The Hunger Project
1
“Means of Implementation and Global Partnership for Sustainable Development,” Dr. Daisy N. Owomugasho, Country Director, The Hunger Project Uganda Respondent: Informal Interactive Hearings with Representatives of NGOs, civil CSOs, Major Groups and the Private Sector on the Post-2015 Development Agenda Wednesday, 27 May 2015, Mr. President, fellow Speakers, ladies and gentlemen. It is a special privilege to represent a wide section of the Civil Society, rural women, men and youth in Uganda.
I truly believe that the MDGs arguably remain phenomenal for having generated an unprecedented global consensus on poverty reduction. In particular, MDG 81 played a central role in galvanizing aid, increasing market access, providing debt relief, improving access to ICT, essential medicines and other forms of support. However, several global, regional, national, political, and socioeconomic factors have also featured since the adoption of the MDGs. For example, population growth, the youth bulge, urbanization, climate change and inequalities have impacted negatively on the overall implementation and achievements of the MDGs. In addition, there are notable gaps and systemic shortcomings which need to be addressed in the Post 2015 development agenda. The successful implementation of the Post 2015 development agenda will, in particular, depend on how member countries and indeed the UN addresses development enablers such as good governance, core capacity constraints in public administration, weaknesses in economic management, and issues of corruption. Today’s topic, “Means of Implementation and Global Partnership for Sustainable Development” automatically calls for identification of material and financial resources for implementation of the post – 2015 Agenda; mechanisms for meaningful inclusion; structural reforms, capacity building efforts and harnessing modern technology. Increasing financial resources for implementation of the post – 2015 Agenda; Because financial resource mobilization is as essential as effective financial resource utilization and development resources are limited, resource mobilization strategies need to be strengthened covering internally generated resources as well as external like international trade, regional networks, bilateral and multilateral support, including UN level. This will not only lead to, but also have a definite representation of all stakeholders and actors while also prioritizing needs of different areas based on progress of development as defined by regional indicators and locally available resources.
1 Develop a global partnership for development.
2
Increased financial resource mobilization can be achieved by strengthening forums and networks in terms of merging resources and avoiding duplication of implementation to increase the reach and spread of the impact of implementation, considering targets under the respective goals.
Strengthening regional networks and bilateral relations to create markets for produce and resources and increase national incomes will also contribute resources necessary for realizing the post-2015 Agenda. To that end, we welcome the role that Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) are playing on the development landscape including the formation of a BRICS development Bank, a significant development financing contributor. We believe such initiatives also build regional cohesion in addition to improving on general economic and social relations.
Official Development Assistance (ODA) targets, must not only be broadened and strengthened to address new emerging actors such as south-south cooperation and Public -Private Partnerships but also to deepen the capacity of developing countries in domestic resource mobilization, and addressing illicit financial flows and corruption.
The renewed global partnership should continue to foster dialogue on debt sustainability beyond its narrow focus on Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPCs)debt relief and look further to build a more equitable multilateral trade system, such as, concluding the Doha Round, and addressing supply-side constraints in developing countries through improved access to new technologies and long-term investment
As The Hunger Project, we strongly endorse the call for a bold and transformative agenda. What is missing, in our view, is the recognition that achieving the SDGs should be a bottom-up process. There is need for a collective vision of the Road to 2030 where people are the answer. People must be empowered by creating a world of opportunity – programs and policies that empower every woman, man and child to be the authors of their own development.
While we value the result implied by the phrase “leave no one behind” it could be interpreted in a paternalistic way. The real point is to empower everyone through the most inclusive policy-making process in history – to awaken everyone to what can be done to create the world we want, and organize them for effective action. The commitment must begin with a massive and urgent campaign to inform, educate and inspire everyone on the planet to join in this extraordinary human endeavor. Governments, Civil Society and especially the media have important responsibilities to get the implementation off the ground as quickly and comprehensively as possible. Sustainable community development requires global commitment which calls for broad involvement of all stakeholder categories in national, regional and international level financing strategies and long-term planning."
At The Hunger Project, we cherish Participatory Local Democracy (PLD), which calls for active citizenry; political, administrative, and fiscal decentralization; and multi-
3
stakeholder planning; this would promote the day to day management of sectors at the grassroots; increase effectiveness in financial utilization and build more confidence in government by all stakeholders including improved performance in regard to the targets under the different global goals due to close monitoring by grassroots people through increased involvement in different projects and sectors. Individual governments will invariably need to increase alignment of the global targets into their national development strategies/plans.
We also need increased solidarity /partnerships for likeminded forums and working groups such as civil society coalitions and inter parliamentary working groups in addition to strengthening Multi/Bi lateral government relations. We also believe that emphasis should be on political stability through democratic governments and smooth transition of leadership in order to have unbiased representation of ideas.
For meaningful inclusion, we also need to enlist the support of the media in terms of community mobilization and sensitization, and the academia in terms of capacity building of future professionals, research on effectiveness of current strategies and provision of prospects for development based on best practices around the global community.
Given the enormity of the task, there is need for mass mobilization and sensitization of the people through civic education exercises utilizing a multi-pronged communication approach for social behavior change to ensure that all people right from the elite to the grassroots farmers understand and appreciate the role of the SDG’s and take on the responsibilities required towards not only achieving the goals but owning them as part of the sustainability plan.
There is need for capacity building for public institutions especially in the developing countries to better, and more transparently manage national budgets, and widen the space for civil society to monitor financial flows at a country level. Most importantly, there is the need to address domestic taxation systems with a view toward a more equitable distribution of wealth, as the disparity between the poor and the rich is widening on a yearly basis. For innovation and technological advancement, partnership between the developing and developed countries cannot be over emphasized. This will require policies to improve conditions for investors/ donors and cultural diversity within the globalized community. A conducive environment politically and socially is a pre-requisite for technology transfer.
Mr. President, the outcomes of the 3rd International Conference on Financing for Development due to take place on 13-16 July 2015, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia should reflect on lessons learnt from successes and short comings of MDG’s Implementation; provide a platform for sharing experiences from different actors on day to day challenges of implementation and way forward; and seek alternative strategies for finance and
4
resource mobilization for the implementation of the Post 2015 development agenda, with emphasis on the host continent, Africa.
In a nutshell Mr. President, Post 2015 global agenda targets will be missed unless UN member countries address the following:
1. Capacity building through Human resource development, especially for the less developed world
2. Widening the Resource generation base, coupled with frugal, transparent and accountable expenditure for the little that is available
3. Institutional framework – we agree with President Obama’s assertion that Africa does not need strong men and women but strong institutions
4. Harnessing ICT and keeping pace with technological advancement
5. Peace and security –enlisting global efforts to fight terrorism
6. Good governance, democracy and observance of Human rights, which are the bedrock of the much cherished accountability by duty bearers to rights holders.
7. Mutual respect and collaboration by partners across superficial historical divides in this global village
8. Fostering Participatory Local Democracy and, promoting active citizenry especially at the grassroots
I thank you so much.
For God and My Country
“Means of Implementation and Global Partnership for Sustainable Development,” Dr. Daisy N. Owomugasho, Country Director, The Hunger Project Uganda Respondent: Informal Interactive Hearings with Representatives of NGOs, civil CSOs, Major Groups and the Private Sector on the Post-2015 Development Agenda Wednesday, 27 May 2015, Mr. President, fellow Speakers, ladies and gentlemen. It is a special privilege to represent a wide section of the Civil Society, rural women, men and youth in Uganda.
I truly believe that the MDGs arguably remain phenomenal for having generated an unprecedented global consensus on poverty reduction. In particular, MDG 81 played a central role in galvanizing aid, increasing market access, providing debt relief, improving access to ICT, essential medicines and other forms of support. However, several global, regional, national, political, and socioeconomic factors have also featured since the adoption of the MDGs. For example, population growth, the youth bulge, urbanization, climate change and inequalities have impacted negatively on the overall implementation and achievements of the MDGs. In addition, there are notable gaps and systemic shortcomings which need to be addressed in the Post 2015 development agenda. The successful implementation of the Post 2015 development agenda will, in particular, depend on how member countries and indeed the UN addresses development enablers such as good governance, core capacity constraints in public administration, weaknesses in economic management, and issues of corruption. Today’s topic, “Means of Implementation and Global Partnership for Sustainable Development” automatically calls for identification of material and financial resources for implementation of the post – 2015 Agenda; mechanisms for meaningful inclusion; structural reforms, capacity building efforts and harnessing modern technology. Increasing financial resources for implementation of the post – 2015 Agenda; Because financial resource mobilization is as essential as effective financial resource utilization and development resources are limited, resource mobilization strategies need to be strengthened covering internally generated resources as well as external like international trade, regional networks, bilateral and multilateral support, including UN level. This will not only lead to, but also have a definite representation of all stakeholders and actors while also prioritizing needs of different areas based on progress of development as defined by regional indicators and locally available resources.
1 Develop a global partnership for development.
2
Increased financial resource mobilization can be achieved by strengthening forums and networks in terms of merging resources and avoiding duplication of implementation to increase the reach and spread of the impact of implementation, considering targets under the respective goals.
Strengthening regional networks and bilateral relations to create markets for produce and resources and increase national incomes will also contribute resources necessary for realizing the post-2015 Agenda. To that end, we welcome the role that Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) are playing on the development landscape including the formation of a BRICS development Bank, a significant development financing contributor. We believe such initiatives also build regional cohesion in addition to improving on general economic and social relations.
Official Development Assistance (ODA) targets, must not only be broadened and strengthened to address new emerging actors such as south-south cooperation and Public -Private Partnerships but also to deepen the capacity of developing countries in domestic resource mobilization, and addressing illicit financial flows and corruption.
The renewed global partnership should continue to foster dialogue on debt sustainability beyond its narrow focus on Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPCs)debt relief and look further to build a more equitable multilateral trade system, such as, concluding the Doha Round, and addressing supply-side constraints in developing countries through improved access to new technologies and long-term investment
As The Hunger Project, we strongly endorse the call for a bold and transformative agenda. What is missing, in our view, is the recognition that achieving the SDGs should be a bottom-up process. There is need for a collective vision of the Road to 2030 where people are the answer. People must be empowered by creating a world of opportunity – programs and policies that empower every woman, man and child to be the authors of their own development.
While we value the result implied by the phrase “leave no one behind” it could be interpreted in a paternalistic way. The real point is to empower everyone through the most inclusive policy-making process in history – to awaken everyone to what can be done to create the world we want, and organize them for effective action. The commitment must begin with a massive and urgent campaign to inform, educate and inspire everyone on the planet to join in this extraordinary human endeavor. Governments, Civil Society and especially the media have important responsibilities to get the implementation off the ground as quickly and comprehensively as possible. Sustainable community development requires global commitment which calls for broad involvement of all stakeholder categories in national, regional and international level financing strategies and long-term planning."
At The Hunger Project, we cherish Participatory Local Democracy (PLD), which calls for active citizenry; political, administrative, and fiscal decentralization; and multi-
3
stakeholder planning; this would promote the day to day management of sectors at the grassroots; increase effectiveness in financial utilization and build more confidence in government by all stakeholders including improved performance in regard to the targets under the different global goals due to close monitoring by grassroots people through increased involvement in different projects and sectors. Individual governments will invariably need to increase alignment of the global targets into their national development strategies/plans.
We also need increased solidarity /partnerships for likeminded forums and working groups such as civil society coalitions and inter parliamentary working groups in addition to strengthening Multi/Bi lateral government relations. We also believe that emphasis should be on political stability through democratic governments and smooth transition of leadership in order to have unbiased representation of ideas.
For meaningful inclusion, we also need to enlist the support of the media in terms of community mobilization and sensitization, and the academia in terms of capacity building of future professionals, research on effectiveness of current strategies and provision of prospects for development based on best practices around the global community.
Given the enormity of the task, there is need for mass mobilization and sensitization of the people through civic education exercises utilizing a multi-pronged communication approach for social behavior change to ensure that all people right from the elite to the grassroots farmers understand and appreciate the role of the SDG’s and take on the responsibilities required towards not only achieving the goals but owning them as part of the sustainability plan.
There is need for capacity building for public institutions especially in the developing countries to better, and more transparently manage national budgets, and widen the space for civil society to monitor financial flows at a country level. Most importantly, there is the need to address domestic taxation systems with a view toward a more equitable distribution of wealth, as the disparity between the poor and the rich is widening on a yearly basis. For innovation and technological advancement, partnership between the developing and developed countries cannot be over emphasized. This will require policies to improve conditions for investors/ donors and cultural diversity within the globalized community. A conducive environment politically and socially is a pre-requisite for technology transfer.
Mr. President, the outcomes of the 3rd International Conference on Financing for Development due to take place on 13-16 July 2015, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia should reflect on lessons learnt from successes and short comings of MDG’s Implementation; provide a platform for sharing experiences from different actors on day to day challenges of implementation and way forward; and seek alternative strategies for finance and
4
resource mobilization for the implementation of the Post 2015 development agenda, with emphasis on the host continent, Africa.
In a nutshell Mr. President, Post 2015 global agenda targets will be missed unless UN member countries address the following:
1. Capacity building through Human resource development, especially for the less developed world
2. Widening the Resource generation base, coupled with frugal, transparent and accountable expenditure for the little that is available
3. Institutional framework – we agree with President Obama’s assertion that Africa does not need strong men and women but strong institutions
4. Harnessing ICT and keeping pace with technological advancement
5. Peace and security –enlisting global efforts to fight terrorism
6. Good governance, democracy and observance of Human rights, which are the bedrock of the much cherished accountability by duty bearers to rights holders.
7. Mutual respect and collaboration by partners across superficial historical divides in this global village
8. Fostering Participatory Local Democracy and, promoting active citizenry especially at the grassroots
I thank you so much.
For God and My Country