Un: Addis Ababa Conference To Define Africa's Future - 5809939

- Carlos Lopez, executive secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, explains the importance of this critical conference By Addis GetachewADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AA) - The UN is phasing out its Millenium Development Goals, and inaugurating more comprehensive Sustainable Development Goals.These will be discussed in Ethiopia at a major conference on Monday: Financing for Development under the auspices of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. It is a conference, many believe, that will set the tone of a critical UN General Assembly meeting to be held in September in New York at which the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) will be officially phased out, paving the way for the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).Ahead of the three-day Addis Ababa meeting, Anadolu Agency interviewed Carlos Lopes, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), reviewed the important agenda at the Adis Ababa meeting, and explained what the new goals mean. Anadolu Agency: - Thank you for giving us this chance to discuss the upcoming third International Financing for Development Conference. Come Monday, all roads seem to be leading to Addis Ababa. Preparations are intense. How is this Addis Ababa conference different from its predecessors in Monterrey, Mexico and Doha, Qatar'Carlos Lopes: Well, you know, when we had Monterrey conference, it was the beginning of the Millennium Development Goals. Everybody was very much focused on how can we help developing countries attain a certain number of objectives – eight of them – particularly related to reducing poverty. And discussion was about what kind of compact should we put in place between developing countries and developed countries. And, then, when Doha took place, it was more to take stock of how progress was made in implementing the Millennium Development Goals and the financial objectives that we agreed.But this one is a completely different moment. First of all, after the conference in Rio [De Janeiro, Brazil], the definition of sustainable development that is now the definition used throughout the international scene, including of course, the United Nations, was agreed to. It is a definition that has three pillars: Economic, social and environmental. And as this definition is more comprehensive, it is very much agreed since Rio that this is not just a matter for developing countries. It is a matter for everybody. Because you may have a situation where indeed we have climate-change impact in Africa that will allow us, let's say, to receive some funding for climate adaptation. But part of the reason why this is happening is because we are not taking care of the consumption pattern that exists in developed countries which may be provoking the issues of climate change.So everybody is in the same boat. We have always to save the planet; we have always to increase the quality of life of people in the planet; we have all to be aware of the need for the economy to be more inclusive and integrated. So the agenda has become global. And because it has become global, the discussion about financing for development is no longer a discussion about aid; it is a discussion about every single aspect of development: Financing, taxes, illicit financial flows, domestic resource mobilization, and the role of private sector.So you have a number of strings that are very different from the way we have conceived this issue before. So that is why it is very important to look at Addis as an opportunity to define the agenda for development of the next fifteen years. We are going to have, in September, in New York, a General Assembly meeting that is going to fix the Sustainable Development Goals. We are going to have in Paris in December a meeting that is going to create a new possibility for an agreement on climate change. But all of these depend on the success of Addis. So we really have to focus now on how Addis will create the right ambience, create the right environment for all these definitions of the agenda to take place.Anadolu Agency: - What can you tell us about how the financing gaps currently facing the world – the two worlds – are impacting the implementation of future targets'Carlos Lopes: You know, there is a big deficit of funding. If we are going to implement the Sustainable Development Goals, everybody is very much looking into all the details that are linked to the implementation of the goals. They are very comprehensive: There are seventeen of them that are under discussion. So it is a much larger agenda than the Millennium Development Goals. Because it is much larger, it includes also infrastructure, energy, means that will allow for the industrialization in Africa, issues relating to a number of sectors that before were not completely taken into account, like, issues of urbanization, issues of demography. So I think because of that we have a huge gap of financing if we want to implement all these objectives. And that is why this conference is going to look into all the strings, all the various aspects that will allow for an increase from the current aid that is about $100 billion a year for the entire world, about $52 billion for Africa alone. How we are going to expand this to a much bigger place that includes how we use money from the private sector investment, how we also use the financing services that exist right now in a more regulated way, like, for instance, arresting the big problem of illicit financial flows.Anadolu Agency: So what are the bargaining chips for Africa'Carlos Lopes: - There are about four or five issues that are a bit contentious. One of them is to define what is the role of technology, and this is very important because Africa needs technology to industrialize. So, the African position has to be very clear on this aspect. Another one that is very important, I already mentioned, is illicit financial flows: To have more targets and more specifics, not just generalities. Because we have dealt with generalities for a long time on this field. And another one that is very contentious is not to confuse development aid with climate financing. They are complementary. But they should not be lumped together. Because if they are lumped together we do double counting. It is like, you know, you give money for climate financing issues or climate change issues and it is counted also as part of aid. The promises that have been made by developed countries in these two areas – development aid and climate financing – are different, you know, and they are complementary.Anadolu Agency: Last time during the implementation of the MDGs, developed countries had committed 0.7 percent of their GDP. Would we see an increase on that this time around'Carlos Lopes: - Well, you see, about five countries of the OECD, a group of rich countries, about five countries have met the target. And I think we should praise them; because it is very difficult target to meet given the pressures of the economy that has been in recession in developed countries for quite a while, since the 2008 and 2009 financial crisis. But about five have met the target and kept that promise. But the majority have not. And therefore, you know, the average for developing countries is 0.35 percent, not 0.7 percent. So they are about half the way to what should be contributed. It is ambitious enough if we just make this target feasible and attainable immediately, rather than asking for more. More, I think, is unrealistic. But, you know, to push for this 0.7 percent, I think, is an obligation for everyone.Anadolu Agency: - But, the issue, so far, in implementation of the MDGs was not only about commitments to allocate finance, but many were complaining about delays in the time commitments.Carlos Lopes: Well, you are absolutely right that there is the issue of time table. Because, you know, one can promise and it is the case with the 0.7 percent. But then if there is not a deadline, you know, you can just say 'one day I will attain the 0.7 percent, it can be in 30 years, and it can be in 40 years. So it is very important to keep deadlines. And now, with the establishment of the Green Fund, we have a very good indication that the appetite for meeting deadlines is still not there. Because, you know, by now the Green Fund should have had $100 billion, and it has about $10 billion, which is about 10 percent. So it is an indication that we are not making too much progress in terms of the difference between commitments and actual delivery of the funds. So I think this conference is going to also discuss these issues.Anadolu Agency: Going from MDGs to SDGs …does that show some movement, some thematic change? Or is it just a change in terms, a change in name'Carlos Lopes: No! The process already is quite different. Because the MDGs were decided by technicians on the basis of a declaration that was approved by the countries of the world. But it was decided by technicians. So it was on the basis of projections, statistics and so on. This one is a negotiation that was done by member states themselves. The countries for over a year have been discussing these issues in detail. So they came up with a much more ambitious agenda than the MDGs. So it is not just a change of acronym. Or a change even of theme. It is a change of process, because now the countries are much more involved in defining how it should be, and they are still engaged on how it should be monitored, which has not yet been agreed, and that is part of the discussion moving forward.Anadolu Agency: How do you assess levels of implementation of the MDGs in Africa'Dr. Lopes: - Well, we just read a report on African performance. We are very happy with African performance in many sectors like maternal health, like child mortality also, increased participation of girls in school enrollment. So there are a number of targets of the MDGs that have been attained by Africa. But, of course, we are lagging behind many others. But it is always very important to look at Africa's efforts in perspective. Because Africa started much further away from the starting line than the majority of other countries. Its efforts were always going to be short of the finish line. Because like in a marathon, we have some people running one kilometer from the line and others are already a 100 meters from it. So that is the unfairness of some of the judgments that have been passed about Africa not attaining the goals. Africa could never attain all the goals because of the way it started, when it started. But if you look into the level of effort, Africans effort has been quite significant and we give credit to that amazing performance, particularly to countries that have done a lot to actually attain the social part of the goals.Anadolu Agency: The past decade was marked by large scale displacements, poverty and wars. How is that …or to what extent is that going to affect implementation of the SDGs'Carlos Lopes: Peace and human security are key ingredients for us to make progress on development and I think we will continue to look into improvements in that area. But again, if we take into account in Africa the Mo Ibrahim governance index, which is the most comprehensive index on governance indicators for the continent, you will see that there is progress every year on many fronts; not as much as we wanted but there is progress. The number of people affected by conflict in Africa has decreased significantly over the last decade, but has been increasing since last year. So we have to be watchful not to go back; and just move forward.Anadolu Agency: In your recent blog, you said: "…We have a historical imperative to change not just our reality but the perception of reality." Would you elaborate on that assertion a bit more'Carlos Lopes: Yes. Because narrative about Africa is always very pessimistic. We always take things when it concerns Africa out of context. Historical context most of the time, sometimes geographical contest as well. Let me give you one example not to elaborate too much. Yes, it is true that there is piracy off the coast of Somalia. But nobody will tell you that in the Strait of Malacca there are more pirate attacks than off the coast of Somalia. Why wouldn't they say that? Because, you know, that region is perceived by everybody as very, very well endowed. Singapore, Malaysia, part of Thailand. So these are countries that are striving, that are growing. So the perception is very positive. But they have more attacks than Somalia. So, you know, you see the perception for Africa is always a bit negativist, pessimistic and it is very important for us not to change the reality alone but also to change the narrative.Anadolu Agency: I know you are always a proponent of Africa's development. And you have been saying "Africa should drive its future"….Carlos Lopes: I have no doubt that, you know, the only way any country or region has developed is by using its inner capacity. We're not going to develop Africa with aid. I've nothing against aid. But aid is not the ingredient that makes things change. What makes things change is the drive, the capacity of the country to strategize, to be able to mobilize its own resources. Let's take the example of Ebola. Everybody will tell you how much money the three countries affected by Ebola received to tackle the Ebola issue. Nobody will mention that all the schools were closed, that the entire country was mobilized, because you cannot put a dollar value on all that. So there was a huge mobilization of domestic capacity that is not valued in dollars. People will tell you about the aid that was received. And once we are in a situation where we rid ourselves of Ebola, there will be a line of institutions and people claiming success, as if it was their doing. In fact, the number one success was from the countries themselves, and from their people. But that was never valued as much. So it is just an example that whatever change, profound, strong, important takes place, and Ebola was a very good example because it mobilized the entire society, it is only possible if the countries themselves take the drive.Anadolu Agency: What are Africa's expectations from this upcoming (third international financing for development) conference'Carlos Lopes: - Well, Africa wants to get in Addis a good deal that would allow for the Sustainable Development Goals to be not just universal in their approach, in their coverage, but also attentive to Africa's positions and interests that have been spelled out in the Africa Common Position. This Africa common position is the first time that Africans actually have in international negotiation a very solid, politically-led process. And I think it is a very good coincidence that this happens when also the main conference is taking place on African soil.Anadolu Agency: What other financing sources will be explored'Carlos Lopes: Well, a lot of them. We have all the international institutions here. Those dealing with migration, because it is very important for remittances. Those who deal with commercial banking, because it is important for transactions. Those who deal with investment, because it is important to mobilizing foreign direct investment. Those who deal with taxation, because it is important to expand fiscal space. Those who deal with development as well. So we have the full gamut of institutions. So I think it is going to be a very comprehensive discussion.