Post-2015 development agenda; Vulnerable countries must take center stage
As we try to shape the contours of the post-2015 development agenda, we have to take cognisance of the special needs and unique challenges of the world’s most vulnerable countries. They are the least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small-island developing states.
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It is particularly in these countries that we face the acute challenges of eradicating poverty, promoting rapid and inclusive economic growth and building resilience, given their immense capacity constraints. It is, therefore, obvious that by providing due priority to these countries, there is a great opportunity to get rid of extreme poverty from the face of the earth.
It is true that the eradication of poverty has never been attempted before, but we should have this ambition now. The world cannot wait for it any longer.
We have the means and tools to do so. We should summon the necessary political will, devise the right strategies and employ sufficient resources to make this happen.
This is not only a moral imperative; it is an immensely sensible thing to do in a globalised world. It is in the enlightened self-interest of each and every country and the global community as a whole. Populations living in abject poverty deserve it sooner than later.
There is certainly reason to applaud the substantial gains that these vulnerable countries have made in achieving some of the targets set out in the Millennium Development Goals(MDGs). Even in these countries, the level of poverty has decreased. Child and maternal mortality rates have come down. Gender empowerment is progressing and the spread of deadly diseases has plateaued. Encouragingly, access to education and public services has improved.
However, we cannot continue to be oblivious of the stark reality that the progress has been uneven and insufficient. Given their low initial conditions, there is a long way to go to attain these global goals in general, and in an equitable manner in these countries.
With less than 800 days before the MDG deadline in 2015, every effort ought to be made to accelerate its implementation. It is important to recognise that even today, after so much efforts, 47 per cent of the nearly 850 million inhabitants of the least developed countries live on less than $1.25 per day. And hunger and malnutrition are a constant challenge for about a third of the population there.
What should we do differently
Now that we face newer and complex challenges of recurrent volatility, the impact of climate change and the depletion of natural capital as well, we should take endemic poverty and inequality, the protection of environment and natural capital, and economic transformation and employment-intensive growth in a more holistic and integrated manner than before.
Therefore, the MDG focus on human and social development and the Rio+20 focus on poverty alleviation in the context of sustainable development have to be complemented by a rapid, inclusive, sustainable and job-rich economic growth.
The type of structural change in any economy will also help boost the domestic resource base in the medium term. Therefore, structural transformation of these economies, based on improved, productive capacity building, should find a strong resonance and prominence in the post-2015 development agenda. Our narrative has to focus on long-term structural transformation of their economies.
As a large majority of the people — about two-thirds of them — still live in rural areas in these countries, it is only natural that they consider protecting the natural capital and building resilience as part of the inherent strategy of economic growth and prosperity for them. Green growth is what they are looking for.
We have seen that strong national ownership and leadership, the right strategy and policies, capable and strong institutions, availability of resources and robust international solidarity and support measures are crucial to make progress in all of these areas. This is as much an issue of global solidarity and support as national responsibility and efforts of these countries.
We must, therefore, make sure that the post-2015 development agenda comes out strongly on resource mobilisation and support mechanisms to help those which are least capable and who bear the burden of a high proportion of the poor in relation to their total population. They deserve due priority for international support.
For the 31 nations classified by the United Nations as landlocked developing countries, the main challenge is geography and its attendant drawbacks, including remoteness from major international markets, inadequate infrastructure and high transport and transaction costs.
As a consequence, many landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) find themselves marginalised from the world economy, cut off from the global flows of knowledge, technology, capital and innovations, and unable to benefit substantially from external trade. This has affected their development prospects, including sustained economic growth, poverty reduction and environmental sustainability.