Discussion on development agenda

A panel discussion titled “Post 2015 Development Agenda: Future Global Development Partnership” jointly organised by EquityBD, Social Watch Bangladesh and Unnayan Samannay was held at the Sagor-Runi auditorium of Dhaka Reporters' Unity (DRU) yesterday in the capital. Roberto Bissio, the Coordinator of Social Watch, a global civil society alliance addressed the meeting as main speaker, Rezaul Karim Chowdhury of EquityBD moderated the discussion and Ahmed Swapan of VOICE, Aminur Rasul of Unnayan Dhara Trust, Prodip K Roy of Online Knowledge Society, Dr Sohel Iqbal, Badrul Alam of Bangladesh Krishok Federation (BKF) and Barkat Ullah Maruf of EquityBD also spoke at the event. Speakers at the discussion stressed on the issues including food security, sustainable development projects, role of private sector regarding Millennium Development Goals.

Ahmed Swapan said, "Without addressing structural issues, the root causes which are responsible for creating rich and poor, eradication of poverty is not possible. Also the role of private sector in future Post 2015 sustainable development agenda is very questionable."

Barkat Ullah Maruf briefly described how EquityBD and others in Bangladesh are engaged with the policy discourse on post 2015 and he also mentioned that there should be an agenda on reducing arms race expenditure in the discourse."

Dr Sohel Iqbal said that achievement in future is not possible without establishing good governance.

Roberto Bissio, the main discussant said that establishing human rights and addressing inequalities should be the main concern in setting post 2015 development agenda.

Questioning the role of private sectors, he added, "Developed countries’ position on private sector’s role in the development assistance is very questionable, in fact, it is for the market expansion of multinational companies in developing countries. And also it is an approach of risk compensation to these companies in developing countries. Official development assistance from developed countries must go to the poor directly without any involvement of private companies."