The “tragedy” of LCDs, according to Better Aid

Cecilia Alemany, of BetterAid.
(Photo: TerraViva)

Source: Better Aid

“It is a tragedy that even in the 21st century there are still countries and populations categorized as poor, excluded, vulnerable, east developed, developing and developed,” said the international alliance of civil society organisatiosn Better Aid, in a statement previous to the United Nations Fourth LDCs Conference (UN LDC-IV) that takes place in Istanbul this week. 

This “tragedy” is a signal of “the failure of governance at all levels and of the current development model. Under-development and vulnerability in LDCs are further exacerbated by global crises (economic, financial, debt, climate nd food, among others). These have subjected people to human rights violations, conflicts and confusion,” warns the declaration.

BetterAid unites over 900 development organisations from civil society working on development effectiveness. The BetterAid Coordinating Group consists of 31 national and global networks and platforms working on aid and development effectiveness. The BetterAid Co-chairs are Mr. Antonio Tujan of IBON and Ms. Cecilia Alemany of AWID.

This is the complete texto of the statement: 

BetterAid statement to the UN LDC IV Conference, 9-13 May 2011, Istanbul, Turkey

After a series of preparatory meetings, heads of state and government are meeting here to craft the programme of action for 2011 to 2020 for the 48 Least Developed Countries (LDCs) of the world.

It is a tragedy that even in the 21st century there are still countries and populations categorized as poor, excluded, vulnerable, east developed, developing and developed. This exposes the failure of governance at all levels and of the current development odel. Under-development and vulnerability in LDCs are further exacerbated by global crises (economic, financial, debt, climate nd food, among others). These have subjected people to human rights violations, conflicts and confusion.

People living in LDCs are not only denied their fundamental rights, but they also face inherently limited capacities to cope with the multi-faceted dimensions of crises. While they are not responsible for the causes, they are always at the receiving end.

Therefore, the UN LDC-IV Conference must transcend ‘business as usual’ to yield robust and ambitious plans. This is the only way that the gap between the ‘haves and have-nots’ can be narrowed within the coming decade.

BetterAid, an international alliance of civil society organizations engaged in aid and development effectiveness, urges the delegates of this conference to formulate plans that are visibly deliverable at the grassroots level. The agreed result, known as the Istanbul Programme of Action (IPoA), must ensure

- specific, time-bound and measurable commitments that maintain an overall framework based on accountability and a human rights-based approach to development;

- development cooperation and aid policies are based on international human rights standards with an integrated gender equality perspective;

- the underlying causes of poverty, hunger and different forms of inequality are eradicated and that human rights, gender equality and social justice are promoted;

- environmental sustainability by effectively addressing climate change and the global financial,, debt and energy crises;

- LDC country ownership and the effective use of country systems (as outlined in the Accra Agenda for Action -AAA). Moreover, no conditionality or tying should be attached to aid provisions;

- aid transparency and predictability for LDCs (as outlined in the Accra Agenda for Action -AAA). Without transparent and predictable aid flows, the chances of continuing development efforts in LDCs are minimal;

- the immediate flow of 0.15%-0.20% of the total GNI of developed countries to LDCs, in line with the previous commitments of the international community and specified in the Brussels Programme of Actions for LDCs for 2001-2010;

- additional and increased funds for the LDCs to respond to the crisis induced by climate change. LDCs have inherently limited capacity to cope with this crisis, and are most vulnerable to the impacts and most in need of specific attention from the international community;

- democratic ownership as the core development and aid effectiveness principle, in line with the Paris Declaration and

AAA commitments;

- the fundamental rights of all workers, with a specific focus on migrant workers. A large section of the LDC population is dependent on remittances for their livelihoods; the economic, social and cultural rights of migrant workers must be respected and protected;

- the fundamental rights of excluded people and communities: women, indigenous groups, religious, ethnic and linguistic minority groups, disabled persons and sexual minorities; and

- effective civil society participation in all spheres of development planning, implementation and monitoring. Civil society is one of the most committed groups to complement the development efforts of governments and other stakeholders.

BetterAid urges that the points discussed above serve as guiding reference in the preparation and implementation of the IPoA.

Signed: BetterAid Coordinating Group

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