, Africa Crisis, US Crisis and Crisis in
other parts of our World as is today? Why endorse SDG after 3 Days UNSDS, that is
impotent in the Design of Practical Solutions to real and complex problems on
the ground at sub-national, national, sub-regional, regional and global levels
as well as in each of the 193 UN Member States that Deliver Development Impact
and Development Effectiveness on Sustainable and Successful basis at each
level?
The 69th UNGA and 70th UNGA meetings need to clearly
address this Big Question in the Common Interest and Common Future of Global
Citizens, particularly the over 2 Billion Poor Worldwide that they claim to
Serve.
If enough Individuals, Institutions and Governments who feel
strongly that "negotiators
would extend the negotiations rather than rushing to agree on the issues that
will really matter for people in our world, only to make avoidable mistakes
because of this rush" actually raised
their Voices, and mobilize Global Collective Action to Persuade and if
necessary Pressure co-Facilitators, 193 Member States and other concerned
Stakeholders to DO the Needful, to produce a revised and reinvigorated AAAA and
SDG that is Masterplan with ACTION
providing real solutions to real problems facing real people; to replace the
current AAAA and SDG that is Vision and
Words without ACTION not providing real solutions to real problems facing
real people; there is no reason why the 70th UNGA cannot wait till November or
December 2015 to adopt revised AAAA and revised SDG that has filled identified gaps and linked
identified disconnect in current AAAA and SDG. And there is precedent -
Synthesis Report was to be released on 17 September 2014 at 69th UNGA but the
release was delayed until 4 December 2014.
In
Briefings #1, #2 #3, #4, #5 and #6, we focused on need to answer HOW Questions
now, in the FfD and Post 2015 Processes. Let us consider What our World stand to lose if 3 Days of UNSDS 2015 find forced or
failed answer to AAAA and SDG as well as What our World stand to gain if fair
answer to AAAA and SDG How questions is found in 3 months as basis for
endorsing revised AAAA and revised SDG in November or December 2015 that is Vision
and Words with Action whose Design and Delivery is based its domestication
and implementation alongside National Development Plan in each of the 193
Member States and in ways that help achieve increasing convergence between
revised AAAA and revised SDG Vision Intention and Reality in each of the 193 UN
Member States:
The World We
Want
The World we have today is one in
which many countries – developed and
developing are experiencing hunger in all its forms – absolute, chronic and
hidden and poverty in all its forms – extreme poverty and relative poverty;
terrible human tragedies – civil wars and interstate wars. Europe is
confronting many challenges in asylum seekers and financial crises. Many Local
Governments and State Governments in US are bankrupt. In fact if the US Dollar
is uncoupled from the World Dollar, the US National Government will be
bankrupt. National Economic Growth largely does not trickle down to benefit the
poor in the rural communities in both developed and developing Countries. Can
we get the World We Want, if concerned Stakeholders do not jointly answer AAAA
and SDG How questions in ways that address these real and complex problems on
the ground?
A situation where a Cow in Europe
and US, is subsidized by about US$ 2 a day and over 2 Billion Poor People live
on less than US$ 2 a day is a Scar on
the Conscience of World Leaders.
A situation where Developed
Countries: seek contradictory political
and economic goals for the same US$ of Foreign Aid, as well as give US$1 of Aid to block US$10 of Trade
should no longer be tolerated, if we are to Get the World We Want.
The effective answer to revised AAAA and revised SDG How questions
should address these and all related real and complex sub-national, national,
sub-regional, regional and global problems on the ground, if we are to Get the
World We Want. Again How can all these
delicate and sensitive arrangements be discussed and established in just 3 Days
of UNSDS? Who is afraid of waiting 3 months to find fair answer to revised AAAA
and revised SDG How questions? Is it not Denial, Deception or Delusion seeking
to find answer to real and complex problems on the ground in our World as is
without seeking to find fair answer to revised AAAA and revised SDG How
questions?
Accountable National and International
Institutions
The Parliament is the Government
Arm saddled with responsibility to ensure that Governance stays close to the
People at all times. In our World today Parliaments on both Developed and
Developing Countries have flaws and failures that hinder them from delivering
on their major statutory responsibilities – Passing Good Laws and ensuring
their effective Implementation and ensuring Good Oversight of the Government
Executive Arm activities.
It is worrisome that debates at
the 4th IPU, Interparliamentary Union meeting in New York, 31 August
– 2 September 2015 called for shift from Rhetoric to Action; recognize that
there is no time to waste and Action must be taken now; yet no concrete proposals have been made
with respect to clear answer to AAAA and SDG How questions.
The outcome of 4th IPU
could sadly be Motion without Movement
and contribute nothing to move AAAA and SDG from Vision and Words without
Action to Vision and Words with Action unless something is done on the last Day
to correct this lapse. This is more regrettable given the fact that UNSDS
Program had been released before 4th IPU started and they were
therefore aware that SDG How questions are still outstanding, yet
Parliamentarians avoided or evaded
addressing this very important point.
Parliamentarians Worldwide on the
last day of 4th IPU and beyond need to raise their Voices to Demand
that all AAAA and SDG How questions are
answered in the Common Interest and Common Future of Citizens in each of
the 193 UN Member States, especially the over 2 Billion Poor that
Parliamentarians in each Country claim to serve.
Sub-national, National,
Sub-regional and Regional Parliaments existing today need to be urgently
re-established to be fit for the 21st Century. There is no Global
Parliament. One needs to be established as soon as possible. To effectively
address these points there is need to Reinvent
Governments – Executive, Legislature and Judiciary as well as Governance at all
levels – Sub-national, National, Sub-regional, Regional and Global.
As long as these steps are not
taken, there cannot be Accountable National and International Institutions and
as long as there are no Accountable National and International Institutions
with minimum certain levels of competences; the work towards achieving revised
AAAA and revised SDG Vision Ambitions would be uphill task.
Europe Crisis
Martin Schultz, President European Parliament in a recent article in the
Washington Post called for Europe not to be blamed for the Refugee Crisis. Russian
President Vladimir Putin claimed that Europe is getting what it deserve having destabilized
the Middle East. Mr Schultz argues that it is the intergovernmental decision
making process guarded jealously by national capitals that has once again
proven its ineffectiveness; that one could be harsh with European Leaders but
one should think twice before criticizing European Citizens and that blame game
will not help find solutions but courage and solidarity will.
Is there something to be gained from turning the European Refugee
Challenge into Opportunities in other to mitigate the Political, Economic and
Social risks? If World Leaders, European Leaders, World Citizens and European
Citizens do not know the Root Problems underlining the European Refugee Crisis,
there is no way that they can turn the European Refugee Challenge into
Opportunities that mitigate Political, Economic and Social Risks. Can these
Transformations be made on successful and sustainable basis without fair answer
to revised AAAA and revised SDG How questions? Do World Leaders, European
Leaders, World Citizens and European Citizens recognize that it is in their
rational self interest that this Transformation is made?
Poverty Crisis
Those fighting
Poverty do not understand the nature of poverty. An IMF Official flies into a
Country on a Mission, stays in 5 Star Hotel, visit only government agencies of
his choice and has no qualms writing a callous report that worsens rather than
reduce poverty. If he lives with the people and witnesses first hand, the
misery and sorrow flowing from his recommendations and if his career progression
is determined by short term 1 – 5 years, medium 7 – 15 years and long term 20 –
30 years evaluation of his decisions, he will think twice before making such
callous recommendations, sometimes with impunity.
The current SDG
that is Vision and Words without Action is evidence that in the design of SDG,
no lessons have been learnt in the implementation of MDG and so in the
implementation of SDG, lessons learning will continue to proceed at the same
pace as lessons forgetting. As long as the Root problems of Poverty in both
Developed and Developing Countries are not known, they cannot be addressed.
As long as this is
the case the Poverty Challenge cannot be turned into Opportunity for tackling
Political and Cultural; Economic and Financial; Social and Environmental;
Security and Peace; Religious and Moral problems on the ground in each of the
193 UN Member States in our World today. Can these Transformations be made on
successful and sustainable basis without fair answer to revised AAAA and revised
SDG How questions? Do World Leaders, European Leaders, World Citizens and
European Citizens recognize that it is in their rational self interest that this
Transformation is made?
International Development Cooperation
Scorecard
ISPE / EAG
Study finding on first 50 years of Development Cooperation 1960 - 2009,
coincide with EC Study finding with the following Scorecard:-
Policy,
Program, Project Evaluation
1/3 Good; 1/3 Flawed and 1/3 Failed
Policy, Program, Project Implementation
1/3 Good; 1/3 Flawed and 1/3 Failed
Regretfully because Lessons have
not been Learnt, in the first 6 years of the second 50 years of Development
Cooperation 2010 - 2059, the Scorecard is the same. Thus although Synthesis Report called for CHANGE in
December 2014, there is no difference in 2015 Scorecard and there is likely to
be no difference in 2030 Scorecard after SDG end or 2059 after second 50 years
of Development Cooperation unless Village
to Global Stakeholders Jointly agree to face new direction and adopt new
priorities.
Should Village to Global Stakeholders accept Transformation Change through addressing all fundamental issues we
consistently raise; a new Scorecard
can be recorded in 2030 and 2059:-
Policy, Program, Project Evaluation
90% Good; 5% Flawed and 5% Failed
Policy, Program, Project Implementation
90% Good; 5% Flawed and 5% Failed
The work towards achieving this new scorecard could start from Reviewing
Design and Delivery of UNGA Solutions Summit and the 2 Track Approach to
endorsing AAAA and SDG that we have suggested.
Go To Think Tanks and Consultants
The 193 Member
States and UN Family Organization including World Bank Group and IMF consult Go
To Think Tanks and Consultants for Policy Advise and Policy Reform. Given above
Poor Scorecard; if there is to be increasing convergence between AAAA and SDG
Vision Intention and Reality by 2030, now is the time to review the process of Commissioning
Go To Think Tanks and Consultants. All those who contributed ideas included in
Synthesis Report, Data Revolution Report, revised AAAA and revised SDG should
be effectively included in its implementation.
Re-establishing Country Led Monitoring
and Evaluation Systems
The Country Led
Monitoring and Evaluation Systems on both Developed and Developing Countries sides
are is a State of Decay.
There is a need
for New Monitoring Systems that promote and protect Quality of Service in each
Duty Bearer through identifying:-
1.
Increase in
convergence between Projected Results and Actual Results and How it could be
sustained or improved.
2.
Increase in
divergence between Projected Results and Actual Results and How it could be
corrected.
The System will
generate Monitoring Reports on Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, Half Yearly
and Annual basis. Once Professionals know that their work will be objectively
measured through credible Monitoring Reports; then What gets Measured Gets
Done.
There is a need
for New Evaluation Systems that promote and protect Organization Learning in
each Duty Bearer through identifying:-
1.
What is done
correctly and How it could be improved.
2.
What is done
wrongly and How it could be corrected.
3.
Best Practices and
How it could be Benchmarked and Scaled Up.
4.
How to Build
Bridge between Lessons Learning and Lessons Forgetting
The System will
generate Evaluation Reports:-
1.
Short Term: 1
year; 3years; 5 years
2.
Medium Term: 7
years; 10 years; 15 years
3.
Long Term: 20
years; 25 years; 30 years
Once Professionals
know that their decisions will be Objectively Assessed in the Short, Medium and
Long Term, with reward or sanction as appropriate, even post humus; they will
reflect more before taking any decision today.
The Design and
Delivery of these New Monitoring Systems and New Evaluation Systems will be
based on One Worldwide Approach to Evaluation that is an Integral Part of One
Worldwide Approach to National and International Development Cooperation
Conclusion
For How long can World Leaders Play Ostrich,
pretending that all is well with AAAA and SDG and that a Stage Managed UNSDS
2015 that find at best forced answer to SDG How questions is good enough to
ensure inevitability of endorsing SDG this September 2015 by 70th UNGA.
The unshakeable fact is that there are flaws
and failures in FfD and Post 2015 Development Agenda Processes that must be
addressed; that without fair answer to Synthesis Report, Data Revolution
Report, AAAA and SDG How questions, attempt to negotiate and agree SDG that is
Vision and Words with Action is a Mirage. The ultimate consequences of avoiding
or evading answer to all fundamental issues raised in this and earlier Policy
Briefings is likely to be catastrophic.
To rush answer to AAAA and SDG How
questions in the 3 Days of UNSDS is to risk squandering bright prospects of success
in the work towards achieving AAAA and SDG Vision Ambitions on successful and
sustainable basis. To delay 70th UNGA endorsement till November or
December 2015 is in Global Interest.
Our Suggestion: UN Executives and Staff can help 193
Member States; CSOs’ and other Stakeholders make the Right Choice if UNDESA,
FfD Office, ECOSOC Office, EOSG and 69th OPGA and 70th OPGA accept
to jointly nudge all remaining Stakeholders to address all issues raised in
this Policy Briefing and earlier Policy Briefings and on time. The Time to raise Voices is NOW.
Delay is Dangerous.
God Bless UN.
God Bless our World.
Contact:
Lanre Rotimi
Director General,
International
Society for Poverty Elimination /
Economic Alliance
Group,
Akure – Nigeria,
West Africa.
Email: nehap.initiative@yahoo.co.uk
M: +234-8162469805
