Meeting on the Post-2015 Development Agenda for LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS in Asia and the Pacific: Nepal s Perspective Yuba Raj Bhusal, Member Secretary National Planning Commission, Nepal
Contents 1. Nepal: Progress over the last 40 years, 2. Initiatives to achieve MDGs by 2015, 3. Critical issues, 4. Nepal s Post-2015 Development Agenda, 5. Some issues for LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS in Asia and the Pacific.
1. Nepal: Progress over the last 40 yrs The top HDI movers (countries that have made the greatest progress in improving the HDI) include well known income growth miracles such as China, Indonesia and South Korea. But they include others such as Nepal, Oman and Tunisia where progress in the non-income dimensions of human development has been equally remarkable. - Global Human Development Report 2010 (UNDP)
1.1 Progress over the last 40 years Top movers in HDI, non-income HDI and GDP, 1970 2010 Rank HDI Non-income HDI GDP (Income) 1 Oman Oman China 2 China Nepal Botswana 3 Nepal Saudi Arabia South Korea 4 Indonesia Libya Hong Kong, China 5 Saudi Arabia Algeria Malaysia 6 Lao PDR Tunisia Indonesia HDRO Calculations using HDRO database, UNDP
The MDGs partly successful in getting countries focusing on national development efforts and making development strategies more results-oriented. Yet they have not fully reflected in national priorities, and have sometimes emphasized the quantity of outputs over the quality and sustainability of the outcomes. Special attention are needed to the concerns and issues of the most vulnerable countries, mainly the LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS, where poverty is pervasive and deep-rooted. Focus on human & social development enhancing the productive capacity to ensure their meaningful participation in the global economy.
Under Goal 8 of the MDGs (global partnership), the rich countries have not been sufficiently supporting the poor countries as they have committed to overcome the latter's financial and technological needs, The rich countries have not yet fulfilled their commitments of providing 0.7 percent of their gross national income (GNI) as ODA to poor countries, In order to translate the upcoming post-2015 Development Agenda into a reality, it is imperative to obtain the commitment and ownership of national governments to adopt the ongoing review process of the MDGs. The voices of the poor and the vulnerable countries needs to be heard in the post-2015 development agenda formulation process.
1.2 Nepal s Case Despite numerous challenges and undergoing very difficult times including conflict and post-conflict transition, Nepal is among a few countries to attain most of the goals even in the SAARC sub-region (Annex I), Nepal is poised to attain goals in poverty reduction (even at PPP $ 1.25), health, education, drinking water supply and environmental aspects, Substantial progress is noted in gender and sanitation (around 61%), However, lags behind only in full and decent employment as well.
The recently concluded (April 4-5, 2013, Kathmandu) Third Meeting of SAARC Ministers on Poverty Alleviation agreed for the: Extension of the first cycle of SAARC Development Goals from 2012 till 2015, which would coincide with the completion of MDGs in 2015; Replacement of Regional Poverty Profile (being published since 2003), with SDR (SAARC Development Report) from 2014 onwards to be published biennially; and Publishing of the Regional Poverty Profile 2009 2010 titled Food Security Challenges for the Poor and Social Inclusion, shortly by the SAARC Secretariat.
1.3 Implementation Attempts Nepal has been using periodic (development) Plans as an instrument for integrating the MDGs into priorities, policies and resource allocation. Nepal has set national MDGs and their corresponding Targets at levels that balance ambition with feasibility. MDGs Progress Report 2010 and Need Assessment Report 2010 is the main background paper for preparation of upcoming periodic (development) Plans, MDGs Progress Report has been serving as key benchmark for monitoring progress and for reducing poverty.
1.4 Attempts to localize the MDGs Used MDGs indicators in Poverty Monitoring Assessment System (PMAS) and District Poverty Monitoring Assessment System (DPMAS) layers of indicators, Use localized MDGs indicators in Periodic District Development Plans, Adopted participatory planning process, Advocacy of MDGs issues at grass-root levels, Published the Guidelines on Localization of MDGs in Local Bodies, Developed a model template for VDCs profile in line with the MDGs indicators.
2. Initiatives to achieve MDGs by 2015 Current periodic Plan (2010-13) has been made MDGs based, Prepared and used MDGs consistent Macroeconomic Model: NPC has reviewed the indicators and intending to modify them in current national surveys to capture MDGs indicators, NPC has developed comprehensive M &E system integrating MDGs outcome indicators at disaggregated level, Developed policy to link HDR, MDGs Report and Periodic Plan, Prepared MDGs Acceleration Framework (MAF) focusing on sanitation, Attempting to assess sectoral productive capacity for development, Attempting to achieve allocative efficiency through MDG consistent Macro-economic model.
3. Critical issues 3.1 Integrating the LDC Graduation Strategies with Post 2015 Development Agenda: LDCs are regarded as the most vulnerable group of nations in 1960s, The LDCs category established in 1973, Presently the LDCs are 49 (only 25 in 1973) with 12% of global population that share only 0.8% of global wealth, Over four decades only three (Botswana, Cape Verde & the Maldives) graduated, Attempts made to uplift LDCs and now the IPOA (2011)has committed to graduate half of the LDCs by 2020, Graduation Nepal strategies Post to 2015 develop Development and Agenda continuously 24 monitor. th April 2013
Critical issues 3.2 Meeting the Graduation criteria: 1971: GNI per capita, Adult literacy rate, Share of manufacturing in GDP; 1991: GNI per capita, Augmented physical quality of life (calorie, life expectancy, school enrolment ratio and adult literacy rate), Economic Diversification Index (Export concentration ratio, share of manufacturing in GDP, share of employment in industry, per capita electricity consumption); 1999: GNI per capita, Augmented physical quality of life (calorie, under 5 mortality rate, school enrolment ratio and adult literacy rate), Economic Vulnerability Index (population, export concentration, share of manufacturing in GDP, instability of agricultural production, instability of export of goods and services).
Critical Issues 2002: GNI per capita, Human Asset Index (calorie, under 5 mortality rate, school enrolment ratio and adult literacy rate), Economic Vulnerability Index (population, export concentration, share of manufacturing in GDP, instability of agricultural production, instability of export of goods and services). 2005: GNI per capita, Human Asset Index (calorie, under 5 mortality rate, school enrolment ratio and adult literacy rate), Economic Vulnerability Index (population, remoteness, export concentration, share of agric, forestry and fisheries in GDP, homelessness due to disasters, instability of agricultural production, instability of export of goods and services). 2011: GNI per capita, Human Asset Index (calorie, under 5 mortality rate, school enrolment ratio and adult literacy rate), Economic Vulnerability Index (population, remoteness, export concentration, share of agric, forestry and fisheries in GDP, share of population in low elevated coastal zones, victims of natural disasters, instability of agricultural production, instability of export of goods and services). In 2012 Nepal s index value was GNI per capita 1190, Human Asset Index 66 and Economic Vulnerability Index 32.
Critical Issues b) Integrating Sustainable Development Goals (Rio+20): Economic pillar, Social pillar, and Environmental pillar, c) Sustaining MDGs achieved, d) BIMSTEC s Poverty reduction Goals, e) SAARC Development Goals, f) Streamlining global and regional goals to national ones.
Critical Issues f) Other Issues: Continuing unfinished agenda of poverty eradication, Further coping with inequality, vulnerability and exclusion, Dealing with jobless growth and low level of employment, Managing the growing migration and urbanization, Coping with economic crisis, Dealing with new multilateralism particularly among emerging economies, Looking for appropriate measures to address trade imbalance, transit issues and fuel crisis,
4. Nepal s Post-2015 Development Agenda! 4.1 Main themes o Economic Growth o Social Development o Environmental Sustainability 4.2 Specific themes o Population dynamics, o Peace and security, Sustainable, high and inclusive economic growth (attain growth rate on an average 6 to 7 percent for the next 15 to 20 years that will not only sustain MDGs but will also assist in sustaining achievements and attaining the proposed national goal of graduating from LDCs),
Nepal s post-2015 Reduce poverty to 10% or below by 2030 (at PPP $ 1.25 Current 23.8% ), Avail safe drinking water and sanitation to all, Create gainful and decent employment (green jobs), Food security and nutrition, Good governance, human rights and rule of law, Building resilience of vulnerable population groups, Environmental sustainability & climate change adaptation, Managing the fuel and economic crisis.
Nepal s post-2015 Improve health and educational indicators (e.g. infant mortality to 25 (41-2009), child mortality 30 (50-2009), maternal mortality 100 (170-2011), secondary educational enrolment at 80% and gender parity at secondary and tertiary level of education (1:0.99-2011), Create basic foundation for development including adequate infrastructure such as roads, electricity, and irrigation etc., Clean energy (hydro, alternative), Sustainable mountain ecosystem, and Disaster risk reduction.
5. Some issues for LDCs, LLDCs & SIDS in Asia and the Pacific The Post 2015 framework should incorporate the issues that were part of the Millennium Declaration (HR, Governance, Rule of Law, Peace etc), Inclusive growth as a strategy to achieve Post 2015 Development Agenda need to be coordinated from global to regional, sub-regional and national levels, Transfer of (appropriate) technology need to be well taken care of, for the structural changes in the economy particularly to enhance the LLDC s productive capacity & competitiveness, Environmental sustainability and climate change issues need to be well addressed, Harmonizing Regional, Sub-regional and national policies with the global ones,
Some issues Implementing the IPOA 2011 for graduating the LDCs to DC category, Knowledge sharing of the best practices, Optimum use of regional resources, Private sector development through its involvement in investment. Addressing the terms of trade and transit issue for greater market access to LLDCs for their products, Global, regional and sub-regional partnerships must be re-defined to make it truly global, Develop a clear accountability framework for both developed and developing countries,
Some issues Coordinate, develop and foster joint programmes with all development partners including multi-lateral agencies (the WB has rightly envisioned that within the next decade we should work towards removing basic poverty and reduce it at 3% globally), Coordinate and develop common national strategies to attain Post MDGs, Istanbul Programme of Action and SAARC Development goals, By and large, there is an urgent need for the implementation of Almaty Program of Action & Vientiane Consensus 2013 so as to address the critical gaps of the LLDCs including the policy gap, strategy gap, growth gap, resource gap, and an implementation gap in post-2015 agenda,
Some issues Finally, as you are aware that Nepal has tabled the draft resolution entitled Achieving the Millennium Development Goals in the ESCAP region/political Declaration of the Asia- Pacific LDCs, LLDCs and SIDs on the post-2015 Development Agenda as the preparation for the post 2015 UN Development Agenda are undergoing in multiple fronts, Nepal would like to take this opportunity to request the distinguished delegates to co-sponsor and support the Resolution. I Thank you Your Excellency!
Thank You All for your kind attention Nepal Post 2015 Development Agenda 24th April 2013 24