Report on the Ninth Session of the Committee for Development Policy

Cao, G.-Y. (2007). Report on the Ninth Session of the Committee for Development Policy. UN-ESA , New York, USA.

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Abstract

The present report contains the main findings and recommendations of the ninth session of the Committee for Development Policy, held at United Nations Headquarters from 19 to 23 March 2007. The Committee addressed three themes: climate change and sustainable development; strengthening the international partnership for effective poverty reduction; and the procedure for inclusion of countries in and graduation from the list of least developed countries.

With regard to the first theme, the Committee emphasizes that the earth is only a few decades away from crossing the threshold levels of temperature rise beyond which dramatic impacts are to be expected. Climate change is already adversely affecting socio-economic development, especially in the most vulnerable developing countries. So far, the response to the threat of climate change has been inadequate, and there is an urgent need for raising the mitigation and adaptation efforts to an entirely different level. The Committee holds the view that post-Kyoto arrangements will have to adopt a simultaneous two-track approach: the first will aim at very deep cuts of emissions by developed countries; and the second should provide a more central role to developing countries by enabling them to grow faster and to make the growth as less carbonized and as decarbonized as possible through the successful implementation of appropriate climate-friendly development strategies with the necessary technological and financial cooperation from developed countries. The Committee considers that the Millennium Development Goals need to be revised in order to take into account the important role of climate change in development. The Committee also emphasizes that the issue of climate change needs to be moved up on the agenda of the Economic and Social Council. The efforts relating to climate change by United Nations agencies, national Governments, the private sector and other civil society organizations need to be discussed and coordinated within the Council's new architecture. Finally, the Committee stresses that further efforts are necessary to develop an appropriate conceptual and policy framework combining fast economic growth with low carbon emissions for developing countries.

With regard to the second theme, the Committee observes that progress has been made towards developing a global partnership in support of national poverty reduction strategies. It, however, holds the view that the existing framework of the global partnership, using the poverty reduction strategy papers as the main instrument, appears to be neither adequate nor effective. The Committee stresses the importance for the donor community to allow aid recipient countries to be able to choose from a range of policies, the national policy space, in accordance with their economic, social and cultural conditions for effective growth and poverty reduction. The existing modality of global partnership and monetary and fiscal benchmarks agreed between the donor and recipient needs to be aligned with truly national strategies. At the same time, the international community at large needs to ensure that the negotiations of the Doha Round of the World Trade Organization are consistent with poverty reduction objectives and that national trade policy in developed and developing countries does not conflict with development assistance priorities. The Committee recommends that the Economic and Social Council seek an improved international partnership for poverty eradication, in general, and emphasizes the need to develop a framework that entails less stringent policy conditionality on recipient countries, in particular.

As to the third theme, the Committee provides an elaboration of the procedures to be used and clarifies the steps to be followed in relation to the inclusion of countries in and graduation from the list of least developed countries, consistent with practices approved by the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council. The proposed refinements to the procedures are intended to enhance and facilitate communications between countries under review and the Committee.

Item Type:	Other
Research Programs:	Forestry (FOR)
Bibliographic Reference:	UN Economic and Social Council, New York, USA (April 2007)
Depositing User:	IIASA Import
Date Deposited:	15 Jan 2016 08:40
Last Modified:	27 Aug 2021 17:38
URI:	https://pure.iiasa.ac.at/8333

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