ECOSOC

Panel Discussion: Independent Oversight Role of Supreme Audit Institutions in Implementing the Post-2015 Development Agenda

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A.post-2015_12This meeting was held to discuss the importance of supreme auditing institutions (SAI) in the post-2015 development agenda. The representative of UNDESA stated that SAIs are necessary if we want to go towards an inclusive and peaceful society with a focus on sustainable development. SAIs promote accountability in different critical sectors including education, healthcare, and water sanitation. He said that, looking forward, SAIs will play an even more significant role regarding implementing and promoting SDGs. He also stated that international communities should help developing countries foster transparency and efficiency.

Dr. Josef Moser outlined specific benefits of SAI, and what international cooperation with INTOSAI, encouraged by the UN for all levels, entails. He first asserted that MDGs can only be attained with cost-effective accountability, as there will be more impact per dollar invested. For shortcomings in government capacity or a lack of transparency, accountability, and/or ownership that could prevent the attainment of MDGs, INTOSAI can provide technical know-how and assessment through financial, compliance, and performance audits. However, SAIs face domestic obstacles, such as a lacking mandate to audit government performance or a lack rules regarding accounting, reporting, and monitoring. To foster national independence after capacity building through SAIs, Moser encouraged governments to intensify communication with INTOSAI.

Responding to a question on the extent of SAI’s presence in cooperating countries, Dr. Moser stated that SAI’s functions are grading standards and capacity building, as conducted by experts of the International Development Initiative within INTOSAI. He and Ambassador Oh emphasized that, as an international standard of practice is lacking in both developed and developing countries, SAIs are a platform of implementing MDGs that nations and organizations must make good use of.

Meeting: Panel discussion on “Independent Oversight Role of Supreme Audit Institutions in Implementing the Post-2015 Development Agenda”
Date & Location: Wednesday, January 21, 2015. Conference Room 8, United Nations Headquarters, New York
Speakers: H.E. Ambassador Martin Sajdik, Permanent Representative of Austria to the UN and President of ECOSOC; H.E. Ambassador Oh Joon, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea to the UN; Dr. Josef Moser, Secretary-General of INTOSAI and President of the Austrian Court of Audit, Representative of UNDESA
Written By WIT Representatives: Alis Yoo, Brian Lee, and James Victory
Edited By WIT Representative: Philip Bracey

The Sustainable Year

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Ms. Thompson opened the Sustainable Energy for All (SE4All) meeting by highlighting that we need to develop sustainable energy and overcome financial challenges. Energy is critical to global development, but the future cannot depend on fossil fuels. In addition Energy efficiency and technology can provide universal energy access for all. The international community must replace fossil fuels by addressing the financial constraints of renewable energy. A committee, designed to investigate sustainable energy investments through public and private sectors, has proposed a draft report to catalyze investments by 2020. The report identifies significant financial gaps. Mr. Gulati illustrates that traditional and non-traditional investments are needed to accomplish three objectives: access, renewables, and efficiency. Also, Policy reforms need to attract capital, and address aggregation mechanisms and the lack of capacity.

Main issues focus on dealing with capital flow, de-risking environments, creating a predictable framework, and blending. Public and corporate governments must become financially viable, attract capital, and keep consumer costs fair. Mr. MacGeorge introduces the problem of channeling funding into countries below investment grade level. Sustainable Energy for All has a challenge of filling a $45 billion dollar gap. Not many renewable energy projects are attractive to financiers because of un-developed technology. Governments in low-income countries cannot take on the challenges of renewable energy, placing the burden on uninterested private developers. Another challenge lies in creating an attractive risk and return balance. Risk is only lessened when preparation of the project and policy mechanisms are improved. Larger projects generate more interest, leaving many middle-sized projects in an ignored category. Aggregation initiatives are being used to make assets appear more attractive to investors. Ambassador Pedersen related sustainable energy back to the Post-2015 Development Agenda.

 

Meeting: Event on “Financing Sustainable Energy for All” (organized by the Special Representative of the Secretary – General for Sustainable Energy for All)

Date/Location: Wednesday, January 28th, 2015; 1:15 pm to 2:45 pm; Conference Room 12

Speakers: Abyd Karmali, Managing Director, Climate Finance, Bank of America Merril Lynch; Elizabeth Thompson; Richard MacGeorge, Lead Infrastructure Finance Specialist, World Bank; Mohinder Gulati, Chief Operating Officer of the Sustainable Energy for All Initiative; Ambassador Geir O. Pederson, Permanent Representative of Norway to the United Nations

Written by: Ellie Guner

Edited by: Modou Cham

 

 

 

 

Women and Climate Change

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This meeting discussed climate change and its relationship with women. Ms.Nusseibeh explained that women comprise up to 60% of the agricultural work force in some countries and farms can be devastated by drought and desertification. Women are also more vulnerable to violence when they are required to travel farther to gather essential supplies and during periods of forced migration. Mr. Sachs discussed areas where funding needed to be “scaled-up”. Examples included education, which he claimed was essential to women empowerment and sustainable development goals and clean energy, to mitigate the effects of climate change. Ms. Puri stated that empowering

women was essential to finding solutions to both gender equality and climate change. Climate change and extreme weather also has an effect on society, as conflict, often derived from gender inequality, is worsened by these environmental changes. For examples, in small island states, rising sea levels have caused forced migration, exacerbating social tensions in these regions. She also stated that the 2004 tsunami in Sri Lanka killed approximately 1 in 5 displaced women, nearly twice the amount of displaced men. Ms. Markham emphasized the need for women to be active in policymaking because it is necessary to mitigate climate change. To do this, the insecure land and tenure rights, obstructed access to national resources, the burden of domestic duty, and other social restrictions placed upon women need to be lifted in order to increase decision making within women and girls. Ms. Blomstrom continued upon this point, as she stressed the necessity of adequate legal framework to allow women to become empowered activists and leaders.

 

Title: Women, Peace, Security in the Context of Climate Change

Date/Location: Thursday, 15 January 2015; 13:15-14:45; Conference Room 4
Speakers: Lana Nusseibeh Permanent Representative of the United Arab Emirates to the United Nations; Susan Markham, Senior Coordinator for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment; Eleanor Blomstrom, Program Director for Women’s Environment and Development Organization (WEDO); Lakshmi Puri, Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations and Deputy Executive Director of UN Women; Jeffrey Sachs, Director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University, Special Advisor to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Professor of Health Policy and Management and Director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University
Written By: Elise Freeman
Edited By: Modou Cham

Second Committee: Operational Activities for Development

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6365386329_f24a5e7976_zMs. Zina Mounla stated that in response to ECOSOC resolution 2013/5, the full analysis of funding of United Nations operational activities for development has, for the first time, been merged into the Secretary-General’s report on the implementation of the Quadrennial comprehensive policy review. The funding analysis consolidates financial data on contributions and expenditures of the UN entities that reported funding for operational activities for development in 2012. Together, the UN operational activities for development account for approximately 60 per cent of the funding for all UN system-wide activities. Peacekeeping operations accounted for about 20 per cent, while the global norm and standard setting, policy and advocacy functions of the United Nations system accounted for the remaining 20 per cent. The funding environment remains challenging as almost all of this growth was in the form of non-core resources.

She further noted that while an increase in core funding remains a priority, contributions from countries towards their own country programmes and private sector partnerships are key elements to these strategies. Mr. Gopinathan Achamkulangare introduced JIU’s report on the ‘Selection and appointment process for United Nations Resident Coordinators, including preparation, training and support provided for their work.’ The report provides an assessment of the operation of the existing selection and appointment process for the UN Resident Coordinators, and the effectiveness and efficiency of the related institutional support mechanism, including the preparation, training and support provided. The report identifies and analyses the existing challenges faced in the selection and appointment process of Resident Coordinators and makes recommendations aimed at improving it.

Mr. Yiping Zhou introduced the report of the Secretary-General on “The State of South-South cooperation”. This report reviews the main trends and progress made by the UN development system to bolster support to South-South and triangular cooperation for development over the past year. Mr Zhou highlighted that there are enormous opportunities for South-South cooperation in achieving the internationally-agreed development goals, including the MDGs, while anticipating the post-2015 development agenda. Furthermore, the report recommended the establishment of an interagency coordination mechanism under the UNDG to enhance and support the south-south cooperation. It also recommended focusing UN support on those areas where it has previously proved more effective.

Meeting: 26th and 27th Meetings of the Second Committee: Operational activities for development (A/69/215) [item 24]
Date: 29 October 2014
Speakers: Ms. Zina Mounla (DESA on behalf of Assistant Secretary General, Thomas Gass); Mr.Gopinathan Achamkulangare (Inspector, JIU); Mr. Yiping Zhou (Envoy of the Secretary General on South-South Cooperation).
Location: Conference Room 2, UN Headquarters, New York.
Written by WIT Representative: Aslesha Dhillon

Edited by WIT Representative: Philip Bracey

The Economic and Social Council Sets the Stage for its 2015 Session

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Today the opening of the 2015 Session of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) was held at the United Nations Headquarters, where the ECOSOC adopted a provisional agenda and took action on two draft decisions.

Mr. Sajdik congratulated the 2014 Session for being successful. In its 2014 session, the ECOSOC integrated the Segment of the Sustainable Development Goals and the First High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF). The HLPF met under the Council Auspices, further consolidating sustainable development within the framework of the UN system and solidifying the implementation of the Post-2015 Agenda.

Mr. Sajdik added that the council aims to build on the 2014 achievements for the 2015 session. The new session will be significant as it coincides with the negotiations toward the development of the post-2015 agenda. The session will include in-depth reviews of internationally agreed goals, a developmental operational forum and an examination of the constantly evolving trends in development cooperation. All of these objectives will be supported by the functional organs, regional bodies and committees. Mr Sajdik emphasized that engagement should be deepened among members states and civil society members in order to achieve successful outcomes.

The Council successfully adopted it’s provisional agenda and the draft decisions based on two themes: “Managing the Transition from the Millennium Development Goals to the Sustainable Development Goals:  What Will it Take?” and  “Achieving Sustainable Development Through Employment Creation and Decent Work for All.”

Meeting Title: Opening of the 2015 Session of the Economic and Social Council

Speakers: H. E Mr. Martin Sajdik (Austria), Council President.

Location: Economic and Social Council, United Nations Headquarters, New York

Date: 21 July 2014

Summary Written by WIT Representative: Nusrat Laskar

Edited by: Suzy Hallak

Strengthening the Science-Policy-Society Interface for Achieving Sustainable Development

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sdg2The economic, social and environmental challenges facing societies range from regional to global in scale. There is an urgent need for the international science community to develop the knowledge and strengthen the science-policy-science interface for achieving sustainable development. Therefore, it is crucial to shape effective responses and foster global justice, which would facilitate progress toward sustainable development goals. The global change research community plays a central role in understanding the functioning and human impacts of Earth System.

Mr. Mc Bean introduced Future Earth, an international scientific community, which serves as a global platform for international science collaboration. It aims at providing knowledge required for societies in the world to face risks posed by global environmental change and to seize opportunities in transition to global sustainability. The key objectives are to build and connect global knowledge to intensify the impact of research and find new ways to accelerate sustainable development. Mr. Nakicenovic pointed out that the global problems, including access to water; food and energy need to be resolved immediately. He emphasized vigorous investment is needed in human capacity and knowledge, in order to create a niche market for sustainable development systems. Ms. Abrahamse echoed Mr. Nakicenovic’s comments. She specifically talked about the importance of the easy access to information, which would empower and create solutions for solving the grand societal challenges.

Mr. Ullah introduced the bipolar linear system – “The pipeline approach” in understanding the concept between consultation and collaboration. He also highlighted it is essential to maintain the independence of science so as to contribute to problem solving and foster innovation, leadership and competitive advantage. Mr. Davies addressed the issues between good governance and sustainable development. He concluded by underlining the need for an overarching vision on poverty eradication, and the development of partnerships to sustain a strong science-policy interface.

Meeting Title: Strengthening the science-policy-society interface for achieving sustainable development
Speakers: Gordan Mc Bean, President-elect of the International Council for Science; Nebojsa Nakicenovic Nakicenovic, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis; Tanya Abrahamse, CEO of South African National Biodiversity Institute; Farooq Ullah, Executive Director of Stakeholder Forum; Peter Davies, Wales’ Commissioner for Sustainable Future
Location: ECOSOC, United Nations HQ, New York
Date: 1 July 2014
Written By WIT representative: Samantha Kong
Edited by Wit Representative: Aslesha Dhillon

Consumer Information and Sustainable Consumption and Production

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As part of the High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, a side event was held to discuss the availability of consumer information, and its impact on sustainable consumption and production (proposed goal 12 of the sustainable development goals). Beginning the meeting, the Vice-President of ECOSOC gave a statement on the launch of the Consumer Information Programme, which provides accurate information about the sustainability of various goods and services and helps to guide consumers towards more sustainable choices. By 2030, the global population of middle class consumers will increase by 2-3 billion people, putting more stress on the environment and natural resources, and making it vital for the world to consume more efficiently with less of an impact.

ImageFollowing, H.E. Mr. Thoms stated how sustainable consumption and production encompass all dimensions of sustainable development (economic, social, and environment), and that it’s important to inform consumers about sustainable consumption and production so they can direct their purchasing power towards more sustainable goods and services. Furthermore, Mr. Bastaman from Indonesia added that information about sustainable consumption and production is relatively new in developing countries, and that both the Indonesian government and business sectors are striving to provide more information to consumers.

Next, Dr. Jaeckel, Mr. Wardojo, and Mr. MacMullan gave presentations on the role of transparency and accountability for consumer information in achieving sustainable consumption and production. They highlighted that providing consumers with accurate and accountable information is a multi stakeholder task, which includes governments, NGOs, inter-governmental organizations, and the private sector. Consumers are mainly interested in a product’s cost, convenience, and if the product meets the consumer’s needs. However, ethical and moral questions of sustainability are becoming part of the equation. In order to raise sustainability on the consumer’s agenda, information about how the product is made must be provided in a clear and simple way, in order toencourage sustainable patterns of consumption.

 

Meeting Title: Consumer Information Programme Under the 10 Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns
Speakers: H.E. Mr. Vladimi Drobnjak, Vice President of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), Permanent Representative of Crotia; H.E. Mr. Heiko Thoms, Deputy Permanent Representative of Germany; Mr. Henry Bastaman, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Environment, Indonesia; Dr. Ulf D. Jaeckel, Head of Sustainable Consumer Production, Product-related Environmental Protection, Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, Germany; Mr. Noer Adi Wardojo, Ministry of Environment, Indonesia; Mr. Justin MacMullan, Head of Advocacy, Consumer International
Date: 1 July 2014
Location: ECOSOC Chamber, United Nations HQ, New York
Written By WIT Representative: Marli Kasdan

Effective Humanitarian Assistance

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A panel about the future of humanitarian affairs was convened to discuss methods and strategies towards achieving greater inclusiveness, coordination, interoperability, and effectiveness in humanitarian aid. H.E. Mr. Dabbashi underlined the importance of the dialogue, commenting on how increased humanitarian threats are dangerously stretching the finite number of humanitarian resources available.

Ms. Pizon focused on the importance of local leaders in disaster intervention. If coordination mechanisms work on both an international and local level, a damaged community can be much more resilient. Ms. Georgieva emphasized the different aspects of operational effectiveness, such as the swift deployment of capacities, the coordination of a joint-assessment strategy, and the cohesive interoperability of all sectors. But Ms. Georgieva also stated that this operational effectiveness can only take us so far. Efficient and productive policies, such as those developed for food assistance, are the difference between helping and further damaging a disaster stricken community. While pumping free food and crops into a disaster area may meet short term needs, it kills the local markets, weakening the society’s capacity to be self-sufficient in the future.

Dr. Sani-Sidi continued the conversation by championing Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). NEMA’s departments are categorized into areas for both risk reduction and emergency response, which work in tandem to ensure long term capacity building and prompt response in times of crisis. To close the panel, Mr. Fisher brought attention to the importance of understanding the context of ‘at risk’ countries. As an international community, it is crucial to understand not only the capacities of the country of concern, but also the government situation, the strengths and weaknesses of their institutions, the rule of law, the fiscal management, and all of the other developmental issues that can exacerbate or mitigate the emergency. The effectiveness of response mechanisms is directly dependent on understanding the state of the country, as different situations are more conducive to different methods of humanitarian aid. 

Meeting Title: Panel discussion on “Effective humanitarian assistance”
Speakers: Chair H.E. Mr. Ibrahim O. Dabbashi (Libya), Vice-President of the Economic and Social Council; Moderator Ms. Valerie Amos, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator; Ms. Kristalina Georgieva, European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response; Dr. Muhammad Sani-Sidi, Director-General, National Emergency Management Agency, Nigeria; Mr. H. Halil Afsarata, Head of the Strategy Development Department at the Prime Ministry, Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD), Turkey; Mr. Nigel Fisher, United Nations Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for Syria; Ms. Inday Pizon, Executive Director, Regional Development Incorporated, National Coalition of Rural Women/PKKK, Philippines; Ms. Barbette Badocdoc, Media and Networking Officer, Initiatives for Dialogue and Empowerment through Alternative Lawyering Services (IDEALS), Philippines
Location: ECOSOC Chamber, United Nations, New York 
Date: 24 June 2014
Written By WIT Representative: Zachary Halliday
Edited by WIT Representative: Sophia Griffiths-Mark 

Humanitarian Assistance in Complex Emergencies

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As part of the ECOSOC humanitarian affairs segment, a meeting was held to discuss how to respond to the needs of people in complex emergency situations. Beginning the meeting, H.E. Mr. Dabbashi, gave a statement on how to provide more sustainable solutions for internally displaced persons (IDPs), and stated how partnerships between international and local actors must be strengthened in order for humanitarian aid to have the greatest effect.

Following, Ms. Amos, the USG for Humanitarian Affairs, stated that 75% of crises requiring humanitarian response are due to conflicts or complex emergencies, and 33.3 million people worldwide are displaced in their own countries due to conflict. Furthermore, she emphasized the importance of talking with armed groups in conflict zones in order for aid workers to be able to gain access to the effected civilians.Image

Next, Mr. Ramos Horta from the UN peacebuilding office spoke about how civilians oftentimes bear the brunt of casualties from conflicts, especially in Syria, Central African Republic, and Iraq. In these areas conflict and violence against civilians are leading to massive displacement, loss of livelihoods, restriction of movement, sexual violence, and long periods of insecurity. Mr. Ramos Horta emphasized that shifts in global geopolitical and economic power must be accompanied by a growing responsibility of these actors to respond to humanitarian crises, and that this humanitarian action must be complimented by more intensive investment in peacebuilding, conflict prevention, mediation of political settlements, and post conflict recovery.

Following, Mr. Al-Kholani spoke about the growing crises in his home country, Yemen, where thousands of IDPs are in vulnerable situations due to conflict. Yemen has created a single governmental authority, the Executive Unit for Internally Displaced Persons, to handle their IDP crisis. Dr. Philip Spoerri from the Red Cross then spoke about using the international humanitarian law (IHL) framework to protect civilians in armed conflict, and to restrict the flow of weapons. IHL imposes obligations on both state and non-state actors, and the biggest challenge to IHL is that in conflict situations it is often blatantly ignored.

 

Meeting Title: Economic and Social Council Humanitarian Affairs Segment: Panel Discussion on “Serving the needs of people in complex emergencies”
Speakers: H.E. Ibrahim O. Dabbashi (Libya), Vice-President of the Economic and Social Council; Ms. Valerie Amos, Under-Secretary-General (USG) for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator; Mr. Jose Ramos-Horta, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau; Mr. Ahmed Al-Kholani, Director of the Executive Unit of Internally Displaced Persons and Camps Management, Yemen; Dr. Philip Spoerri, Director for International Law and Cooperation, International Committee of the Red Cross; Mgr. Dieudonne Nzapalainga, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Bangui; Imam Oumar Kobine Layama, President of the Islamic Council in the Central African Republic; Reverend Nicolas Guérékoyame-Gbangou, President of the Central African Republic’s Evangelical Alliance
Date: 25 June 2014
Location ECOSOC Chamber, United Nations HQ, New York
Written by WIT Representative: Marli Kasdan

A new generation of Analytical Tools for Preparedness and Resilience

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This morning, a panel discussion on analytical tools for humanitarian decision-making was held at the United Nations. Ms. Hooijer opened the discussion by stressing the fundamental need of analytical tools to assist policy makers in visualising multi-layer crises and making informed evidence-based decisions.

Mr. Williams took the floor and introduced InfoRM (The Index for Risk Management), the first global, objective and transparent tool for understanding the risk of humanitarian crises. He pointed out the birth of InfoRM provided the capacity to build people’s resilience through prioritisation, risk profiling and trend analysis that allowed different actors to be well prepared and make better responses. Mr. Williams commented InfoRM was an adaptive tool due to its global coverage, transparent data and flexible methodology and had been widely adopted by FAO, OCHA, ECOSOC, UNICEF, World Food Programme etc. Mr. Williams hoped for a broader adoption of this tool so that resources can be aligned.

Ms. Scott presented a roadmap that can help build resilience after risk assessment. Ms. Scott stressed that resilience can only be brought about when it is integrated in all parts of the system. Ms. Scott pointed out current humanitarian focus was simply on adaptive capacity, as systems become less exposed to shock. She saw the urgency for transformation mainly in the individual/household level and also national level to make a total system change where the shock will no longer be an impact. Ms. Scott emphasised that social capital and role of host family were most critical in resilience building.

Ms. Ribeiro, on behalf of Brazil, was in favour of analytic tools in helping the country to get informed, prepared and making sure money was well spent in a sustainable and preventive manner. Ms. Ribeiro highlighted the success story of the adoption of cash transfer programme and local purchases of food as resilience-building instruments to alleviate extreme poverty, reduce risk and promote resilience.

Meeting: A new generation of analytical tools for preparedness and resilience
Speakers: Ms. Florika Fink-Hooijer, Director for Strategy, Policy and International Cooperation, ECHO; Mr. Craig Williams, Chief of the Field Information Services Section (FISS), OCHA; Ms. Rachel Scott, Senior Humanitarian Advisor, OECD; Ms. Adriana Telles Ribeiro, Secretary of the Permanent Mission of Brazil to the United Nations
Location: Conference Room 5 NLB, United Nations HQ, New York
Date: 24 June 2014
Written by WIT representative: Tracy Lau
Edited by WIT Representative: Sophia Griffiths-Mark