ISPE EAG
INTERATIONAL
SOCIETY FOR POVERTY ELIMINATION ECONOMIC
ALLIANCE GROUP
COMMENTS ON 10th DCF Newsletter
Introduction
The 10th edition of the
DCF periodical January 2017 covers topics through relevant events and reports
of the previous months and looks ahead to upcoming DCF engagement. The topics
include: -
- Development Cooperation
Forum, Fifth Biennial High level Meeting – New York, 21-22 July 2016
- Trends and Progress in
International Development Cooperation
- 2015/2016 DCF Global Accountability Survey
- DCF Side Event on
Parliaments and Accountability at the GPEDC HLM2
- South-South Cooperation
to increase efforts on climate change
- Blended financing and
Public-Private Partnerships for the SDGs
- Blended Finance in the
SDG Era, UNDESA technical workshop and DCF side event
- Inter-agency Task Force
on Financing for Development Meeting on the Follow-up to Commitments in
the Addis Ababa Agenda on Public-Private Partnerships
- Adapting the United
Nations development system to the 2030 Agenda – the “QCPR process”
- DCF analysis and outreach on
international development cooperation – looking ahead
The DCF Newsletter is a
very important Publication and its Stories aimed at improving Stakeholders
Awareness and Public Education is timely and productive. This Commentary has
been prepared by International Society for Poverty Elimination, ISPE / Economic
Alliance Group, EAG in response to UNDESA invitation to the range of
Development Cooperation Actors, welcoming feedback and suggestions for its work
in support of DCF, including answers to two specific questions:-
- Are
there any key issues or challenges in development cooperation with which
you feel the DCF could more actively engage in its action-oriented policy
debates?
- What
improvements can the DCF can make as a global multi-stakeholder forum to
deepen the discussions and strengthen their impact?
Development Cooperation Forum,
Fifth Biennial High level Meeting – New York, 21-22 July 2016
The Official Summary presents the key messages
and policy recommendations of the Forum on:-
(i)
development cooperation in the 2030 Agenda and
Addis Agenda;
(ii) aligning
development cooperation to support national sustainable development strategies;
(iii) bridging
capacity gaps and facilitating technology development and transfer;
(iv) strengthening the contribution of South-South
cooperation to sustainable development;
(v) engaging
the private sector in development cooperation; and
(vi) strengthening
monitoring and review of development cooperation for better sustainable
development results.
The Overarching Key
Message was; Development cooperation as lever for effective implementation
of the 2030 Agenda. Other Key Messages were:-
- The
2016 Development Cooperation Forum brought a multi-stakeholder embrace of
the broad concept of development cooperation reflected in the 2030 and
Addis Agendas, encompassing financial resources, capacity building,
technology development and transfer, policy change and multi-stakeholder
partnerships.
- The
Forum heightened the urgency to put, into our daily practice, a
transformative focus on sustainable development results, putting the
furthest behind first and adapting institutions and policies in support of
priorities and systems in developing countries.
- It
called for much more context specific information on development
cooperation needs, policies and best practices.
- The
Forum integrated an emphasis throughout the discussions on science,
technology and innovation, climate change and resilience building.
- The
DCF advanced discussions on the prioritization and more effective use of
ODA and its unique role within the global partnership for sustainable
development. Participants called for strengthened efforts by the United
Nations to support Southern partners to enhance the evidence base on
achieving sustainable development results.
- The
Forum brought new emphasis to improving the evidence base on engaging the
private sector in development cooperation, as a way to make a step change
in knowledge sharing and mutual learning, as well as trust building in
this area.
- The
DCF identified tremendous capacity gaps and new opportunities in
strengthening the qualitative dimension of multi-layered monitoring and
accountability systems for development cooperation.
- The
Forum called for mainstreaming inclusive, multi-stakeholder partnerships
and bottom-up approaches in all forms of development cooperation.
- The
biennial high-level meeting, and its extensive preparatory process, showed
how the DCF enables open, candid, critical and action-oriented dialogue
among all actors in development cooperation, generating concrete policy
guidance under the 2030 and Addis Agendas.
Comments
- The Forum identified the fact that all Countries – North and South
need to grapple with the Challenges of Implementation and Evaluation of
the 2030 Agenda, yet practical Implementation of 2030 Agenda suggest that
only South Countries face Challenges of Implementation and Evaluation of
the 2030 Agenda.
- The Forum identified the need for Comprehensive Approach; Results
Focused, Evidenced Based and Inclusive Approaches; Programmes Based Approaches;
Rethinking
Approach to sustainable value creation and better “business diplomacy”, by
aligning their businesses with priorities of the societies in which they
operate; integrated approaches; whole-of-government and whole-of society
approaches and these call for One Worldwide Common and Systemic Approach
that is a Generic Approach that could be adapted to meet the unique and
specific needs of each Location / Entity Context yet UN Member States; UN
System: UNO, WBG, IMF; CCSOs/NGOs; Private Sector; Academics and
Researchers and Internal Consultants and External Consultants continue
deploying Multiple Approaches in a bid to avoid One Cap Fit All.
As long
as a One Worldwide Common and Systemic Approach is not speedily selected,
achieving 2030 Agenda Vision Ambitions will be uphill task. There is only One
Worldwide Common and Systemic Approach that is sufficiently All Inclusive, All Embracing
and Ambitions to effectively support Design and Delivery of 2030 Agenda Policy,
Program, Project Interventions, 3PIs and 3PIs Training as One from Community to
Global levels. Should this be rejected then Global Stakeholders need to grapple
with the Intellectual Challenge of creating a One Worldwide Common and Systemic
Approach that is sufficiently All Inclusive, All Embracing and Ambitious to effectively
support achieving 2030 Agenda Vision Ambitions in each Community in each UN
Member State.
3. The
2016 Development Cooperation Forum has heightened the urgency to put, into
daily practice, a transformative focus on sustainable development results,
putting the furthest behind first and adapting institutions and policies in
support of priorities and systems in developing countries. Development
cooperation can promote coherence among different development agendas and
activities, facilitate inclusive cross-sector partnerships and provide capacity
support for policy coherence for sustainable development. This includes
ensuring better linkages between development cooperation and humanitarian
assistance and promoting systematic investment in building the resilience of
countries and communities. There is a need for Community to Global Leaders to
Jointly and Individually demonstrate this urgency as well as the transformative
focus and better linkages.
4. The Forum called on Community to Global Leaders to recognize that they
must stoke a shared sense of urgency to take possible actions immediately
towards the SDGs, that there is no time to search for perfect solutions. The Forum
called on the Economic and Social Council, including the Development
Cooperation Forum, to provide clear direction and leadership for the United
Nations Development System and beyond to help create and regear incentive
schemes, within which synergy and collaboration are rewarded and unprofitable
competition is avoided. There is need to recognize that the UN System is not
the UNO System but the UNO, WBG and IMF Systems on one hand and not just the Development
System but the Development System, Humanitarian System and Peace and Security
System on the other hand.
Trends and Progress in
International Development Cooperation
In
accordance with General Assembly resolutions 61/16 and 68/1, the
Secretary-General submitted for consideration by the Development Cooperation
Forum, in advance of its fifth biennial high-level meeting in New York on 21
and 22 July 2016, a Report building on a two-year preparatory process.
Section
I is an introduction to the report and its conceptual framing of development
cooperation, encompassing financial resources, capacity-building, technology
development and transfer, policy change and multi-stakeholder partnerships.
From the perspective of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,
Section
II covers recent trends in development cooperation flows; special attention is
paid to improving the targeting and allocation of official development
assistance (ODA); aligning cooperation and the rapid evolution of South-South
cooperation.
Section
III discusses the adjustments needed for development cooperation in the context
of the Sustainable Development Goals and what effective development cooperation
means in implementing the Goals.
Section
IV addresses the distinctive and mutually reinforcing roles of the different
layers — local, national, regional and global — of monitoring, review and
accountability of development commitments under the 2030 Agenda.
Section
V highlights key recommendations and conclusions.
Comment
This UNSG Report like other UNSG Reports
has many good ideas and pertinent suggestions that UN Member States need to consider
their full implementation as well as the effective monitoring and evaluation of
this implementation. It is pertinent to note that these UNSG Reports essentially
address What questions while avoiding or evading answer to How questions
especially DOING of How. There is urgent need to work out answer to How
questions including DOING of How of all existing UNSG Reports as well as ensure
that all future UNSG Reports provide answer to How questions including DOING of
How.
2015/2016 DCF Global Accountability
Survey
Against the backdrop of the 2030 Agenda, the 2015/2016
DCF Global Accountability survey supports the efforts of developing countries
and their partners to strengthen ‘mutual accountability’ in development
cooperation and enhance transparency of information. The biennial survey,
undertaken for the DCF since 2009 by the United Nations Department for Economic
and Social Affairs (UNDESA), monitors, reviews and documents the evidence on
the state of play in effectiveness of development cooperation on the ground in
the responding countries. The responses are assessed in comprehensive studies
that encourage multi-stakeholder learning and inform regional and global
monitoring and review of the 2030 Agenda and Addis Ababa Action Agenda on
financing for development.
Comment
58 South Countries
participated in this 4th Survey. There is a need to ensure that all
North and South Countries participate in future Surveys; that all North and
South Countries revert to Original Paris Declaration, PD Vision in the
Implementation and Evaluation of Bussan Declaration, BD and that specific
Challenges identified in the Report are effectively tackled by concerned
Community to Global Stakeholders.
DCF Side Event on Parliaments
and Accountability at the GPEDC HLM2
Held in Nairobi on 30 November, alongside the
second high-level meeting of the Global Partnership for Effective Development
Cooperation, HLM2 the DCF Side Event focused on “The Role of Parliamentarians
and Public in Strengthening Accountability in Development Cooperation: Key
Steps to Move Forward”. The event advanced the discussion on the reasons and
possible solutions for the lack of participation by parliamentarians in
development cooperation processes. Co-organized by UNDESA, the
Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the Association of European
Parliamentarians with Africa (AWEPA), the side event built on the
recommendations of the fourth DCF Global Accountability Survey and the
multi-stakeholder discussions in the Development Cooperation Forum. The DCF
provides a major platform through which Parliamentarians engage directly in the
global follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda and Addis Agenda, including to
identify critical capacity gaps and generate concrete guidance for policy
makers and practitioners at all levels.
Comment
The HLM2 NOD (Nairobi Outcome Document) is a
very important Development Cooperation Document. However, like past Conferences
and Meetings Outcome Documents, it is Vision and Words without Action. There is
urgent need to convert the HLM2 NOD into Vision and Words with Action.
Two specific questions:-
- Are
there any key issues or challenges in development cooperation with which
you feel the DCF could more actively engage in its action-oriented policy
debates?
Answer
There
is urgent need for DCF to address the issue of converting Study Reports;
Conferences and Meetings Outcome Documents from Vision and Words without Action
into Vision and Words with Action; that is ensure that these Reports / Outcome
Documents move from answering What questions to also answering How questions
including DOING of How.
- What
improvements can the DCF can make as a global multi-stakeholder forum to
deepen the discussions and strengthen their impact?
Answer
The
GPEDC and DCF seem to be duplicating activities. There is a need to streamline
the activities of DCF and GPEDC to avoid such duplication. We suggest that DCF
serve as Global Central Coordinating MSP for 2030 Agenda, while GPEDC serve as Global
Accountability MSP and other Global Platforms are established, such as Global
Platforms focused on Food, Agriculture and Nutrition; Climate Change and
Environment; Humanitarian; Development; Peace and Security; Corruption and Grievances
and Complaints.
Please find our General Comments on this DCF Newsletter:
One Worldwide Approach
The 2030 Agenda is for
all North and South Countries and is an All Inclusive, All Embracing and
Ambitious Agenda that require complimentary All Inclusive, All Embracing and
Ambitious Approach with clear Principles, Instruments / Tools corresponding to
each Principle, Practices and Database. 3PCM One Worldwide Approach for
Benefits Focused National and International Development Cooperation meets this criteria.
As long as Community to Global Leaders continue with Multiple Approaches, it
will be uphill task achieving 2030 Agenda by target date.
Supporting Documents
https://cpr.unu.edu/lets-start-at-the-very-beginning-governing-the-un-development-system-in-the-age-of-sustainable-development.html
UNU CPR Article on UN System Reform
http://blogs.worldbank.org/publicsphere/neglected-universal-force-peace-and-stability-love#comment-6229
WB Blog Article on LOVE.
http://developmentchangechampions.blogspot.com.ng/2016/12/global-push-to-achieve-sdgs-vision-and.html
UNSG 12 December 2016 Statement
http://developmentchangechampions.blogspot.com.ng/2017/01/ispe-interationalsociety-for-poverty.html
Policy Briefing on 3P Change Part 1
http://developmentchangechampions.blogspot.com.ng/2017/01/global-push-to-achieve-sdgs-vision-and.html
Policy Briefing on 3P Change Part
General
Agreement on Definition and Standards
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,
Scientists, Professionals and Practitioners need to shift focus away from
academic research aimed at advancing the frontiers of knowledge to development
research aimed at achieving significant increases in critical measures of
quality, service, speed, costs and where applicable revenue. 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,
Indicators, and Standards etc.
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 and equivalent in other Countries) 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, Commonwealth 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.
Development Research - Turning Researchers into Policy / Program
Entrepreneurs or Monitoring and Evaluation Entrepreneurs and turning Research
Institutions into Policy / Program focused Think Tank or Monitoring and
Evaluation focused Think Tank is not easy because it involves fundamental re-orientation,
organization and discipline towards Policy / Program engagement or Monitoring
and Evaluation engagement, rather than academic achievement; engaging much more
vigorously with Policy / Program Community or Monitoring and Evaluation Community; Developing a Research
Agenda focusing on Policy / Program or Monitoring and Evaluation issues rather
than academic interests; acquiring new skills or building multidisciplinary
teams; establishing new internal systems and incentives and spending much more
on Communicating effectively with all stakeholders – family, community,
business, banks, governments and international community. This should include
Dialogue before, during and after the Research itself; producing appropriate
Communication for Development Change, Economic Change, Social Change and
Cultural Change products for each audience, at the right time and working more
in effective partnerships – networks, coalitions and consortia. It also
involves looking at a radically different funding model. For example, one that
restores, the lost glory of cooperatives. To effectively influence Policy /
Program or Monitoring and Evaluation Decision Makers in all concerned
stakeholder communities; Researchers need additional skills. They need to be
politically influential, able to understand the politics, the economics, the
sociology and culture and the time and identify the key players. They need to
be good storytellers; to synergize simple compelling stories from results of
the research (not spin doctors who publicize falsehood). They need to be good
networkers; to work effectively with all other concerned stakeholders and they
need to be good social engineers to build Shared Vision initiatives that pulls
all of these together or they need to work on multidisciplinary teams with
others who have these necessary skills. This feature of the ISPE/EAG New End
Hunger and Poverty, NEHAP Model / NEHAP Initiative helps to achieve this and
much more.
We can also
share our suggestions on common definition of goals, targets, indicators and
Standards etc’.
Pilot Program and Scale
Up Program
The Best way to Learn to Swim is to get into the
Swimming Pool. The Best way to Test the Good Ideas and Pertinent Suggestions UN
System: UNO, WBG, IMF Team would harvest from Global Consultations is to start
immediately Pilot Programs and Scale Up Programs.
Way Forward
Innovation and Creativity are Keys as we face
Community to Global Challenges of Modernization and Climate Change in the 21st
Century.
The correct answers to 2030 Agenda How questions could
be found first, in selecting One Worldwide Approach, and second in establishing
Pilot Programs to test good ideas and pertinent suggestions harvested from
Global Consultations and Scale Up Programs at Community, National, Regional and
Global levels for ideas and suggestions that Pilot Programs identify as Working.
As long as Community to Global Stakeholders continue
to use multiple, sometimes divergent Approaches and as long as ideas and
suggestions cannot be tested to determine what works and how it could be
expanded and what is not working and how it could be corrected, it would be
uphill task achieving increasing convergence between 2030 Agenda Vision
Intention and Reality.
Conclusion
In the work towards achieving the 2030 Agenda Vision
ambitions by Target date, fundamental issues that ought to have been settled by
end 1st quarter 2015, that is, 6 months before World Leaders
endorsed the historic document are still outstanding in 1st month of
1st quarter 2017, that is, 16
months after the SDGs have been endorsed.
The QCPR Paragraph 19 requests UNSG to ensure that
specific Reviews are completed by end 2nd quarter 2017. There is no
evidence that this work has started as January 2017 is racing to an end. This underlines
the urgent need for UN Member States, UN System: UNO, WBG and IMF and Partners
to demonstrate and be seen to demonstrate genuine commitment towards addressing
the serious issues of serious business demanding their serious attention raised
in this Paper and supporting Papers.
There is a need to more seriously address World
Problems of Hunger, Poverty, Insecurity, Terrorism, Climate Change, Migration and
this underline the need to ensure that Brexit is Force for Good. A renewed
approach towards Design and Delivery of 2030 Agenda Vision in both North and
South Countries through improving North North, South South and North South
Cooperation could deliver WIN WIN to all Community to Global Stakeholders.
In the work towards tackling these World Problems from
Community to Global levels, UN Member States are looking up to the UN System:
UNO, WBG, IMF for practical help and support but UN System: UNO, WBG, IMF
themselves need help before they can provide UN Member States with the needed
practical help and support. 2016 DCF and 2015/2016 DCF Accountability Survey
highlight issues that Stakeholders need to address and on time.
There are Bright Prospects of Success, should DCF,
ECOSOC, UNDESA as well as UN Member States; UN System: UNO, WBG, IMF;
CSOs/NGOs; Private Sector; Academics and Researchers’ Internal and External
Consultants be each genuinely committed to contributing its quota towards
achieving 2030 Agenda Vision Intention and Reality across our World.
Contact:
Director General
International Society for Poverty Elimination /
Economic Alliance Group
Akure – Nigeria, West – Africa.
M: +234-8162469805
Email: nehap.initiative@yahoo.co.uk 23 January
2017.
