URU, Alm.del - 2010-11 (1. samling) - Bilag 106: Invitation til internationale møder i foråret 2011

Mr. Chairman,I would like to begin by thanking you and the Bureau of the Preparatory Committee for the Fourth UNConference on the Least Developed Countries for inviting me to make this presentation.The IPU is proud to have been called upon to help organize the parliamentary track to LDC IV. We verymuch value our close cooperation with the Office of the High Representative and are grateful to themember States for making it possible for us to be involved in this process from the very beginning.As the world organization of national parliaments, including those of virtually all the LDCs, we haveworked with the UN to help advance the development agenda that encompasses agreements such asthe landmark Brussels Programme of Action.Before I go on to present the main features and objectives of the parliamentary track, I would like to giveyou a sense of where we are coming from and what we have done over this past decade to support theBPOA. That context will help explain why we are keen to see a strong PoA emerge from the IstanbulConference in May.History of parliamentary engagement in the BPOAThe concerns of parliaments received only scant attention in the BPOA. Indeed parliaments were not atall involved in the process leading up to the BPOA, nor were they mentioned in the 2001 outcome. Fromthe very beginning then, we believe the BPOA presented with a weak spot, in that it did not recognize thevery specific role of parliament as a key institution of good governance (Commitment 2) which is - orshould be - responsible for overseeing the implementation of such commitments through the budgetaryprocess, the enactment of appropriate legislation and, more generally, through its representational rolethat aims to help bring the concerns ofallcitizens to bear on the policy-making process.In order to build greater political support for the BPOA, the IPU has worked to raise awareness of theBPOA among its members and ensure a parliamentary contribution to its implementation. Back in 2001,the relationship between the IPU, parliaments and the UN was not as developed as it is today. But inspite of that some 80 MPs attended the Brussels conference, and the IPU organized a parliamentaryroundtable to help MPs familiarize with the provisions of the new programme. The IPU also brought aparliamentary message to the conference.

Following the conference, the IPU’s full membership endorsed the BPOA in a resolution issued in 2003(108thIPU Conference, Chile) which also stressed the need for the effective implementation ofCommitment 2, on good governance. In September 2006, as part of the high-level mid-term review of theimplementation of the BPOA, the IPU and the Office of the High Representative (OHRLLS) organized aone-day panel discussion on “therole of parliaments in building good governance in the LDCs”.In the latter part of the decade we also realized that in most parliaments there was no designatedstructure, whether a committee or caucus, to help coordinate or catalyze the follow up to the BPOA.There was a need then to more pro-actively bring the BPOA to the attention of parliaments byencouraging the establishment of parliamentary focal points in whatever form suited the needs ofindividual parliaments and without duplicating existing structures. In cooperation with the Office of theHigh Representative, in 2009 we produced a guide to help parliaments determine what sort of structuremay be most suitable to them (“Mobilizingparliamentary support for the Brussels Programme of Actionfor the Least Developed Countries”).We also held two parliamentary meetings, one in Africa and anotherin Asia, to help support the appointment of parliamentary focal points.As a result of this action, as of today 18 LDC parliaments have appointed focal points within theirinstitutions. The parliament of Cambodia went the farthest by creating a joint committee for the LDCprogramme of action.In spite of these developments, most parliaments today, including in developed countries, remaininsufficiently aware of the BPOA. Developed countries’ parliaments must become more engaged insupport of the LDC agenda as part of the larger development agenda, and as an important expression ofNorth-South partnership. All parliaments, and particularly those in the LDCs, must do more to hold theirgovernments accountable for their commitments to the LDCs.The BPOA was a good plan, but in the light of ten years of lessons learned, successes and failures, wenow need a much stronger programme of action that captures the new challenges ahead for the LDCs ina changing global landscape, and one that recognizes the role ofallstakeholders.Mandate for parliamentary track and overall objectivesWith this background in mind, I will now turn to describing the main elements and objectives of theparliamentary track to LDC IV.As we know, the parliamentary track was sketched out in its broad elements in a Note of the Secretary-General on the modalities of LDC IV dated 14 August 2008 (A/63/284). Further discussion andelaboration of this parliamentary component took place through the inter-agency meetings in which theIPU participates. Further political support was provided by Resolution 64/213, which recognizes theimportance of the contributions of all relevant stakeholders, including parliaments, to LDC IV.The objectives of the parliamentary track come down to the following:1. To facilitate the contribution of parliaments to the substantive consultations and, as appropriate, tothe outcome document of the conference, at all levels – national, regional and global;2. To encourage the participation of MPs in the UN conference and in parliamentary consultationsbefore and during the conference;2

3. To promote the outcome document of LDC IV among parliamentarians and help raise theirawareness of the new commitments in order to facilitate their implementation in the following years.Parliamentary involvement in LDC IV: national, regional and global levelsAt the national level of the process, the most important one, our objective was to help parliamentsengage in the review exercise, within the LDCs, of the BPOA. This was no small challenge, given that inmany LDCs the BPOA reporting mechanism to parliament is weak, and parliaments themselves do nothave strong ties to the UN community or to the governmental focal points on the ground.Our approach was to mobilize the existing parliamentary focal points and encourage those parliamentsthat did not yet have focal points to establish them without delay. Except for six parliaments, we havedeveloped exchanges with all other LDC parliaments in an effort to link them up to the national reviewprocess. Through their focal points, parliaments have been encouraged to identify the key priority areasthey would like to see included in the new PoA, and to engage with their government counterparts toconvey their views pro-actively. We also continue to share related information with all LDC parliaments,and provide them with updates on the LDC IV preparatory process.At our last count, 25 out of the 33 national reports received by the fall of last year referred directly toparliaments, and 27 referred to parliament’s participation in the implementation of the BPOA throughreference to legislation and the national budget. These references varied from vague to more detailedinclusions. On occasion, parliamentary presence at the validation of the report, or parliamentary approvalof it, was mentioned. We also know of cases in which the national progress report was submitted toparliament for final approval (Togo), or in which the parliament was fully engaged and was able toprovide input to the consultations for the national report (Bhutan). In a few cases (e.g., Benin, Malawi,Tanzania, Zambia), the national reports made regular reference to parliaments’ participation in theimplementation of the BPOA and provided details about parliaments’ role in the LDC process.The input of parliaments to the regional level of the preparatory process was less extensive than at thenational level, where parliaments have a very clear role to play as well as formal channels of interaction.But we succeeded nevertheless in ensuring that an adequate number of MPs would participate in theregional meetings that took place in Africa and Asia. The African consultation was particularly successfulin that MPs from 13 parliaments participated actively and constructively.Finally, at the global level, the parliamentary track is proceeding through three main steps: aparliamentary briefing that took place on the occasion of the 123rdIPU Assembly in Geneva in October oflast year, input to relevant pre-conference events - particularly one on governance that was led byUNDP, and a Parliamentary Forum that is scheduled to take place at the LDC IV proper.The parliamentary briefing in October brought together MPs from both developed and developingcountries, including of course many from LDCs, for a first brainstorming on some of the main concernsthat parliaments would like to see reflected or addressed in the outcome document of the UNconference. It was a very frank exchange of views that benefited tremendously by the presence of theHigh Representative himself, Mr. Diarra. The discussion that followed corroborated and gave furthershape to the many inputs received from national parliaments in the prior stages of the preparatoryprocess.3

The UNDP-led pre-conference event took place on 8 December in Geneva and helped highlight the keyrole of parliaments as institutions of good governance. While MPs are concerned with all aspects of thefuture PoA, they also feel that governance remains key to the success of the entire enterprise. We werevery pleased that many of our views were incorporated in the substantive background paper of themeeting. We came away from this event even more convinced that parliaments should play an activerole in the design, implementation and review of the next PoA.As for the Parliamentary Forum to be held at the Istanbul conference, it will be a one-day event on 8May, the eve of the conference. Since the outcome document of the conference will have been drawn upby the time we gather in Istanbul, the Forum will serve mostly as a platform for parliamentary exchangeand commitment to action in the follow up to the new PoA.Specifically, the Forum will aim to:1. Review the role of LDC parliaments in the implementation of the BPOA over the past decade andidentify successes, lessons learnt and challenges faced;2. Promote parliamentary action on all issues on the LDC IV agenda, and ensure parliamentaryparticipation in the implementation and review of the new PoA.All parliaments will be invited to designate at least one representative to attend the Forum. Thelegislators will be encouraged to join their national delegations to LDC IV and to participate actively in thevarious parallel events of the conference. The Parliamentary Forum itself will conclude with a messagethat will be delivered to the plenary of the UN conference.Main messages of the parliamentary community to LDC IVAll of the consultations that make up the parliamentary track to LDC IV have been tremendously usefuland have provided many important points that we hope will be taken into consideration at this criticaljuncture, when negotiations of a first draft outcome document are set to begin.Let me summarize here some of those points.On the general shape and content of the outcome document, parliaments wish to see a PoA that issensitive to the unique circumstances of so-called fragile states, many of which belong to the LDCcategory; a PoA that is flexible and adjustable to specific country needs and circumstances; and one thatincludes strong provisions for regular and stringent national progress reviews of the PoA, with a clearrole assigned to parliaments. Other issues that parliaments have focused on echoes those of the officialUN preparatory process and include: climate change, renewable energy, food security, productivecapacities, agricultural development, and trade.On the specific question of good governance, which remains a cornerstone for the development of LDCsand the implementation of the new PoA, the main points that emerged from the parliamentaryconsultations include the following:1. The success of the next PoA will depend on enhanced national ownership, which in turns requiresthat not only the government (executive branch) but also the parliament be fully engaged in theprocess. There must be greater and stronger interaction and cooperation between the executive andthe legislative if the design, implementation and reviews of the new PoA are to be effective. A4

particular role of parliament is to debate national development strategies and require regular reportson their implementation.2. The slow progress of the BPOA can be ascribed in part to poor implementation related to weakparliamentary oversight of government policies. A clear illustration of this is in the way ODA does notachieve the intended results in recipient countries. Weak oversight also accounts for corruption andother failures of governance. Aid is key to the future development of the LDCs, and the role ofparliaments in aid effectiveness may appropriately be referenced in the new PoA as has alreadybeen done in the Paris Declaration, the Accra Agenda for Action and other official documents.3. Broad-based national ownership also has to do with citizen participation in policy-making. Thisrequires stronger parliaments that are more representative of all constituencies and better able toconsult with civil society on a regular basis. It is important therefore that the PoA contain provisions tostrengthen the link between parliaments and civil society.4. Parliaments remain weak in part because they lack the capacities to function properly and withlimited support to develop more effective oversight and legislative tools. For internationalcommitments such as the next PoA to be effectively implemented at the national level, parliamentsmust have the capacities to perform functions such as enacting appropriate legislation (e.g.,infrastructure, aid, trade, debt, taxation, industrial development, agriculture etc.) or scrutinizing thenational budget. Donors must provide more and better funding for parliamentary strengtheningprogrammes, and this funding should be channeled directly to parliaments.The overarching conclusion from all of the above is that parliaments and their role and responsibilityshould be appropriately reflected in the Istanbul PoA. Parliaments are looking to you, the member Statesof the United Nations, for guidance and support, and in the same spirit of partnership that has nurturedour growing relationship over the last decade.As for the IPU, we are ready and willing to work closely with you, and to whatever extent you will allow, tomake sure that the outcome document of the conference sets the right priorities and provides a strongimpetus to the further development of the LDCs.Thank you.