GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT AGENDA S
IN THE CARIBBEAN
SANTO D OMINGO, D OMINICAN REPUBLIC April 3 rd , 2014
Thursday, April 3 rd
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
09.00 - 9.30 AM
Registration Opening speeches
09.30 - 10.00 AM
Gustavo Montalvo Minister Presidency of the Dominican Republic
Ing. Temístocles Montás Minister of Economy, Planning and Development of the Dominican Republic
Dr. John William Ashe* President of the 68 th session of the United Nations General Assembly
Lorenzo Jimenez de Luis UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Representative in the Dominican Republic
Global Development agendas. What is at stake for the Caribbean? Presentation Commentator The Post-2015 agenda
10.00 - 11.30 AM
Michelle Scobie Coordinator of the Global Studies Program Institute of International Relations University of West Indies
Amina Mohamed UN Secretary General´s Special Adviser on Post-2015 Development Planning
GPEDC and the HLM in Mexico Ambassador Bruno Figueroa General Director of International Cooperation for Development Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation (AMEXCID)
Roundtable Discussion Coffee & networking break
11.30 - 12.00 AM
The Region We Want. How can the region use the process to further development objectives?
12.00 - 01.30 PM
Presentation
Commentator
Dillon Alleyne Deputy Chief ECLAC Subregional Headquarters for the Caribbean
Shantal Munro-Knight Executive Coordinator of the Caribbean Policy Development Centre
Erik Solheim Chair of the Development Assistance Committee Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Ambassador Alfonso Múnera Secretary General of the Association of Caribbean States
Roundtable Discussion
01.30 - 2.30 PM
Lunch & Networking Opportunity
Multi Stakeholder Partnerships. How can we mobilise all sectors of society?
02.30 - 4.00 PM
Presentation
Commentator
Paul Ladd Head of the United Nations Development Program Team on the Post-2015 Development Agenda
Director of Alianza ONG
Roundtable Discussion Decision Making Process: scenarios, challenges and opportunities
Presentation
Commentator
Jonathan Glennie Associated researcher CEPEI
Ambassador Carlos Enrique García González Vice-President of the Economic and Social Council ECOSOC
04.00 - 05.30 PM
Roundtable Discussion Debrief and concluding remarks
05.30 - 06.00 PM
Inocencio García Vice-Minister of International Cooperation of the Dominican Republic Adrianus Melkert Moderator
Contextualization
of the agenda
About the meeting Over the course of a days, senior regional leaders and thinkers will share information and exchange points of view on the challenges facing the Caribbean, within the context of ongoing global debates on the Post-2015 agenda, Rio +20 and the post-Busan Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation.
Global Development agendas. What is at stake for the Caribbean? When the first coffee-break chats about the post-MDG agenda began a few years back, few people anticipated that the process would become quite so big. It is clear today that the post-2015 process is reframing the way the international community thinks about development and cooperation, with discussions ranging far beyond poverty reduction, and particular attention to environmental constraints. But does any of it actually matter? Some parts of the Caribbean political firmament have been influential in helping frame the post-2015 agenda, but it still feels as if there is limited impact? Maybe it is not clear to the Caribbean’s leaders and people what they stand to gain from another mega global declaration of intent. This opening session will set the global scene and seek to answer the following questions:
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What is the latest from the post-2015 process? Who is saying/doing what and why? Where is there political momentum? How might these discussions actually affect global politics in the short and longer term? What commitments will be made nationally, regionally and internationally? Are paradigms really shifting – going beyond the rhetoric?
The Region We Want. How can the region use the process to further development objectives? As the post-2015 process encourages us to envision “the world we want�, the real question is how to achieve it. What will the signing of a piece of paper in New York mean to the region, particularly to its poorest communities, and its prospect of environmentally sustainable development? One part of that puzzle is international development cooperation, and the Paris/Busan process has played a critical role in shaping expectations for aid in the first years of this century. As preparations are made for the High Level Meeting in Mexico in April, the expected outcomes are unclear. A number countries helped take shape the outcome in Busan, while others have been reticent to get involved with a non-UN process.
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How will the post-2015 process impact national and regional policies and actions? What policies and constituencies could the right SDGs support?
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How will the post-2015 process impact international support to the Caribbean?
What non-financial support is required, in terms of global policy coherence for development? Is aid still important for the Caribbean? Is the Paris/Busan process as relevant as it once was? To whom? Should countries in the region be seeking to engage, or should they be setting up their own processes more relevant to their particular circumstances as recipients and contributors of cooperation.
Multi Stakeholder Partnerships. How can we mobilise all sectors of society? Having surveyed the scene, this third session looks at the actors involved that will determine the success or failure of the SDGs. The language of multi-stakeholder inclusivity is not new; attempts have been made before to bring in non-governmental actors into the development effort. But the explicit focus of the post-2015 process on bringing together coalitions of actors in a concerted way is impressive. Meanwhile, the focus on data as part of the post-2015 process is genuinely original,
and recognises serious deficits in our knowledge for decision-making. And if these important agendas are to reach out beyond the endless rounds of conferences, and genuinely connect with people and communities, building political pressure for change, communication is everything.
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Going beyond the rhetoric, what do “multi-stakeholder partnerships” mean in practice? How is the role of civil society changing? What are the most important interventions CSOs can make? Will attempts to include the private sector work better than they have in the past? Where are the blockages? What are the risks? What are the most important areas of data to look at and deepen? Where are the gaps? One thing is collecting data, another is using it? How can data be put to best use? What are the challenges and opportunities for making data more available and transparent? What types of communication have worked in the past? What haven’t? What innovative ideas exist that have not been capitalized on? What are we trying to communicate? What are the key pressure points that we should focus our efforts on?
Decision making processes. Scenarios, challenges and opportunities In the final session of the day we will reflect on what we have discussed and think about next steps, not as a collective necessarily, but as a group of influential and engaged individuals and organisations.
Can we build a sensible strategy to ensure that the needs and concerns of the region are reflected in the two processes? Who are our allies? Where are the blockages? Who would do what? What should we not do?
Disclaimer : draft agenda not for circulation or citation