| International
Program Advisory Committee (IPAC)
Meeting
19-20
April 2009, Bali, Indonesia
Statement
by
Mr. Harry S. Jooseery
Executive Director, PPD
Honorable
Dr. Sugiri Syarief, Chairperson of
BKKBN and Board Member of PPD, Mr.
Rabbi Royan, Senior Technical Advisor
of Population and Development Branch,
UNFPA, Distinguished participants
and ladies and gentlemen.
I
am pleased to welcome you to this
2 day meeting of the International
Program Advisory Committee of PPD,
which is organized by PPD and the
Government of Indonesia. I would like
in the first instance to thank the
Government of Indonesia and the authorities
in Bali for their very valuable assistance
provided to us for the organization
of the meeting. I would like to thank
particularly Dr. Sugiri Syarief, Chairperson
of BKKBN and the Board Member of PPD
for his presence among us and also
for his unrelenting support to us.
For the past three years that I have
known him, I have found in him a person
of impressive intelligence, kindness
and humility. Dr. Sugiri thank you
once again for your kind hospitality
towards all of us, and thank you also
to all your staff who have indeed
been very cooperative and have gone
out of their way to help us. This
meeting would not have been so successfully
organized without their valuable logistic
support.
I
wish to thank also Mr. Rabbi Royan,
Senior Technical Advisor of Population
and Development Branch, UNFPA, who
has been with us since the past three
years, assisting us to develop our
strategic Business Plan (SBP) and
supporting our Capacity Building initiative.
He is a very good friend of PPD and
has provided very valuable technical
assistance to us all the time. We
are soliciting once again his good
office and expertise to help us move
forward.
I
would like also to welcome Dr. Haryono
who has been a pioneer of South-South
Cooperation and PPD together with
Mr. Jyoti Singh to whom we paid tribute
in Kampala last November together
with Ms. Nafis Sadik, Ms. Sara Seims,
Dr. Steven Sinding & Ms. Nabiha
Gueddana for having made PPD what
it is today. Since 1994 to date PPD
has made a long stride in promoting
SSC for the attainment of ICPD Goals
and the MDGs. Last but not least I
would like to thank all the participants
of this meeting for having kindly
agreed to be with us for the two days,
despite your already busy schedule.
Some have had a very short notice
and for which I wish to apologize.
Ladies
and Gentlemen, we developed in 2007
a Strategic Business Plan (SBP) that
covers four years starting 2008, and
that clearly defines our areas of
operation in light of new emerging
issues and concerns. We are at the
second year of the implementation
period and I can report to you that
PPD is moving forward in the right
direction. The Rabat and Kampala Declarations
that have been adopted by our Board
Members are testimony of the commitment
of PPD member states and stakeholders
to support the SBP. When I look back
since last year, I indeed notice reasonable
accomplishments in our programme,
but however the challenges ahead are
daunting. We realize a good start
on the race track, all well saddled
to speed up, and yet the race is yet
to be won.
We
wish during these two day meeting
to critically analyze what has been
achieved so far by PPD, the challenges
facing us, the way forward, not only
to address emerging issues of concern
for the achievement of ICPD and the
MDGs but also to discuss how do we
reposition PPD within the national,
regional and global context to remain
a forerunner in South South Cooperation.
PPD
has its specific vision and mission
which check on us from being an all
rounder in the area of SSC and dictate
that we remain focused.
In
addition, the imperatives of the new
world order impose vigilance and farsightedness.
We cannot afford complacency and risk
sudden atrophy. We need change to
change.
There
are a few factors that need to be
considered while attempting to re-look
at our program.
| 1. |
The
current financial economic downturn.
It is true that this commonly
called “Made in the North”
financial crisis has had obvious
negative impact on the South.
Developing countries initially
sheltered from the worst effects
of the meltdown are witnessing
dwindling capital flows with
withdrawal of investments and
falling ODA. It is very unlikely
that ODA for developing nations
will reach the target of 0.7%
of GDP of rich countries. World
Bank projects the real GDP growth
to slowdown in all developing
countries in 2009.
However
there are two very interesting
scenarios that could help developing
countries navigate against these
turbulent waters:
A.
Many of the developing
countries are already disturbed
and have been so even before
the present downturn. Their
financial systems function in
disharmony and are relatively
insulated from the global capital
market. This insulation, coupled
with a heavy dependence on lower–end
exports of goods and services
have provided some sort of cushion
and safety net to their economy.
As a result, the impact of the
“Made in the North”
financial crisis has been somewhat
mitigated in many developing
countries.
B.
The statement made
by the Chinese Prime Minister
Wen Jiabhao on the financial
downturn is very evocative.
He said he is only “a
little bit worried”…
about America. It is the worry
of a Banker’s liquidity
and profitability. Some countries
in the South have become important
shock-absorbers, especially
those who have an increasing
domestic demand. These countries
are what Goldman Sachs coined
as the BRICs, i.e Brazil, Russia,
India and China. BRICs economies
would be greater than G7 in
the near future. The rise of
the BRICs and their relative
resistance to the downturn picture
a New World Order characterized
by multi-polarity. The “West”
can no longer pretend to rule
the world alone; they should
embrace also the “Rest”,
which is competing as the new
powerhouse. When the TATA –
Nano from India– the world
cheapest car was launched in
March 09, the Economist Magazine
commented rightly, “the
Nano seems to remind rich world
bosses that they still need
to keep an eye on their rear-view
mirrors”.
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A
new South-South ODA is emerging with
new giants like China and India providing
assistance. China invested and provided
credit to none other than USA. In
creating a US$ 30 million trust fund
to boost the food output of developing
countries, China cemented its role
as a major global player in cooperation
between developing countries. Through
this South-South Cooperation, China
envisages the provision of 3000 Chinese
experts and technicians to developing
countries.
Likewise
India has gifted a dedicated satellite
for e-connectivity in Sub-Saharan
Africa to help bridge the digital
divide and link leading universities
and hospitals in India with their
counterparts in Africa. India is providing
on-line medical consultations to 11
African countries and is expected
to increase to 29 by mid 2009. Students
in Africa will graduate from Indian
universities without crossing boarders.
India has invested US$ 125 million
in this e-network project which its
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee
termed as “shining examples
of South-South Cooperation”.
Mr. Jyoti Singh will address the issue
of SSC in the context of present economic
situation later.
| 2. |
The second factor is the population
growth factor. Despite a decrease
in the world population growth
rate, that of developing nations
is constantly increasing engendering
additional stress and strain
especially on the most vulnerable
sections living in Africa and
Asia. The bottom billion population
is so destitute that prospects
of an increase in their basic
services have become very remote.
An aggressive Advocacy Campaign
to promote Family Planning services
is imperative.
PPD
can be their advocate and facilitate
provision of RH commodities.
Some countries in the south
like, India, China, Brazil,
South Africa, Thailand and Indonesia
can collectively help to alleviate
their sufferings and we wish
them to play leader roles in
South-South Cooperation. Connected
with this, is the issue of Commodity
Security. We have signed a Memorandum
of Understanding with WHO and
we wish PPD to be an active
partner with WHO in maintaining
quality standard and am glad
to have among us Ms. Margaret
Usher Patel from WHO with whom
we can discuss further together
with Dr. Malcolm Potts, who
has indeed wide knowledge on
the issue. We have done an inventory
of products and services in
our Member States and Dr. Seetharam
who is among us and who has
made an analysis of the findings
will provide more information
later during the day. These
may also help to delineate the
niche for PPD in addressing
RHCS, taking into consideration
its own limitations and the
need to contribute effectively
to advance the global agenda.
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| 3. |
The third factor is Resource
Mobilization. PPD depends entirely
on external resources to operate.
We are happy to note that since
the past three years, PPD Member
States have shown more commitment
and have paid almost all their
dues to PPD. China and India
have doubled their annual contributions
to PPD since 2008 and Thailand
has increased its contribution
by 15%. Other countries like
Bangladesh, Egypt, China and
Morocco have increased their
contributions by providing additional
facilities like provision of
fellowship and logistic support.
Bangladesh, Uganda and China
are providing logistic supports
to run our offices in their
respective countries.
Our
main external donors are UNFPA,
Packard and Hewlett Foundations.
Last year we have also been
supported by Ventures Strategies.
PPD needs to diversify its sources
of funding and reach out to
new donors on which, we wish
to discuss further. We have
among us Representatives of
World Bank, Ms Elizabeth Lule,
and also WHO, UNFPA, Venture
Strategies and Government of
Indonesia from whom we wish
to learn more. Resource to FP
globally has decreased by more
than 60% in the last decade
and this is impacting heavily
on the quality of life in many
of our Member States.
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| 4.
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The fourth area is Capacity
Building. Developing and sharing
expertise form the basis for
reinforcement of SSC. We wish
to build Capacity at individual,
institutional and system levels
to enable all developing nations
remain effective stakeholders
in the process of SSC. To move
forward strategically PPD has
touched base with major Partner
Institutions involved in Capacity
Building in its member states
and developed a Capacity Building
Plan. While recognizing the
important contributions that
the PIs made in promoting research
and training, PPD wishes that
they think globally while acting
locally. We wish that they all
work in concert to address both
ICPD Goals & MDGs. We have
among us Dr. Rao who has been
working for the past two years
on our Capacity Building initiative
and who would apprise you later
on the issue. We have also Dr.
Henry Mosley, Professor from
John Hopkins University and
Dr. Nizamuddin, Vice Chancellor
of Gujrat University of Pakistan,
who have wide knowledge and
expertise on the issue and from
whom we would be glad to hear.
|
Ladies
and Gentlemen, at the last expert
meeting held in April 2008 on PPD
Strategic Directions in Bangkok, we
concluded that PPD would focus on
the following areas:
-
Capacity Building
- Training
and Research
- Advocacy
and Policy Dialogue
- RH
Commodity Supply and Security
- Publications
and IT Communications.
During
this meeting we will review the program
thrusts and activities and seek your
advice on how we can move forward
to further enrich our program. The
above focus areas could also be revised
in line of recently emerging issues
that eventually fit into our Strategic
Business Plan. We had a very successful
Forum in Kampala in November 2008,
on ICPD@15: Progress and Prospects,
and many among you attended. We attempted
to discuss the progress made since
1994 while considering the new challenges
like Climatic Change, Environmental
Degradation and Food Security, among
others. The Kampala Declaration, a
copy of which is in your folder, calls
for specific actions from donors and
PPD and can serve as basis for further
discussion during our meeting. We
have had also the Agra and the Rabat
Declarations that provide guidance
for actions. We are soliciting the
assistance of Mr. Shiv Khare, the
Executive Director of AFPPD for intensive
advocacy campaign with parliamentarians
on this issue.
Ladies
and gentlemen, I have tried in a nutshell
to provide background information
that would help all of us start our
discussion. As you would notice from
the agenda of this meeting, besides
a few presentations on the programme
of PPD, we wish to open the floor
for discussions, suggestions and guidance
on the way foreword for the promotion
of ICPD and MDGs using South-South
Cooperation as a modality. As we celebrate
the 15th anniversary of ICPD, we are
also celebrating the 15th anniversary
of PPD. The person who first launched
PPD at a press conference in 1994
is among us: Dr. Haryono. We say happy
anniversary every day in 2009. Today
is also a day for celebrations. We
start this morning and end up with
a dinner and cultural event in the
evening to which I have the pleasure
of inviting all of you present.
Ladies
and Gentlemen, I wish these few thoughts
would act as springboard for further
discussion. I thank you for your attention.
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