UN Helps Developing Nations Use Clean Energy

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is opening access to clean renewable energy for rural households in developing nations. Impoverished people will now be able to turn in their kerosene lamps and diesel generators for clean renewable energy.

Thanks to the Clean Development Mechanism, registered projects will be able to earn salable credits all while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to sustainable development. Furthermore, the CDM enables emission-reduction projects in developing nations to earn certified emission reduction (CER) credits. In an effort to reach the emission targets, as outlined under the Kyoto Protocol, industrialized nations can even trade, sell and use CERs.

The CDM will give communities with no electricity access to renewable electricity generation technologies. As long as 75 per cent of consumers are households, these communities will be able to technology such as solar electric panels.

"This is what the CDM is all about-reducing green gas emission and contributing to a sustainable development," said CDM Executive Board Chair Maosheng Duan.

-Akshika Patel


SOURCE: UN News Centre

Tackling Sustainable Development

Sha Zukang, Under Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, outlined priorities for Member States in the panel tackling sustainable development. Zukang emphasized poverty eradication, green jobs, energy, water, food security, urbanization, disasters, oceans and seas, and climate change. He recommended that mainly recipient countries should drive development cooperation programmes, based off of their national circumstances.

ECOSOC President Milos Koterec has said that this move towards sustainable development will "have an impact on the future of development cooperation and the way aid is allocated, delivered and used,".

This panel is an example of opportunities the international community can take to develop plans for sustainable development.

-Akshika Patel


SOURCE: UN News Centre

The Key To Sustainable Development

The big question facing anyone involved in global development is not only how to make agriculture development work, but also how to make it sustainable.

According to USAID and Dr. Montague Demment, the Associate Vice President for International Development at APLU, the keys to sustainability are both capacity building and country ownership.

Capacity building must be on both the human and the institutional level, in agriculture and related sciences.

When outsiders such as NGOs and other non-profits come into to assist with the development of a country, it is difficult to work at the local level. They must become familiar with diverse cultures, economic issues and make the difficult, but appropriate connections.

Trained nationals can much more easily this type of economic and social development. The impact of locals/nationals creates a much more long term contributions that can last for many decades. When this is combined with institutional capacity, development can remain sustainable indefinitely.

Yes, it is true that there may be a brain drain as a result. However, as Dr. Demment states, this is not the whole story. First, some do go, but others stay. And some loss is no reason to abandon this type of capacity building. Also, it is possible to minimize brain draining through proper training. Second, many individuals that leave, do return and apply their skills to the business sector, investments and research projects.

If country-driven development is to be the goal, the key element of approach must be to allow countries to make their own decisions and have significant input in the development process.

The bottom line is that, "If we want to set the stage for addressing poverty and malnutrition over the next 40 years, then we need to find a way now to educate a whole new cohort of people from developing countries who will carry much of the intellectual and political responsibility for achieving those goals."

-Gabrielle Gurian

SOURCE: USAID

International World Water Day

Today we celebrate the International World Water Day. This event has been celebrated every 22nd March since it was designated so by the UN General Assembly in 1993, as a means of focusing attention on the importance of freshwater and sustainable management of water resources.

Each year the International World Water Day highlights one particular aspect of water. This year it regards water and urbanisation, with the motto "Water for Cities: responding to the urban challenge." In the past years, other subjects were treated, such as water scarcity, sanitation, water quality, transboundary waters, disasters, or water and culture. More than 800 events are taking place today to commemorate this day, being the main one located in Capetown, South Africa. A number of agreements and treaties are being signed this day too, like a Memorandum of Understanding to face water challenges between Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and World Bank President Robert B. Zoellick.

- David Nebreda

SOURCE: UN WATER

New EU-UNEP Strategic Cooperation Agreement

A new agreement was signed yesterday between the European Union and the United Nations Environmental Program. This document means a step further into an already existing partnership that over the past three years has allowed the implementation of more than 50 different projects wolrd-wide, with a value of 50 million euros (69 million US$).

This agreement establishes bases and guidelines for funding and cooperation between the two organizations up to 2013, and identifies areas for joint activities and strengthens links shared by both parts. It also reflects the similarities between EU's strategies on smart sustainable development and UNEP's work in that same way. The new Strategic Cooperation Agreement will improve the coordination, and thus the effectiveness of the actions taken by the signatories.

The precise projects in which the new funds will be invested are still to be discussed, but they will range from biodiversity to chemical pollution. Cooperation between UNEP and EU is not new at all: EU has funded several Multi-lateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) sponsored by the UNEP in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean, and a multi-million dollar project to assist the restoration of Mau forest in Kenya.

- David Nebreda

SOURCE: EUROPA Press Releases

O3b Networks: Connecting the Unconnected

Communications have not been the same since the appearance of internet. From its beginnings in the 80s, internet has developed to be the most accessible and popular way to connect big numbers of people from every corner of the World almost instantly. It has also decisively influenced every part of our lives, from job search to vocabulary. But there is tail for this face of the coin: out of 6.9 billion people living today, less than 2 billion use internet, and most of them can be found in the First World. So, there are almost 5 billion people with very limited or no access to the web. This means that more than two thirds of the population simply cannot participate in the fluxes that motion what has been called "the Information Age".

But there is a company that has decided to skip this massive cleavage. O3b (other 3 billion) Networks aims to wide open the "information highway" for one half of the World's population. By a combination of fiber cable and a new generation of satellites, O3b Networks will provide an affordable internet connection to more than 150 countries, concentrating in insufficiently connected areas like South America, Africa, Middle East, Asia or the Pacific and overcoming traditional obstacles for information flows like geography, economics or political instability. If this initiative achieves its declared goals, the new opportunities for the countries and human beings favored by it will be almost unlimited.

In the words of O3b founder, Greg Wyler: "We will enable individuals, families, communities and nations to enrich their quality of life through greater interactivity with the global community. O3b will accomplish this mission by reducing core and access transmission costs through the deployment of a groundbreaking, next-generation satellite constellation that enables operators to offer easier, faster and more affordable connectivity to their customers, profitably and therefore sustainably." With a cooperative, fresh, and responsible attitude, and trying to involve as many actors as possible (from population to PC manufacturers, from local communication companies to governments) Ob3 Networks sets an example of how companies can find enormous opportunities in international development and the battle against poverty.

- David Nebreda

SOURCE: O3b Networks

Moving Towards A Green Economy Can Increase Economic Development And Reduce Poverty

A new report launched by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) states that investing $1.3 trillion, which amounts to about 2% of global GDP, can help produce healthy, "green' economies and significantly reduce poverty. The critical sectors of investment are identified as agriculture, buildings, energy supply, fisheries, forestry, industry including energy efficiency, tourism, transport, waste management, and water. Due to a growing world population where 2.5 billion people survive on less than $2 a day, UNEP argues that it's imperative to sustainably develop global economies and put a greater emphasis on poverty reduction. The "greening" of economies will provide the means of sustainable environmental and economic development, and be a catalyst for ending poverty in poor countries.

UNEP emphasizes that currently, governments worldwide continue to support subsidies that perpetuate "unsustainable resource use" in key areas such as fossil fuels, agriculture and pesticides, water, and fisheries. Areas like these are playing a large role in environmental degradation and global economic inefficiencies, so focusing less on them and more on green economies will provide sustainable growth and increased welfare for people suffering from severe poverty.

These themes of a green economy, which includes sustainable development and poverty reduction, and international environment governance are the two main topics of UNEP's Governing Council session and upcoming 2012 UN Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro. This implies that these issues will continue to be very relevant and important in the near future when talking of international development and poverty eradication.

- Brock McNairy

SOURCE: UN News Centre

Linking Rural Farmers with Global Markets

Over the past decade, there has been an increasing consumer demand for sustainably-grown fair trade products, but how does fair trade really work? How are rural producers in developing countries able to serve growing consumer markets in wealthy nations?

One of the major obstacles for small producers is getting access to credit to build and develop their business. Big banks consider them too small and risky, yet they are too large to qualify for micro-finance. This is where Root Capital steps in, a nonprofit organization that provides loans for grassroots businesses in rural areas of developing countries.

Consider the example of Rolando Lazo, a coffee producer in Jinotega, Nicaragua. Jinotega was wrought by violence and fighting during Nicaragua’s civil war in the late 1970s. Rolando’s parents were killed as a child, and he grew up in extreme poverty, often spending the night sleeping under trees for shelter. He made a living as a migrant farmer, but was barely able to cover his basic needs. All this changed, when Rolando joined a coffee farmers’ cooperative that was linked with a larger association of 19 other cooperatives. Over the past six years, the association received loans from Root Capital, ranging from $70,000 to $450,000. The loans helped the farmers develop an export business enabling them to compete in the global economy.

Today, the association sells its coffee to retailers in Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands and the United States, where Peet’s Coffee carries its beans. Rolando and his family now own a small plot of land and a house with electricity, TV, and access to high quality drinking water.

Root Capital is able to lend to grassroots businesses by raising money from investors at 2.5 percent interest, and lending it out at 9.5 to 12 percent interest. In addition, the organization also receives grants from companies like Green Mountain Coffee Roasters to train rural farmers in managing cash flow and financial decision making. Also, rather than getting paid from its borrowers, Root Capital gets paid directly from importers and retailers.

Since its launch, Root Capital has provided $200 million in credit to 282 small and growing businesses in 30 countries, maintaining a 99% repayment rate from borrowers and a 100% repayment rate to investors.

-Martina Georgieva

SOURCES: The New York Times, Root Capital

Development Starts With a Village

The Guardian’s editor, Alan Rusbridger, along with a few key partner organizations launched the Katine project in October 2007, and since then it has changed lives in north-eastern Uganda. The Katine project addresses poverty in the village Katine, by equipping villagers with the skills and knowledge to help themselves. In the past 3 years alone, Katine has seen 150 village savings and loan associations set up, a grain store built, and more than 7,000 malaria nets distributed to families with small children. Furthermore, a network of committees has been nurtured: village health teams, parent-teacher associations, water source committees, farmers' groups, parent-teacher associations, and village savings associations. Thus far, the project has been a success and what remains to be seen – and will be the ultimate measure of the project’s success – is its sustainability.

-Clare O.

SOURCE: The Guardian

Rwanda: A Success Story

Considering that Rwanda has a turbulent and violent past, it is remarkable that the country is now on an upward trajectory due to recent development projects. Rwanda’s capital, Kigali, is modernizing rapidly as hotels, a national museum, and a few skyscrapers are being constructed. Rural areas are also being affected by new construction projects, including new roads and the laying of miles-long fiber optic cable. The government intends to provide its entire population with access to internet. These recent developments in Rwanda are truly exciting – one of the smallest countries on the continent is spending its own money (not donor funds) on projects that will push it forward into the 21^st century. The government’s plan to lay more than $100 million worth of fiber optic cable, and connect its citizens through the web, will provide “some of the world’s poorest people with access to one of the richest resources: knowledge.” In addition, during the recent United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDG) summit, Rwanda was hailed for its good work in achieving the MDGs, particularly towards maternal and child health. Go Rwanda!

- Clare Ortblad

SOURCE: NYTimes

Smarter Aid Spending

A recent report from the Center for Global Development laid out a concise plan for how the U.S. should be spending the $7.5 billion of economic assistance to Pakistan over the next five years. It was a dense and policy-focused document, but we can take a few good points from it that are broadly applicable to the disbursement of U.S. development aid.

1. Aid needs to be a long-term policy tool. "A smart development approach takes patience." For example, if the U.S. wants to improve the Pakistani education system, a quick fix would be to build schools and fund students. A long term investment involves these steps, but also ensures that there are qualified teachers when these new schools are built. This is looking at development as an investment. This way Pakistanis are not disenchanted with America or worried that once terrorism shifts to a different country, the U.S. will leave.

2. Decide on shared development indicators. Similarly to the MDGs, this would be a list of mutually agreed upon goals that are easy to measure (90% of children completing primary school and passing a standardized test in five years, for example). The process of deciding these is important to creating a shared idea of development between the U.S. and the country, giving clear goals which the constituents can hold their government accountable to, and emphasize real development in U.S. Congress evaluations.

3. Give incentives for success. The paper recommends that funds are given, no strings attached, to the provincial education center for example, for each child who passes the standardized test. This will give the in-country partners incentive to be innovative in solving the issues. It would also empower reform-minded government officials with some political leverage to garner support for their efforts.

4. Learn from what other organizations are doing in the country successfully, and where they have failed.

5. Spend some money on transparency efforts. This means sharing information about the quality of public service delivery, for example a list about how money was spent in the schools (on desks, on chalk, on computers, etc). Even better, this encourages the citizens to hold their government accountable, growing democracy, and increasing trust in government which breeds peace. All that with a list of how money was spent!

So there you have it, five ways to make aid more effective in the long-term.

-Erica Stetz

SOURCE: Center for Global Development

Obama Announces New U.S. Global Development Policy

On Thursday, President Barack Obama addressed world leaders at the United Nations Millennium Development Goals Conference in New York. He expressed renewed U.S. commitment toward achieving the Millennium Development Goals and called for "mutual responsibility" between people and nations throughout the world.

Obama challenged the widespread idea that international development is not the responsibility of the United States or in its best interest, saying, "In our global economy, progress in even the poorest countries can advance the prosperity and security of people far beyond their borders, including my fellow Americans."

He announced a new U.S. Global Development Policy, one that redefines even the idea of development. He elaborated on several specific goals of this new approach to international aid, including:

• sustainable development that fixes systemic problems, not just surface issues;
• independence in developing nations so that their progress can come from within;
• support for democratic, transparent governments worldwide;
• and reduction of trade barriers that limit developing nations' access to world markets.
  

Obama closed by supporting continued cooperation between governments, multi-lateral corporations, and NGOs: "Together, we can collaborate in ways unimaginable just a few years ago. Together, we can realize the future that none of us can achieve alone. Together, we can deliver historic leaps in development. We can do this. But only if we move forward with the seriousness and sense of common purpose that this moment demands."

-Elizabeth Newton

SOURCE: The Washington Post