Geert Laporte, Deputy Director The Post-2015 Agenda: How to deliver on an ambitious SDG Agenda? Presentation to Romanian Development Cooperation Days, Bucharest 8th July 2015

“Think and do tank”- Focus on policy to practice link Non-partisan broker and facilitator of dialogue Capacity development, partnerships and networks Staffing: 65+ staff from 25 different nationalities Extensive network in EU institutions, EU member-states, Africa, ACP, globally, etc The majority of the board and board chair drawn from South Institutional donors include Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Ireland, Sweden, Finland, Portugal and Switzerland, Denmark Strategic programme & project work funded work (selection): DFID, European Commission, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, JICA, GIZ, US Department of State, African Development Bank, NEPAD,…. Introducing ECDPM ECDPMPage 2

1.From MDGs to SDGs – addressing root causes instead of symptoms 2.The SDGs – Utopian vision or practical agenda? 3.Shift in international cooperation? 4.Risk analysis SDG implementation 5.Implications for the EU? 6.Conclusions Content Page 3

Immense new challenges beyond poverty alleviation (food, environment, climate, demography, security,…) Universal approach to tackle global challenges More prominent ecological dimension Ambitious political agenda of economic and social structural transformation : tackling inequality, peaceful societies,… 1. From MDGs to SDGs: addressing root causes instead of symptoms Page 4 17 SDGs and 169 targets!

2. The SDGs– Utopian vision or practical agenda? Page 5

1.End of North-South paradigm? Shared approach towards universal challenges of sustainable development 1.Move towards policy coherence for sustainable development beyond aid 1.New sources of financing for development combined with effective policies (effective fiscal policies, private investment, etc) 1.New “global governance” 3. Shift in International Cooperation ? Page 6

1.“All-things-to-all-people”? “Pick and choose”? 2.Overly ambitious: Resolve all global problems in next 15 years while current trends are not positive…? 3.Who does what? Putting the blame and responsibilities elsewhere? 4.How to measure progress with SDGs? 5.Controversies over political approach? 6.“Business as usual” or real efforts to tackle global challenges by new types of global governance, international cooperation and financing? 4. Risk analysis SDG implementation Page 7

“Countries will need to review their various development strategies, policies and plans in order to ensure that they are adequately aligned with the post agenda when adopted?” (UN SG, 2015) 5. Post-2015 Implementing universal goals: What implications for the EU? ECDPMPage 8 Post-2015 Domestic development outcomes Development Cooperation Supporting global common goods - PCSD e.g. Europe 2020 headline poverty target (to lift 20 million out of poverty and social exclusion by 2020) less ambitious than post target

EU will have to deal with growing complexity, uncertainty and dynamics in socio-ecological, political and economic systems (more experimental approaches, more risk taking, more space to innovate, better mix of policies, etc. Move beyond aid: EU needs to clarify what it can offer to countries graduated from aid What implications for EU’s development policy & cooperation? ECDPMPage 9 Income and poverty maps are changing: by 2030 poverty will be concentrated in fragile environments (most LICs + MICs) where external aid will still be needed to stimulate change In several MICs growing inequality, weak social protection, environmental degradation… : aid won’t be the solution but rather internal governance reforms

Reforms regarding global governance Implementing IMF reforms (surrender seats on board to balance representation?)? EU prepared to support review of UN institutions, e.g. Security Council reforms? Progress for reform seems difficult but these are among areas that emerging economies (and developing countries) expect most from the EU Bold political action to keep trust of developing world in EU? ECDPMPage 10

Opportunity to move to new type of multilateralism Stronger awareness of a more political approach towards tackling structural problems of inequality Important move towards fundamentally new types of development cooperation (differentiation, financing beyond aid, etc) To make it work there is a need to be SMART (specific, measurable, assignable, realistic and time- bound) Key role “watch-dog” organisations (Parliament, civil society organisations, etc) in the implementation of the Post 2015 Agenda 6. Conclusion Page 11

Thank you Geert Laporte Page 12