Increased collaboration with regional partners essential for new development agenda
The UN calls for strengthening cooperation with regional partners to shape the post-2015 development agenda, as well as to tackle the world’s myriad pressing challenges.
As the UN enters its final phase of negotiating a bold new vision for the post-2015 development agenda, it has become increasingly important that cooperation between the UN and regional and sub-regional organizations is strengthened to respond effectively to a broad range of development as well as peace and security issues.
This was the message conveyed at theHigh-Level Thematic Debate on Cooperation between the United Nations and regional and sub-regional organizations convened by the President of the General Assembly which provided Member States an opportunity to discuss the examples of effective engagement as well as the challenges and opportunities the international community will face.
In his opening address,UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stated that regional organizations have been “helping to shape the post-2015 development agenda – and I count on them to help the world reach the sustainable development goals.” He spoke of collective support from regional organizations have reinforced efforts by the UN system “to defend human rights and uphold the values of the United Nations Charter.”
The President of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni, delivered the keynote address to the assembled delegates and stated said that regional and sub-regional organizations, “due to the leverage they had within their respective countries” can provide “useful forums for policy coordination and harmonization on various important multilateral processes.”
“Regional and sub-regional organizations are at the centre of promoting cooperation and integration in such areas as trade and investment, infrastructure development [in] critical sectors such as agriculture, energy water and security, as well as fostering private sector partnerships,” he said.
The discussion was joined by a number of Government ministers and heads of regional and sub-regional organizations who raised issues relevant to their constituents and delivered a number of proposals to improve and strengthen existing cooperation frameworks.
Annika Soder, Vice Minister and State Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Sweden said that strengthening cooperation was about trust and respect, inclusivity and innovation. She appealed to the gathered delegates that together, the UN and regional and sub-regional organizations could find solutions to specific situations and create more systematic early action procedures.
In speaking about the large number of complex crises in the world, Dieudonné Ndzengue, the Gabon Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, said that it is becoming more apparent that regional organizations are able to respond quickly and nimbly to crises given their proximity to the challenges. He continued that “cooperation must be based on coordination” and that interregional partnerships, such as the one between the African Union and the European Union, should become the norm.
In his remarks, President of the General Assembly, Mr. Sam Kutesa, said that this debate was timely since “the implementation of the new agenda will be done on the ground – in our regions, countries and communities.” He said given sub-regional and regional organizations’ in-depth knowledge of their respective regions, regional and sub-regional organizations are often uniquely positioned to understand the particular local dynamics and root causes of those challenges.
“The global community is at a critical juncture,” said Fred Mitchell, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Immigration of the Bahamas, representing the Chair of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). Building new partnerships would be essential going forward, and the United Nations must lend its weight to securing adequate and predictable financing for small island developing States and middle-income countries such as the ones in his region.
The High-level Thematic debate included two interactive panels on the themes of "Enhancing the strategic relationship between the UN and regional and sub-regional organizations in the areas of peace, stability and human rights" and "Galvanizing support of regional and sub-regional organizations for the implementation of a transformative post-2015 development agenda".
This panel discussion generated a wide-ranging discussion on how to improve collaboration and interaction between the UN system and the regional and sub-regional organizations. For example, Erastus Mwencha, Deputy Chair, African Union Commission, said that local conflicts often mutated and became international, however, the tools envisaged in the United Nations Charter were solely State-based. He said that new tools and support were needed to create an environment that fostered cooperation to resolve these quickly evolving situations such as investments made in areas such as rapid response and prevention.
In regard to development and sub-regional efforts, the Director of Peace and Security, and Senior Adviser, Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Daniel Yifru said that cooperation was critical in addressing the current extremist violence of Al-Shabaab, Al-Qaida and the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant/Sham (ISIL/ISIS).
During the ensuing interactive exchange, speakers raised some of their regional concerns and achievements. With many speakers emphasizing that States’ rights to sovereignty must be respected, participants highlighted the importance of working together to overcome ever more multidimensional challenges. Doing so would allow the international community and regional groups to achieve meaningful results on the ground.
On the post-2015 agenda, some speakers said it was critical to recognize the strong link between peace, security and development. In that regard, speakers emphasized that it was essential for the United Nations to work closely with regional and sub-regional organizations to ensure progress on all sustainable development goals.
At the close of the panel discussions, the delegates adopted a negotiated Political Declaration on Strengthening Cooperation between the United Nations and Regional and sub-regional organizations which underscored the important role that these organization play and delivered tangible results in the areas of peace and security, development and human rights. The Declaration also called for a further intensification of their “efforts to promote freedom and respect for all human rights” as well as increase collaboration to achieve “sustained and inclusive growth, the promotion of social equity and the eradication of poverty”.
This was the message conveyed at theHigh-Level Thematic Debate on Cooperation between the United Nations and regional and sub-regional organizations convened by the President of the General Assembly which provided Member States an opportunity to discuss the examples of effective engagement as well as the challenges and opportunities the international community will face.
In his opening address,UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stated that regional organizations have been “helping to shape the post-2015 development agenda – and I count on them to help the world reach the sustainable development goals.” He spoke of collective support from regional organizations have reinforced efforts by the UN system “to defend human rights and uphold the values of the United Nations Charter.”
The President of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni, delivered the keynote address to the assembled delegates and stated said that regional and sub-regional organizations, “due to the leverage they had within their respective countries” can provide “useful forums for policy coordination and harmonization on various important multilateral processes.”
“Regional and sub-regional organizations are at the centre of promoting cooperation and integration in such areas as trade and investment, infrastructure development [in] critical sectors such as agriculture, energy water and security, as well as fostering private sector partnerships,” he said.
The discussion was joined by a number of Government ministers and heads of regional and sub-regional organizations who raised issues relevant to their constituents and delivered a number of proposals to improve and strengthen existing cooperation frameworks.
Annika Soder, Vice Minister and State Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Sweden said that strengthening cooperation was about trust and respect, inclusivity and innovation. She appealed to the gathered delegates that together, the UN and regional and sub-regional organizations could find solutions to specific situations and create more systematic early action procedures.
In speaking about the large number of complex crises in the world, Dieudonné Ndzengue, the Gabon Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, said that it is becoming more apparent that regional organizations are able to respond quickly and nimbly to crises given their proximity to the challenges. He continued that “cooperation must be based on coordination” and that interregional partnerships, such as the one between the African Union and the European Union, should become the norm.
In his remarks, President of the General Assembly, Mr. Sam Kutesa, said that this debate was timely since “the implementation of the new agenda will be done on the ground – in our regions, countries and communities.” He said given sub-regional and regional organizations’ in-depth knowledge of their respective regions, regional and sub-regional organizations are often uniquely positioned to understand the particular local dynamics and root causes of those challenges.
“The global community is at a critical juncture,” said Fred Mitchell, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Immigration of the Bahamas, representing the Chair of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). Building new partnerships would be essential going forward, and the United Nations must lend its weight to securing adequate and predictable financing for small island developing States and middle-income countries such as the ones in his region.
The High-level Thematic debate included two interactive panels on the themes of "Enhancing the strategic relationship between the UN and regional and sub-regional organizations in the areas of peace, stability and human rights" and "Galvanizing support of regional and sub-regional organizations for the implementation of a transformative post-2015 development agenda".
This panel discussion generated a wide-ranging discussion on how to improve collaboration and interaction between the UN system and the regional and sub-regional organizations. For example, Erastus Mwencha, Deputy Chair, African Union Commission, said that local conflicts often mutated and became international, however, the tools envisaged in the United Nations Charter were solely State-based. He said that new tools and support were needed to create an environment that fostered cooperation to resolve these quickly evolving situations such as investments made in areas such as rapid response and prevention.
In regard to development and sub-regional efforts, the Director of Peace and Security, and Senior Adviser, Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Daniel Yifru said that cooperation was critical in addressing the current extremist violence of Al-Shabaab, Al-Qaida and the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant/Sham (ISIL/ISIS).
During the ensuing interactive exchange, speakers raised some of their regional concerns and achievements. With many speakers emphasizing that States’ rights to sovereignty must be respected, participants highlighted the importance of working together to overcome ever more multidimensional challenges. Doing so would allow the international community and regional groups to achieve meaningful results on the ground.
On the post-2015 agenda, some speakers said it was critical to recognize the strong link between peace, security and development. In that regard, speakers emphasized that it was essential for the United Nations to work closely with regional and sub-regional organizations to ensure progress on all sustainable development goals.
At the close of the panel discussions, the delegates adopted a negotiated Political Declaration on Strengthening Cooperation between the United Nations and Regional and sub-regional organizations which underscored the important role that these organization play and delivered tangible results in the areas of peace and security, development and human rights. The Declaration also called for a further intensification of their “efforts to promote freedom and respect for all human rights” as well as increase collaboration to achieve “sustained and inclusive growth, the promotion of social equity and the eradication of poverty”.