A perspective on the new paper by the co-chairs of the Sustainable Development Goals Open Working Group
Introduction
We are now getting into a very
interesting period in the Sustainable Development Goals process. There has been
slimming down of the number of Focus areas from 19 to 16. This has been
done by combining a number of Focus areas.
New Focus area 8: Economic
growth, employment and infrastructure – is a combination of old
Focus area 8 – Economic growth, old Focus area 10 on Infrastructure
and old
Focus are 11 on Employment and decent work for all. The New
Focus
area 9: Industrialization and promoting equality among nations – is a
combination of old Focus area 9 Industrialization and old Focus area 12 on
promoting equality.
The other main change is old Focus
area 18 on Means of Implementation has been either “mainstreamed” under each of the new
focus areas or it’s a new Focus area 15 combining MOI and
Global Partnerships for Development.
I have been arguing a similar line
to most
of G77 that it only makes sense if Means of Implementation ( e.g.
capacity building, education, technology transfer, governance, funding) is mainstreamed
this will be a way of holding governments and stakeholders
accountable to what they said they will do.
Means of Implementation
should sit under each of the cluster areas in a structure something like the
2002 South African non-paper:
- proposed targets and timeframes
- proposed actions
- resources
- institutional mechanisms
- co-ordination
- monitoring
- stakeholder involvement
- implementation plan sustainability
There have been some developed
countries who argue this is too difficult. They might want to look at both the
South African 2002 Non Paper and Agenda 21 both of which seemed to be able to
do it.
Some reflections
The co-chairs and the UNDESA
Division on Sustainable Development should be complimented on how they
have brought stakeholder views into the new paper and footnoted them. This
builds on the approach taken for the zero draft for Rio+20. The SDG OWG
is a temporary body of the UN General Assembly, a place where stakeholders have
no rights of participation, so this is a very positive development.
The paper’s footnotes say a
lot on which governments and which stakeholders have engaged in
this process and what they have been asking for. The World Society for Protection of
Animals has done very well
both in the food focus area and the health focus area. I think as an
organization they had the most single mentions – three
in the footnotes. They are a very good case study of how to do this work around
the UN. They were one of the first organizations with actual suggested targets and
indicators for governments to see and played a very good hand in building
relationships with governments.
Many stakeholders worked through the
Major
Group coordination mechanisms so it is less clear which organization
led in particular areas but taking the women’s
major group I count twenty four
mentions, the Children and Youth twenty one mentions and for the local and regional government major group
there were eight mentions.
What was very surprising was that SDSN
only had one mention and none to the one million people who took part in the World
We Want survey. The other group that should be pleased is the Rome
based agencies, whose excellent work was led by IFAD. They brought
together some very good targets and indicators in a very collaborative way and also
worked collaboratively with stakeholders and governments. Finally Communitas
is an example of a coalition that worked very much with governments, their
major group but also with other stakeholders. They have at this point secured
what they were set up to do and that is a stand-alone goal on Sustainable Cities and
Human Settlements in the present draft.
The Way Forward
For organizations who do not have
their particular target reflected in the present text you have just over a week
to persuade a government/governments to take that forward. If what they have in
the present text you don’t like the same applies. By the time the session
starts in May it will be very difficult to get governments to add to their game
plan.
Beyond this session of the SDG OWG
it will move into negotiations and the final two meetings will refine the
present document more. The main areas for concern will be:
·
Means of Implementation
·
Focus are 16 Peaceful and inclusive societies,
rule of law and capable institutions
·
We could see some potential Focus areas
questioned and it is probably unlikely that this will be resolved by the end of
the SDG OWG
The document in July will capture
where there is agreement and where there isn’t. For stakeholders the next BIG
space for groups to come together and agree a strategy for the UN General
Assembly and the negotiations in 2015 is the 65th UN DPI NGO
Conference which is the 27th-29th of August.
Under the leadership of Jeffrey Huffines (CIVICUS) this is a
vital event for stakeholders to attend in New York.
The Focus
areas and possible Goals
The co-chairs have given a suggested text for the goal
under each Focus area. I am putting it as a goal they have not yet called it that.
I am also putting under each Focus areas the goal areas that the 2011
UN DPI NGO Conference, which was the first stakeholder event to support
SDGs, called for. We started the 2011 Declaration Chairs text with:
“To achieve
the goals of Rio + 20 in an ambitious, time-bound and accountable manner, we
call upon governments in accordance with human rights, the principle of common
but differentiated responsibilities, and 438 respective capabilities to adopt
the following draft Sustainable Development Goals together with the sub-goals,
reasons and clarifications relating to each goal. Out of the 16 Focus areas in
this draft from the co-chairs the DPI NGO Conference called for 11 and half of
these areas.”
Focus area
1. Poverty eradication, building shared prosperity and promoting equality
Goal 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere
UNDPI NGO Conference (2011) NO
Focus area
2. Sustainable agriculture, food security and nutrition
Goals 2: End hunger and improve nutrition for all
through sustainable agriculture and improved food systems
UNDPI NGO Conference (2011) YES
Focus area
3. Health and population dynamics
Goal 3: Healthy life at all ages for all
UNDPI NGO Conference (2011) YES
Focus area
4. Education and lifelong learning
Goal 4: Provide quality education and lifelong
learning for all
UNDPI NGO Conference (2011) YES
Focus area
5. Gender equality and women’s empowerment
Goal 5: Attain gender equality and women’s
empowerment everywhere
UNDPI NGO Conference (2011) NO
Focus area
6. Water and sanitation
Goal 6: Water and sanitation for a sustainable
world
UNDPI NGO Conference (2011) YES
Focus area
7. Energy
Goal 7: Ensure access to affordable, sustainable,
and reliable modern energy for all
UNDPI NGO Conference (2011) YES
Focus area
8. Economic growth, employment and infrastructure
Goal 8: Promote sustainable, inclusive and
sustained economic growth and decent jobs for all
UNDPI NGO Conference (2011) YES (Economic growth –called new indicators of progress and sustainable
livelihoods)
Focus area
9. Industrialization and promoting equality among nations
Goal 9: Promote sustainable industrialization and
equality among nations
UNDPI NGO Conference (2011) No
Focus area
10. Sustainable cities and human settlements
Goal 10: Build inclusive, safe and sustainable
cities and human settlements
UNDPI NGO Conference (2011) YES
Focus area
11. Sustainable Consumption and Production
Goal 11: Promote sustainable consumption and
production patterns
UNDPI NGO Conference (2011) YES
Focus area
12. Climate change
Goal 12: Take urgent and significant action to
mitigate and adapt to climate change
Build a climate change goal based on the outcome of
COP21 of the UNFCCC
UNDPI NGO Conference (2011) YES
Focus area
13. Conservation and sustainable use of marine resources, oceans and seas
Goal 13: Take urgent and significant actions for
the conservation and sustainable use of marine resources, oceans and seas
UNDPI NGO Conference (2011) YES
Focus area
14. Ecosystems and biodiversity
Goal 14: Protect and restore terrestrial ecosystems
and halt all biodiversity loss
UNDPI NGO Conference (2011) YES
Focus area
15. Means of implementation/Global partnership for sustainable
Goal 15: Development Strengthen global partnership
for sustainable development
UNDPI NGO Conference (2011) NO
Focus area
16. Peaceful and inclusive societies, rule of law and capable institutions
Goal 16: Peaceful and inclusive societies, rule of
law and capable institutions
UNDPI NGO Conference (2011) NO
Afterword
Over the years my experience has been that
stakeholders have their most impact early on and the UNDPI NGO Conference in
2011 did just that with having substance on the possible SDGs available for
governments to consider. As the process moves into negotiations the impact of
stakeholders becomes less and less – unfortunately many do not engage until the
later part of the process and are frustrated when they are enable to change the
direction of a negotiation or get their issues raised. What has been unusual
about this process is that stakeholders have been able to provide input into
the process since July 2011 when Colombia first put it forward, there have been
thematic discussions online, country consultations, a High level panel, a major
UN Conference (Rio+20) online outreach through the World We Want, expert
workshops, conferences and panels. It will be very difficult to argue that
people haven’t had their chance to input.
Input is of course one aspect of this – the other
is how close is your relationships with the governments who will be making the
decision. Have you met your government regular in capital, have you reached out
and met government’s reps at the meetings to explain your position? These will
be what will impact the process as we move forward.
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