Asia Development Alliance (ADA) Statement on Bali Communiqué of the HLP on Post 2015 Development Agenda

The Asia Development Alliance (ADA) welcomes the communique of the High-Level Panel (HLP) of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda, but notes that there are some significant progress and shortcomings in the HLP’s deliberations under four key areas, such as: reshaped and revitalized global governance and partnerships, protection of the global environment, sustainable production and consumption and strengthened means of implementation. CODE-NGO is a co-convenor of ADA. Read more for ADA’s full statement.

1. We, members and partners of the Asia Development Alliance (ADA) composed of national and sub-national development CSO/NGO platforms in Asia welcome the communiqué of the High-Level Panel (HLP) of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda issued on 27 March 2013 after concluding its fourth meeting including one day of public consultations with civil society and other stake holders on 25 March.

2. We note that there are some significant progress and shortcomings in the HLP’s deliberations under four key areas such as reshaped and revitalized global governance and partnerships, protection of the global environment, sustainable production and consumption and strengthened means of implementation.

3. First of all, we are pleased to see that some issues were recognized, re-affirmed and emphasized in the Bali communiqué that were of great importance to civil society as  pointed out in the ADA Bangkok Statement on Post 2015 Development Agenda (2 Feb. 2013) and the communique of the Global CSO Conference (Bali, 23-24 March) prior to the stakeholders outreach day and statements made by CSO representatives at the Town Hall and several Round Tables on 25 March as well as eight points under ‘A Red Flag for the post-2015 High Level Panel’ adopted in global CSO conference in Bonn (21-23 Mar).  

a) Emphasis on the ‘global ownership of a shared development agenda’ and ‘equal partnership of all stakeholders’
b) Reaffirmation of the development agenda which are ‘transformative, people-centered and planet-sensitive”,
c) Recognition of ‘the need to promote a single and coherent post-2015 development agenda’,
d) Emphasis on ‘sustainable production and consumption’,
e) Special emphasis on ‘the regulation of tax havens and illicit financial flows’,
f) Emphasis on ‘data availability and better accountability in measuring progress’

4. However, we remain concerned that some important issues were not adequately emphasized in the deliberation of the HLP meeting in Bali, which are as follows;

4.1. Vision and priorities

• Rising inequality – global and national – need to be given top priority along with poverty eradication and sustainable development.
• Countries facing extreme poverty and fragility including the UN-defined 49 least developed countries needs to be placed at the centre of the post-2015 development agenda.
• Structural transformation of current neoliberal economic paradigm and the alternative development paradigm need to be more clearly emphasized.

4.2. Reshaped and revitalized global governance and partnerships

• Centrality and primacy of human rights as value, principle and instrument for accountability mechanisms need to be more visibly emphasized specially for stakeholders in partnerships.  
• Human rights-based accountability mechanism including monitoring, reporting and evaluation need to be embedded.
• A more just, fairer and equitable global financial and trade architecture and framework need to emphasized as integral to global governance.
• Importance of decommodification of public goods and commons at the national and global level through legislative and regulatory frameworks need to be emphasized.  
• Both national and international supervisory mechanisms to regulate transnational corporations and speculative financial capitals need to be emphasized.

4.3. Protection of the global environment and sustainable production and consumption.

• Historical and common but differentiated responsibilities as well as planetary boundaries need to be recognized and emphasized.
• Priority need to be given to speedy operation of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) in order to develop concerted international action on adaptation for most developing countries and mitigation with drastic emission cuts by developed countries.

4.4. Strengthened Means of Implementation

• Financial Transaction Tax (FTT) need to be included in innovate financing.
• Disarmament and demilitarization as well as diversion of billions of military aid to development financing should be also emphasized.
• A transformative, people-centred and planet-sensitive development agenda requires public financing of the post-2015 development agenda so that accountability is ensured.

4.5. Data availability and better accountability in measuring progresses’

• Alternative measurement system beyond GDP needs to be recognized and emphasized.

5. We strongly urge you to give due consideration to the above-mentioned suggestions so that they are adequately reflected in your final report.

6. Three day event in Bali was indeed a valuable opportunity for many CSOs, especially ADA members and partners from Indonesia and Asia to learn, articulate, empower and build solidarity in the post 2015 process.

7. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the HLP Secretariat for providing funding for many CSOs including some ADA members and partners to participate and space for dialogue and interactions with HLP members in person which made the HLP process ‘’an open, inclusive and transparent process’.  

8. We assure you of our full commitment and support to make the HLP process and outcome more meaningful and beneficial to specially billions of people living in poverty, injustice and insecurity for survival.

9. We look forward to further dialogue and engagement with the HLP members for months to come and beyond.

Asia Development Alliance (ADA) is a regional forum of national and sub-national development NGO/CSO platforms
in Asia to promote more effective communication, coordination and cooperation in the Post-2015 Development Agenda process. It was officially launched in Bangkok on 2 February 2013.

http://www.facebook.com/groups/ADA2013/
ADA201322@gmail.com

National and Sub-national CSO/NGO Platforms in Asia

South Asia
1. Awaz Foundation Pakistan www.awazcds.org.pk
2. Bangladesh Federation of NGOs in Bangladesh (FNB) www.ngofederationbd.net
3. Equity and Justice Working Group in Bangladesh (Equity-BD) www.equitybd.org/
4. NGO Federation of Nepal (NFN) www.ngofederation.org
5. Oxfam India
6. People’s Budget Initiative (PBI) India www.cbgaindia.org/advocacy_peoples_budget_initiative.php
7. Sushasoner Jonny Procharavizan-Campaign for Good Governance (SUPRO), Bangladesh www.supro.org
8. Voluntary Action Network India (VANI) www.vaniindia.org
9. Wada Na Todo Abyian (Don’t Break Promise) in India (WNTA) www.wadanatodo.net/  

Southeast Asia
10. Caucus of Development NGO Networks (CODE-NGO) Philippines www.code-ngo.org
11. Cooperation Committee on Cambodia (CCC) www.ccc-cambodia.org
12. FONGTIL-Forum NGO Timor Leste (FONGTIL) www.fongtil.org
13. Indonesia Society for Social Transformation (INSIST) www.insist.or.id
14. International NGO Forum on Indonesian Development (INFID) www.infid.org
15. NGO Forum on Cambodia (NFC) www.ngoforum.org.kh
16. Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA) www.pahracampaigns.wordpress.com/

Northeast Asia
17. China Association for NGO Cooperation (CANGO) www.cango.org
18. Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) – China
19. Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) – Korea
20. Japan Association of Charitable Organizations (JACO) www.kohokyo.or.jp
21. Japan NGO Center for International Cooperation (JANIC) www.janic.org
22. Korea Civil Society Forum on International Development Cooperation (KoFID) www.kofid.org
23. Korea NGO Council for Overseas Cooperation (KCOC)  www.ngokcoc.or.kr
24. National Forum for Development and Cooperation (NFDC) in Mongolia
25. Taiwan Alliance in International Development (Taiwan AID) www.taiwanaid.org

International CSOs and Platforms

1. Asia Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) www.forum-asia.org
2. CIVICUS www.civicus.org
3. International Forum of National NGO Platforms (IFP) www.ong-ngo.org
4. Jubilee South Asia Pacific Movement on Debt and Development (JSAPMDD) www.apmdd.org
5. Least Developed Countries (LDCs) Watch www.ldcwatch.org
6. NGO Forum on ADB (ADB Watch) www.forum-adb.org
7. Social Watch (SW) www.socialwatch.org/