UN chief urges 'flexibility, compromise' at development summit

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called for "flexibility and compromise" at a development financing summit that opened in Ethiopia's capital and is seen as crucial for efforts to end poverty and tackle climate change.
The objective of the five days of talks, the third summit of its kind after talks in Monterrey in 2002 and Doha in 2008, is ambitious: laying out the ground rules for a fairer world of inclusive, low-carbon growth.
Concretely, that means deciding how to fill a colossal annual investment gap in key sustainable development sectors for developing nations -- estimated at up to USD 2.5 trillion annually according to the UN's trade and development body UNCTAD.

This in turn will enable the world body to push ahead with its 2015-2030 Sustainable Development Goals, which are due to be formally adopted in New York in October. There are 17 in all, ranging from ending poverty to providing universal access to sustainable energy.
"I urge world leaders and ministers gathered here this week... To exercise flexibility and compromise. Let's put aside what divides us and put aside our self-interest in favour of working together for the common well-being of humanity," Ban told the opening of the summit.
Preparatory talks in New York failed to yield an agreement on a common summit outcome, with rich nations --- many of which are embroiled in their own financing problems and reluctant to up their aid budgets -- pushing for greater private sector involvement and for emerging economies like China, Brazil and India to share the burden.

"Many donors are questioning who should receive development aid. They tell middle income countries 'you're wealthy, you can raise your own money, let's focus on poor countries'," explained Gail Hurley, a policy specialist with the United Nations Development Programme.

With much left to resolve during the summit, Oxfam policy advisor Claire Godfrey said success was far from guaranteed.
"What we don't want to see is platitudes and promises," she said.
"Any agreement that favours rich governments and commercial interests isn't worth the paper it is printed on.
The talks so far have seen governments 'sitting on their hands' and waiting for others to make the first move."

Another sticking point is the creation of an international tax organisation within the United Nations to fight against tax evasion by multinationals.
International tax rules that allow large companies to avoid tax end up costing developing countries USD 100 billion every year, according to Oxfam.
Rich countries, however, want decisions about international taxation frameworks to remain in the hands of the OECD and G20, where they control the agenda.