Activities of Network Members

 

Asian experts discuss financing for SDGs in Dhaka (16-17 May)

Dhaka, 16-17 May 2015 – The Expert Group Meeting (EGM) on Asian Partnership in Financing SDGs, organised by Southern Voice and the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), in partnership with the UN Millennium Campaign, has concluded successfully. The two-day event was held at the BRAC Centre Inn and attended by scholars and policy activists from Asia, government officials, development partners and representatives of the media. View Outcome Document.

The EGM provided a platform for various stakeholders to debate and consolidate analytical understanding of how the SDGs could be financed in the Asian region with its heterogenic features, with a special focus on three thematic areas: the Asian Experience on Public Private Partnership (PPP); Role of Overseas Remittances in Promoting Growth and Alleviating Poverty in Asia; and Financing Data and Information Needs for Monitoring and Accountability Mechanism of the Post-2015 Agenda. An overarching framework for examining the practical scope for financing development in the Asian region was also presented at the opening session, which was a public event.

The EGM was organised prior to the Third International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD3) to generate recommendations for the key actors of the Addis Process. The Outcome Document was prepared in order to be later disseminated through a side event in Addis.

 

Southern Voice joins E15 as Knowledge Partner

The Southern Voice on Post-MDG International Development Goals has entered into a knowledge partnership with the E15 Initiative, implemented jointly by ICTSD and World Economic Forum.

The E15 brings together world-class experts and institutions to formulate strategic analysis and recommendations for the state, the private sector and the civil society, with a view to strengthening the global tradeand investment system.

This special collaboration will enable Southern Voice to channel its unique development perspectives on trade and investment at E15 platforms and contribute towards ensuring that E15 policy options are inclusive and contextually appropriate. Southern Voice will provide professional feedback on E15 publications, share its thoughts through e-blogs and participate in different E15 expert group meetings.

 

Launch of the Fifth European Report on Development in Brussels (4 May)

Southern Voice was a member of the consortium which produced the Fifth European Report on Development 2015 (ERD 2015), which addresses financing for sustainable development and other means of implementation in the post-2015 context in order to bring the post-2015 finance and goal setting processes together. Read report.

The ERD 2015 was launched in Brussels on 04 May 2015 by the European Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development, Neven Mimica.

On the sidelines of the launch event at Brussels, the Chair of Southern Voice, Debapriya Bhattacharya, spoke to Devex regarding the evolving global environment underpinning financing for development (FfD) in the context of the post-2015 agenda.  Read interview.

Dr Bhattacharya is a member of the ERD 2015 team, led by Dirk Willem te Velde – Overseas Development Institute (ODI). The other members are Gillian Hart – ODI; Louka Katseli, University of Athens; James Mackie – the European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM); Peter Wolff – German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE); and Leah Worrall – ODI.

 

Post-2015 Data Test: Turkey’s Country Report released (11 May)

Istanbul, 11 May 2015– Team Turkey’s case study report for the Southern Voice network’s collaborative project, Post-2015 Data Test: Unpacking the Data Revolution at the Country Level, was released today. The report titled Measuring Sustainable Development to 2030: A view from Turkey also features a highlights section, which includes background information and the key findings of the report.

The study for the report was conducted by a team of researchers affiliated with various institutions in Istanbul. The members of the team employed the type of data relevant to Post-2015 considerations and ensured that the study was conducted in close cooperation and consultation with the Turkish Statistical Institute, which possesses a well-established system of data collection and other sources of data, including civil society groups.

To view the report highlights, click here.

 

Ottawa event of Post-2015 Data Test (29 May)

Post-2015 Data Test team members from Bangladesh, Canada and Senegal presented key findings from their respective country studies through a moderated discussion as part of the Third International Open Data Conference in Ottawa, Canada.

Mustafizur Rahman (CPD) from the Bangladesh team, Kate Higgins (DataShift, CIVICUS) and Shannon Kindornay (Norman Paterson School of International Affairs, Carleton University) from the Canada team, and Maam Suwadu Sakho-Jimbira (Initiative Prospective Agricole et Rural – Senegal) from the Senegal team highlighted key messages through a moderated discussion led by Peter Taylor, Program Manager of the International Development Research Centre’s Think Tank Initiative.

The discussion was held on 29 May 2015 and addressed the following questions:

  • What is the adequacy of data, including disaggregated data, for measuring post-2015 progress across a selected set of goals at the country level?
    • Where improvements in data quality, accessibility and transparency have been made in the past, what have been the drivers?
    • How can technology-enabled and non-traditional modes of data collection support measurement in the post-2015 agenda?

In addition to the International Open Data Conference, an invitation only presentation on the Post-2015 Data Test also took place at the International Development Research Centre on 28 May.
Recently implemented by the Southern Voice network in partnership with the Centre for Policy Dialogue and the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs, Carleton University, the Post-2015 Data Test aims to examine data availability for measuring progress on the Sustainable Development Goals for seven high, middle and low-income countries, including Bangladesh, Canada, Peru, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania and Turkey.

 

Werner Hernani (Fundación ARU) joins the Cartagena Data Festival, Cartagena, Colombia (20-22 April)

A member of the Southern Voice network, Dr Werner Hernani, addressed the Cartagena Data Festival at Cartagena, Colombia on April 21, 2015.

Dr Hernani, who is the Executive Director of ARU Foundation, Bolivia, was a panellist for a fishbowl discussion titled “Can institutions rise to the challenge?”

Official statistics are altered by different demands, coming from local and global sources. The discussion deliberated upon whether institutions can adapt to such challenges and was moderated by Bruce Campbell, Director, Technical Division, UNFPA.

The other panellists were Dr. Nyi Nyi, Director of Population, Central Statistical Organization, Myanmar; Pali Lehohla, Statistician-General, Statistics South Africa; Lina Castro, Deputy National Statistician, Philippines Statistics Authority; Ricardo Fuentes, Head of Research, Oxfam GB 16; and Johannes Jütting, Secretariat Manager, PARIS21.

The Cartagena Data Festival was organised by ODI, Africa Gathering, CEPEI, Data-Pop Alliance, PARIS21, UNDP and UNFPA. The event was aimed at solving critical gaps in coverage, access and analysis of data, thus helping to steer forward the implementation of the post-2015 international development agenda.

 

Ali Shahbaz (SDPI – Pakistan) speaks at UN PGA’s high-level thematic debate (4 May)

Member of the Southern Voice network, Mr Ali Shahbaz, Sustainable Development Policy Institute – Pakistan, was selected by the President of the UN General Assembly to serve as a panelist in the discussion on “Galvanizing support of regional and subregional organizations for the implementation of a transformative post-2015 development agenda” in the high-level thematic debate on Strengthening Cooperation between the UN & Regional & Sub-regional Organizations. The debate took place on 4 May 2015 at United Nations Headquarters in New York.

Shahbaz, who is the Youth Ambassador of Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) – Pakistan, stressed that the Post-2015 agenda is more of a mass consciousness rather than a development framework, and that it would involve the participation of all stakeholder groups to ensure success.

For only Shahbaz’s participation: watch video from 02:11:00 to 02:19:25

 

Debapriya Bhattacharya (CPD – Bangladesh), Ganga Tilakaratna and Bilesha Weeraratne (IPS – Sri Lanka) join “South Asian Economic Development: The Way Forward” at New Delhi (9-10 April)

Chair of Southern Voice, Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, and members of the Southern Voice network, Dr Ganga Tilakaratna (IPS–Sri Lanka) and Dr Bilesha Weeraratne (IPS–Sri Lanka), joined the international conference, “South Asian Economic Development: The Way Forward” hosted by the Faculty of Economics, South Asian University in New Delhi on April 9-10, 2015.

Dr Bhattacharya spoke on the Quest for Inclusive Growth in South Asia at a panel discussion, which was chaired by Abhijit Sen, Professor of Economics, Jawaharlal Nehru University, and Member, 14th Finance Commission, India.

Dr Ganga Tilakaratna presented a paper titled ‘Social Protection and Labour Market Outcomes: Evidence from Sri Lanka’ while Dr Bilesha Weeraratne presented a paper titled ‘Female Domestic Workers in the Middle East: Does Recruitment Through an Agent Minimize Vulnerability?’.

The chief guest at the event was Dr Manmohan Singh, the former Prime Minister of India, while the keynote address was made by Professor Jean Drèze, Visiting Professor, University of Ranchi, and Honorary Professor, Delhi School of Economic.

 

ESRF organises National Consultative Workshop on Post-2015 Agenda, Dar es Salaam (12 May)

A partner organisation of the Southern Voice network, Economic and Social Research Foundation (ESRF) – Tazania, held a National Consultative Workshop on Post-2015 Agenda in Dar es Salaam on 12 May 2015.

The workshop was held in the Conference Room of ESRF. The issues addressed are as follows: the progress made by processes of formulating the post-2015 development framework; Sustainable Development Goal No. 17 on means of implementation and global partnership for development with particular focus on financing for development agenda; and Tanzania’s preparedness in monitoring the post-2015 agenda.

For the last three years, ESRF has been collaborating with the UN Country Office and the Government of Tanzania on conceptualising the Post-MDG development framework. To date, it has held a series workshops aimed at engaging stakeholders in Tanzania in the process of formulating the post-2015 agenda.

 

Karin Fernando (CEPA – Sri Lanka) participates in the Second Asia Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development in Bangkok (17-22 May)

A member of the Southern Voice network, Karin Fernando, participated in the Second Asia Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD) in Bangkok on 17-22 May 2015.

Karin is a member of the UNESCAP – Regional CSO Engagement Mechanism (RCEM) and also serves as a member of its Advisory Group. She was part of the team that organised the sessions (as part of the Advisory Group), facilitated one of the sessions at the CSO meeting and helped draft the statement to UNEP on the need to integrate environment and equity adequately into the SDGs.

View the statements made at the APFSD – ministerial meeting by the RCEM members here

The RCEM also prepared a statement for the ongoing Third International Conference on Financing for Development in Addis and is hosting a side event there.

Karin Fernando is a Senior Research Professional at a partner organisation of the Southern Voice network, Centre for Poverty Analysis (CEPA) – Sri Lanka

 

ESRF organises National High Level Workshop on Financing for Development, Dodoma (26 June)

A partner organisation of the Southern Voice network, Economic and Social Research Foundation (ESRF) – Tazania conducted a national high level workshop on financing the post-2015 agenda ahead of the Third International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD3) to be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in July.

The workshop brought together relevant organs from both Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar to discuss the country’s preparedness on financing the post-2015 agenda.

 

Saman Kelegama (IPS – Sri Lanka) joins Asia-Pacific High-Level Consultation on Financing for Development, Jakarta (29-30 April)

A member of the Southern Voice network, Dr. Saman Kelegama, was a speaker at the session on “Regional Development Cooperation and Partnerships” at the Asia-Pacific High-Level Consultation on Financing for Development organized by the UN-ESCAP, ADB, ADBI and the Government of Indonesia. Dr Kelegama is the Executive Director of Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) – Sri Lanka.

The two-day event brought together member and associate members of the UN ESCAP and representatives of the private sector, academia and civil society to re-evaluate the role of traditional sources of finance and explore innovative means of financing investments in the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development. Sri Lanka’s State Minister of Finance, Honourable Mahinda Samarasinghe, also participated in the event.

 

Verónica Serafini (CADEP – Paraguay) joins WWG on FfD’s Feminist Strategy Meeting on Financing for Development: The Road to Addis, New York (10-11 April)

Verónica Serafini, a member of the Southern Voice network, joined the WWG on FfD’s Feminist Strategy Meeting on Financing for Development held on 10-11 of April 2015 in New York. Serafini was a presenter at the first session on “the current state of play: FfD negotiations and government positions”.

On 9 April, she also attended Informal interactive hearings on FfD3 with civil society in New York.

Serafini is a Senior Researcher at the Centro de Análisis y Difusión de la Economía Paraguaya (CADEP) – Paraguay.

 

Vagisha Gunasekera (CEPA – Sri Lanka) presents at the South Asia Consultation on FfD, Colombo (7-8 June)

A member of the Southern Voice network, Vagisha Gunasekera, joined the South Asia Consultation on Financing for Development (FfD): Advancing Progressive Regional to Global Policies held in Colombo on 7-8 June 2015.

Vagisha Gunasekera was a panellist in the session on the National Policy Landscape, as well as at the Civil Society-Government Roundtable.

The meeting, held at the United Nations in Sri Lanka, was co-convened by Women and Media Collective, Regions Refocus 2015, Asia Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women with the support of UN Women and International Planned Parenthood Federation – South Asia Region. It brought together government representatives and members of civil society to deepen regional understanding and strategies towards the FfD3.

This event provided opportunities to render feedback on the SDG process in the context of Sri Lanka. The outcome of this workshop will be taken up at the Addis conference in July.

Gunasekera is a Senior Research Professional at the Centre for Poverty Analysis (CEPA) – Sri Lanka.

 

SV network members join Commonwealth Trade Symposium and LDC IV Monitor EGM, Johannesburg (23-25 June)

Commonwealth Trade Symposium
23-24 June, 2015

Chair of Southern Voice, Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, was among the members of the SV network who joined the Commonwealth Trade Symposium on “Shaping a Global Trade Agenda for Development” in Johannesburg on 23-24 June.

Bhattacharya, who is also the Chair of the LDC IV Monitor, and a Distinguished Fellow at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), was a panellist at the session on “Trade in the Post-2015 Development Agenda: The right role?”. The session was moderated by the Commonwealth Secretariat, and the other panellists were Professor Rorden Wilkinson, Sussex University; Miho Shirotori, Chief, Global and Regional Trade Analysis Section,Trade Analysis Branch, UNCTAD; and Dan Gay, Inter-Regional Adviser on LDCs, Committee for Development Policy Secretariat, UNDESA.

Professor Mustafizur Rahman (Centre for Policy Dialogue – Bangladesh) and H. Bohela Lunogelo (Economic and Social Research Foundation – Tanzania) also joined the event which brought together officials, experts, the private sector and other stakeholders to review new and well-established trade related issues.


LDC IV Monitor Expert Group Meeting
25 June, 2015

Debapriya Bhattacharya, Bohela H. Lunogelo and Professor Mustafizur Rahman also addressed an Expert Group Meeting (EGM) organised by the LDC IV Monitor and Commonwealth Secretariat in Johannesburg on 25 June 2015.

LDC IV Monitor is a partnership of eight international institutions established in 2011 in the wake of the Fourth United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries (UN LDC IV) aiming to provide independent assessment of implementation of the Istanbul Programme of Action (IPoA).

Bhattacharya, also the Chair of LDC IV Monitor, was one of the lead discussants at the opening session on “the Scope and Focus of Monitor’s Contribution to the Mid-term Review of IPoA”, chaired by Mohammad Razzaque (ComSec).

Lunogelo was a lead discussant at the session viz. “the chapter on SDGs, FfDs, and IPoA: Seeking Congruence in Post-2015 Period” which was chaired by Dan Gay (UN), while Rahman chaired the session on “Data Revolution and Implications for the LDCs”.

 

SV’s Chair attends Global Forum on Development at OECD, Paris (01 April)

The Chair of Southern Voice participated in the 2015 edition of the Global Forum on Development (GFD) in Paris, convened by the OECD on 1 April 2015 with the theme “Post-2015 Financing for Sustainable Development”.

On 1 April, SV’s Chair addressed the session on “Needs & Challenges in Financing for Development,” which commenced with an overview of the magnitude of the needs in financing for development, including action on climate change. The session was moderated by Simon Maxwell, Overseas Development Institute (ODI).

Taxation, investment, development co-operation, synergies between financing for development and climate finance, and remittances were among the issues addressed through the session.

Panellists included Ralava Beboarimisa, Minister of Environment, Madagascar; Julie Morrow, Head of Communications and Reporting, Novartis Foundation; Imelda Nicolas, Secretary, Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO), Philippines; Pascal Saint-Amans, Director, OECD Centre for Tax Policy and Administration.

Moreover, the key findings of the Fifth European Report on Development: Financing and Other Means of Implementation in the Post-2015 Context (ERD 2015), a collaborative project of the SV network, were also presented through a special lunchtime session on 1 April 2015 at the GFD. The presentation took place at 1300 hours at the Château.

 

Chair of Southern Voice joins GPEDC Advisory Committee and WEF-ICTSD’s E15 Group on Trade, Finance and Development

Being invited by the Co-Chairs, Debapriya Bhattacharya, Chair of Southern Voice and Distinguished Fellow, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), Bangladesh has joined the Advisory Group on the monitoring framework of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation (GPEDC).

Recently he has also joined the Expert Thematic Group of the E15 Initiative on Trade, Finance and Development. E15 is implemented jointly by International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) and World Economic Forum. The Expert Group on Trade, Finance and Development is co-convened with the Center for International Development at Harvard University.

 

Debapriya Bhattacharya debates new measure of foreign aid at the OECD (13 May)

Chair of Southern Voice, Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, joined the Expert workshop on “Financing the post-2015 agenda: shaping a measurement framework for monitoring resources in support of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)” in Paris, convened by the OECD on 13 May.

The meeting was aimed at creating international awareness of, and ownership for, a statistical framework and derivative measure developed by the OECD Development Assistance Committee – Total Official Support for Sustainable Development (TOSSD) – for monitoring financing for the SDGs; receiving feedback and insights to assess the scope, foundation and statistical features of TOSSD; and defining the next steps for the future development of the TOSSD framework.

The meeting provided a platform of informal discussions for a select few leading thinkers, opinion leaders, policymakers and practitioners who are stakeholders in the international development finance system. Conclusions and recommendations from the workshop and additional consultations will serve as input at the upcoming FfD3 in Addis.

 

SV’s Chair speaks at Roundtable on China’s Overseas Development Policy, Bangkok (9-10 June)

Chair of Southern Voice, Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, attended the roundtable meeting on “China’s Overseas Development Policy in a World beyond Aid” in Bangkok, convened by the Asia Foundation on 9-10 June.

Bhattacharya was a presenter at the session deliberating upon the on-going debates on the post-2015 agenda, the sustainable development goals (SDGs), and China’s perspectives and possible contributions. At the session, he presented on “Southern Perspectives on Global Partnership in the Context of Post-2015 Agenda”.

The meeting provided opportunities for policy experts and practitioners to improve their understanding of China’s Overseas Development Policy, alongside stimulating knowledge sharing amongst them.

 

New global agenda demands new approaches to public policy making – SV’s Chair at the HLPF of the UN, New York (30 June)

Implementation of the new global development agenda demands balanced integration of economic, social and environmental dimensions in the national policy frameworks. Successful delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will also need to establish greater coherence within global governance structure. Chair of Southern Voice, Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, made these comments in New York yesterday (30th June 2015) while moderating a session at the High Level Political Forum (HLPF) of the United Nations. Bhattacharya is also a Distinguished Fellow at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), Dhaka.

The HLPF has been created under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations to provide overall guidance to the implementation of the SDGs – successor to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The HLPF has been also entrusted with the task of monitoring the progress in SDG achievement during the next 15 years and ensuring accountability of the process.

The SDGs envisage a universal, transformative and inclusive development agenda. Dr Bhattacharya pointed out that public policy interventions and collective actions on the part of the citizens will be critical in meeting the challenges of SDG implementation.

In the future, single goal driven approaches will have to be replaced by cluster of goals as to promote synergy among them, to manage spill-overs and to contain the trade-offs. This has to be complemented with institutional reforms and enactment of new legal provisions, he added.

One of the important tasks in this regard will be putting in place monitoring and evaluation mechanisms at national, regional and global levels which can provide evidence-based assessment of the effectiveness of the new agenda.

The HLPF session was chaired by Ambassador of Croatia Vladimir Drobnjak, Vice-President of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nation. He observed that implementation of the SDGs has to be managed at multiple levels which should include from local governments to the United Nations itself.

The panellists of the session were Ambassador Karel van Osteroom of the Netherlands, Dr Patrick Birungi, Director, National Planning Authority of Uganda and Vice-President of the Czech Parliament Ms Jaroslava Jermanova. The lead discussants Mr Yaya Junardy, President of the Global compact Network in Indonesia and Ms Galina Angarova representing the Major Stakeholder Group of the Indigenous People. A large number of delegates from the missions and the capitals as well as from various stakeholder groups took the floor to share their views.

Ms Sadia Faizunessa, Deputy Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations in her intervention emphasised the need to build capacity at all levels so as to face the emerging policy challenges. She also underscored the need to mobilise resources to meet this end.

Most of the commentators maintained that the national governments should create platforms so as to facilitate all stakeholders’ including the public representatives, private sector and non-government organisations’ participation in the SDG implementation process and review mechanism.

For more information, visit http://www.iisd.ca/hlpf/2015/30jun.html?&utm_source=www.iisd.ca&utm_medium=feed&utm_content=2015-06-30&utm_campaign=RSS2.0

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