Can the World Unite to Solve Global Issues?

http://blog.globcal.net/2015/07/can-world-unite-to-solve-global-issues.html?m=1
Friday, July 31, 2015

Can the World Unite to Solve Global Issues?

U.N.’s Post-2015 Development Agenda Under Fire 

By Thalif Deen

UNITED NATIONS, Jul 29 2015 (IPS) - The U.N.’s highly ambitious post-2015 

development agenda, which is expected to be finalised shortly, has come fire 

even before it could get off the ground.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (second from left) with Irish Minister and UNICEF
Goodwill Ambassador in Dublin. Credit: UN Photo/Evan Schneider

A global network of civil society organisations (CSOs), under the banner 

United Nations Major Groups (UNMG), has warned that the agenda, which 

includes 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), “lacks urgency, 

a clear implementation strategy and accountability.”

Savio Carvalho of Amnesty International (AI), which is part of the UNMG, 

told IPS the post-2015 agenda has become an aspirational text sans clear 

independent mechanisms for people to hold governments to account for 

implementation and follow-up.

“Under the garb of national ownership, realities and capacities, member 

states can get away doing absolutely nothing. We would like them to ensure 

national priorities are set in conformity with human rights principles and standards 

so that we are not in the same place in 2030,” he added.

The 17 SDGs, which are to be approved by over 150 political leaders at a 

U.N. summit meeting in September, cover a wide range of socio-economic issues, 

including poverty, hunger, gender equality, sustainable development, full 

employment, quality education, global governance, human rights, climate 

change and sustainable energy for all.

All 17 goals, particularly the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger 

worldwide, are expected to be met by the year 2030.

The proposed follow-up and review, as spelled out, lacks a strong accountability 

mechanism, “with several references to national sovereignty, circumstances and 

priorities which risk undermining the universal commitment to deliver on the SDGs,” says UNMG.

“We are wondering how committed member states will be able to ensure genuine 

public participation, in particular of the most marginalised in each society, in 

decisions that will have an impact on their lives.”

This applies also to questions related to financing (budget allocations) in the 

actual implementation of the agenda, says a statement titled

 “Don’t break Your Promise Before Making it”.

“We are keen to ensure that people are able to hold governments to account 

to these commitments so that these goals are delivered and work for 

everyone,” says UNMG, which includes a number of coalitions and 

networks who will be monitoring the post-2015 process.

These groups include CSOs representing women, children and youth, human rights, trade unions and workers, local authorities, volunteers and persons with disabilities.

Asked about the composition of the UNMG, Jaimie Grant, who represents the 

secretariat for Persons with Disabilities, told IPS that UNMG is the official 

channel for the public to engage with the United Nations on matters of sustainable development.

“Across all these groups, stakeholders and networks, we share some very 

broad positions, but there are many thousands of organisations feeding in to it, 

in various capacities, with various positions and priorities,” he explained.

Adding strength to the chorus of voices from the opposition, the Women’s Major 

Groups, representing over 600 women’s groups from more than 100 countries, 

have also faulted the development agenda, criticising its shortcomings.

Shannon Kowalski, director of Advocacy and Policy at the International Women’s

Health Coalition, told IPS the SDGs could be a major milestone for women and 

girls.

They have much to gain: better economic opportunities, sexual and reproductive

health care and information and protection of reproductive rights, access to 

education, and lives free from violence, she noted.

“But in order to make this vision a reality, we have to ensure gender equality 

is at the heart of our efforts, recognising that it is a prerequisite for sustainable 

development,” she added.

The coalition includes Women in Europe for a Common Future, Equidad de Genero (Mexico), Global Forest Coalition, Women Environmental Programme, Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and 

Development, WEDO (Women’s Environment and Development) and the 

Forum of Women’s NGOs (Kyrgyzstan).

Kowalski also expressed disappointment over the outcome of the recently 

concluded conference on Financing for Development (FfD) in Addis Ababa.

“We hoped for a progressive and fair financing agreement that addressed the 

root causes of global economic inequality and its impact on women’s and girls’ 

lives. But that’s not what we got,” she said.

“We expected strong commitments on financing for gender equality and 

ecognition of the value of women’s unpaid care work. We expected governments 

to address the systemic drivers of inequalities within and between countries,

to establish fair tax policies, to stop illicit financial flows, and to address injustices

in international trade structures that disadvantage the poorest countries.”

“We were disappointed that there were no new commitments to increase public

financing in order to achieve the SDGs,” Kowalski declared.

Carvalho of Amnesty International said, “It will be impossible to achieve truly

transformative sustainable development and to leave no one behind without 

conducting regular, transparent, holistic and participatory reviews of progress 

and setbacks at all levels.”

“The agenda acknowledges the need for international financial institutions (IFIs) 

to respect domestic policy, but does not go far enough to ensure that their activities 

to do contribute to any human rights violations.”

“I think we need to strengthen the argument for the agenda to be universal – 

when all countries have to deliver on their commitments and obligations.”

These, he said, include Official Development Assistance (ODA) and tax justice.

Meanwhile, in a statement released to IPS, Beyond 2015, described as a global 

civil society campaign pushing for a strong successor to the 

Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), said “for the SDGs to have a real 

impact on people’s lives everywhere, people themselves must participate in 

implementing the goals and reviewing progress, and be active agents in 

decisions affecting them.”

The Beyond 2015 Campaign said it welcomes the focus on inclusion and 

participation reflected in the current draft that is being negotiated at the 

United Nations, and “we count on governments to translate their commitments into action as soon as the SDGs are adopted.”

In implementing the SDGs, it is crucial that states honour their commitment to 

“leave no one behind”.

“This means tracking progress for all social and economic groups, especially

the most vulnerable and marginalized, drawing upon data from a wider range 

of sources, and regular scrutiny with the involvement of people themselves,” 

the statement added.

Additionally, an even higher level of participation and inclusion is needed, at all 

levels, when implementation starts.

“People must be aware of the new agenda and take ownership of the goals for real 

and sustainable changes to occur.”

The Beyond 2015 campaign also welcomed the commitment to an open and 

transparent follow-up framework for the SDGs, grounded in people’s participation 

at multiple levels.

“We believe the current draft could be improved by including specific time-bound 

commitments and endorsing civil society’s role in generating data to review 

commitments,” it said.

“We insist on the need for governments to translate the SDGs into national 

commitments as this is a crucial step for governments to be genuinely accountable 

to people everywhere.”

Edited by Kitty Stapp

The writer can be contacted at thalifdeen@aol.com