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Appeal to Governments from European NGOs on our minimum expectations for the outcome of the Monterrey Financing for Development Conference
By:
Martin Koehler and Robin Round These
seven points collectively constitute the minimum outcome required for a
successful Financing for Development process. If governments cannot agree
to these actions we are concerned that, as has been the case with other
conferences in the 1990s, the commitments will remain unimplemented and
the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) will be unachievable.
We
believe that the lack of commitment on the part of many northern
governments in this process is deserving of broad public debate and we
fully intend to bring the lacklustre outcome this far into the public
domain, at next week’s gathering in Porto Allegre and in our own
countries. The absence of concrete progress serves only to undermine this
process. We fear that it will also undermine progress on the World Summit
for Sustainable Development. The following seven points are the ABSOLUTE MINIMUM of what the final declaration of the Monterrey conference must include: 1)
We expect that aid levels will be immediately increased and a timeframe
for meeting the 0.7 % of GNP target will be agreed. The timeframe must be
consistent with the deadline for achieving the MDGs. 2)
We expect an explicit mandate for the UN to explore possible measures to
enhance the stability of the international financial system, including the
taxation of currency transactions (CTTs), as well as an explicit reference
to CTTs as an innovative source for the financing of sustainable
development. 3)
We expect that the sustainability of foreign sovereign debt will be
measured against the needs of indebted countries to achieve the MDGs, that
debt relief for exceptional cases will not be linked exclusively to HIPC
eligibility, and that additionality is principle of all financing of debt
relief. 4)
We expect fair and transparent arbitration processes that allow a fresh
start for sovereign debtors, based on a neutral decision making body, the
right of all stakeholders to be heard, the protection of debtors basic
needs, and the institution of an automatic stay of debt servicing. 5)
We expect that the regulatory frameworks for trade and investment will be
evaluated against their impact on poverty eradication, environmental
protection, gender equity and food security and that they be revised to
become a tool for achieving the MDGs. 6)
We expect reform of the international financial institutions and a
participatory review of the composition of their decision-making bodies to
ensure the equitable participation of developing countries and countries
with economies in transition. We expect the WTO to guarantee that its full
membership will be adequately represented in all of its bodies and working
groups and that civil society organizations will have the right to observe
all proceedings. 7)
We expect independent external evaluations of the international financial
institutions’ performance and operations including their social,
environmental and gender impact to allow critical public debate. On
the follow-up to the Monterrey conference, we expect that the GA will be
enabled to monitor the achievement of the MDGs and, in particular, the
implementation of the results of the Monterrey Conference, by rededicating
the existing UNGA´s high-level development dialogue, from 2004 on, as a
Forum for the highest economic authorities, open to all stakeholders. It
must have the mandate to design innovative mechanisms for enhancing
democracy in global economic decision-making.
European
non-governmental organizations have so far participated in the process
"Financing for Development" in good faith, expecting nothing
less of our governments. What we have witnessed however, are ongoing
attempts by several industrialized country governments, including EU
members, to derail the conference. These include: -
upsetting
the balance that characterizes the FfD approach, between
international/systemic challenges and domestic problems in developing
countries, putting all political emphasis on the latter -
rejecting
any proposals aimed at concrete reforms of the existing structure of
global economic governance -
avoiding
committing a single dollar more in official development assistance and
watering down proposals to raise public awareness and public money for
development -
minimising their own share of the responsibility for development
and maximising the role of the private sector and trade liberalisation in
taking care of the world’s poor. -
introducing
precise language whenever developing countries are concerned, while
insisting on vague niceties when it concerns northern governments or
international financial institutions. The
original call for the FfD process was based on the informed consent, north
and south, and between all stakeholders that global economic governance
and the international financial system must serve all people if they are
to work well. If they continue to primarily serve the interests of the
wealthy and the strong, then this will further erode the trust of the
people in the role of multilateral efforts to find global solutions to
their problems. As
NGOs representing millions of people, we cannot support a process that
claims to make a difference while it does not. In the following weeks, you
have an ultimate opportunity to refocus this conference on people-centred,
gender sensitive, environmentally responsive, equitable and sustainable
development, to mobilise the means to achieve the MDGs, to address the
crippling debt burden of developing countries, the inequitable terms of
world trade and the democratization of global economic decision-making. If
you fail to reflect the concerns of civil society and the majority world
in multilateral processes, you will have failed the millions who put their
trust into the Monterrey conference and provided further incentives to
those who take their concerns to the streets. Signatories:
Raisa
Sinelnikova, Counter Part, Belarus Bogdan
vanden Berghe, Broederliyk Delen, Belgium Yvon
Bartelink, University Center of Development Cooperation, Belgium Desislava
Lotskova, Bulgarian Gender Studies Foundation, Bulgaria Helle
Nielsen, KULU Women and Development, Denmark Lioba
Diez, Kairos, Germany Peter
Eisenblaetter, Terre des Hommes, Germany Jens
Martens, WEED, Germany Peter
Lanzet, Church Development Service EED, Germany Juergen
Kaiser, Jubilee Germany, Germany Julia
Clones, Mediterranean Womens Study Center, Greece Martin
Koehler, Campaign to Reform the World Bank, Italy Svetlana
Shakirova, Center of Gender Studies, Kazakhstan Ellen
Verheul, WEMOS, Netherlands Han
van Putten, Evert Vermeer Foundation, and Netherlands Gunhild
Orstavik, ForUM, Norway Philo
Morris, Medical Mission Sisters International, United Kingdom Belen
Vazquez, Actionaid, United Kingdom Oksana Kisselyova, Liberal Society Institute, Ukraine FAIR USE NOTICE: This page contains copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Global Action on Aging distributes this material without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. We believe this constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in 17 U.S.C § 107. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
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