Concern over post 2015 dev agenda

Roberto Bissio, coordinator of Social Watch, which is a global civil society alliance working in more than hundred countries, said that the enforcement for human rights and addressing inequalities should be the main concern in setting post 2015 development agenda.

Addressing a panel discussion at Dhaka Reporters Unity titled "Post 2015 Development Agenda: Future Global Development Partnership" organized by EquityBD, Social Watch Bangladesh and Unnayan Samunnay, he said the focus must be on reducing arms race and achieving good governance of political parties and upholding human rights.

The discussion was moderated by Rezaul Karim Chowdhury and participants included Ahmed Swapan, Aminur Rasul, Prodip K Roy, Dr Sohel Iqbal, Badrul Alam and Barkat Ullah Maruf  who represented different organizationsRoberto Bissio, criticized the World Bank's setting of poverty threshold of earning $1.25 a day. He said that even if the things go on 'business as usual' it would be achieved in any way. So, it can't be the goal to press the governments to accelerate the poverty eradication efforts.He criticized it as a mere income approach of defining poverty. He urged for taking human rights approach instead, as it is already elaborated in the human right charter that human being require the fulfillment of different civic, social and economic rights.

He mentioned that there is a big hypocrisy within GDP approach, as it does not reflect the growing inequalities between different classes within a population and in the country or international level. Finally he expressed worries of recent developed countries' position on private sector's role in the development assistance. It is nothing more than the market expansion of multinational companies in developing countries.He further said official development assistance from developed countries must go to the poor directly without any involvement of private sector companies.