Statement by Lanre Rotimi, ISPE / EAG,
co-Facilitators on Enhancing Synergies and Coherence and Reducing
Overlap in the Agendas of the General Assembly, ECOSOC and their Subsidiary
Bodies in Light of Adoption of the 2030 Agenda for World Sustainable Development
Informal Consultation with Member States, Major Groups and other
Stakeholders 11, April 2017
“Rethinking Development, Diplomacy, Defense,
Democracy, Data and Digitization - Research: Research, Planning,
Statistics/Data; Implementation; Evaluation: Monitoring, Evaluation; Success:
Learning, Results, Success Policy, Program, Project Interventions, 3PIs and 3PIs
Training as One”
My name is
Lanre Rotimi and I am honored to make this Statement on the topic of “Rethinking
Development, Diplomacy, Defense, Democracy, Data and
Digitization - Research: Research, Planning, Statistics/Data; Implementation;
Evaluation: Monitoring, Evaluation; Success: Learning, Results, Success Policy,
Program, Project Interventions, 3PIs and 3PIs Training as One”on behalf of the International Society for
Poverty Elimination / Economic Alliance Group.
We
congratulate the co-chairs and all contributors to the first consultation on 7
February 2017 and second consultation on 6 March 2017.
We applaud the devotion of the 6 March 2017 meeting to finding clear and
correct answers to 3 specific How questions:-
- How can we encourage the General
Assembly Committees, the ECOSOC main segments, and the ECOSOC Functional
Commissions to combine their efforts in the implementation of the 2030
Agenda?
- 2. How can the General Assembly
Committees coherently embody the 2030 Agenda into their mandates and
agendas? How can we improve their interaction?
- 3. How can our process take into
consideration other reform initiatives in the General Assembly and in
ECOSOC as well as implementation of the Quadrennial Comprehensive Policy
Review, and the efforts of the Secretary General?
Opening the meeting, Bird
said the consultation process builds on the mapping exercise conducted during
the 70th UNGA session. It does not aim to reduce the UN’s work, she stressed,
but to facilitate interaction and joint work, and enhance synergies to “ensure
the UN system delivers as one.” She also said the process is not meant to
result in negotiated outcomes, but rather a summary of findings and possibly
recommendations for next steps.
It was agreed that the
process would produce a series of recommendations rather than negotiated outcomes;
provide a roadmap of actions to better align work on the 2030 Agenda, serve
implementation of the 2030 Agenda at the Country level, but avoid micro
managing on the ground since UNGA and EOSOC are not “implementing agencies”;
and result in a common understanding of the division of labour among bodies, so
as to eliminate duplication including duplicating ECOSO Review process, UNGA
Revitalization process and mandatory Reports set out in 2016 QCPR. This is to
ensure that the UN does not have the same conversation in two or more different
events.
As part of reducing “duplication and competition” among UN system
entities, there was suggestion clarifying the roles of each entity in helping
Member States to implement the SDGs, as follows: the UNGA’s role is to express
the political will and guidance of Member States on priority issues; ECOSOC’s
role is to follow up on specific conferences, oversee subsidiary bodies, and
integrate the major dimensions of sustainable development; the role of the UN
High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) is to hold the
preeminent discussion on follow-up and review of the SDGs; and the UN
development system supports countries in implementation under the guidance of
QCPR and funds’ and programmes’ strategic plans.
Also there was call for:
- Several “practical suggestions” to avoid
embarking on a complete overhaul of agenda items, while still ensuring
that any overlap is not duplicative, and makes the UNGA agenda more “fit
for purpose for our challenges.”
- Recognition that working on the same issue at different levels or
by different entities does not necessarily amount to overlap or duplication.
- There is need to safeguard “the essence” of existing mandates and
functions.
The next meeting is scheduled for 11 April, and the
co-facilitators welcomed input to determine the topics for discussion.
The outcome of the 6 March 2017 meeting once more provide
evidence that UN Events set up to find answers to 2030 Agenda How questions end
up avoiding or evading answer to How questions while over answering What
questions and this include providing answer to What questions as answers to How
questions. There is therefore urgent need for the co-Facilitators to ensure
that the 11 April 2017 meeting and remaining meetings in this process provide
clear and correct answers to How questions.
The UN System Delivery as One, DaO Initiative is over 10
years old. If National Leaders and World Leaders do not know why UN System DaO
is not working, they will not know how to Reform the UN System to be fit for
the 21st Century and in ways that ensure that UN System DaO will
work and in ways that ensure 2030 Agenda Vision ambitions are achieved by 2030
target date in each Community in each of the 306/193 UN Member States.
It is pertinent to note that:-
1.
UN System is used interchangeably with UNO. The
UN System goes beyond UNO to include WBG and IMF. UN System DaO therefore goes
beyond UNO DaO to UNO, WBG, IMF DaO. It is clear that without achieving UN
System: UNO, WBG, IMF DaO, it will be Mission Impossible achieving 2030 Agenda –
AAAA, SDG, COP21, Agenda 21, Original PD/BD Vision ambitions in each Community
in each of 306/193 UN Member States. The implication is that achieving 2030
Agenda driven by UN System: UNO, WBG, IMF DaO calls for “Rethinking Development, Diplomacy, Defense, Democracy,
Data and Digitization - Research: Research, Planning, Statistics/Data;
Implementation; Evaluation: Monitoring, Evaluation; Success: Learning, Results,
Success Policy, Program, Project Interventions, 3PIs and 3PIs Training as One”.
2.
UN Member States are looking
up to UN System: UNO, WBG, IMF Entities for help to achieve 2030 Agenda in each
Community in their Country but UN System: UNO, WBG, IMF Entities themselves
need help before they can be in a position to provide the type of help UN
Member States desire and deserve.
3.
The 2016 TI Corruption
Perception Index shows that World Corruption is worsening with 2/3 of 176
Countries Surveyed falling below the Index mid point. The TI Corruption
Perception Index is itself Corrupt as it is based on subjective methodology and
it addresses Bribe Takers without addressing Bribe Givers. Also the WBG
Governance Indicators is corrupt as it recognizes Legal Corruption such as
Lobbying and it places undue focus on Bribe Taking while turning blind eye to
many of the remaining 16 commonly occurring forms of corruption.
4.
There is a need for one
official list of UN Member States instead of the current two; there is a need
for adoption of the list of 193 UN Member States as the only official list;
there is a need for New Corruption Perception Index based on objective
methodology for two lists – Bribe Takers and Bribe Givers in which all 193 UN
Member States are surveyed.
5.
It takes two to tango. While
many Developing Countries, including Nigeria are high on the list of Bribe
Takers; many Developed Countries are high on the list of Bribe Givers including
US, UK, France, Germany, Russia.
6.
There is need for Multi
Stakeholder Partnerships / Platforms, MSPs as Force for Good and Lobbying as
Force for Good.
7.
There is urgent need to
convert existing UN System: UNO, WBG, IMF Entities Study Reports especially WBG
World Development Reports, WDR 2004 on Public Sector Management, PSM and its
follow Up New PSM 2011 and 10 year review of PSM 2014; WDR 2008 on Agriculture;
WDR 2014 on Risk Management, WDR 2015 on Attitudinal and Behavioral Change, WDR
2016 on Data and Digitization and WDR 2017 on Governance as well as Conferences
and Meetings Outcome Documents especially AAAA, SDG, COP21, Agenda 21, Original
PD/BD, Agenda 21 and HLM2 NOD into Vision and Words with ACTION; ensure full
implementation of all Action Agenda Items with effective Monitoring and
Evaluation of this Implementation as appropriate to each Community to Global
location context.
https://ieg.worldbankgroup.org/blog/boldly-going-where-no-evaluator-has-gone-framework-evaluation-service-delivery Rethinking
Evaluation
https://ieg.worldbankgroup.org/blog/rethinking-evaluation-agility#comment-3288 Rethinking Development, Diplomacy, Defense,
Democracy, Data, Digitization
8.
Achieving (1) – (7) greatly
depends on selecting One Worldwide Approach to Benefits focused National and
International Development Cooperation.
9.
Operationalizing (8) in
Practice greatly depends on the appointment of Global Coordinating External
Consultant and Global Coordinating Internal Consultant with minimum certain
levels of Hard Competences: Learning and Skills and Soft Competences:
Character, Courage, Discipline and Mindset to meaningfully support Community,
Sub-national, National, Sub-regional, Regional and Global Stakeholders from UN
Member States Governments: Executive, Legislature, Judiciary at all tiers; UN
System: UNO, WBG, IMF Entities; CSOs/NGOs; Farmers and Processors
Organizations; Private Sector: Micro, Small, Medium, Large and Multinational
Enterprises; Academics and Researchers as they work jointly towards achieving
2030 Agenda within each Partners unique and specific location context.
The current
situation wherein too many CSOs are antagonistic stakeholders focused on
government flaws and failures must change to a new situation in which the
greater majority of CSOs are Active Participants focused on working jointly
with Stakeholders in remaining 6 Blocks on Global Goals – AAAA, SDG, COP21,
Agenda 21, Original PD/BD aligned and harmonized with Community and Country
Development Plans Action Agenda Items in ways that accomplish targets and on
scheduled time.
To make this
and related paradigm shifts, such as silos to synergy; business as usual to
business unusual; parroting change to practicing change; academic research to
development research greatly depends on effectively deploying competences
identified above and in ways that effectively deploy Whole of Bank /
Institution / Government / Community / Country / World Thinking to bear towards
the sustainable solutions to Whole of Bank / Institution / Government /
Community / Country / World Problems. This underlines need to recognize that
Good Communication Strategy is not Razzmatazz and Sensation focused on Shadow
but Connection and Understanding focused on Substance.
It is
pertinent to note that many ECOSOC accredited CSOs are not aware of the
Communication Resources available at UNDPI; that many of these CSOs that are
aware, are not able to effectively utilize the Communication Resources due to
Competences and Capacity issues and that many of these Communication Resources
may not meet the unique Communication Needs of particular Communities in
Specific Member States. This underlines the magnitude and complexity of the challenge
facing UNDPI in the Design and Delivery of effective and efficient Global Goals
– AAAA, SDG, COP21, Agenda 21, Original PD/BD Communication Resources that help
to effectively link each Community in each of 306/193 Member States to UN
Headquarters New York and also help to achieve increasing convergence between
Global Goals – AAAA, SDG, COP21, Agenda 21, Original PD/BD aligned and
harmonized with Community and Country Development Plans in 306/193 Member
States Vision Intention and Reality by scheduled target date.
We urge the UN Security Council Members and Developed Countries that can
influence them to recognize that it is in their enlightened self interest to
Drive Reforms to Create New Sub-national, National, Regional and Global
Development Cooperation Systems fit for the 21st Century and the starting point
is to revert to Original UN System Vision, Original Agenda 21 Vision and
Original UNEP Vision as Foundation upon which Global Goals – AAAA, SDG, COP21,
Original PD/BD Vision will be built.
The answer to 2030 Agenda How questions is in the DOING and this is in
Pilot Program and Scale Up Program. This
DOING could start from converting the UNSG Statement at his swearing in
ceremony on 12 December 2016 into Vision and Words with Action; ensuring the
UNSG regain lost time and deliver on responsibility to produce Report by end
second quarter 2017 set out in Paragraph 19 QCPR 2016 and ensure New FAO End
Poverty, End Hunger and End Malnutrition, EPEHEM Comprehensive Approach is
adopted by each of the 306/193 UN Member States as each seek to achieve 2030
Agenda Ambitions by 2030 target date.
The co-Facilitators, UN Member States, SOs/NGOs and other Stakeholder
Blocks participating in this process need to recognize that pour World is accelerating
on MADning (Mutually Assured Destruction) Road to DOOM and achieving 2030
Agenda greatly depends on our World hanging to and accelerating on MAPing
(Mutually Assured Prosperity) Road to BOOM. There are Bright Prospects of Success, if National
Leaders and World Leaders Chose Road to Boom and recognize that One Day delay
may be One Day too late.
Our suggestion: UN Security Council Members and UN System
take decision on the sustainable solutions set out in Statement to Informal
Informal Consultations of 11 April 2017 and as soon as possible.
Thank you for
the opportunity to contribute to towards achievement by scheduled target date, of
the ambitions of the 2030 Agenda, a once-in-a generation agenda that is truly
transformative, visionary and inclusive, to guide our valuable efforts in the
Global Partnership for World Sustainable Development.
Contact:
Lanre Rotimi -
International Society for Poverty Elimination / Economic Alliance Group
nehap.initiative@yahoo.co.uk
