Andris Piebalgs, European Development Commissioner, welcomes new report on the efforts of the poorest countries in achieving development

Brussels, 10-4-2013 — /europawire.eu/ — European Development Commissioner Andris Piebalgs welcomed today the new European Report on Development (ERD) on how global action can best support the efforts of the poorest countries in achieving development.

The ERD 2013, entitled ‘Post 2015: Global Action for an Inclusive and Sustainable Future’, comes just over a month after the publication of EU’s proposal for the development framework once the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) come to an end in 2015 (explained in the policy document ‘A Decent Life for All: Ending Poverty and Giving the World a Sustainable Future’).

This independent report argues that, while impetus for development lies primarily at the domestic level, an enabling international environment in which to pursue their development agenda is also essential for developing countries. The report also advocates that strong international collective action is therefore fundamental, and identifies potential key drivers of a global partnership.

Speaking at the launch event, Commissioner,Piebalgs, said: “I am pleased to see that the new ERD, which is particularly timely and relevant, in many ways complements and supports the work of the Commission. This year’s report, with its in-depth analysis and ambitious messages, will help stimulate the debate on the post-2015 development agenda, both at the EU and global levels.”

The report argues that the post-2015 agenda should build on the MDGs, but strive to deliver on the wider vision of the Millennium Declaration and promote inclusive and sustainable development. In this vision, poverty eradication remains a central objective, but its achievement and protection requires strategies that tackle the roots of it in an inclusive and sustainable manner. The achievement of this vision will require going both “Beyond MDGs” and “Beyond Aid”.

The analysis reaches four key conclusions for a post-2015 agenda:

• A transformative agenda – Emphasising structural economic and social transformations, creating employment, addressing inequality and finding sustainable solutions – is vital
• National ownership is key: the new framework should pay more attention to how global goals relate to national needs and targets
• Scale up global collective action. Greater international collective action through global public policies is urgently needed. Richer countries should strengthen their support in areas important to development; enhance Policy Coherence for Development; and increase both the level and effectiveness of aid
• A new framework should be about instruments as much as about goals: instruments to be used and their targets should be clearly highlighted

Background information

The ERD initiative is supported by the European Commission and seven EU Member States (Finland, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom).The ERD is an independent report, which does not reflect the official position of the EU or of its Member States.

The ERD 2013 was prepared by an independent team of researchers from three research institutes: Overseas Development Institute (ODI), German Development Institute/Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE) and European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM). The analysis is also enriched by four case studies prepared by local research institutes in Côte d’Ivoire (CIRES), Nepal (SAWTEE and Social Science Baha), Peru (IEP and Rimisp) and Rwanda (IPAR).

For more information

The ERD 2013 and all related documents are available for free download at:

http://www.erd-report.eu

Communication: ‘A Decent Life for All: Ending Poverty and Giving the World a Sustainable Future’:

MEMO/13/143

Website of Commissioner for Development Andris Piebalgs:

http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/piebalgs/index_en.htm

Website of the DG Development and Cooperation – EuropeAid:

http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/index_en.htm