The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung has published a report authored by GPF’s Barbara Adams and Lou Pingeot. The report titled “Whose Development, Whose UN?” gives an analysis of the future 'we don’t want' and the challenges facing the UN in the run up to the deadline of the Millennium Development Goals in 2015. It takes a look at the state of the UN’s historically values-based framework and the interests of the different development actors shaping the post-2015 development paradigm, particularly focusing on the UN’s partnership with corporations.
27 November, 2013 | Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung
Whose Development, Whose UN?
Reclaiming the UN’s Values-Based Framework
BARBARA ADAMS AND LOU PINGEOT
November 2013
The Millennium Development Goals expire in 2015 and the United Nations system is debating »sustainable development goals« for multilateral development cooperation in the coming years. Against this backdrop, this paper takes a hard look at the state of the UN’s historically values-based framework and the interests of the different development actors shaping the post-2015 development paradigm in order to assess in whose interests the paradigm is being fashioned. The resulting insights offer important recommendations on transparency and accountability for governments, civil society, business and the UN Secretariat.
A new accountability framework, rather than a new partnership for development, should be the priority on the post-2015 development agenda. This would help to ensure that the interests of stakeholders – especially of the most powerful players – are aligned with their stated purpose and do not contradict the values-based standards of the organisation.
The UN should disclose financial contributions from the corporate sector and establish a clear framework for interacting with the private sector and managing conflicts of interest, in particular by differentiating between policy development and appropriate involvement in implementation.
Download the full report here: Whose Development - Whose UN? (pdf, 170 KB)
