Conference Paper / Presentation
| 2003
Progress on Doha, Monterrey & HIPC: A review
Presented at: UNDP/CMI High-level seminar on 'Achieving the MDGs: Strengthening mutual accountability'
This paper reviews international initiatives that relate to MDG 8 on the forging of a global partnership for development. The three aspects examined are the Doha development round on trade, the Monterrey Consensus on development financing and the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative on debt relief. Progress on these global commitments will be vital to the successful achievement of the MDGs by 2015. In particular, the paper assesses whether developments to date in these policy fields point towards an emerging global partnership based on mutual accountability between the partners. There has been a long-standing perception among developing countries that the demand for accountability has been imbalanced - applicable mainly to them - while the developed countries have escaped criticism when failing to heed their pledges and live up to their commitments in international fora. Hence the call for a greater measure of mutuality and symmetry in accountability relations.
