A meeting of more than 30 delegates from around the Pacific have echoed the objectives of g7 Plus nations in asking for a new deal on development once the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) expire in 2015.
Following a roundtable discussion to influence the UN High Level Panel, they released a communiqué aimed at getting a strong Pacific voice into this important global forum.
Where the original MDGs were decided without much Pacific input, this conference, hosted by the Timor Leste government and the Pacific Institute of Public Policy (PiPP), sought to highlight Pacific issues relating to the post-2015 development agenda.
Dame Carol Kidu from PNG was appointed the Pacific representative and delivered the communiqué on the first day of the g7 Plus gathering of 48 nations, following a televised address by UN Secretary Ban Ki Moon. Present at this conference is the Under Secretary General of the UN and Executive Secretary of ESCAP (Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific) Dr Noeleen Heyzer.
Pacific delegates noted shortcomings of the original MDG process and hoped for a more inclusive
process for future development goals that reflected Pacific and national needs.
According to the communiqué:
“We agreed the MDGs have played an important role in focusing our development efforts, facilitating dialogue and making our development strategies more results-orientated. However, the MDGs do not fully reflect our national development priorities and sometimes distort them by emphasizing the quantity of outputs over the quality of outcomes.”
“As a region we have been labelled a failure in terms of meeting the MDGs. This raises concerns about the application of global goals at the regional and national level, particularly in areas over which Pacific island countries have little or no control, such as carbon emissions. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to implementing our development aims.”
In its discussions five broad areas were identified that were not adequately covered in the MDGs: inclusive economic growth, environmental and natural resource management, state effectiveness, peace and justice and aspects of social delivery.
“Our focus in these areas is on the human dimension of development, based on our own conceptions of poverty and well-being”.
Climate change and “owning our own problems to find our own solutions” emerged as key issues. In his opening remarks at the start of the g7Plus conference, Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao said this was the largest conference ever held in Timor Leste, while many delegates expressed their hope for solidarity and “a new deal” on development. Timor Leste’s Finance Minister and current chair of the g7Plus Emilia Pires endorsed the communiqué and will take it to the UN’s High Level Panel on development with her call for “development for all”.
The full communique is available on PiPP’s website: pacificpolicy.org
The g7 Plus incorporates 18 nations: The G7 Plus countries are Afghanistan, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Union of the Comoros, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Haiti, Liberia, Papua New Guinea, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Sudan, TimorLeste (Chair) and Togo.
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