The Asia-Pacific countries, including Bangladesh, have sketched out broader strategies to mount pressure on the developing and developed countries to boost development cooperation for the least developed and poor countries in accordance with their commitment.
After a three-day workshop concluded in Dhaka Tuesday, twenty-eight governments and civil society organisations from 12 countries of the region endorsed a joint agreement for getting effective development cooperation ahead of the first Global Partnership Ministerial Meeting to be held in Mexico in April, 2014.
“Most of the countries are near to attain the MDG targets by 2015, but now we need to devise strategy and work plan to face post-MDG situation,” Bangladesh Finance Minister AMA Muhith told a press briefing on the future strategy.
He said the developed world had made commitment of providing 0.7% of their gross national income (GNI) to the least developed and poor nations.
“But they are not even close to their committed amounts of assistance. We have to put pressure on them to extend the financial assistance,” he said.
In reply to a question, the minister said Bangladesh’s graduation from LDC to a middle income country would not affect the aid flow significantly.
The ‘term’(meaning status of the country) will be changed for Bangladesh when it becomes a middle income country, he said, adding that there will be three years time to take preparations for changing the status.
The joint statement recommended three broad strategies at the country level, and will actively seek regional cooperation, in a practical and feasible way.
The strategies are strengthening and operationalise the country-led results and accountability frameworks and multi-stakeholders’ platforms to assess performance, placement of ODA ( official development assistance) in a broader development finance landscape for financing development priorities including MDGs and Post-2015 development agenda, and upscale successful South-South Cooperation and Triangular Cooperation from the region, including Asian Approaches to knowledge sharing platforms on development.
After sharing respective country experiences and accruing knowledge on effective development cooperation in the region in line with the Busan Commitments and the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation (GPEDC), the participants reached in a common understanding.
“We recognise that rapid economic growth has contributed to remarkable progress in the Millennium Development Goals by the region, although these are accompanied by rising inequalities,” said the statement.
It said: “We acknowledge the requirement for deepening of the Millennium Development Goals in the remaining two years to address the issues of income and non-income inequalities, the need for quality education outcomes, youth unemployment and vulnerabilities, gender inequality and social exclusion, health and environment risks, conflict and fragility, governance, slow progress in global partnerships on ODA, trade, technology and affordable medicines.”
The countries anticipated that aid and other development financing will remain important part of the efforts to reach MDGs targets and ensuring stronger links between the uses of country generated revenue and development partners’ funding remain critical till 2015 and beyond.
“We reaffirm that efficient country systems are critically important for country ownership and more domestic resource mobilization to manage development goals.”
The event also outlined for specific actions by the developing nations from the Asia-Pacific to adopt the measures to implement the recommended strategies.
The actions are strengthening and operationalise country-led results and accountability frameworks and multi-stakeholders’ platforms to assess performance, strengthen multi-stakeholder Results and Accountability Frameworks and placement of ODA in a broader development finance landscape for financing development priorities including MDGs and Post-2015 development agenda.
Cabinet Secretary M Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan, Economic Relations Division (ERD) Secretary Abul Kalam Azad and Additional Secretary of ERD Arastoo Khan were present at the briefing.