World Goodwill at the UN

Time to Uphold Women's and Girls Human Rights in the Post-2015 Development Agenda

Ever since the first United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in 1992 - known as the Earth Summit, it has been recognized that achieving sustainable development would require the active participation of all sectors of society and all types of people.  Toward that end, nine "Major Groups" or sectors of society were defined as the main channels through which broad participation would be facilitated in UN activities related to sustainable development activities. The 9 “major groups” are:

Women                                                       

Children and Youth

Indigenous Peoples

Non-Governmental Organizations

Local Authorities

Workers and Trade Unions

Business and Industry

Scientific and Technological Community

Farmers

 

In addition, during the post 2015 development planning, governments invited other stakeholders, including local communities, volunteer groups and foundations, migrants and families, as well as older persons and persons with disabilities, to participate in the post-2015 development planning. 

On Friday, 24 July, World Goodwill was represented at a side-event of the post-2015 development planning on the Human Rights of Women and Girls.  The focus was on the Global South regional perspectives from Asia, Africa and the Middle East. 

There were three main points that were emphasized from all regions.

1)   In many cases, the laws have been written and put in place in addressing issues of violence against women and girls, but the laws are not enforced. 

2)   Although goal #5 is “achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls,” it was the general consensus that violence against women and girls had much to do with other goals as well.  Specifically, the goals to end poverty, improve health, and ensure education were viewed as an integral part of gender equality.

3)   There was unanimous agreement that the means of implementation be included in the outcome document for the UN Summit to adopt the Post-2015 Development Agenda in September.

The meeting ended with recognitionof how important it is for civil society to learn from each other and to develop  and to support communications networks that allow for the cross cutting between working groups and between goals.  The call went out, at the end, for all those involved in decision making to be open minded and mindful.

Glee, relief and regret: Addis Ababa outcome receives mixed reception

Glee, relief and regret: Addis Ababa outcome receives mixed reception | Global development | The Guardian

UN secretary general hails Addis Ababa development finance summit a success but failure to establish new global tax body draws criticism.  

 

World leaders at the financing for development summit in Addis Ababa have reached agreement on an economic framework to support the sustainable development agenda. 

As the third and final day of negotiations in the Ethiopian capital stretched into mid-evening, countries rich and poor voted in favour of an outcome document that, nine months in the making, will shape development finance for the next 15 years. 

The agreement earned a mixed initial reception, with the UN hailing a “bold” and “groundbreaking” outcome even as other delegates complained of “a terrible precedent” and lack of moral leadership.

Funding an ambitious global agenda that includes ending poverty and achieving universal food security was never going to be easy, and progress in Addis was at times as tortured as the winding road that led there. 

Confusion among delegates about how countries were expected to debate the proposed text marked a slightly chaotic culmination to negotiations that will be remembered for a standoff over calls from the G77 to upgrade the UN expert committee on tax into a new UN agency giving all countries a seat at the table.

Tax was always going to be the biggest bone of contention in Addis, and when rich nations, particularly the US, UK and Japan, were accused of lobbying hard to block the proposed agency, civil society groups feared the talks would end in deadlock.

Those fears proved unfounded, but the outcome document rejected the idea of a UN tax body and instead proposed changes to the existing expert committee. Some rich nations, Sweden among them, recognised the need to reform existing agencies such as the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) but maintained a new intergovernmental body was not the solution.

Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary general, nevertheless welcomed the final accord. “This agreement is a critical step forward in building a sustainable future for all,” he said. “It provides a global framework for financing sustainable development. The results here in Addis Ababa give us the foundation of a revitalised global partnership for sustainable development that will leave no one behind.”

As delegates and civil society representatives spilled out of conference room two on Wednesday evening, the sense of relief that an agreement had been reached – and that the conference would therefore not be deemed a failure – was palpable. But not everyone shared Ban’s upbeat assessment of the summit.

“It was a painful moment to see the developed countries celebrating the fact that nothing will change,” said Tove Maria Ryding, policy and advocacy manager for tax justice at the European Network on Debt and Development, who had championed proposals for a new global tax body. “This sets a terrible precedent for the post-2015 and climate negotiations.”

Her sense of foreboding was shared by a G77 country representative who asked not to be named. “The battle is going to be tougher for the next global talks,” said the delegate. “The privileged countries have more power but they lack moral leadership.”

Others were more sanguine. Staffan Tillander, the Swedish special envoy for development finance, described the agreement as a good start, while the Indian finance minister Jayant Sinha also drew encouragement from the outcome despite his country’s support for a new tax body. 

“We made a very significant step from moving the formulation of global tax policy from the OECD to the UN, where it actually belongs,” said Sinha. “The fact that we will ensure equitable representation in the committee on tax matters significantly increases the role the developing world will be able to play, [but] I wouldn’t say any one of us is jubilant. International negotiations extend over long periods of time and there are significant steps that we still have to undertake, but the important thing is to continue to make forward progress.”

 

Manuel Montes, however, senior adviser on finance and development at the South Centre in Geneva and one of the architects of the financing for development process, felt developing countries had lost more than they had gained. 

“A study from May 2014 found that the rules of the current tax system were three times more costly for non-OECD countries,” said Montes. “What was at stake was setting up the rules so that everybody could have a fair deal. By not allowing this upgrade to happen, the OECD countries have violated one of the basic principles of Monterrey [the first FFD conference], which is good governance at all levels.”

But Ban’s special adviser on post-2015 development planning, Amina J Mohammed, called for civil society to remain hopeful. “Do we have enough doors open on every issue that we wanted? I think we do. Are they wide enough? No. We still have to fight the good fight, that’s the way the world works.”

Acknowledging that for many NGOs and delegates the outcome document was far from groundbreaking, Mohammed added: “People will say we’ve sold out, but they underestimate what the implications are of this. This is a world that has worked in different ways for north and south and for the first time we have a universal agenda that’s actually changed the equation on development.”

Make Poverty History?

'We can be the first generation that ends poverty'

We need food instead of fine words at the development finance table in Addis Ababa, and leaders must pledge the resources to ensure an equal share for all

Ban Ki-moon

 

An African proverb teaches that “fine words do not produce food”. That wise counsel is foremost in my mind as leaders gather in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for a pivotal global financing conference to put the world on course to end poverty and protect the planet.

This must be a year for global action. In September, the international community will adopt a new set of sustainable development goals for the next 15 years. In December, governments have committed to reach a first-of-its-kind universal and meaningful climate change agreement in Paris. But without resources, commitments will amount to little more than promises on paper. 

Building a sustainable world requires more than fine words, it needs finance. 

That is why it is encouraging that this year of action begins with the third international conference on financing for development in Addis Ababa. In a world in which both the global population and resource constraints are growing, development finance needs a reboot. The Addis Ababa conference can be the starting point for a new era of cooperation and global partnership. 

Many obstacles stand in the way of a better life for people and the planet – but even in trying economic times, a lack of resources need not be one of them. The knowledge, technology and money exist. Billions of dollars are exchanged through trade and financial markets every day. Globally, public and private savings stand at around $22tn a year. The stock of global financial assets is estimated to be about $218tn. Just a small portion invested towards sustainable development would make a big difference. Everyone must play a part. 

Of course, the most important source of funding for development starts with a country itself – and this is true even for the poorest country. Those resources could come from increased government revenues in the form of more effective taxation and additional investment by responsible business. 

At the same time, illicit financial flows rob developing countries of enormous sums of money – an estimated $50bn a year in Africa alone. Ills such as corruption, smuggling, and inadequate management of valuable natural resources deprive countries of much needed legitimate revenues. Stronger and more inclusive international tax cooperation is fundamental to combat tax avoidance, tax havens and enhance a country’s ability to manage its own economy. 

For least developed countries and small island developing states, foreign aid and climate finance represent an indispensable resource. Yet only a handful of donor countries have met their longstanding promise to invest 0.7% of gross national income in international aid. Donors must do more to meet their financial commitments in a timely fashion. 

It is also essential for the world to get on the pathway to securing $100bn a year by 2020 for climate finance. 

As the engine for decent jobs and income, the private sector is the driving force of the global economy. Responsible private investment is central to the financial equation. The voices of people and communities are essential to these partnerships that ensure inclusive ownership for lasting results. 

I often hear people say that business and sustainable development are not compatible. The facts prove otherwise. At the climate summit in New York last September, hundreds of business leaders committed nearly $200bn in sustainable development investments. Around the world, companies that are building sustainability-centred business models are reaping rewards in better performance and higher profit. 

It is time to ensure the right incentives and mutual accountability to unlock greater progress towards sustainable development. Innovation and the transfer of appropriate technologies are also essential. 

With the right investments and policies, we can be the first generation that ends poverty and the last that avoids the worst effects of climate change. 

The Addis Ababa conference on financing for development can mobilise the means for funding what people want most – better health, quality education, decent jobs, good roads and a cleaner, greener world. It can secure concrete commitments on issues such as finance, trade, debt, technology and innovation for the next generation.

Global leaders must now back up fine words with food – and set the table for sustainable development and a life of dignity for all. 

 

‎www.theguardian.com/global-deve 

New development goals need to be ambitious, actionable and accountable

Jonathan Glennie from the Guardian ~ 

 New development goals need to be ambitious, actionable and accountable | Global development | The Guardian

 

The post-2015 sustainable development goals are comprehensive and visionary – now they must be translated into a workable action plan at national level

 

The great strength of the millennium development goals was their ability to focus the minds of the development industry and, to some extent, governments on a handful of key priorities, such as child survival, basic education and women’s rights.

 

But that was also their weakness. It inevitably meant that equally important themes were excluded, and, by extension, it meant the exclusion of those countries and constituencies for which these other themes were the main concerns.

 

So the oft-expressed critique that the sustainable development goals are too broad, and that we need a kind of MDG-plus agenda, is misplaced. We need this SDG agenda precisely because it brings in other issues, most obviously links to global environmental problems but also the economic and structural causes of the social issues emphasised by the MDGs.

 

Most important, perhaps, as I have argued, is that the SDGs overturn an embedded but old-fashioned paradigm: the idea that there are developing and developed countries. The SDGs will apply to all countries, not just a sub-group.

 

This inclusivity is one of the reasons that the SDGs could be a success. While the MDGs were resented by some countries as “someone else’s agenda”, the SDGs are explicitly fully negotiated and agreed across the board.

 

If you wanted a list of priorities, then the SDGs are not for you. It is hard to think of a statement of intent by the world’s nations that is as comprehensive and visionary as the SDG agenda set to be acclaimed in New York in September. In a sense, it is more from the family of grand UN visions than a specific action plan.

 

Certainly, there are 17 goals. But the Universal Declaration of Human Rights(1948) has 30 articles, none of which carry an action plan or indicators to monitor progress. Smart targets did not yet exist. But it sets out a vision, justifying and supporting progressive attitudes everywhere. It has since been translated into more than 300 languages, a world record. Insofar as documents signed many miles away can be useful to ordinary people struggling to fulfil their rights and potential, it does its job.

 

So I am broadly an SDG fan, because I hope it will do something similar. Having said that, there is no doubt that it is actions that matter, not just words. We need to set the SDG negotiators, and the governments they work for, a “triple A challenge”: the SDG agenda needs to be ambitious, actionable and accountable.

 

Ambition will not be a problem. It is the other two As we need to work on.

 

In a new paper bringing together lessons from conversations held between a number of governments about how to implement the SDGs, David Steven, senior fellow at NYU’s Center on International Cooperation, emphasises two things: the need to integrate the most important aspects of the agenda into national plans, and the need to improve data.

 

Translating the SDG agenda as agreed on the international stage into a workable action plan at the national level will be the big challenge. Steven says we must lose no time in getting started, arguing that any delay will be costly. I would add that momentum is critical – these are political targets and politics is all about the moment.

 

Steven makes clear that countries are not yet ready to deliver, and that prioritisation, even within this explicitly holistic and universal agenda, is not a dirty word – as long as the toughest challenges are not shunned.

 

Of data, there is already a great deal written – here is my tuppence worth. But there is no doubt that the international community must help countries improve evidence and information as they seek to meet the SDGs.

 

So much for actioning the SDGs. What about accountability? Of course, this is intimately related with action. If civil society, along with more formal accountability bodies, does not hold government to account with both political pressure and solid evidence, then we can’t expect much action.

 

The vision of a world in which human rights are respected is still an inspiration to read, almost 70 years since it was first put on paper.

 

The SDG agenda is also visionary and inspiring. As the long process of drawing up the next set of global goals reaches its final straight, its ambition is assured. It is time to turn our attention to action and accountability in the hope of giving the whole process a triple A rating. 

 

Organized Civil Society

 

World Goodwill was represented at one of the last side events of the High Level Political Forum (HLPF): “Involving civil society in the implementation of the post-2015 agenda” which was organized, in part, by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), a group of European NGOs. 

Around 90 representatives gathered at the seminar on Tuesday, 7 July, to discuss the role of organized civil society in the future Sustainable Development Goals as well as the financing for development that will allow for the implementation of the goals.

With 3 global conferences at the highest level being organized (those on development financing in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in mid-July, (Lucis - Cycle of Conferences), SDGs in New York in September, and climate change in Paris in December), civil society NGOs have to deliver a strong and unified message.

The EESC will send a delegation to the financing for development conference in Addis Ababa. 

“Financing development – the position of civil society”, an opinion paper distributed to all attendees, stated that all available financial resources must be exploited, including domestic resources (through reformed fiscal schemes), private-public partnerships (based on transparency and shared responsibilities), and more innovative tools such as micro financing and crowd funding.

The meeting elucidated the possible potential and future promise of an “organized civil society.”

World Goodwill at the High Level Political Forum

The High Level Political Forum of Sustainable Development (HLFP) is the main UN platform on sustainable development, providing political leadership, guidance and recommendations.  It addresses new and emerging challenges, and enhances the integration of economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development. 

The HLPF is meeting this year, under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council from 28 June to 8 July in New York.  The major questions being addressed include:

“Where do we stand in formulating an ambitious and transformative post-2015 development agenda? How can we resolve outstanding issues?”

“How do we integrate the SDGs into planning and policy making at all levels, balancing economic, social and environmental dimensions? How can we best learn from one another in this regard?”

“How can the post-2015 development agenda be best communicated so as to inspire and engage all actors and harness creativity and innovation?”

“What must we do differently to mobilize and allocate resources so as to realize the SDGs? What does the shared vision to “leave no one behind” imply in terms of financing for the new development agenda?”

 

On Tuesday, 30 June, World Goodwill was in attendance at a side event to the HLPF that called for an informal exchange among civil society, member states, and UN staff to focus on the question, “How do we strengthen the engagement of civil society?”

It is becoming increasingly apparent that civil society organizations will have an essential role to play in achieving the sustainable development goals and, at this point, opportunities for more meaningful and inclusive engagement are being developed.

The UN’s Non-Governmental Liaison Service (NGLS) which, for the last 40 years, has served to fulfill its mandate in promoting and developing constructive relations between the UN and civil society by widely circulating information to civil society, is now staking out the opportunity to more formally facilitate civil society’s participation in UN processes and deliberations. A civil society mechanism or a CSM is being discussed as a way to institutionalize the bringing forth of certain voices to the table.

NGLS representatives spoke on behalf of “serving member states” by having more of an open platform that will insure a measure of inclusivity for all of civil society around the world, citing the most recent example of Mr. Xiuhtezeatl Roske Martinez, a 15 year old indigenous climate activist and Youth Director of Earth Guardians, who NGLS had invited to speak at the opening segment of the High-level event of the United Nations General Assembly on Climate Change (29 June 2015).

UN Live United Nations Web TV - Meetings & Events - Xiuhtezcatl, Indigenous Climate Activist at the High-level event on Climate Change

Civil society representatives noted that NGO’s tend to be “self-organized apart from the UN” and, in any future mechanism of engagement, it is important that they are “not dominated” by the UN process. The example was given of the NGO Working Group on Peace would like to have a group voice in any discussion, but thw Working Group is not recognized by the UN.

It became clear that civil society intended to self-regulate themselves toward freedom of expression while, at the same time, being willing to cooperate with NGLS.

“If we are to succeed, the new agenda must become part of the contract between people, including civil society (…).  Empowered civil society actors, through action and advocacy, must rally to the cause, and contribute to a sustainable, equitable, and prosperous future.”  The Road to Dignity by 2013, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon