Gabriele Koehler SDL Lecture, 12 May 2011

 Some new trends in development cooperation – nightmares and dreams?

Gabriele KöhlerVisiting Fellow, Vulnerability and Poverty Reduction Team, IDS, Sussex

IDS SussexSussex development lectureBrighton, 12 May 2011

Overview: 1) Where are we?

poverty, exclusion, acute crises

2) Evolution of the development cooperation architecture

six phases

3) Nightmares and dreams resulting from the „bipolar“ architecture

4) The case for a bold visionrights-based, universalist, transformative

Where are we? human development &income poverty

Human development at aggregate level:

slow but steady improvement

Human Development Index, trends 1970-2010

Where are we? human development &income poverty

Absolute number and share of extremely poor people has declined since 1990 globally

Where are we? Income poverty & human development

But: number of extremely poor in Africa and South Asia increased using $1.25 per personday income poverty

measure

Number of poor and vulnerable people: 2.5 billion persons using $2 per personday income

poverty measure

Where are we? Systemic social exclusions & intersecting inequalities in North and South

Economic inequalitiesSocial inequalitiesGender and age inequalitiesSpatial inequalities Political inequalities

Where are we? Economic, fiscal, climate crises

at least 100 million more people hungry and undernourished an estimated 64 million more people in income poverty 205 million people unemployed at least 55,000 more children likely to die each year from 2009 to 2015 175 million children affected by climate change

Where are we? Converging North and South

MDG outcomes worst among socially excluded groups – in North and South

Income gap widening Human development gap

widening within countries

Evolution of development architecturePhase I: Colonial administration(1900s – 1950s)

Predominant ideology:• Spreading „progress“ and „civilisation“

Driving forces:• Colonial regimes for economic gain

• Colonial regimes for resources

• Colonial regimes for power

Evolution of development architecturePhase II: Independence movements & „development aid“ (1960-1980)

Predominant ideology: Transfer capital and technology to the capital-

deficient South – economistic approach to development

Keynesian economics State led growth

Driving forces: • independence movements in the South

• post-war recovery, affluence, guilt in the North –

• Re- nascent globalisation

Evolution of development architecturePhase III: structural adjustment(1980s – 1989/1990 and beyond)

Predominant ideology:• Overstating role of marktes, downplaying the

role of the state, intervening in developing country governments‘ policy space

Driving forces:• Economic and political strength of the

developed countries

• Interest in „South“ for markets, production – global value chains

• Debt crisis in the South

Evolution of development architecturePhase IV: Cooperation as “partnerships” (1990s – 2000)

Predominant ideology: End of the „cold war“ : rebalancing of

power

• Seeming collapse of state-led development

• Series of UN global summits -• Social development theme

Driving forces: • greater economic dependence of the North

on the South

• Emerging South North trade and investment

Evolution of development architecturePhase V: MDGs; Aid Effectiveness (2000 – 2008)

• Predominant ideologies:

• push for human development

• focus on social development – different from economistic approaches of the 1960s

• development onus on the South

• the „bad governance“ discourse

Driving forces: economic & political polarisation • Stalled progress on human development; • Slow economic growth – or jobless growth; • Multiple social exclusions; • Accelerating domestic conflicts;• Climate change and accelerating frequency of disasters

Evolution of development architecturePhase VI: Bipolar development since 2008

Drivers Emerging BRIC(S) donors with export success, outward

investment, sovereign funds G-20, pushing „G-192“ aside New bilateral donors changing the donor landscape Private foundations - more grants available

Predominant ideology•“Pluri-pragmatism”

•One size fits all versus national ownership & policy space•Growth and human development• Overemphasis on evidence based policy-making versus analytical and policy debates versus grand design and visions of social justice

s

Countries of the worldestimated GDP in purchasing power parity, 2010

G 20 countries:

Circa 90 per cent of global GNP 80 per cent of world trade Two-thirds of the world's population. ( Source: http://www.g20.org/about_what_is_g20.aspx

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Dreams and nightmares:Nightmares

New economic realities – poverty and vulnerability in South and NorthLosers of globalisation – the informal

economy, the poor, migrants, the socially excluded, children, women, people with disabilities

Informal economy with ever increasing casualisation of labour in global and local production chains

Dreams and nightmares:Nightmares

New colonialism of the MICs – landgrab, collusion with corrupt governments – social and environmental sell-outs, ODA driven by security or commercial interests

G20 replacing “G192”, undermining the UN

Dreams and nightmares: “Dreams”

Recognition of commonalitiesBargaining opportunity for lowest

income countries – policy space and new sources of support

South-South policy diffusionNorth policy transfers

Dreams and nightmares: Dreams

Multilateral level Orientation to human rights and a normative framework

Emergence of rights oriented conventions and instruments in the UN context

right to food, FAO 2004, Voluntary Guidelines to Support the Progressive Realization of the Right to Adequate Food in the Context of National Food Security - includes livelihoods and land reform

World Health Assembly 2008 - return to Alma Ata primary health care for all

Global Social Floor Initiative since 2009 –striving for an ILO or UN Convention on Social Protection for all

MDGs 2010: more emphasis on equity, inclusion, human rights

Special rapporteurs - experts of OHCHR combining the humanist with the intellectual

Dreams and nightmares – Dreams „Millennium plus”

attention to employment and decent work push for social protection & the global social

floor emphasis on maternal and child health attention to agriculture, rural development

and the need for land reform recognition of social exclusion with a new

focus on equity policies reference to tax reform for redistribution and

to fund social policy

Special Rapporteurs/Independent Experts of the OHCHR – themes

right to education; human rights and extreme poverty; right to food; right to adequate housing; access to safe drinking water and sanitation; against violence against women; physical and mental health; economic policies and debt; TNCs; and other substantive normative areas.

Dreams and nightmares: DreamsG20 Seoul development consensus action points

1) infrastructure, 2) private investment and job creation, 3) human resource development, 4) trade, 5) financial inclusion, 6) growth with resilience, 7) food security, 8) domestic resource mobilization,9) knowledge sharingPrinciples: highlight human rights but reliance on economic growth

Dreams and nightmares: Country level innovations: Dreams

Dreams

• Progressive, rights-based, universalistic policies

• Rights to education, health, school meals, food, • Right to work – employment – decent work• Right to information• Right to social protection

• Rediscovery of the role of the state

The case for a bold vision: Ultimate reason for development cooperation

Improve – enhance - transform - human development outcomes

o Social justice –o Equitable inclusive human

development

The case for a bold vision:Rights-based approaches re income poverty

Employment and decent work as the key response – development of services

Agricultural development, land reform, and rural off-farm employment opportunities, access to agricultural inputs and to (micro)credit

Social protection as a support mechanism

Climate change mitigation action

The case for a bold vision:Rights-based approaches re equitable access to social services

Ensure universal free services delivery Equitable access to services,

geographically and socially Ensure equal quality of services – staffing,

people skills and material resources Ensure cultural sensitivity Ensure transparent information Enable inclusive and equitable participatory

programming and participation

The case for a bold vision: Rights-based approaches re exclusion

Address on-going exclusion and discrimination-affirmative action (reservation, representation, protective legislations, budget allocations)

Ensure compensatory/reparatory measures Protect against violence Address impunity Support public education and behaviour change

to address discrimination and exclusion Ensure inclusive social services, including in

emergencies and humanitarian crises Change disparaging language and designations Enable inclusive programming

The case for a bold vision: Next steps?

Normative umbrella of international development cooperation: Universal Declaration of Human Rights Recapture UN’s lead role in advocating for

universal human rights and social justice Influence the discussions on “post 2015”

Make the dreams come true

References 

Jonnathan Glennie, 2011, The OECD should give up control of the aid agenda. Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/poverty-matters/2011/apr/29/oecd-control-aid-agenda. 28 April 2011

Richard Jolly, Louis Emmerij, Thomas Weiss 2001, Ahead of the Curve? UN ideas and global challenges. Indiana University Press

Joseph Hanlon, Armando Barrientos, David Hulme, 2010, Just give money to the poor. The development revolution from the global South. Kumarian Press

Naila Kabeer, Can the MDGs provide a pathway to social justice. The challenge of intersecting inequalities. IDS and UN MDG Achievement Fund. 2010. www.ids.ac.uk

Gabriele Köhler, Development interventions: A parade of paradigms. In: Gabriele Köhler, Charles Gore et al, Questioning development. Essays in the theory, policies and practice of development interventions. Metropolis Verlag: Marburg 1996

Gabriele Köhler, Policies towards social inclusion. Global Social Policy. April 2009: pp. 24-29, Sage publicationsRobert Marten, Jan Martin Witte 2008, Transforming Development? The role of philanthropic foundations in

international development cooperation. Global Public Policy Institute. GPPi Research Paper Series No. 10 (2008) www.gppi.net. Accessed 25 Nov 2010

Dane Rowlands 2008. Emerging Donors in International Development Assistance: A Synthesis Report. Norman Paterson School of International Affairs. Carleton University. http://www.idrc.ca/uploads/user-S/12447280141Synthesis_Report.pdf. Accessed 25 Nov 2010

Andy Sumner 2010. GLOBAL POVERTY AND THE NEW BOTTOM BILLION: WHAT IF THREE-Quarters of the poor live in MIDDLE-INCOME COUNTRIES? WORKING PAPERIDS. www.ids.ac.uk

References

UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Rethinking Poverty. Report on the World Social Situation 2010. United Nations, New York. http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/rwss/2010.html

UN, Universal Declaration of Human Rights. http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/ (1948)UNICEF, Narrowing the gaps to meet the goals, Equity-focused approach to child survival and development.

New York 7 September 2010. http://www.unicef.org/nutrition/index_55927.htmlUN General Assembly. Declaration on the Right to Development. 4 December 1986, 97th plenary meeting.

http://www.un.org/documents/ga/res/41/a41r128.htmUNDP. Human Development Report 2010. www.undp.orgUNRISD, Combating Poverty and Inequality: Structural Change, Social Policy and Politics 2010.

http://www.unrisd.org/80256B3C005BCCF9/(httpPublications)/BBA20D83E347DBAFC125778200440AA7?OpenDocument

UN General Assembly, Outcome document of the High-level Plenary Meeting of the 65 th session of the General Assembly on the Millennium Development Goals. September 2010. A/64/L-72. www.un.org/MDGs

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http://www.g20.org/about_what_is_g20.aspx, accessd 23 Nov 2010