Sub-regional Workshop on Aligning Development Policies and Strategies to Achieve MDGs in South Asia

4 Nov 2009 - 00:30
6 Nov 2009 - 16:15
Etc/GMT+7

Background

The adverse impact of current global financial, food and fuel crisis on economic growth of countries in the Asia-Pacific could seriously undermine the progress they have made towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Although many countries have achieved significant progress in reaching some MDGs, the South Asia region faces great challenges in addressing the issues related to health, environment (water and sanitation) and nutrition. New findings suggest that the incidence of health, hunger and environment related poverty are not only interrelated but also underestimated in several countries of the region.

The economic slowdown will impact adversely on public sector spending in social areas, and performance towards MDG achievement is likely to falter. It is therefore important that the MDGs are not overlooked; that sufficient human and financial resources are devoted; and appropriate attention be paid to capacity, policy and institutional development needed to support achieving the MDGs. Policy makers also need to regularly monitor the status of their MDG achievements, so that any lack of progress can be addressed in a timely manner.

Objectives

In view of the above and to assist the developing countries in the South Asian region in delivering their MDG commitments, a sub-regional workshop is organized with the following objectives.

  • Stock take the progress on MDG achievements in the ‘on track’ and ‘off track’ countries in South Asia in key sectors such as health, environment (water & sanitation) and nutrition.
  • Identify the impediments to the MDG achievements in each of the sectors, including the implication of current global financial, food and fuel crisis, and explore how these impediments can be appropriately addressed.

Outputs

  • Improved capacity of the participating countries in designing and implementing key sectoral policies and programmes for achieving MDGs in health, environment (water and sanitation) and nutrition.
  • Sharing of country strategies and experiences in overcoming emerging global, regional, and national threats affecting MDGs.
  • Identification of priority policies and action plans for ‘off track’ countries and how they could be effectively implemented.
  • Summary of proceedings–as inputs into the regional publication series jointly planned by ADBI, ADB, UNESCAP, and UNDP.

Participants

Senior-level officials from the Ministry, Department or Agency directly in charge of health, food & nutrition, water & sanitation, and overall MDG coordination.

How to Apply

Participation is by invitation only.

Language

English (no interpretation will be provided).

Partners

Asian Development Bank (ADB), United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia-Pacific (UNESCAP), United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Government of Nepal (GON), South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Secretariat, World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)

Tentative Programme

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Date & Time Agenda Speakers
4 November 2009 (Wednesday)
08:30 - 09:00 Registration
09:00 - 09:40 Opening remarks & statements (Govt. of Nepal, SAARC, ADB, UNDP, ESCAP)
09:45 - 10:00 Photo Session
Plenary  Session 1:    Progress and constraints in achieving the MDGs in South Asia Moderator: (TBD)
10:00 - 10:20 Progress of South Asia in MDG achievement compared to that of other regions:  Key areas of concern (nutrition; health; water and sanitation) ESCAP
10:20 – 10:40 Strengthening Regional Cooperation in South Asia to Achieve the MDGs SAARC Secretariat
10:40 - 11:10 Open Discussion
11:10 - 11:20 Coffee Break
11:20 - 11:40 Impact of financial crisis on the sub-region’s progress on achieving MDGs ADB/I 
11:40 - 12:00 MDG Costing and gaps in resources in South Asia UNDP
12:00 - 12:30 Open Discussion
12:30 - 14:00 Lunch Break
Round TableSession 2A:   Facilitating achievement of MDGs in South Asian countries: regional and international lessons and  cross cutting issues Moderator: (TBD)
14:00 - 14:20 Strengthening inclusive growth for achieving poverty reduction and MDGs in South Asia WB
14:20 - 14:40 Institutional and policy changes needed to improve primary health care systems in South Asia to achieve the MDGs WHO
14:40 - 15:00 Measures to improve child survival and health in South Asia  UNICEF
15:00 - 15:45 Open Discussion
15:45 - 16:00 Coffee Break
Round TableSession 2B:     Facilitating achievement of MDGs in South Asian countries: cross cutting issues, and regional and international lessons  Moderator: (TBD)
16:00 - 16:20 Ensuring food security to eliminate hunger in South Asia FAO
16:20 - 16:40 Solutions to gender –related constraints in access to water and sanitation, and improvement of health of mothers and children in South Asia UNIFEM
16:40 - 17:00 Ensuring access to basic services by vulnerable groups: backward castes, tribal communities and minorities in South Asia   (TBD)
17:00 - 17:45 Open Discussion  
19:00 - 21:00 Reception (Host Government of Nepal)
   
5 November 2009 (Thursday)
Session 3:     Breakout Group Discussion
Group 1:         Alignment of National Health Policies to MDGs (Coordinator: ESCAP; Moderator: to be selected from among participants)  
08:30 - 09:00 Presentation: Progress of achieving health related MDG goals - SWOT Analysis Srinivas Tata, ESCAP
09:00 - 09:30 Presentation: The importance of health financing and increased investments in strengthening health systems for achieving MDGs in Asia-Pacific Sangay Thinley, Director, Health Systems Development, WHO (SEAR) (TBC)
09:30 - 10:00 Open Discussion
10:00 - 10:15 Coffee Break
10:15 - 10:45 Presentation: Ensuring universal access to reproductive health for reducing maternal mortality in South Asia Saramma Mathai, Regional Adviser, UNFPA
10:45 - 11:15 Presentation: Key issues related to reducing the incidence of HIV and AIDS in South Asia Marylyn Borromeo, UNAIDS (TBC)
11:15 - 11:45 Open Discussion
11:45 - 12:30 Country Presentations followed by discussions  
12:30 - 14:00 Lunch Break
14:00 - 15:00 Country Presentations followed by discussions (contd)  
15:00 - 15:15 Coffee Break
15:15 - 17:00 Consolidation of discussion points & preparations for presentation Facilitated by ESCAP
Group 2:       Alignment of National Environment Policies for Achieving MDGs relating to Water & Sanitation(Coordinator: ADB;    Moderator: to be selected from among participants)
08:30 - 09:00 Presentation: Asian water/sanitation outlook – regional lessons for South Asia (Inc. gaps in coverage/investment) ESCAP-ADB
09:00 - 09:30 Presentation: Economics of sanitation Initiative (ESI): Emerging findings from South East Asia and South Asia Somnath Sen
09:30 - 10:00 Open Discussion
10:00 - 10:15 Coffee Break
10:15 - 10:45 Presentations: Community-based water supply and sanitation projects Shekar Bonu, ADBShakeel Khan, ADB
10:45 - 11:15 Presentation: Results of evaluation of water and sanitation projects Rauniyar Ganesh, ADBXun Wu, LKY School of Public Policy
11:15 - 11:45 Open Discussion
11:45 - 12:30 Country reports: Characteristics of water and sanitation policy and needed policy interventions for achieving MDGs Country presentations
12:30 - 14:00 Lunch Break
14:00 - 15:00 Discussion: Challenges in aligning water and sanitation policies towards MDG goals All
15:00 - 15:15 Coffee Break
15:15 - 17:00 Consolidation of discussion points, action plans and preparations for presentation All
Group 3:       Alignment of National Food/Nutrition Policies to MDGs NDPPO)O)tions Industrial Development Organizationonesia, pal, Sri lanl.(Coordinator: UNDP;    Moderator: to be selected from among participants)
08:30 - 09:00  Hunger, under-nutrition and food security in South Asia N.C. Saxena, Commissioner to the Supreme Court on food security, India (TBC)
09:00 - 09:30  Hunger and poverty reduction: The need for inclusive growth Ramesh Chand, ICAR National Professor at National Centre for Agricultural Economics and Policy Research, New Delhi (TBC)
09:30 - 10:00 Open Discussion
10:00 - 10:15 Coffee Break
10:15 - 10:45  Introduction of hunger costing tools and budgeting framework. Kevin Coffey, UNDP
10:45 - 11:15 Country reports: Characteristics of food policy and needed policy interventions for achieving MDGs  
11:15 - 11:45 Open Discussion
11:45 - 12:30 Country reports: Characteristics of food policy and needed policy interventions for achieving MDGs  
12:30 - 14:00 Lunch Break
14:00 - 15:00 Panel discussion – FAO, WFP, UNICEF on hunger / malnutrition (TBC)
Open Discussion
15:00 - 15:15 Coffee Break
15:15 - 17:00 Consolidation of discussion points & preparations for presentation. All
 
6 November 2009 (Friday)
Session 4:     Group Presentation                      Moderator: Vinit Sharma, UNFPA
09:00 - 09:30 Group 1 (Health) Presentation Group Representative(Facilitator: ESCAP)
09:30 - 10:00 Group 2 (Sanitation) Presentation Group Representative(Facilitator: ADB)
10:00 - 10:30 Group 3 (Nutrition) Presentation Group Representative)(Facilitator: UNDP)
10:30 - 10:45 Coffee Break
11:00 - 11:30 Expert Comments Resource Speakers, On-track countries
11:30 - 12:30 Open Discussions on MDGs Work plans and Road Maps
12:30 - 14:00 Lunch Break
Wrap-up Panel DiscussionSession 5:     The way forward
ADB/I, UNESCAP, UNDP, WHO, UNICEF, SAARC  
14:00 - 16:00 What sectoral policy priorities and action plans for the South Asian countries will accelerate the progress in achieving their MDGs?  
How the MDG road-map for South Asia could be effectively implemented?  
How the donor agencies can help SAARC countries to establish a regional monitoring framework on MDG?  
What specific capacity building activities are required over the next twelve months, three years and until 2015 to help South Asian countries implement priority policies?  
Open Discussion
16:00 - 16:15 Closing Remarks

 

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