September 17, 2005 · Posted in: Governance, In the News
Civil society tells UN: Fulfill your promises
ON behalf of the global civil society, Prof. Leonor Briones, Philippines convenor of the Social Watch network of NGOs, addressed the United Nations World Summit and asked world leaders to fulfill old and new promises.
"This General Assembly is not the time for more promises," Briones told the gathering. "The poor of the world cannot wait for 2015. Fulfill your promises!"
2015 is the year that UN member-states will report on the progress they have made on the Millennium Development Goals. The MDGs, laid down by the UN in 2000, are time-bound targets to meet the most urgent needs of the poorest populations, including halving the incidence of extreme poverty, reducing infant deaths, and achieving universal primary education.
The 2005 Human Development Report has said it is unlikely that the MDGs will be met, as hunger and inequality continue to be widespread and progress has been too slow.
Briones, a professor of public administration and former national treasurer, urged the international community to immediately take specific steps to aid the poorest nations in their efforts to overcome poverty. One of the most urgent of these, Briones said, is to grant debt relief to poor nations, not only those officially defined as highly indebted poor countries but even those described as "middle-income" but suffer from debt burden as well.
The debt crisis, she stressed, continues to hobble many countries in Asia, Latin America and Africa, depriving their people of necessary resources that could have been channeled instead for human development.
"It has been two decades since the last global debt crisis," Briones said. "The babies who have survived are now 20 years old. They still carry the scars of malnutrition, inadequate education and poor health."
Briones also called on the UN "to remind recalcitrant member countries" of their commitment to increase their levels of Official Development Assistance.
The 2005 World Summit ended on Friday, with, yes, promises.
Read the full text of Briones’s statement.
10 Responses to Civil society tells UN: Fulfill your promises
dakdakero
September 18th, 2005 at 3:12 am
Do not expect U.N. to help countries like us for a debt relief. Wala nga silang nagawa nung ini-invade ng U.S. ang Iraq, tayo pa kaya ang aatupagin?
On the other hand, I am reminded of the G8’s debt relief grants with some African countries. One of their conditions for the grant is to privatized government-run industries. This is the vicious catch. Nothing could be achieved to curb destitution because privatization of public services such as water, health and electricity has increased the poverty of low-income households in other developing countries. Poor people found themselves unable to afford the higher prices charged by private providers and have been forced to turn to dangerous and environmentally damaging alternatives instead.
Now, it would be much hopeless for the Philippines to ask for a debt relief simply because we don’t have government-run industries to privatize anymore. Kawawang Pinas!
dakdakero
September 18th, 2005 at 3:21 am
I mean, even if we adhere to their conditions to privatized government-run industries. Precisely nothing could be achieved because almost everything that we have were already privatized.
benign0
September 18th, 2005 at 5:12 pm
Besides, the Philippines, according to the ADB has one of the worst track records of productive use of development funds disbursed to it.
Of course our elected politicos pocket most of these funds but then there is also the issue of the non-productive use of OFW remittances which seem to be all spent on consumerism.
Panay porma kasi alam ng Pinoy — porma muna bago negosyo. 😀
Here’s some insight on our lack of ability to create capital indigenously (which is why we are always pathetically dependent on foreign investment and dole-outs from the rich):
http://www.geocities.com/benign0/agr-disagr/17-savings.html
Excerpt:
“Further to that, a society that finds no merit in frugality, simplicity, and self-reliance will forever remain financially bankrupt.
We flaunt wealth that we know nothing about accumulating sustainably. “
gangster_roger
September 19th, 2005 at 11:38 am
I say lets forget about the UN. They are not going to help. We only start thinking of the UN when we have enough money.
twisted_brows
September 19th, 2005 at 3:37 pm
I can’t agree with you more benigno when you said:
Further to that, a society that finds no merit in frugality, simplicity, and self-reliance will forever remain financially bankrupt.
this country finds merit in being debt-ridden. ‘la na. whoever holds the purse gets the politicsal power, too.
bruise_tawilis
September 19th, 2005 at 3:45 pm
good points benign0. the Filipinos should learn how to make better use of the money they earn, a case in point is that of the OFWs. reports say that remittances reached $885 million this year, although it does help a little, but we could hardly see how it helps the country. as you say, it mostly goes to consumerism. entrepreneurial trainings and support would really help those beneficiaries of what the OFWs send to show them how to make better use of what they receive.
peacelabenpinay
September 19th, 2005 at 4:13 pm
For me, gobyerno muna ireform bago tao. And correction hindi lang 885 $ M ang remittance ng ating mga OFWs: close to $2Billion na po kabayang bruce_tawilis. In truth and in fact, our human resource is our biggest export, greater than electronics and agri products. I agree magastos ang pinoy, pero paano naman makakapagnegosyo ang pinoy sa ganitong economic set-up? Imported goods and raw materials are far more durable and cheap than what we produce or manufacture. I’d rather be a consumerist than lost money to a risky business. There is no room for good business in this country. First and foremost, we have a corrupt system of government which does not support the enterpreneural skills of its people.
Bensgr8
September 19th, 2005 at 4:37 pm
Talking about gov’t support, I want to share my experience in Taiwan a few years ago.
When I asked our principal how he formed his business, his reply was:
“Simple, I went to the gov’t agency and told them I want to invest my money and put up a manufacturing company for facsimile machines”. After signing out the forms for his new company, he was given a list on all taxes and licences companies have to pay (complete with all the where’s and other how to’s). Then he was handed a book which contained the basic design of a fax machine, a list of suppliers/manufacturers of electronic parts, plastic moulding, wires, etc., and a list of export-oriented organizations. Wow. I was impressed.
dakdakero
September 20th, 2005 at 5:50 am
“Panay porma kasi alam ng Pinoy — porma muna bago negosyo,! Benigno said.
You hit the nail right on the head, Benigno! Being an OFW I’ve got the same pedicament with my remittance recipient kins. At personal level, If you recieved a lot of e-mails, text or long distance calls, expect the inevitable – the common statement ” Can you please send us…..( Money, mp3 player, canned goods, nike shoes et al ) “. Most ofet then not, one feels gratified helping a relative through our hard earned money abroad. On the other hand, we sometimes feel annoyed by the continuity of the acts.
Peacelabenpinay, I also agree with you that most of us Pinoys have no room for good business. Presicely for the following reasons;
1. Our governments system is counterproductive to engaging in such an
endeavor.
2. Our entrpreneurship environment is flooded with foreign nationals.
The almost uncontrollable influx of Chinese traders engaging in all
forms of business in the Philippines put real Filipinos in the
sidelines.
3. Damaged culture perhaps. Pag umasenso ang isang Pinoy sa
negosyo expect another Pinoy to bring you down ( might be a
universal attitude in nature) or a stiff competition from your
neigbors.(Like pag umasenso ang isang barbecue stand expect
barbecue business in the area would sprout like a mushroom).
hehehe.
4. Pricewise, we don’t have the capacity to compete with more business
proficient Chinese. Sa pabagsakan ng presyo kawawa tayo. We also
don’t have the buffer capital to assume long term credits extended
to big customers of a business. Kailangan mahaba ang pisi mo kasi
yong iba babayaran ka lang ng post dated checks. Ok lang kung
one month after. Paano kung post dated for six months?
In reality also, bihira lang ang COD (Cash on delivery ) oriented business dito sa Pinas. These perhaps are the factors why remittance from abroad are not properly tapped.
Dodie
September 20th, 2005 at 10:19 am
Ma-fulfill nga kaya ng mga taga-UN ang kahit isa man lamang sa kanilang target — mabawasan ang kahirapan, kahit man lamang sa ating bansa?
Papaano mababawasan ang kahirapan sa ating bansa kung patuloy naman ang pangungrakot ng mga nasa pamahalaan at maging ng mga nasa hanay ng negosyo?
Come to think of it: hanggang ngayon ay ipinagmamalaki natin na ang bansa natin ay 85% – 90% Christians… ilang dekada na rin nating hawak ang “koronang” ito… pero ‘yun nga, patuloy naman ang pagdami ng mahihirap. Y? teorya ‘lang: bukod kasi sa palasyo ng politikang kapangyarihan ay kasama ding nangungurakot ang mga namumuno ng iba’t ibang sambahan!