Dr Clive Thomas

Fully supportive This column is the last in a series of nine successive columns devoted to addressing the United Nations (UN) Post-2015 Development Agenda and its related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In today’s column I shall start addressing the very last topic left in this extended series of discussions on the United Nations (UN) Post-2015 Development Agenda Summit and its related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Introduction In the previous two columns, I have sought to make the case that, the major impediments, which are constraining the long-term socio-economic/environmental development, and structural transformation of the Region (and Guyana), can be effectively addressed within the framework of the United Nations (UN), Post-2015 Development Agenda and its related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs, 2015-2030).

Introduction In last week’s column, I began my response to a question that I have been asked repeatedly in recent times: that is, whether I believe the Sustainable Development Goals, (SDGs), which are slated to be adopted at the United Nations Summit later this month as an integral element of its Post-2015 Development Agenda, offer a sound and adequate planning framework for Caricom and Guyana’s long-term development over its projected life, 2015-30?

MDGs: Both necessary and sufficient Following on my previous columns that have been assessing the Post-2015 Development Agenda and its accompanying sustainable development goals (SDGs) 2015-2030, which is scheduled to be approved at the upcoming United Nations (UN) Summit (September 24-27) later this year, quite a few readers have asked me a rather pertinent question: whether I believe the SDGs,

Introduction   In last week’s column, I sought to provide some insight into elements of the general approach adopted by the intergovernmental Open Working Group (OWG), which the United Nations (UN) had created to produce a Post-2015 Development Agenda that is to be agreed upon at the upcoming UN summit, to be held later in September of this year.

Introduction From Guyana’s perspective, today’s column continues to focus on an evaluation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2015-2030, their 169 targets and 304 indicators of compliance, which are scheduled to be agreed upon by all 193 member states of the United Nations (UN) at their upcoming summit on September 25-27 this year.

Introduction   Last week’s column briefly reflected on the ongoing transitioning from the present era of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for global development (2010-2015), which expires this year to the upcoming Post-2015 Development Agenda that is presently being forged by the global community.

Introduction So far in this series of columns I have covered the international discussion taking place on steps to secure the recovery of stolen public assets leading up to the recently concluded Third Conference on Financing for Development (FFD), held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia last month.

Embedding Last week’s column concluded discussion of the hypothesis, which states, there is an ongoing paradigm shift in international mechanisms generating financing for development.

Introduction Last week’s column reported on the Third Financing for Development Conference and the positions it took in regard to the recovery of stolen public assets.

Introduction         Hypothesis: Paradigm shift   The hypothesis that has been under consideration in my July columns thus far, is that international best practices in the area of financing for development are undergoing a paradigm shift, which is partly reflected in mounting global efforts to incorporate “recovery of stolen public assets” (StPAR) as a central feature of domestic resource mobilization, particularly for developing countries.

Introduction The Third International Conference on Financing for Development has just concluded in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 13 to 16 July.

A background of crisis Last week I indicated that the first international conference on financing for development held in Monterrey, Mexico at the end of 2002 was a precursor to the launching by the United Nations of its global development agenda.

Introduction Last week I put forward the hypothesis that a paradigm shift is underway in international best practice in the area of financing for development.

Introduction As promised, today I continue discussing the topic: financing for development and its linkage to efforts directed at recovering stolen public assets belonging to Guyana.

Introduction Beginning with this brief introduction, in coming weeks I explore the linkage between initiatives to recover stolen public assets in Guyana and financing for its development.

Introduction Today’s column follows-up on 1) my earlier estimation of the value of potentially recoverable stolen public assets and 2) the ticking time-bombs that threaten the survival of sugar and rice.

Introduction Perhaps a window on public sentiment is reflected in the surprising number of persons that responded to last Sunday’s column, which linked the recovery of stolen public assets initiative to not so discreet intimations of destabilization of the sugar and rice industries.

Political economy fragility Today’s column elaborates on organizational elements, briefly portrayed last week, which are needed for establishing Guyana’s stolen public assets recovery initiative.