Thursday, May 21, 2015

Final Push To Achieve MDGs And Create Sustainable Post-2015 Development Agenda 12

We have read the document on preliminary impressions on follow up and review by the co-facilitators of the ongoing Post 2015 Intergovernmental Negotiations. We thank the co-facilitators and support staff for work done.
https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/7175Preliminary%20Impressions_cofacilitators.pdf 

The fundamental issues being raised in this 18 - 22 May Summit as well as 26 - 27 May Summit are interlinked, interconnected and interdependent.

It will be recalled that the Data Revolution Report was released on 6 November 2014 and the Synthesis Report was released on 4 December 2014. Had all relevant sub-national, national, regional and global stakeholders been effectively mobilized by the UN to focus on continuing improvement in coordination, cooperation and collaboration towards full implementation of all ideas and recommendations in the two reports as well as the effective monitoring and evaluation of this implementation, the work of the two summits would have been made much easier.

It is not helpful to continue to work harder doing the same old things in the same old ways and expect different outcome. The Declaration Document issued at the end of the two summits should create Platforms for these stakeholders to work SMARTer doing new things in new ways and achieving better results on successful and sustainable basis. To help nudge the process forward we wish to respond to some of the points made by the co-facilitators:-
1. Point 3 - The issue of agreeing terminology is important but more important is the issue of agreeing Common Approach such as the One Worldwide Approach suggested in the Synthesis Report as well as Common Definitions for Goals, Indicators, Targets, Advocacy, True Development etc.

2. Point 5 - Broad agreement has been secured on what HLPF needs to do. The Big Question is How will HLPF deliver on this responsibility in ways that help achieve increasing convergence between SDG / MDG 2 Vision Intention and Reality? Can HLPF deliver on its responsibilities if Data Revolution Report How questions, Synthesis Report How questions as well as How questions in related current and future Reports are not effectively and efficiently answered?

3. Point 7 - Can the issue of Accountability Mechanism be effectively addressed if fundamental issues of Technical Solutions, Political Solutions, Funding Solutions and Spiritual Solutions to full implementation of Data Revolution Report, Synthesis Report and related Reports are not found?

4. Point 9 - The relationship between GA, ECOSOC and HLPF. There is an need to improve coordination, cooperation and collaboration between them in ways that reinforce and reinvigorate pro poor institutional reforms and pro poor economic growth at sub-national, national, regional and global levels in each of the 193 UN Member Countries.

5. Point 22 - How much detail to include in summit outcome document. The summit needs to be guided to come up with practical solutions to real and complex problems on the ground facing each MDG / SDG / MDG 2 Stakeholder and this will involve effectively addressing fundamental issues of Diagnosis, Prescription, Surgery and Recovery Management.

Should the points be well received and additional information or clarification be required, we are glad to provide same.

On next week's summit, we have read the Concept Note. With just 5 minutes for Member State Speakers and 2 minutes for CSO / Private Sector Speakers, only a fraction of what needs to be said can be said. Some Speakers may chose to respond to General Issues and not specific issues allotted to the Roundtable discussion he / she has been invited to make presentation. Also, all issues regarding this week's summit raised above apply to next week's summit.

If invited we are willing to make a Submission that address both Specific and General issues raised in the Concept Note.

We wish the UN and other participants successful deliberations. We pray that the outcome documents of the two summits mark turning point in the great work towards achieving increasing convergence between Final Push to achieve MDG by 2015 and Post 2015 Development Agenda Vision Intention and Reality.

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

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


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

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Final Push To Achieve MDGs And Create Sustainable Post-2015 Development Agenda 10


The UN 69th General Assembly opened on 16 September 2014. The Interim Results of the discussions, online engagement and research inputs summarised into a Global Report was to be presented to Member States, as well as the Public, in form of a High Level side event on that day. Spirited effort to find out if the Global Report was presented to Member States or was not released at all is yet to be successful. This is a puzzle if UN Executive Management, UN Security Council and UN General Assembly are really serious about achieving Final Push to achieve MDGs by 2015 and Post 2015 Development Agenda Vision Ambitions.

It is our hope that the Global Report will be released to the Public without further delay and its implementation as well as the monitoring and evaluation of this implementation will better address realities of over 100 Million Poor Nigerians, over 300 Million Poor Africans and over 2 Billion Poor Worldwide.

Meanwhile, the SD2015 Partners including UNDESA and CIVICUS are working with Partners on Developed Countries, Developing Countries, International Institutions and International Foundations sides towards achieving increasing convergence between Final Push to achieve MDGs by 2015 and Post 2015 Development Agenda Vision Intention and Reality. This is Good. However, moving forward, there are 3 Models – New Vision Model, Business as Usual Model and Pessimistic Model. Should SD2015 Partners continue to adopt Business as Usual Model, the Best that can be achieved if the World continues to fumble and wobble and keep avoiding Catastrophe. The Worst is that Economic Recession, Terrorist Attacks, Hunger, Poverty, Natural and Unnatural Disasters and other World Problems will Push the World to Pessimistic Model and catastrophe become inevitable.

Should SD2015 Partners genuinely commit to pursue with determination, collaboration, coordination and cooperation in all arms of all governments on one hand and collaboration, coordination and cooperation in all arms of all governments, non governmental organizations, private sector, financial institutions and community stakeholders on the other hand, at sub-national, national, regional and global levels in each of the over 200 UN Member Countries and Non Member Countries in our World today, World Sustainable Development could be achieved through New Vision Model delivering proportional WIN – WIN for all concerned Stakeholders in our World today.

It will be recalled that the UN IEAG on Data Revolution after Global Consultation released its Data Revolution Report on 6 November, 2014. This Report following the Business as Usual Model focused on answers to Data Revolution What and Why Questions and refused to include answers to Data Revolution How questions provided by at least 2 of the contributors. This is indeed very sad. We are aware that some complain has been made. It is our hope that SD2015 Partners would take up this complain with aim of including practical answers to Data Revolution How Questions in the implementation as well as the monitoring and evaluation of Data Revolution through New Vision Model.

It will be recalled further that Food Security and Nutrition Security issues is now being put on the front burner in the Global Arena within New Agriculture Revolution. Again it is Agriculture Revolution What and Why Questions that are being addressed. As long as Agriculture Revolution How Questions are not addressed, the mistakes of history in the implementation of first Global New Agriculture Revolution in the 1940s’ up to the fourth Global Agriculture Revolution ending 2015 will be repeated as the fifth Global Agriculture Revolution start from 2016. This is avoidable, if the UN Executive Management, UN Security Council and UN General Assembly take corrective action on time.

It is clear that Global New Agriculture Revolution whose Design and Delivery is built upon New Vision Model will effectively bridge gap between Lessons Learning and Lessons Forgetting and so will Treat Crops, Livestock, Fisheries and Forestry: Pre Harvest, Harvest and Post Harvest 30 Issues and 8 Cross Cutting Themes as One – as applicable to each Community in each Local Government in each of the over 200 UN Member Countries and Non UN Member Countries in our World today.

The 30 Issues are: Land, Labour, Fund, Technology, Infrastructure, Market, Water, Health, Security, Education, Environment, Standards, Production, Processing, Storage, Research, Extension, Psychology, Corruption, Disasters, Welfare, Information, Enterprise, Partnership, Innovation, Organization, Orientation, Discipline, Data, Communication.

The 8 Cross Cutting Themes are: Technical, Political, Cooperation, Competencies, Economic, Social, Cultural, Religious.

It is clear that Agriculture Revolution is a Primary Revolution. For Best Results it must be integral part of other Primary Revolutions: Data Revolution, Enterprise Revolution, Government Revolution, Applied Research Revolution, Attitudinal and Behavioural Change Revolution, Cooperation Revolution and Digital Revolution as well as Secondary Revolutions: Education Revolution, Health Revolution, Anti Corruption Revolution, Electricity Revolution, Housing Revolution etc. These Primary and Secondary Revolutions cannot stand on their own but are interlinked, interdependent and interconnected with Reinventing Cities, Reinventing Governance, Reinventing Universities and Tertiary Institutions etc as well as other interventions.

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

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

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Final Push To Achieve MDGs And Create Sustainable Post-2015 Development Agenda 9



As we race to the UN 69th General Assembly, 16 September 2014 where Interim Results of the discussions, online engagement and research inputs summarised into a Global Report will be presented to Member States, as well as the Public, in form of a High Level side event, it is our hope that the Global Report will better address realities of over 100 Million Poor Nigerians, over 300 Million Poor Africans and over 2 Billion Poor Worldwide.

We urge World Leaders to access the good ideas and pertinent suggestions being generated in ongoing PenState Geodesign Massive Open Online Course, MOOC, particularly those on its Discussion Forum Thread focused on Geodesign How Questions; Thread focused on Human Impact; Thread focused on GIS Technology and Thread focused on Human Security as well as Leiden Configuring the World, CtW MOOC particularly on its Discussion Forum Thread focused on CtW How Questions, Thread focused on Sustainable Development, Thread Focused on Globalization and Thread focused on Global Order. 

Please find below 9 September 2014 mail to Leaders of UN Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform contents of which are self explanatory:-

Dear Leaders of Major Groups,

We have been in continuing constructive engagement of SDKP Team on ways and means through which our Organization could contribute meaningfully to help achieve increasing convergence between Final Push to achieve MDGs’ by 2015 and Post 2015 Development Agenda Vision Intention and Reality.

Please find below recent exchange of mails between SDKP and ISPE / EAG, for the consideration and appropriate Action of the Major Groups Individually and Collectively.

Should any of you require clarification or additional information to take decision on way forward, we are glad to respond to any such enquiry.

God Bless our World.

Yours Sincerely,

Lanre Rotimi
Director General
International Society for Poverty Elimination /
Economic Alliance Group
5, Moses Orimolade Avenue
Ijapo Estate – Akure
Ondo State – Nigeria
West – Africa
M: +2348162469805


On Monday, 8 September 2014, 19:16, SD Knowledge Platform wrote:

Please see below a response to your message with subject "Re: Major Group Membership and Related Matters".
You may respond and see full details of this message by clicking on this link.

Dear Lanre Rotimi,

As I'm sure you can understand, rules are in place to ensure that each organization is treated as equally and fairly as possible. We are not in a position to make any exemptions when it comes to accreditation. With that said, since you have been granted account credentials with which to log onto our website, we encourage you to post the relevant materials mentioned in your previous email for consideration by the Organizing Partners of the Major Groups. The OPs ( listed at the following address: http://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/orgpartners.html) remain your primary point of contact for engaging with Major Groups. You should stay in contact with the relevant Major Group OP to ensure that you are going through the proper channels to engage.

Kind regards,
Division for Sustainable Development
----------------------------------------------------------
Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform
http://sustainabledevelopment.un.org

Note: Please do not respond to this message by return email, as the email inbox is unmonitored. If a response is required, please do so by clicking on the link above.
Visit the Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform: http://sustainabledevelopment.un.org


Dear Team,

Thanks for your messages of 4 and 5 September. These responses encourage and inspire us, because you welcome our contribution and recognize the potential of our processes, frameworks and professionals and the positive contribution these could make in the Work towards achieving Dream of World without Hunger and Poverty by 2025 and 2030, thus making our World a much more Safe, Secure, Peaceful and Prosperous place to live, work and raise children, than it is today on both Developed and Developing Countries sides.

We have visited the link and observe that the next Consultative Status application deadline is 1 June 2015 for consideration in 2016 Session and approval could take up to 3 sessions that is 2018. The implication is that it could take up to 2018 before our NGO receive required approval to make contribution to SDG work.

Well our view is that Rules are made for Men. Men are not made for Rules. So Rules can be amended and Rules can have Exception. We are not an NGO. We are an Institution with Members who are NGO, Development Cooperation Consulting Firm, Development Research Organization, Development Cooperation Training Organization, Evaluation Consulting Firm, Attitudinal and Behavioral Change Consulting Firm etc. This explains the positive difference you observe in the Sustainable Development Solutions we put on the table. In registering us, if allowed, in an appropriate Major Group, this fact needs to be taken into consideration.

We have taken fresh critical look at the Major Groups and find that Business and Industry Major Group has rejected us, NGO Major Group may reject us but the Global Partnership for achieving Sustainable Development Cluster is within the Sustainable Development Goals Thematic Clusters Group and the High Level Political Forum and Governance for Sustainable Development Major Group may in fact be the more appropriate Major Group for ISPE / EAG to join, if our request for Exemption is granted.

The Big Issue really is, without prejudice to the assessment already undertaken by each of the existing Major Groups Team and those conducted by UN Headquarters and UN Agencies Teams on Final Push to achieve MDGs’ by 2015 and Post 2015 Development Agenda Initiatives, we crave your indulgence to create a technical Platform to review the usefulness or otherwise of the SDKP Position Papers 1 – 3 and documents on Development Blog and NEHAP Wiki links that we have provided.

It is our hope that after thorough assessment of the submissions by your Team of experts, you may consider any of the following options:-
1   
        1. If the submission is found to be of some value and capable of reinforcing Final Push to achieve MDGs’ by 2015 and Post 2015 Development Agenda, exception could be made for ISPE / EAG to be admitted into relevant Major Group, in time for good ideas and pertinent suggestions set out in the submissions that are acceptable to relevant UN Authorities, to be included in Interim Global Report that will be presented at 69th General Assembly 16 September 2014. The exception could also include mechanism for accommodation of Consortium Partnership of Service Providers with adequate Hard Competencies – Learning and Skills and Soft Competencies – Character, Courage and Mindset operating within effective Global Partnership Platform to design and deliver effective Support Services to all relevant World sustainable Development Stakeholders.
2  
        2. If the ISPE / EAG value proposition however presents nothing new or of added value to the Major Groups, UNDESA, UN Headquarters, UN Agencies – Headquarters, Regional Offices, Country Offices, Sub Country Offices and their Partners on both Developed and Developing Countries sides, ISPE / EAG should be told in clear language and advised how best it would channel its energies much more rewardingly.

In undertaking this assessment, please recognize that “either the UN Headquarters and each UN Agency Headquarters deal with what is reality of Natural Hazard and Unnatural Hazard, Natural Disaster and Unnatural Disaster, NHUHNDUD within its respective Vision, Mission and Mandate or UN Headquarters and each UN Agency Headquarters can be sure that the reality of NHUHNDUD is going to deal with UN Headquarters and each UN Agency Headquarters sooner or later. The 69th UN General Assembly taking decision on Interim Global Report that include most of our ideas and suggestions can take our World from Accelerating on Road to Doom with ultimate catastrophe consequences to accelerating on Road to Boom with ultimate Prosperity consequences. The choice is for relevant UN Authorities to make.

Should your assessment lead you to take option 1 and should relevant UN authorities accept your recommendation and grant us exemption, we are glad to make contribution in Service to Humanity,

Yours sincerely,

Lanre Rotimi

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

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