Preparing for the post-2015 agenda

THE post-2015 world must take better account of the particular circumstances of middle-income small island developing states such as those in the Caribbean.

That is according to the United Nations Resident Co-ordinator and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, Michelle Gyles-McDonnough. She made the suggestion while addressing those gathered for the recent launch of the 2013 Human Development Report in Barbados, as she spoke to the region’s ability to meet the goals set out in the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) which have a target date of 2015.

“The Caribbean must ensure that in the setting of goals and targets we can feed ourselves; that there are clear hooks on which the region can hang up national action and international co-operation, to address
the special challenges of middle-income states, because if development partners cannot see our needs and challenges in the global commitments and frameworks agreed, they are hard pressed to support solutions to them both technically and financially,” she explained.  

Gyles-McDonnough contended that the countries of the region must take the time to carry out analysis on their achievements and identify the gaps that exist, to be clear on the path for the region and its member states and she said that it is still possible in the 900-plus days until the 2015 MDG deadline. She added that to support this process, the UN Sub-Regional team for Barbados and the OECS led by UNDP is supporting St. Lucia and Grenada in national consultations on the post-2015 development agenda, and also supported the region of Latin America and the Caribbean with a specific Caribbean consultation last month.

“Until recently, St. Lucia was the only Caribbean small island developing state, amongst the first 50 countries to be engaged in this first round of consultations, to shape the global development agenda post-2015. Recognising the essentially, the importance of contributing to the shape of the post-2015 world, other Caribbean countries have launched their own national process – Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Belize and other countries around the world are expected to follow,” she noted.

The UNDP official suggested that the St. Lucia process is expected to allow for more than a national discussion in this region. She said that drawing on UNDP supported Millennium Development Goal ac-celeration efforts in Dominica and Grenada, the St. Lucia process allows the region to consider together the post MDG period, not just looking at the world they want to achieve, but the mechanisms that would get them there.

“Already in St. Lucia and other countries of the region, the issues emerging in the post-2015 discussions are supported by the analysis in this year’s Human Development Report ... for example, this region is challenged more and more to develop labour markets, education and social protection policies that respond to demographic change,” she stated. (JRT)