Development cooperation must adapt to play a key role in implementing the post-2015 development agenda, according to participants at the 2014 session of the Development Cooperation Forum (DCF).
The DCF took place on the theme, ‘Bringing the future of development cooperation to post 2015.'
11 July 2014: Development cooperation must adapt to play a key role in implementing the post-2015 development agenda, according to participants at the 2014 session of the Development Cooperation Forum (DCF). The DCF took place on the theme, ‘Bringing the future of development cooperation to post 2015.’
The DCF considered: how a global partnership for development beyond 2015 could work in practice; implications of a post-2015 agenda for development cooperation; and ways to enhance national and global accountability and monitoring of development cooperation. The Forum also aimed to advance policy dialogue and actions on common challenges by Southern development cooperation partners. The Forum discussed these topics through keynote addresses and panels.
Speaking at the DCF, UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) President Martin Sajdik (Austria) stressed the need for development cooperation to adapt to new parameters, and underscored the importance of solutions to poverty’s multiple dimensions that include all development actors, such as through analyzing recent trends in development cooperation, sharing experiences and open dialogue.
As more countries move up the development ladder and become less dependent on aid, development cooperation must shift to encompass capacity-building and knowledge-sharing, said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in a statement delivered by Wu Hongbo, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs. Greater cooperation on technology optimization and transfer, innovation and trade are also necessary, he said. Ban called on Forum participants to advance discussions on the global partnership to implement the post-2015 agenda and the review framework.
Participants recognized the importance of working towards the official development assistance (ODA) target of 0.7% while also finding and developing other sources of financing to support implementation of the post-2015 agenda, such as domestic resource mobilization, a renewed global partnership for development and private sector engagement. Participants also stressed the importance of increasing the effectiveness of existing resources.
The Forum’s two-day meeting took place in New York, US, on 10-11 July 2014, following ECOSOC’s 2014 High-level Segment, and a summary of its findings is expected. The Forum also will serve as an input to the Third International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD). [UN Press Release] [DCF 2014 Website] [UN Secretary-General Remarks] [Meeting Summary, 10 July] [Meeting Summary, 11 July]