Case: Policy coherence in general

07-10-2010 PCD is going global! MDG summit outcome refers to the importance of PCD!

Two weeks ago the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) summit took place in New York. The world leaders came together to discuss the progress made towards attaining the MDGs. It became clear that although some progress has been made, still a lot has to be done in order to achieve the goals by 2015. Fair Politics believes that a key issue is the fact that Western donors still give with one hand, but then take it back again with the other. That is why we have been advocating Policy Coherence for Development (PCD) for several years. We are happy to report that PCD was mentioned in the final outcome of the MDG summit. PCD is going global!

The world leaders specifically mention the concept in article 41 of the outcome: “We call for increased efforts at all levels to enhance policy coherence for development.” [1] According to the world leaders coherence between different policy levels is necessary to attain the MDGs. They urge all countries to phrase all their policies in line with their development agenda’s. Fair Politics has wondered whether PCD was just a Brussels or European based concept, therefore the MDG summit outcome seems a good first  step in promoting the concept at all national levels in both Northern and Southern countries and at the global level at the UN and perhaps in the future at the WTO as well.

 

note:
1 ‘Keeping the promise: united to achieve the Millennium Development Goals’, United Nations General Assembly, p. 9 http://www.un.org/en/mdg/summit2010/pdf/mdg%20outcome%20document.pdf