A COMPENDIUM OF DELIBERATIONS ON
POST-2015 DEVELOPMENT AGENDA
David Tola Winjobi
1 Campaign2015+International
Š Campaign2015+ International
First Published 2014
All Rights Reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without permission in writing from the Publisher.
Campaign2015+ International Secretariat c/o CAFSO-WRAG for Development
Maria Ebun Foundation Building, End of Ajibola Adekemi Drive, Atanda Estate, Road Opp. Honors Filling Station, Alakia/Adegbayi Area, Klm 5 Ibadan/Ile-Ife Expressway, Box 15060, Agodi Post Office, Ibadan20003, Nigeria. +2348030618326, +2348027942603, +2348034947539 campaign2015@gmail.com http://campaign2015plus.blogspot.com http://facebook.com/campaign2015international http://m.facebook.com/groups/263518357002767?refid=27/ http://www.campaign2015plusinternational.org/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/campaign2015plusnigeria/join
End-Time Publishing House, Ibadan. ISBN:
2 Campaign2015+International
FOREWORD There were heightened hopes and expectations in the years preceding the new millennium on development across the globe. The period was characterized by hopeful slogans such as education for all by the year 2000, health for all by the year 2000, food for all by the year 2000 and so on and so forth. However, at the turn of that new millennium in 2000, the story did not change for better as the poor continued to be thrown into further poverty while the rich were all the more increasing in opulence. Thus there were consistent yawning gaps between the rich and the poor. Inequality still pervaded the world as visible between the haves and the haves-not, between the rich countries and the poor countries, between the global north and the global south. Hunger, starvation, preventable diseases were starring the people in the face. Many hospitals became mere consulting clinics while educational systems in the developing countries were ordinary buildings devoid of faculties and many people were walking corpses along the street. The first decade of the New Millennium appeared to offer much hope and expectation as the United Nations decided to tackle the bull by the horn setting out the Millennium Declaration signed by about 189 presidents and heads of governments in September 2000 in New York (USA). The Millennium Development Goals spelling out eight goals with 18 targets and 48 indicators became a document that committed both the rich and the poor countries to do all they could to eradicate poverty, fight illiteracy and diseases, promote human dignity and equality and achieve peace, democracy and environmental sustainability. By 2010, some countries were achieving some of the targets of the MDGs while many countries were derailing. This gave room for stock taking and consideration for an alternative to MDGs post-2015. As a follow-up to the UN Secretary-General’s report of 2010, there have been deliberations across the globe not only to appraise the MDGs but also to consider a workable alternative mechanism that would give the lives of people a meaning after 2015 the year set to achieve almost all of the goals. Specifically between 2012 and 2013, there were not less than 50 national deliberations led by the UN, a dozen more of regional debates, technical consultations and discussions by civil society and governments on post2015 development agenda. This book therefore presents a collection of reports, articles, opinions, and positions on post-2015 development framework as outcomes of such discourse. The book does not pretend to 3 Campaign2015+International
collate and document all those deliberations that took place across the globe; such would be an exercise in futility. Rather, it endeavoured to present only those ones that are relevant to the reading public from the vantage point of Africa. We wish you a happy reading. Reverend Father John Patrick Ngoyi Chair, Campaign2015+ International & Director, Justice, Development and Peace Commission, Ijebu-Ode Nigeria David Tola Winjobi (PhD), Convener, Campaign2015+ International & Principal Coordinator, CAFSO-WRAG for Development Nigeria.
4 Campaign2015+International
PREFACE In September 2000, all United Nations (UN) member states agreed to achieve eight international development goals by 2015. These Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) represented an unprecedented global consensus on the best approach for poverty reduction. Their purpose was to act as an incentive structure to hold governments and donors to account on the delivery of poverty reduction and human development against the MDG benchmarks, and as a global framework for mobilizing official development assistance (ODA) resources. The MDGs have had a much debated yet significant impact on the development agenda. How much the MDGs have actually contributed to the increase in quantity and quality of aid, as well as the role of aid flows in global progress towards goals, is hotly contested. However, it is broadly agreed among sector stakeholders that the MDGs have had a positive impact on development. The existing MDGs and targets have much strength. They are simple, easy to understand, realistic and achievable, and by focusing on ends rather than means, they can be adapted to different contexts. As a result, they have successfully raised the profile of significant multi-sectorial issues and focused political attention on the nature and scale of the problems globally. On the other hand, critics have argued that the MDGs lack ambition because they focus only on minimum standards and assume a continuation of historic rates of progress. Also, their adaptation at sub-national levels does not necessarily lead to meeting the targets at country level. Moreover, improvements in global average figures mask growing disparities between and within countries, with the poorest and most marginalised people typically last to benefit. Other criticisms relate to the crude nature of the target indicators, which inadequately capture concerns relating to access, safety and sustainability, and some of the perverse incentives they create, such as building new infrastructure rather than maintaining existing services. The MDGs have also been viewed as promoting sector-based vertical programming at the expense of crosssectorial integrated approaches that aim at bigger-picture transformational change.
5 Campaign2015+International
Ultimately, it will be UN member states that determine what the Post 2015 international development framework that follows the MDGs looks like. Member states are already discussing this process and beginning to consider their own preferences, priorities and proposals. Efforts to understand the thinking and positions of various member states and work to influence them are already well underway. The international decisionmaking will be convened by the UN under the General Assembly, and the period between 2013 and 2015 will be crucial to the outcomes of the next framework. Over the past few years and months, a series of platforms have been set up to support input into the process. These include: the High Level Panel of Eminent Persons on Post 2015 Agenda, Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals and The High Level Political Forum. There have also been various UN consultations at global, regional and national levels to ensure voices of the people are heard and they are able to contribute towards the development of the post 2015 development goals and targets. Over and above these official processes, civil society organizations (CSOs) have also been active, engaging with various players and actors in Post 2015 debate and processes at various. The good news is that global leaders and decision makers have a chance to learn from the shortfalls of the MDGs and come up with an ambitious and yet realistic set of goals and targets. It is evident that economic growth which does not support social development and protect environment is not sustainable. Therefore, there is a need to have post 2015 goals with sustainable development at its core in shaping our future and laying foundation for subsequent generations to come. This compendium has been developed to contribute to the various processes of Post 2015. It outlines key proposals and priorities across different sector. WaterAid Nigeria
6 Campaign2015+International
TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter One Post-2015 MDGs Development Agenda: Issues and Insights Chapter Two MDGs Implementation Progress in Nigeria Chapter Three
An Address and Press Interview on Post-2015 Deliberations in Nigeria Chapter Four Ban Names Civil Society, Private Sector and Government Leaders to Post2015 Panel Chapter Five Amnesty International’s Input and Preambles to the Proposed Goals Chapter Six Southern Civil Society E-Consultation on the Health Theme of the Post 2015 UN Agenda Chapter Seven Campaign2015+ International and Post-2015 Development Agenda Chapter Eight
Report of the Grassroots Zonal Deliberations on Post-2015 Global Development Framework in Nigeria Chapter Nine Report of the Nigerian (National) CSOs Consultations on Post-2015 Development Agenda, Held in Abuja Chapter Ten Communique Issued at the End of the Post-2015 Education Consultation
7 Campaign2015+International
Chapter Eleven 40-Country Civil Society Demands for the Post-2015 Agenda
Chapter Twelve African Civil Society Demands for the Post-2015 Development Agenda
Chapter Thirteen Campaign for People’s Goals for Sustainable Development
Chapter Fourteen Beyond2015 Values and Targets of the Post-2015 Agenda
Chapter Fifteen Population Dynamics in the Context of the Post-2015 Development Framework Chapter Sixteen Beyond2015 Position Paper on UN Thematic Consultation on Conflict,
Fragility & Disaster
Chapter Seventeen Holistic and Human Rights�Based Approach for Addressing Inequalities
Chapter Eighteen Outcome Document 68 th Session UN General Assembly Chapter Nineteen UN-NGLS Post-2015 Civil Society Consultation
Chapter Twenty The Open Working Group (OWG) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS) for Post 2015 8 Campaign2015+International
Chapter Twenty One Civil Society Responses to the Report of the Post-2015 High-Level Panel
Chapter Twenty Two Water aid Position and Feedback on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in the Post-2015 Agenda
Chapter Twenty-Three Beyond2015 Briefing Following the UN Special Event on the Post-2015 Agenda
Chapter Twenty-Four Position of the Nigerian Civil Society Organizations (CSOS), NGOs and Private Sector Groups working on Migration
Chapter Twenty-Five
Crossing First Avenue - Proposal for Post-2015 Advocacy beyond UN General Assembly 2013 Chapter Twenty-Six
Sustainable Development Is Complicated - Are There Really Too Many SDGs? Chapter Twenty-Seven
About Campaign2015+ International
9 Campaign2015+International
Chapter One POST-2015 MDGs DEVELOPMENT AGENDA: ISSUES AND INSIGHTS Introduction In the decades preceding the turn of the new millennium, there were hopes and expectations that year 2000 would provide a magic wand that would provide solutions to many if not all of the intractable challenges facing humanity. It was a period where commonplace were slogans such as “health for all by the year 2000”, “education for all by the year 2000”, “food sufficiency for all by the year 2000”, “shelter for all by the year 2000”, “prosperity for all by the year 2000” and several other slogans. Poverty, hunger, starvation and diseases seemed to be the major challenges facing the developing nations while the developed economies seemed to be enjoying the benefits of development including human rights, democracy, and good governance. The United Nations indeed felt concerned about the plight of common people especially in the global south. In order to address the problem of poverty and promote sustainable developments, the 8 millennium goals were adopted in September 2000 at the largest gathering of Heads of States committing both rich and poor countries to do all they can to eradicate poverty, promote human dignity and equality, and achieve peace, democracy and environmental stability. By this commitment the world has an unprecedented opportunity to improve the lives of billions of people by adopting practical approaches to meeting the Millennium Development Goals. The MDGs and related targets and indicators serve as benchmarks of progress towards the shared vision of where we want to go and commitment to work together to get there. There are 18 targets and 48 indicators set to achieve the 8 goals by 2015. Three distinct characteristics of MDGs are that: it is people-centred; it is adaptable to SMART test; and it involves the development partners, among others. There have been several initiatives, alliances, formations, coalitions, organizations including NGOs, CBOs, FBOs, trade unions, professional associations, student organizations, community groups, bilateral and multilaterals, and intergovernmental working worldwide alongside the UN 10 Campaign2015+International
and governments in order to attain the vision and mission of the United Nations on the Millennium Declaration. The Challenges of Attainment of MDGs: Can we attain MDGs by 2015? Yes, No! If “Yes” what happens, do we rest on our oars? And if “No” what about it, do we become despondent? The need to monitor and evaluate performance on MDGs implementation is not only important but also highly necessary so as to know whether the programme is on course or derailing, or to know how far we have gone, and where we need to strengthen our efforts. Monitoring and evaluation efforts have shown some astounding results giving way to despondency on attaining MDGs by 2015. Thirteen years on from the original adoption of the MDGs at the 2000 Millennium Summit, and two years left to 2015 it seems all the efforts by stakeholders towards achieving MDGs are not drastic enough. According to the UN Secretary-General, though there is some remarkable progress made in some countries, collectively we are falling short in the achievement of MDGs globally. The consequence of these shortfalls, further aggravated by the combined effects of the global food, climate, energy and economic crises, is that improvements in the lives of the poorest are happening at an unacceptably slow pace while in some countries, hard fought gains are being eroded. At the current pace, several of the eight MDGs and associated targets are likely to be missed in many countries. The challenges are most severe in the least developed countries (LDCs), land-locked developing countries (LLDCs) and some small island developing states (SIDS). Therefore, if MDGs cannot be achieved by 2015 (which is very certain), the need to look beyond the target year is imperative. CSOs therefore have a crucial role to play in further engaging the governments to address those MDG lines they could not achieve at the set date and do more on those they achieved. If governments achieved MDGs by 2015 (which is very uncertain), imperative is the need for the CSOs to further engage governments in monitoring and evaluation so as to consolidate on and not to derail from the gains hitherto achieved. Though the MDGs are people-centred and development focused, lacking are the essential ingredients of human rights, peace and justice which are the bedrocks of development. The issues of democracy, good governance, and human rights, are not expressly stated in the Millennium Declaration 11 Campaign2015+International
though they can be linked in some way. However justice, peace, and security especially global terrorism are difficult to situate within the purview of the 8 goals. Consultations for a Post-2015 United Nations Development Agenda The need for all to look beyond 2015 MDGs is emphasised in the 2010 Annual report of the Secretary-General (11 July 2011) titled, “Accelerating progress towards the Millennium Development Goals: options for sustained and inclusive growth and issues for advancing the United Nations development agenda beyond 2015�. The Millennium Development Goal summit requested the Secretary-General to make recommendations in his annual reports, as appropriate, for further steps to advance the United Nations development agenda beyond 2015. Over the coming months, structured discussions, in different United Nations forums, will enable Member States and other relevant stakeholders especially the CSOs to make their own assessments on how the Millennium Development Goals should be reviewed and rethought. The post-2015 development framework is likely to have the best development impact if it emerges from an inclusive, open and transparent process with multi-stakeholder participation. Using established global, regional and national mechanisms and processes is one way to ensure that such deliberations benefit from the wide range of lessons learned and the experiences of different stakeholders. Several formal and informal meetings are scheduled in the run-up to 2015. In addition to taking stock of Millennium Development Goals progress, these could discuss elements of a post-2015 framework. The UN has started the work programme to foster a broad based, open and inclusive dialogue with all stakeholders, including civil society actors, on the post-2015 agenda. A key part of this will be a global conversation on post-2015 to capture the voices of citizens. As indicated in the UN Secretary General’s report to the General Assembly in September 2011, the UN Millennium Campaign will act as one of the outreach mechanisms to civil society to gather inputs and feedback on the post-2015agenda and facilitate dialogue with the UN system. The UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the UN Department for Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) have been mandated by the Secretary-General to lead the work on the post-2015 framework. A Task Team of senior technical experts from UNDP and DESA, chaired by Olav Kjorven (UNDP) and Jomo Kwame
12 Campaign2015+International
Sundaram (DESA), and supported by the full UN system, was set up in January 2012 to define a system-wide vision for the post-2015 agenda. The UN Secretary-General has also set up a think than group called High Level Panel to whom the reports on various consultations would be submitted. The HLP would advise the UN Sec-Gen on the reports. Among the HLP are two Nigerians: Ms Amina Ibrahim (Mohammed), and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. The Task Team is mandated to produce a study which will serve as a roadmap for the work of a High-LevelPanel that the UN Secretary General has appointed third quarter of 2012. The study will critically appraise the current MDG framework, map on-going activities inside and outside of the UN on defining a post-2015 agenda, and assess challenges that have become more prominent in the last decade. As part of this work, UNDP, working with other UN Development Group (UNDG) agencies, is supportingconsultations at the national level in up to 50 countries and producing and distributing guidance notes to the UN Country Teams to facilitate these exercises. The consultations are set up in a way that facilitates the inclusion of voices of poor people and those that are vulnerable; although the modes of doing this will depend on the country context. The detailed list of countries and type of support that will be offered are already being shared UNDP is also facilitating8 regional/global consultations to discuss thematic and cross-cutting issues in post- 2015 global agenda, such as inequality, sustainability, population and governance. As a general principle, civil society organisations are invited to participate in all levels of the consultations. The Civil Society has a key role to play in the various deliberations towards post-2015 development agenda. Campaign2015+, Beyond 2015, GCAP etc. have been involved in all the processes. Beyond 2015 has appointed Campaign2015+International to lead the CS deliberations in Nigeria. Campaign2015+ International: The Efforts So Far Though with membership in some African countries, Campaign 2015+ is located in Nigeria, which is one of the countries that UNDG-led consultations would take place. This would afford us the opportunity to input into the UN discussions. Apart from its large membership across Nigeria, it is the only coalition that has grassroots reaches which would make it easy for us to have all-inclusive discussions on post-2015 global development agenda. Also, Campaign2015+ knows the issue bordering 13 Campaign2015+International
on post-2015 more so that its members are members of Beyond 2015 while its convener led GCAP campaign in Nigeria for three years. It is interesting to note that it is the only coalition not only in Nigeria but also in Africa primarily established to collaborate with governments to attain MDGs and to campaign beyond 2015 on development issue. Importantly, Campaign2015+ is the only coalition so far in Nigeria that has started discussions already on post-2015 agenda as it has solely organised several meetings already (we have report to back this up) while it collaborated once with a Faith-based group to organize another one. Campaign2015+ in the third quarter of 2012 formed a national think tank to strategize for holding national consultations. The first meeting hosted by JDPC took place in Ijebu-Ode in early September 2012. Campaign2015+ also single handedly sponsored and organized consultations in two states – Osun and Ondo States – and the deliberations continue. We expect each zone or state or local group to organize theirs also bordering on post-2015 MDG framework. Meanwhile, there have been several meetings now organized by various states especially in the southwest while individual groups like NYSC-MDG Group held theirs in Jalingo, Taraba State on post-2015 development agenda. Towards the end of November 2012 having been appointed the Lead Agency to organize and coordinate deliberations on post-2015, Campaign2015+ International was supported by Beyond 2015 based in Brussels. Hence we are supporting small hubs of deliberations across the six geo-political zones of Nigeria. However, Campaign2015+ members agreed on the need to organize one national deliberation but we need to source for fund for this as the current grant cannot cover both the zonal and national. We have set up a small hub of three people to map out how we can contact the UN Country team for identifying with us and support to organize the national deliberation where we are going to bring to Abuja representatives of Campaign2015 from each zone/state. If you have any suggestion as to getting financial support for that one national deliberation, let us know. The Abuja deliberation would afford us the opportunity of formalising/ratifying the appointment of Ad-Hoc Committee as full-fledged Steering Committee or Governing Council.
14 Campaign2015+International
I am happy to inform us too that Alliance for the Southern Civil Society on Health is partnering with Campaign2015+ in organizing an international interface and discussion of results on post-2015 health related issues in Abuja. Campaign2015+ has also been appointed as a Lead Author and a team member among ten who will be directing the work of the drafting team in synthesizing the inputs which Beyond2015 and other key partners have gathered thus far on the vision, purpose, principles and criteria of a post-2015 framework.
15 Campaign2015+International
Chapter Two AN ADDRESS AND PRESS INTERVIEW ON POST-2015 DELIBERATIONS IN NIGERIA1 ADDRESS It gives me pleasure to address you today on the current critical global development issue tagged “post-2015 MDGs development framework� as it affects Nigeria. In order to address the problem of poverty and promote sustainable developments, the 8 millennium goals were adopted in September 2000 at the largest gathering of Heads of States committing both rich and poor countries to do all they can to eradicate poverty, promote human dignity and equality, and achieve peace, democracy and environmental stability. By this commitment the world has an unprecedented opportunity to improve the lives of billions of people by adopting practical approaches to meeting the Millennium Development Goals. The MDGs and related targets and indicators serve as benchmarks of progress towards the shared vision of where we want to go and commitment to work together to get there. There are 18 targets and 48 indicators set to achieve the 8 goals by 2015. Twelve years on from the original adoption of the MDGs at the 2000 Millennium Summit, it seems all the efforts by stakeholders towards achieving MDGs by 2015 were not drastic enough. Though there is some remarkable progress made in some countries, collectively we are falling short in the achievement of MDGs especially in Nigeria. The consequence of these shortfalls, further aggravated by the combined effects of the global food, climate, energy, economic crises, and recently, terrorism, is that improvements in the lives of the poorest are happening at an unacceptably slow pace. Nigeria is fraught with despondency in the face
1
This was an address presented by Dr. Tola Winjobi, Convener Campaign 2015+ International marking the formal launching of Post-2015 Global Development Framework deliberations in Nigeria followed by an International Press Interview Granted on Various Issues Dealing with MDGs and Post-2015 Development Agenda
16 Campaign2015+International
of bad leadership, hunger, starvation, preventable diseases, moral decadence and corruption. At the current pace, several of the eight MDGs and associated targets are likely to be missed in Nigeria. Nigerians are suffering amidst plenty as we have both human and material resources. About 72 % Nigerians are still living in poverty (Nigeria Bureau of Statistics 2011) while our youths are passing out from higher institutions without jobs thus turning some of them to emergency robbers while many are desperate to get out of the country. Our educational system from primary to tertiary level is in shambles while our health systems are in abysmal decay as our national budget on health has never reached 15% as canvassed for internationally. Both infant mortality and maternal mortality ratios are increasing by the day as women are still dying while giving birth. Myriads are the challenges against attainment of MDGs in Nigeria. Things that are supposedly to work are not working. Vision 20-2020 cannot see any vision for Nigeria to be one of the 20 topmost economies of the world as industries are relocating to neighboring countries like Sierra Leone and Ghana while many are folding up. Power supply in Nigeria is an albatross and has been erratic or epileptic throwing many into further poverty. Our oil is a paradox as we import what we produce because the greedy cartels and political saboteurs are not making our refineries work for selfish reasons. Religious and ethnic crises have become the order of the day. Insecurity has become a major challenge and the bane of development especially with Boko Haram unleashing terror on innocent Nigerians while the federal government seems helpless. Nigeria needs good leadership, not political caterwaulers. It needs leaders that have political will to transform Nigeria from this state of squalor to an enviable position among the comity of nations. Nigeria needs committed leaders that are ready to stamp out corruption by sealing the leakages of public funds into private pockets and genuinely prosecuting sleazebag. Looking beyond MDGs 2015 globally, the focus now is post-2015 development framework which centres on sustainable development goals. The need to look beyond 2015 MDGs is emphasized in the 2010 Annual Report of the Secretary-General (11 July 2011) titled, “Accelerating progress towards the Millennium Development Goals: options for sustained and inclusive growth and issues for advancing the United Nations development agenda beyond 2015�. The Millennium 17 Campaign2015+International
Development Goal summit requested the Secretary-General to make recommendations in his annual reports, as appropriate, for further steps to advance the United Nations development agenda beyond 2015. Between now and coming months, structured discussions, in different United Nations forums, will enable Member States (including Nigeria) and other relevant stakeholders especially the CSOs to make their own assessments on how the Millennium Development Goals should be reviewed and rethought. Fortunately, Nigeria is one of the fifty countries that UN-led national deliberations would be organized while two Nigerians are on the High Level Panel set up by the UN SecretaryGeneral. The post-2015 development framework is likely to have the best development impact if it emerges from a broad-based, inclusive, open and transparent process with multi-stakeholder participation. Using established global, regional and national mechanisms and processes is one way to ensure that such deliberations benefit from the wide range of lessons learned and the experiences of different stakeholders. Campaign2015+ International believes that civil society as well as the fourth estate of the realm has a key role to play in the various deliberations towards post-2015 development agenda. And thus, it is the only coalition so far in Nigeria that has started discussions already on post-2015 agenda as its members have been organising deliberations at the grassroots level. These zonal deliberations are an effort geared at sensitising the people to participate actively in post-2015 global development agenda by making their voices count in the process and implementation of the new sustainable development goals. The deliberations which have started at the local level would go through the six geo-political zones of Nigeria to be consummated at the national level to coincide with the UN-led national deliberation before March2013. We encourage individuals, organizations, and the press to make input into these post-2015 development framework discussions so that the voices of Nigerians would be heard on the kind of world they want, in particular, the kind of Nigeria they desire. We therefore call on the Nigerian government, the Nigerian members of the High Level Panel, UN systems, development agencies, civil society organisations and all stakeholders to join in a synergistic partnership with Campaign2015+international to ensure that the poor and those highly affected by poverty in Nigeria have a voice in the process of developing a more sustainable global development framework. 18 Campaign2015+International
Thank you. This was an address presented by Dr. Tola Winjobi, Convener Campaign 2015+ International marking the formal launching of Post-2015 Global Development Framework deliberations in Nigeria AN INTERNATIONAL PRESS INTERVIEW ON VARIOUS ISSUES DEALING WITH MDGS AND POST-2015 DEVELOPMENT AGENDA
Can we meet you? My name is David Tola Winjobi. I am the Convener of Campaign2015+ International, an organization that campaigns alongside other civil society, the poor and the marginalized, donors, development partners, and international community, pressuring governments and other stakeholders to look beyond 2015 and give the lives of people a meaning through upholding justice, human rights and development. There were lost hopes in the years before 2000; what has been the situation since the inception of the new millennium and the role of the UN? In the decades preceding the turn of the new millennium, there were hopes and expectations that year 2000 would provide a magic wand that would provide solutions to many if not all of the intractable challenges facing humanity. It was a period where commonplace were slogans such as “health for all by the year 2000”, “education for all by the year 2000”, “food sufficiency for all by the year 2000”, “shelter for all by the year 2000”, “prosperity for all by the year 2000” and several other slogans. Poverty, hunger, starvation and diseases seemed to be the major challenges facing the developing nations while the developed economies seemed to be enjoying the benefits of development including human rights, democracy, and good governance. The United Nations indeed felt concerned about the plight of common people especially in the global south. In order to address the problem of poverty and promote sustainable developments, the 8 millennium goals were adopted in September 2000 at the largest gathering of Heads of States committing both rich and poor countries to do all they can to eradicate poverty, promote human dignity and equality, and achieve peace, democracy and environmental stability. By this commitment the world has an unprecedented opportunity to improve the lives of billions of people by adopting practical approaches to meeting the Millennium Development Goals. 19 Campaign2015+International
What is the essence of MDGs, and are there organizations working in consonance with the UN in achieving MDGs? The MDGs and related targets and indicators serve as benchmarks of progress towards the shared vision of where we want to go and commitment to work together to get there. There are 18 targets and 48 indicators set to achieve the 8 goals by 2015. Three distinct characteristics of MDGs are that: it is people-centred; it is adaptable to SMART test; and it involves the development partners, among others. There have been several initiatives, alliances, formations, coalitions, organizations including NGOs, CBOs, FBOs, trade unions, professional associations, student organizations, community groups, bilateral and multilaterals, and inter-governmentals working worldwide alongside the UN and governments in order to attain the vision and mission of the United Nations on the Millennium Declaration. Can countries attain MDGs by 2015, and if not what are the challenges and pitfalls of MDGs? Can countries attain MDGs by 2015? Yes, No! If “Yes” what happens, do we rest on our oars? And if “No” what about it, do we become despondent? The need to monitor and evaluate performance on MDGs implementation is not only important but also highly necessary so as to know whether the programme is on course or derailing, or to know how far we have gone, and where we need to strengthen our efforts. Monitoring and evaluation efforts have shown some astounding results giving way to despondency on attaining MDGs by 2015 among developing countries in particular. Thirteen years on from the original adoption of the MDGs at the 2000 Millennium Summit, and two years left to 2015 it seems all the efforts by stakeholders towards achieving MDGs are not drastic enough. According to the UN Secretary-General, though there is some remarkable progress made in some countries, collectively we are falling short in the achievement of MDGs globally. The consequence of these shortfalls, further aggravated by the combined effects of the global food, climate, energy and economic crises, is that improvements in the lives of the poorest are happening at an unacceptably slow pace while in some countries, hard fought gains are being eroded. At the current pace, several of the eight MDGs and associated targets are likely to be missed in many countries. The challenges are most severe in the least developed countries 20 Campaign2015+International
(LDCs), land-locked developing countries (LLDCs) and some small island developing states (SIDS). Therefore, if MDGs cannot be achieved by 2015 (which is very certain), the need to look beyond the target year is imperative. CSOs therefore have a crucial role to play in further engaging the governments to address those MDG lines they could not achieve at the set date and do more on those they achieved. If governments achieved MDGs by 2015 (which is very uncertain), imperative is the need for the CSOs to further engage governments in monitoring and evaluation so as to consolidate on and not to derail from the gains hitherto achieved. Though the MDGs are people-centred and development focused, lacking are the essential ingredients of human rights, peace and justice which are the bedrocks of development. The issues of democracy, good governance, and human rights, are not expressly stated in the Millennium Declaration though they can be linked in some way. However justice, peace, and security especially global terrorism are difficult to situate within the purview of the 8 goals. Do we need to look beyond 2015 if most MDGs would not be attained, and what replacement if any for MDGs? Yes, we need to look beyond MDGs2015 and come up with sustainable development goals as replacement. The need for us to look beyond 2015 MDGs is emphasised in the 2010 Annual report of the Secretary-General (11 July 2011) titled, “Accelerating progress towards the Millennium Development Goals: options for sustained and inclusive growth and issues for advancing the United Nations development agenda beyond 2015�. The Millennium Development Goal summit requested the Secretary-General to make recommendations in his annual reports, as appropriate, for further steps to advance the United Nations development agenda beyond 2015. Over the past months, structured discussions, in different United Nations forums, enabled Member States and other relevant stakeholders especially the CSOs to make their own assessments on how the Millennium Development Goals should be reviewed and rethought. The post-2015 development framework is likely to have the best development impact if it emerges from an inclusive, open and transparent process with multistakeholder participation. Using established global, regional and national mechanisms and processes is one way to ensure that such deliberations benefit from the wide range of lessons learned and the experiences of different stakeholders. Several formal and informal meetings are 21 Campaign2015+International
scheduled in the run-up to 2015. In addition to taking stock of Millennium Development Goals progress, these could discuss elements of a post-2015 framework. What efforts is the UN making towards post-2015 development framework? The UN has started the work to foster a broad based, open and inclusive dialogue with all stakeholders, including civil society actors, on the post2015 agenda. A key part of this will be a global conversation on post-2015 to capture the voices of citizens. As indicated in the UN Secretary General’s report to the General Assembly in September 2011, the UN Millennium Campaign will act as one of the outreach mechanisms to civil society to gather inputs and feedback on the post-2015agenda and facilitate dialogue with the UN system. The UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the UN Department for Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) have been mandated by the Secretary-General to lead the work on the post-2015 framework. A Task Team of senior technical experts from UNDP and DESA, chaired by Olav Jorgen (UNDP) and Jomo Kwame Sundaram (DESA), and supported by the full UN system, was set up in January 2012 to define a system-wide vision for the post-2015 agenda. The UN Secretary-General has also set up a think tank group called High Level Panel to whom the reports on various consultations would be submitted. The HLP would advise the UN Sec-Gen on the reports. Among the HLP are two Nigerians: Ms Amina Ibrahim (Mohammed), and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.The Task Team is mandated to produce a study which will serve as a roadmap for the work of a High-Level Panel that the UN Secretary General has appointed third quarter of 2012. The study will critically appraise the current MDG framework, map on-going activities inside and outside of the UN on defining a post-2015 agenda, and assess challenges that have become more prominent in the last decade. As part of this work, UNDP, working with other UN Development Group (UNDG) agencies, is supporting consultations at the national level in up to 50 countries and producing and distributing guidance notes to the UN Country Teams to facilitate these exercises. The consultations are set up in a way that facilitates the inclusion of voices of poor people and those that are vulnerable; although the modes of doing this will depend on the country context. The detailed list of countries and type of support that will be offered are already being shared UNDP is also facilitating8 regional/global consultations to discuss thematic and cross-cutting issues 22 Campaign2015+International
in post- 2015 global agenda, such as inequality, sustainability, population and governance. As a general principle, civil society organisations are invited to participate in all levels of the consultations. Which countries in Africa do you feel are really ‘invested’ in the post 2015 process? Who are the ones who are taking a lead on this? There are 19 African countries south of the Sahara out of not less than 50 countries globally where national deliberations would take place. Among the countries that I feel are really invested in post-2015 process are Nigeria, Liberia, Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, and South Africa. I should think that Liberia and Ethiopia are taking a lead on this going by several meetings on post-2015 development framework that have taken place in the two countries. Eyes are all on Liberia in particular because of the role of President Helen Johnson-Sirleaf as one of the three-member Co-Chairs. But then Nigeria is also playing a critical role because of its influential position within the sub region. You know if Nigeria gets it right other countries in Africa would follow suit. Who are the countries that other African countries will be listening to in determining their own positions – in other words, which countries do you think are the most influential ones within Africa? Apart from Liberia and Nigeria, other influential countries in Africa include Kenya and South Africa because these countries are strategically positioned in East and Southern Africa respectively. These are countries that other countries would be listening to in determining their own positions. Who are the stakeholders/organisations your country will be influenced by? How important is the UN as an influencing factor? How important is the High Level Panel? In Nigeria are stakeholders like CSOs including Campaign2015+ International and JDPC, and development partners such as USAID, Oxfam International, Save the Children International, and WaterAid including UN Systems like UNDP, UNMC, UNFPA, UNICEF, WHO, IOM, UN Women etc. whose Nigerian position would be influenced by them because of the critical role they are playing presently. Campaign2015+ International is the only coordinating hub for CSO in Nigeria ensuring that the voices of the critical masses including the minorities, the marginalised, the poorest of the poor, the artisans, the famers, the professionals etc. are heard and included in the post-2015 deliberations. Campaign2015+ International with the support of its members and Beyond 2015 organized five zonal deliberations and several local deliberations in Nigeria as at 23 Campaign2015+International
February 2013. Its BlogSpot link is http://campaign2015plus.blogspot.com and facebook is http://m.facebook.com/groups/263518357002767?refid=27 . UN is an influencing factor in Nigeria because of the leverage they bring to the discussions and their role as the coordinating body for the deliberation in Nigeria. The UN may make or mar the process: It may refuse support, both technical and financial, to CSOs to deliberate inclusively and meaningfully. However, the UN Resident Coordinator is supposed to provide strategic guidance in order to ensure the deliberations are all-inclusive and factored in into the outcomes. UNMC (United Nations Millennium Campaign) is under the UNDP who entrusts the responsibility of coordinating the UNDG-led national deliberation on the former. Likewise there are specific thematic areas that two or three UN Systems coordinate. For example, UNICEF/UNWomen jointly coordinated discussions on inequalities while UNDP/ILO coordinated those of growth and employment. Similarly, WHO and UNICEF coordinated deliberations focusing on health while the same UNICEF in conjunction with UNESCO coordinated education theme. All these UN systems are visibly present in Nigeria and thus could influence the discussions and outcomes of the deliberations going by the thematic areas they work on. Appointed by the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, the HLP too is important because it is a think tank body that would receive all the reports and outcomes of the national deliberations and thematic consultations and advise the UN Secretary-General. The HLP report to be submitted about May 2013 would shape the MDGs High Level Event that would come off later in September. Does Nigeria see this as an intergovernmental negotiation process (is up to countries to decide) or are they happy to let the UN and the High Level Panel set the agenda? Well, a global process of this nature has to begin somewhere….either intergovernmental or otherwise. The UN with its Task Team and later HLP had to set the agenda. One thing is for the Task Team or UN HLP set the agenda, another is for the countries to reject the unpopular agenda. I think they are favourable and well-intentioned agenda which is why no government to my understanding has ever kicked against it. Even if Nigeria sees it as an intergovernmental process the content and process of the deliberation have changed their “business as usual” style. This has gone beyond governments and the UN because the CSOs and the masses 24 Campaign2015+International
are involved going by the way we have started it in Nigeria without waiting for UN or government to support us financially before we could organize ourselves. Though we approached UNDP/UNMC in Nigeria for support when we started the process, they were dilly dallying and we had to look inward for resources when we realized they were not articulate. UN with its Country Team everywhere needs to demonstrate seriousness in this global development agenda process by cooperating with and carrying along the CSOs, the marginalised, the poor, and the voiceless so that the voices of the latter could count and be reflected in the final outcome of the whole deliberations. Nothing about this global framework is about us if the process and outcome are non-participatory, nontransparent, non-inclusive, and not masses-responsive, which are some of the pitfalls of the MDGs. Are there efforts organized by CSOs geared at the new framework in Nigeria and what has been done in this regard so far? The CS has a key role to play in the various deliberations towards post2015 development agenda. Campaign2015+ International, Beyond 2015, GCAP etc. have been involved in all the processes. Campaign2015+International is the lead agency coordinating the CS deliberations in Nigeria. Hence it has supported small hubs of deliberations across five geo-political zones of Nigeria as at January 2013. The focus of those grassroots-oriented deliberations was on the vision, purpose, principles and criteria of a post-2015 framework and the kind of Nigeria we want. Meanwhile, there was a UN-led national deliberation organized in collaboration with office of the Special Assistant to President on MDGs involving cross sections of Nigerians in Abuja in February, while another one with the support of UNMC bringing only CSOs together came off in March 2013. What is your assessment of MDGs implementation currently in Nigeria, are we on track? No, we are not. As a matter of fact, the MDG that Nigeria had missed since 2005 was on promotion of gender equality and empowering women (Goal 3). At the current pace, several of the eight MDGs and associated targets are likely to be missed in Nigeria. Nigerians are suffering amidst plenty as we have both human and material resources. About 72 % Nigerians are still living in poverty (Nigeria Bureau of Statistics 2011) while our youths are passing out from higher institutions without jobs thus turning some of them to emergency robbers while many are desperate to 25 Campaign2015+International
get out of the country. Our educational system from primary to tertiary level is in shambles while our health systems are in abysmal decay as our national budget on health has never reached 15% as canvassed for internationally. Both infant mortality and maternal mortality ratios are increasing by the day as women are still dying while giving birth. Things that are supposedly to work are not working. Vision 20-2020 cannot see any vision for Nigeria to be one of the 20 topmost economies of the world as industries are relocating to neighboring countries like Sierra Leone and Ghana while many are folding up. Power supply is a challenge in Nigeria as electricity authorities are throwing people into further poverty through epileptic and erratic power supply. Religious and ethnic crises have become the order of the day. Insecurity has become a major challenge and the bane of development especially with Boko Haram unleashing terror on innocent Nigerians while the federal government seems helpless. What is the problem with our country, what do we really need? The problem is nothing but leadership. Nigeria is fraught with despondency in the face of bad leadership, hunger, starvation, preventable diseases, moral decadence and corruption. Nigeria needs good leadership. It needs leaders that have political will to transform Nigeria from this state of squalor to an enviable position among the comity of nations. Nigeria needs committed leaders that are ready to stamp out corruption by sealing the leakages of public funds into private pockets and genuinely prosecuting sleazebag. The government must been seen as genuinely fighting corruption rather than pardoning convicts that are still under the watch of international community. I therefore call on the Nigerian government, the Nigerian members of the High Level Panel, development agencies, civil society organisations and all stakeholders to join in a synergistic partnership with Campaign2015+international to ensure that the poor and those highly affected by poverty in Nigeria have a voice in the process of developing a more sustainable global development framework. Thank you.
26 Campaign2015+International
Chapter Three BAN NAMES CIVIL SOCIETY, PRIVATE SECTOR AND GOVERNMENT LEADERS TO POST-2015 PANEL 31 July 2012 – United Nations: Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today announced the members of a High-level Panel to advise on the global development agenda beyond 2015, the target date achieving the antipoverty targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). “I have asked my High-level Panel to prepare a bold yet practical development vision to present to Member States next year,” Mr. Ban said in a news release. The Panel will hold its first meeting at the end of September, in the margins of the annual high-level debate of the General Assembly. It is expected to submit its findings to the Secretary-General in the first half of 2013, and those findings will inform his report to Member States. “I look forward to the Panel’s recommendations on a global post-2015 agenda with shared responsibilities for all countries and with the fight against poverty and sustainable development at its core,” Mr. Ban said. The eight MDGs, agreed on by world leaders at a UN summit in 2000, set specific targets on poverty alleviation, education, gender equality, child and maternal health, environmental stability, HIV/AIDS reduction, and a ‘Global Partnership for Development.’ According to a recent study – the 2012 Millennium Development Goals Report – progress has been made in some areas, with three important targets on poverty, slums and water met three years ahead of 2015. It added that meeting the remaining targets, while challenging, is possible – but only if Governments do not waiver from their commitments made over a decade ago. The High-level Panel is part of Secretary-General Ban’s post-2015 initiative, mandated by the 2010 MDG Summit, at which UN Member States took stock of the progress made in achieving the MDGs. Member States have called for open, inclusive consultations – involving civil society, the private sector, academia and research institutions from all regions, in addition to the UN system – to advance the development agenda beyond 2015. 27 Campaign2015+International
The work of the Panel will reflect new development challenges while also drawing on experience gained in implementing the MDGs, both in terms of results achieved and areas for improvement, according to the news release. The Panel’s work will be closely coordinated with that of the intergovernmental working group tasked to design Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as agreed at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in June. Rio+20 was attended by some 100 Heads of State and government, along with more than 40,000 representatives from non-governmental organizations, the private sector and civil society, all seeking to help shape new policies to promote global prosperity, reduce poverty and advance social equity and environmental protection. At the end of the gathering, participants agreed an outcome document which called for a wide range of actions, such as beginning the process to establish SDGs. “It is essential that the processes on SDGs and the post-2015 development agenda are coherent with each other,” Mr. Ban said at a briefing to the General Assembly on Tuesday on the outcomes of a recent meeting of the Group of 20 (G20) leading economies in Los Cabos, Mexico. “This will enable Member States to define a single global development framework with sustainable development at its core.” The High-level Panels’ three co-chairs are: President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia; President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia; and Prime Minister David Cameron of the United Kingdom. The remaining 23 Panel members are: Fulbert Gero Amoussouga of Benin, Vanessa Petrelli Corrêa of Brazil, Yingfan Wang of China, Maria Angela Holguin of Colombia, Jean-Michel Severino of France, Horst Kohler of Germany, Naoto Kan of Japan, Queen Rania of Jordan, Betty Maina of Kenya, Abhijit Banerjee of India, Andris Piebalgs of Latvia, Patricia Espinosa of Mexico, Paul Polman of the Netherlands, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala of Nigeria, Elvira Nabiullina of the Russian Federation, Graça Machel of South Africa, Sung-Hwan Kim of the Republic of Korea, Gunilla Carlsson of Sweden, Emilia Pires of TimorLeste, Kadir Topbas of Turkey, John Podesta of the United States of America, Tawakel Karman of Yemen, and the Secretary-General’s Special 28 Campaign2015+International
Advisor on Post-2015 Development Planning, Amina J. Mohammed, who will serve in an ex officio capacity. While space is limited in the room, others are encouraged to contribute to the conversation online! 1. Use the hashtag #Dialogue2015 to ask questions to panellists and contribute to the conversation. 2. You can also add your questions and comments at www.worldwewant2015.org in real time! 3. Panellists will include: 4. Amina J. Mohammed (Assistant Secretary General, Special Adviser of the Secretary-General on Post-2015 Development Planning, ExOfficio, High-Level Panel on Post-2015 Development Agenda) 5. John Hendra (Co-chair of UN Development Group, UN Women) 6. Shamshad Akhtar, Assistant Secretary General, Department of Economic and Social Affairs 7. Homi Kharas (Lead Author and Executive Secretary of the High Level Panel) 8. AND members of the Post-2015 High Level Panel This is your chance to engage with the United Nations Post-2015 process and members of the High Level Panel in a free flowing conversation.
Chapter Four AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL’S PREAMBLES AND INPUT TO THE PROPOSED GOALS CHAPTER
29 Campaign2015+International
PREAMBLES
TO THE PROPOSED GOALS AND TARGETS ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Poverty eradication is the greatest global challenge facing the world today and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development. We are therefore committed to freeing humanity from poverty and hunger as a matter of urgency. We recognize that poverty eradication, changing unsustainable and promoting sustainable patterns of consumption and production and protecting and managing the natural resource base of economic and social development are the overarching objectives of and essential requirements for sustainable development. We reaffirm that climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time, and we express profound alarm that emissions of greenhouse gases continue to rise globally. We underscore that the global nature of climate change calls for the widest possible cooperation by all countries and their participation in an effective and appropriate international response, with a view to accelerating the reduction of global greenhouse gas emissions. We reaffirm our commitment to fully implement the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, Agenda 21, the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21, the Plan of Implementation of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (Johannesburg Plan of Implementation) and the Johannesburg Declaration on Sustainable Development of the World Summit on Sustainable Development, the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States (Barbados Programme of Action) and the Mauritius Strategy for the Further Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States. We also reaffirm our commitment to the full implementation of the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2011-2020 (Istanbul Programme of Action), the Almaty Programme of Action: Addressing the Needs of Landlocked Developing Countries within a New Global Framework for Transit Transport Cooperation for Landlocked and Transit Developing Countries, the political declaration on Africa’s development needs, and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development. We also reaffirm our commitment to the Programme of Action of the ICPD, the Beijing Platform of Action, [ADD: and the outcomes of their subsequent reviews], and the Outcome document of the September 2013 special event to follow up efforts made towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals. 30 Campaign2015+International
We reaffirm that we continue to be guided by the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, with full respect for international law and its principles. We further reaffirm the importance of freedom, peace and security, respect for all human rights, including the right to development and the right to an adequate standard of living, including the right to food, the rule of law, good governance, gender equality, women’s [ADD: human rights and] empowerment and the overall commitment to just and democratic societies for development. We reaffirm the importance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as well as other international instruments relating to human rights and international law. We recognize that people, of all ages and abilities, are at the centre of sustainable development and, in this regard, we strive for a world that is just, equitable and inclusive, and we commit to work together to promote sustained and inclusive economic growth, social development and environmental protection and thereby to benefit all. We call for holistic and integrated approaches to sustainable development that will guide humanity to live in harmony with nature and lead to efforts to restore the health and integrity of the Earth’s ecosystem. We acknowledge the natural and cultural diversity of the world, and recognize that all cultures and civilizations can contribute to sustainable development. We affirm that there are different approaches, visions, models and tools available to each country, in accordance with its national circumstances and priorities, to achieve sustainable development in its three dimensions. We recognize that each country faces specific challenges to achieve sustainable development, and we underscore the special challenges facing the most vulnerable countries and, in particular, African countries, least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and Small Island developing States, as well as the specific challenges facing the middleincome countries. Countries in situations of conflict [ADD: or engaging in post-conflict reconstruction] also need special attention. We reaffirm all the principles of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, including, inter alia, the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, as set out in principle 7 thereof. We reaffirm our commitment to strengthen international cooperation to address the persistent challenges related to sustainable development for all, in particular in developing countries. Sustainable development can 31 Campaign2015+International
only be achieved with a broad alliance of people, governments, civil society and the private sector, all working together to secure the future we want for present and future generations. We reaffirm that the means of implementation identified in Agenda 21, the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21, the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, the Monterrey Consensus of the International Conference on Financing for Development and the Doha Declaration on Financing for Development are indispensable for achieving the full and effective translation of sustainable development commitments into tangible sustainable development outcomes. In this regard, we look forward to the report of the Intergovernmental Committee of Experts on Sustainable Development Financing and the substantive outcome of the third International Conference on Financing for Development in July 2015.We reiterate that each country has primary responsibility for its own economic and social development and that the role of national policies, domestic resources and development strategies cannot be overemphasized. We reaffirm that developing countries need additional resources for sustainable development. We recognize the need for significant mobilization of resources from a variety of sources and the effective use of financing, in order to promote sustainable development. We acknowledge that good governance and the rule of law at the national and international levels are essential for sustained, inclusive and equitable economic growth, sustainable development and the eradication of poverty and hunger. We also acknowledge that the implementation of sustainable development goals will depend on the active engagement of all public and private stakeholders. A robust mechanism of implementation review will be essential for the success of the SDGs. The High Level Political Forum is to play a key role in this regard. Sustainable Development Goals are accompanied by targets and will be further elaborated through indicators focused on measurable outcomes. They are action oriented, global in nature and universally applicable to all countries, while taking into account different national realities, capacities and levels of development and respecting national policies and priorities. These goals constitute an integrated, indivisible set of global priorities for sustainable development. Targets are defined as global targets, with each government setting its own national targets guided by the global level of ambition but taking into account national circumstances. The goals and 32 Campaign2015+International
targets integrate economic, social and environmental aspects and recognize their interlinkages in achieving sustainable development in all its dimensions.
8 January 2013: From Amnesty International to all Members of the High Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda Your Excellencies, INPUT TO THE PROPOSED GOALS CHAPTER Amnesty International welcomes the opportunity to provide input to the High Level Panel’s civil society consultation ahead of the meeting in Monrovia, Liberia (30 January - 2 February 2013), including through the online consultations. We appreciate that a set of 24 of framing questions have been put forward to guide the Panel’s considerations. At the same time, we regret the absence of key questions on how international human rights treaty standards and principles can and must - frame and inform the identification of priorities for the post2015 development agenda. In order for the post-2015 development framework to be truly effective in transforming the lives of all those living in poverty, it must be guided by a framework for the realisation of human rights based on the range of obligations already undertaken by states. Human rights standards and principles strengthen global policy coherence, and help construct an accountability framework at global, regional, national and sub-national levels to ensure that post-2015 commitments are honoured in practice and effectively implemented on the ground. In view of the above, Amnesty International respectfully urges the High Level Panel to ask the following framing questions which specifically address fundamental human rights principles, together with some of their key aspects: 1.How can we ensure that development policy and programmes are consistent with human rights obligations? Consideration of this question should lead to a clear call for reaffirmation (a) of all states’ legal obligations to respect, protect, and fulfil human 33 Campaign2015+International
rights; (b) that national and international development policies, programmes and practice must reflect states’ obligations under international human rights law and (c) that States engaging in international cooperation and technical and financial assistance, whether bilaterally and through international organisations, must be mutually accountable to ensure that such assistance is consistent with human rights obligations and for the necessity of carrying out adequate due diligence to prevent human rights abuses. Furthermore, each State should commit to designating or creating an institution with sufficient expertise to review development plans and related legislation and their implementation for consistency with human rights standards. 2. How can we ensure that development targets and frameworks are based on international human rights law? This should include (a) the establishment of timelines for fulfilling minimum essential levels of economic, social and cultural rights globally and for each country; (b) clear and time-bound pledges by States in a position to provide assistance to ensure that there is adequate international co-operation assistance available where such assistance is necessary to ensure the realization of at least minimum essential levels of economic, social and cultural rights for all, and (c) a commitment to strengthen international, regional and national systems for data collection on levels of access to water, sanitation, health, education, food and social protection to ensure that they fully assess quality, availability, physical accessibility and affordability. Such data must be disaggregated at least according to gender and the other most relevant grounds of discrimination, including ethnicity and disability. 3. How can we ensure a commitment to enhancing accountability mechanisms for existing human rights obligations as part of the framework for development after 2015? This should include (a) a commitment to ensure that people are able to use the law to enforce their rights and access effective remedies for all violations of human rights, in particular addressing any gaps in the law relating to the enforceability of economic, social and cultural rights; (b) the removal of any barriers that people living in poverty face in accessing justice and effective remedies; (c) a mandate for national human rights monitoring bodies as well as quasi-judicial regulatory bodies to monitor violations of human rights and to act on complaints, and ensure they have the capacity to do so effectively; (d) increased 34 Campaign2015+International
monitoring and oversight by parliamentary bodies of efforts to meet the development goals, in particular to ensure their consistency with human rights obligations; (e) use of the international human rights monitoring system to ensure consistency between development and human rights, for example through ratification of the Optional Protocols to the Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, to provide additional scrutiny; (f) systematic integration of reporting on national implementation of the development goals in reports to the Universal Periodic Review of the Human Rights Council and to international human rights treaty monitoring bodies and (g) adoption of adequate safeguards, monitoring and accountability mechanisms to ensure that development assistance complies with human rights standards.
4. How can we ensure a commitment that development is inclusive, contributes to ending discrimination, guarantees gender equality and prioritises disadvantaged groups? This should include (a) a commitment that governments identify which groups are facing discrimination or particular barriers in realizing their rights and ensure that development efforts are designed and implemented in a way that focuses on removing these barriers and on improving the lives of the most disadvantaged; (b) prioritization of the most disadvantaged groups in reforms to law, policy and practice, and take effective measures to end discriminatory measures such as violence against women and denial of sexual and reproductive rights; (c) a requirement that States develop separate targets within national targets for the realization of economic, social and cultural rights for particular groups who face discrimination and disadvantage, monitor these targets, and collect data on the realization of economic, social and cultural rights that is disaggregated on the basis of gender and for other groups identified as facing discrimination and (d) priority for disadvantaged groups in the allocation of resources from national funding and international assistance. 5. How do we reaffirm the right of access to information and participation? This should include (a) provision for effective participation in the processes of development – from priority setting to planning to implementation and monitoring – by ensuring access to relevant 35 Campaign2015+International
information and transparent processes which are inclusive and nondiscriminatory, and consult the most affected; (b) commitment for each state to design and implement a poverty reduction framework that involves theactive participation of those people living in poverty and (c) a requirement to respect, protect and fulfil the rights to freedom of expression, association, and assembly. We are hoping that the Panel will be putting human rights at the centre of its deliberations and its report, and thus give an important impetus to worldwide implementation of civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights. In doing so, the Panel would contribute to genuine progress towards ending freedom from fear and freedom from want, and contribute to a world in which women, men and children in all parts of the world can live in dignity. Yours sincerely,
Yasmin Hussein International Advocacy Director
36 Campaign2015+International
Chapter Four GLOBAL SOUTHERN CIVIL SOCIETY ECONSULTATION ON THE HEALTH THEME OF THE POST-2015 UN AGENDA This report provides the analysis of the Stakeholder E-consultation, undertaken in preparation for theCivil Society Dialogue with the Highlevel Panel on the Post-2015 Development. At the end of July 2012,the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon Hi announced the convening of a High-level Panel of Eminent Persons to advise him on ‘a bold and at the same time practical development agenda beyond 2015’. At the request of the Secretariat for the High-level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda (#Post2015HLP), the United Nations Non-Governmental Liaison Service (NGLS) is facilitating a civil society consultation to inform the Panel’s meeting in Monrovia, Liberia taking place at the end of January 2013. National governments, global agencies and civil society organizations have accelerated advocacy efforts to promote the inclusion of key actions in the agenda going forward. The UN has clearly identified themes and opportunities for engagement with a broad range of stakeholders in the fast paced, rapidly evolving and deeply engaging process. The Health thematic consultation is facilitated by the Governments of Botswana and Sweden, with WHO and UNICEF providing the technical oversight and support for this process. The Health thematic group proposed a broad-based consultation process inviting participation from a wide range of stakeholders including civil society. The Centre for Health Sciences Training, Research and Development (CHESTRAD), as a part of its learning, sharing and collaborative network, Global Health South (an informal alliance of southern CS engaged in global health in collaboration with Campaign 2015+ and the Civil Society Call to Action on Universal Health Coverage), has hosted the consultation e-consultation. The e-consultation invited the participation of civil society and other nonstate actors, especially those in the global economic south as it directly affects their work, nations, communities and families. The analysis from the e-consultation will contribute to the post-2015 health and related 37 Campaign2015+International
development agenda. Implementing collaboration for the consultation was extensive, engaging key institutions in the global economic south, with significant African membership as well as input from northern and other regional CS through its collaboration with the Call to Action for Child Survival and Universal Health Coverage. The partnership also has extensive network and participation across CS in key initiatives and programmes relevant to the health MDGs with all southern CS representatives participating in its dialogue and other online consultative processes. It also brings to the consultation the benefit of cross sectorial linkages with CS on Campaign 2015+ engaged in other sectors related to health and active in country level 2015+ discussions in a UNDP consultation country. Background to e-consultation The Health theme of the Post 2015 agenda, convened by WHO and UNICEF with support from the Government of Botswana and the Government of Sweden, have supported Global Health South 2, in partnership with Campaign 2015+ and the Call for Action on Universal Health Coverage3, to host a CS e-consultation on global health in the post 2015 UN agenda. The e-consultation aimed to build on the existing network of its collaborators and support on-going CS processes to influence and support the health thematic responses to the evolving UN post 2015 agenda and beyond. The consultations sought to build on the consensus and outcome statement of the Accra 2012 meeting hosted by Global Health South (www.globalhealthsouth.org) and to: (a) Promote the Post 2015 UN development agenda that recognizes the unfinished MDG agenda with emphasis on universal access to life-saving health interventions and commodities. Particular attention is paid to child health (vaccine preventable diseases and nutrition), maternal mortality (safe deliveries, access to contraceptives), sexual and reproductive health rights for women and young persons, integrated health systems strengthening for priority health interventions (HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, diarrhoeal diseases) and social protection (b) Advocate for coordinated, harmonized and strengthened accountability platforms in health that include both the supply and demand side, and effectivelyharnesses the watch dog role of civil society organizations 2
3
An alliance of Southern CS in global health (www.globalhealthsouth.org), hosted by the Centre for Health Sciences Training, Research and Development (CHESTRAD) (www.chestradngo.org) A global CS initiative led by the Action for Global Health in partnership with Medecins du Monde, the Centre for Health & Social Services (CHeSS), Medicus Mundi International, Oxfam, Save the Children and Management Sciences for Health
38 Campaign2015+International
(c)
Expand and amplify the voices and participation of southern CS in the country, regional and global discussions of the UN Post 2015 agenda and beyond (d) Produce an e-consultation report for the health thematic group of the UN Post MDG Consultation Agenda. The report will also inform the UNDP country consultation processes and will serve as background document for the 3rd Dialogue of the Alliance of Southern CS in Global Health proposed for the end of the 2nd quarter of 2013. The e-consultation was open from the 9th of December 2012 to 11th January 2013. The online outreach used the Global Health South database for its source. Members of the Campaign 2015+ and other members of the global CS community working were proactively contacted. A total of 785 CS and institutions received the invitation to participate in the econsultation. 180 respondents started the survey 4, representing 48 countries - a participation rate of 22.9%. Community based and regional organizations in Africa constituted 69.5% of all participants, and civil society in other regions participated as shown below. Regional participation is representative of membership of Global Health South and CS and other related institutions included in its consultation database. Support for analysis and reporting was provided by ResultsLab (www.resultslab.co) Region
No. of responses (%)
SubSaharan Africa 121 (69.1)
Western Europe 13 (7.4)
Latin America & Caribbean 15 (8.6)
North America & Canada 12 (6.9)
South East Asia 14 (8.0)
The draft findings of the consultation were disseminated online to participants for their feedback. A more focussed face to face meeting involving selected participants and southern CS representatives of global agencies, programs, delegations, boards and fora is proposed as a part the engagement of southern CS, institutions and governments in the fast paced and critical dialogue on global health in the post 2015 UN agenda.
Summary of Key Findings: Achievements and Lessons Learnt 1. The strongest support was for achievements made in increasing access to life saving interventions, and in reducing child mortality. The lowest support was for the impact on mobilizing resources and attention/investment for development. 4
The number of responses for each question is listed in the findings section below (pX-Y).
39 Campaign2015+International
2. 3. 4. 5.
6.
There was a difference of opinion in the views of the northern and southern respondents on the achievements of the MDGs. Civil Society respondents, in the open-ended section, report that they have made significant contributions to these achievements. Stand out lessons learnt include: 1) Financial resources need to be better leveraged. to produce results; 2) Weak health systems have constrained universal access to health inputs and other life-saving interventions; 3) Universal coverage, access and equity still remain concerns. CSOs expressed strong views that they should be part of incorporating these lessons learnt into future practice, either through being included and/or by making themselves heard. Linked to this, there is weight placed on the way processes, like the development of post 2015 agenda, are implemented, especially, commitments to principles of accountability, aid effectiveness and global health governance.
Health Priorities for the Post-2015 Development Agenda 1. ‘Universality’. Access, coverage, equity, social protection and financial protection were the principles with the strongest support with access having the highest average response. There was strong convergence on this across the 5 regions. 2. Disease specific priorities. HIV/AIDS and other STIs, Immunization and Malaria were the disease priorities with strongest support. NonCommunicable Diseases and Neglected Tropical Diseases were ranked as lower priorities. There was more regional divergence over the ranking of these priorities. Qualitative responses significantly emphasised a focus on women and, maternal health, the health of adolescents and young persons and other communicable diseases. 3. Health Systems Strengthening priorities. Human Resources for Health (HRH), Medicines and Medical Supplies and Integrated, and comprehensive, costed national health plans were the top three health systems strengthening priorities. Quality Management and strengthening the Health Management Information System were ranked lowest. There was strong agreement on the importance of all of the options offered, with HRH receiving very strong support across all regions. Qualitative responses emphasised well-resourced systems and structures that meet the needs of specific population groups and enable collaboration and empowerment. 40 Campaign2015+International
4.
Issue focused priorities. Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH), Maternal and Newborn Health (MNH) and Primary Health Care (PHC) were the top three issue focused priorities. Also of high, but less priority are Child & Adolescent health and Nutrition. Areas of lowest priority are recorded as Mental health & violence, and the application of technology Qualitative responses emphasized women’s access to appropriate sexual and reproductive health and the related interventions.
Measuring Progress 1. The highest priority was given to a health goal that highlights the intersectorality of investment in health. The lowest priority was given to One health goal (Universal Health Care) with targets that monitor progress on priority health burdens and issues. There was a high degree of divergence across the five regions on the relative priorities of the suggested options. 2. There were few qualitative responses on to this question. This is in marked contrast to the submissions that were made to the World We Want website. 3. The highest priority criteria were reported as Access, Equity, Coverage and Human Resources for Health. The lowest rated criterion was life expectancy. The ‘southern’ regions consistently attached higher importance across these criteria. For the majority of criteria Western Europe and North America reported different priorities compared to the ‘southern’ regions. 4. On ‘age for target group’ the top three average priorities are: infants, under 5s, and women (18-64). The clear lower priorities are Men (1864), Aged and the general population. There was some regional variation noted. Qualitative responses emphasised health as a human right for all, calling for improved access for all people as well as improved targeting of women, children and young people. Integrating Health into the Sustainable Development Goals/Agenda 1. The top two contexts of most relevance were recorded as ‘economic realities’ and ‘unfinished business’. Those of lowest relevance were ‘Significant change in global architecture’ and ‘More globalized and interconnected world’ 2. The top priorities for guiding principles and measurement indicators were Human Rights & security, Empowerment & Sustainable livelihoods, and Universality & Equity. There was strong support 41 Campaign2015+International
3.
across all regions for all of the options offered in the e-consultation. Western Europe and North America regularly provided lower ratings than the other regions. Qualitative responses on how to improve the collection, analysis and management of indicators including dissemination and its use by civil society organizations and civic populations emphasized the importance of resources for making the collection, storing and analysing data accessible and an emphasis on training for, and continuing commitment to monitoring and evaluation.
Accountability for Global Health 1. Accountability, development financing and sustainable development were the top rated principles in relation to increasing ownership. 2. All of the options for institutional arrangements for accountability and responsibility received strong support, with ‘A framework for international development that includes shared but differentiated accountability and responsibilities for national governments, development partners and citizens’ receiving the highest average score. 3. There was notably little support for the ‘none of the above’ option in this area – suggesting strong support for accountability in principle, but the limited number of qualitative responses and suggestions under ‘Other’ indicate that there may be limited understanding about how to strengthen accountability. Civil Society and the Development Agenda 1. The options with the strongest support on civil society’s role were: Policy advocacy and dialogue, Development effectiveness and accountability; Research, evidence and performance management, and Knowledge management, brokering and learning. The option with the least support was service delivery. Innovation and capacity enabling and leadership development received the same average score. 2. There was considerable regional variation in scoring each option. Perhaps unsurprisingly there was more consistent strong support for policy, advocacy and dialogue. Global Health Architecture, Partnership and Governance There were 139 responses to the open-ended question on the number of organizations and partnerships engaged in health at global and national levels, who should lead interlinked priorities in health, and how leadership 42 Campaign2015+International
should be structured and managed. The dominant response acknowledged the increased fragmentation in global health and the impact this has on country level action. It also emphasised the importance of participatory processes and inclusive structures that supported partnership values. There was a mix of views on institutional arrangements with some favouring global leadership, some favouring national, and some proposing structures that facilitated joint global-national leadership. The following quotes highlight some of these themes. ‘I do not see an issue in the number of stakeholders active in health sector, but rather weak coordination of global and national efforts’ Dan Irvine, World Vision International ‘I do not agree with this statement. We must promote the richness in diversity and seek optimization and coordination’
43 Campaign2015+International
Union of NGOs in Togo (UONGTO), LomeTogo ‘Global Partnerships for health helped secure additional resources and more inclusive engagement of civil society… one of the great success stories of the past decade!’ GAVI Alliance Each partner has a role to play in health, and sub-Saharan Africa has in the last 2 decades increased its capacity (human and other resources) to respond to the health challenges. The proposed structure should have WHO and UN providing support to national governments to implement programmes that respond to the national strategy with a large percentage of the work being done be the national government to reduce the cost of delivering universal access. All partnerships addressing health should be coordinated and brought under one umbrella for greater health impact and pooling of resources, Integration should be the tenet of all global initiatives.' African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF), Nairobi Kenya ‘Structure of leadership sometimes is not the problem but the culture in which implementation takes place. There has to be an honest in-depth social analysis that appreciates attitudes around corruption and poverty that influence implementation from the very top to the bottom. Right now communities are tired of the corruption but do not know how to stop it, engaging communities and having community level accountability is very important. Partners have to work more as partners instead of financiers of projects. Once partnerships are redefined, our work on the ground will look different’. MoVe! Ayoung women's movement for justice and development ‘Yes I do. The World Health Organization, being the flagship UN agency for health, should retain control over the management and coordination of these partnerships in health. The governance structure should be spearheaded by the WHO and supported by the WHO Regional and country Offices, in collaboration with all other partner agencies and organizations, including civil society.’ Health Systems Action Network, Trinidad and Tobago ‘UN should lead the interlinked priorities in health. partnership of government and civil society’
Form equal
Blue Diamond Society, Nepal Messages for the High Level Panel 44 Campaign2015+International
The e-consultation invited respondents to rank key CS messages for the health thematic consultation of the Post-2015 development agenda. The messages with the strongest support were: ‘Universal health: access coverage and equity’;‘Healthy People! Wealth Nations!’ The least support was for ‘Global health architecture: ownership results and accountability’. As in the rest of the e-consultation, there was strong regional variation in the support expressed for each of the key messages. However, in most cases Western Europe and North America rated the key messages lower than the ‘southern regions’. The e-consultation then invited respondents to include 3 other messages to share with the High-level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda. A substantial number of respondents took the opportunity to provide additional feedback to the panel. Given this question sought input in relation to the process of the post 2015 agenda, more than two-thirds of the messages to the panel are process oriented rather than statements of vision. However, the processes and ideas put forward are change oriented and centre on values such as equity, participation, partnership, accountability and human rights - whereby CSOs are 'at the table' at all levels and where the population groups as the focus for change is on women and most at risk populations. The other theme emerging is the emphasis on local context as the key setting for action, with CSOs being key to the success of any action. Some examples of responses include: ‘'I am excited about the report of the e-consultation of Southern CS including the summary of key findings, achievements, and the post 2015 development agenda; especially measuring progress and integrating health into the sustainable development goals. We must grab the sociopolitical opportunities (decentralization) to begin our post 2015 Agenda with action in local communities. Whatever we do, let’s not walk away from the 2000 MDGs and in the case of Africa, take another look at Tony Blair’s Commission for Africa'. Global Health Coalition, Cameroon ‘Every group of people must have input into any decision that affects them, their voices must be heard and their contribution must count’ CAFSO-Women’s Rights and Action Group, Nigeria ‘Stigmatization of minority social groups must be outlawed. Infrastructural Support for Wireless Networking is imperative to achieving 45 Campaign2015+International
the MDG/post-2015 Agenda targets. CSOs must form lobby group coalitions to effectively influence state legislation in the enforcement of MDG/post-2015 Agenda targets.’
46 Campaign2015+International
Ekanem, Immanuel Maurice Calabar, Nigeria ‘The High Level Panel must ensure that new goals and targets can address the roots causes off ill-health by Reducing child mortality from infectious causes by strengthening the ability of health systems to address the social and environmental determinants of health, and by focusing on prevention rather than over-emphasising easily-counted treatment interventions, while also ensuring that lifesaving and life-prolonging treatment is available to all who need it.’ WaterAid, London UK ‘Girls and women are at the heart of development. Healthy mothers bring about healthy families, communities and nations. Access to family planning is a cost-effective, life-saving solution to ending maternal deaths and bringing about positive health, social, and financial outcomes to a nation. ‘ (2397901264) Women Deliver, USA ‘The political causes of poverty and its resulting ill health must be a starting point for improving health. Despite the many obstacles to achievement, genuine country ownership of their own economic and health policies must be the main aim of development, including health development. Setting universal goals such as those of the MDGs is counterproductive because it does not acknowledge the importance of the first two messages.’ Health Alliance International, USA ‘Maternal mortality (and morbidity) is one of the best indicators of the state of a nation's health system. It measures how well a nation takes care its people at their most vulnerable. Good maternal care also requires all the components of a strong health system including locally available, affordable care, effective referral mechanisms, adequately trained health workers and a sustained supply of the necessary commodities.’ Women and Children First, UK Accountability must exist for all countries. To the extent that states are not at fault hardly react. Civil society should create and strengthen mechanisms for participation. The agencies of the United Nations cannot validate the lack of transparency and accountability of states.’ CEDES, Buenos Aires Argentina Resume of Implementing Partners 47 Campaign2015+International
Global Health South (GHS), the alliance of southern CS organizations, coalitions and networks in global health is an informal network of over 600 coalitions, umbrella organizations and institutions in the economic south active in global health. Its mission is to amplify the participation of southern CS organizations in global health dialogue, bringing the much needed regional and country context to these debates; promoting evidence based accountability demand and strengthening the organizational capacities of its member organizations. The Alliance has successfully hosted two global health and accountability dialogues (Nairobi 2010 & Accra 2012), contributed to regional and global discussions as well as established an active CS database for consultation and sharing of which 61.8% from Africa, 27.6% from South East Asia and the Pacific, 8.9% from the North Africa and the Middle East and 1.7% from Latin America and the Caribbean. Global Health South is hosted by the Centre for Health Sciences Training, Research and Development (CHESTRAD). Campaign 2015+ International is a sharing and collaborative network of CS organizations in African hosted by the Open Forum for Development Effectiveness, Nigeria. There are over 150 network/coalition member organizations of Campaign2015+ International in Africa. Membership of Campaign 2015+ extends beyond health, including other critical sectors for development and the UN Development agenda including education, the environment, social protection and public accountability. It is the appointed lead agency to coordinate the CSOs deliberations on post-2015 development agenda in Nigeria. The Call to Action on Universal Health Coverage is a global CS initiative led by the Action for Global Health in partnership with Medecins du Monde, the Centre for Health & Social Services (CHeSS), Medicus Mundi International, Oxfam, Save the Children and Management Sciences for Health. Collaboration with the UHC emphasizes the critical need to ensure that the CS consultation adequately reflects the equity, gender equality and social protection perspectives and that these are enshrined in the agenda taken forward by the Health thematic group into the overall UN 2015+ agenda.
48 Campaign2015+International
Chapter Eight COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF THE POST2015 EDUCATION CONSULTATION5 Preamble OnWednesday, March 27, 2013, Save the Children International (SCI) in collaboration with Civil Society Action Coalition on Education For All (CSACEFA) held a one-day deliberation on post-2015 development agenda with focus on education with the representatives of other civil societyorganizations across Nigeria. The meeting which took place at KOne Hotel and Suites in Ikeja was attended by 28 participants. The theme of the deliberation was: Equity and Learning Outcomes in the Post-2015 Development Agenda. The purpose was to enable education stakeholders from Nigeria deliberate and reach consensus on education priority areas to be used to advocate for inclusion in the national and global agenda. Objectives SCI is working towards setting the stage for the Post-2015 development frame work. This is through fostering a virile CSOs discussion around identified gaps and unmet expectations in MDGs for education namely; teacher development, learning outcome and inclusivity. Specifically, the objectives for the meeting are to: 1. Create the platform for CSOs to deliberate on issues and concerns related to education provision in the Nigerian context by looking at local and global trends and experiences; 2. Collate the views of CSOs working on education across the country on issues of equity and learning for Post-2015 framework. Observations The meeting observed that: 1. With less than three years to the deadline of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the United Nations, State Parties and 5
This deliberation on Post-2015 Development Agenda with focus on education was organized by Save the Children International (SCI) in collaboration with Civil Society Action Coalition On Education For All (CSACEFA) held at K-One Hotel and Suites Ikeja, Lagos State Nigeria, 27th March, 2013 49 Campaign2015+International
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
partners have been working towards the development of a successor framework which is all inclusive, taking into consideration lessons from the MDGs and present development realities; Nigeria as a priority country has hosted both national and grassroots consultations to get the inputs of citizens on the character and content of the next global development framework; The Civil Society Organizations in Nigeria have been active in the implementation of the MDGs and therefore their “voice” is key to the formulation of the post 2015 framework; There have been impressive increases in access to education but over 10 million of children of primary school age are still out of school while the challenge of ‘reaching zero out of school children’ remains enormous; Pre-primary, senior secondary and higher education systems are a gross mirage as education has been grossly underfunded thereby leading to increment in school fee, and other fees. Many children continue to be disadvantaged and out of school because their education is disrupted by emergencies such as natural disasters, conflicts and especially terrorism.
Recommendations: The meeting therefore recommends: 1. That the new development framework must focus on reducing the learning gap between the poor and the rich. What is required is targeted action on funding(to reach(i) the poorest),(ii) children with disabilities, (iii)girls, (iv) ethnic minorities and (v) children in conflict or emergency areas. 2. ForThere is the additional need mechanismfor focusing on policies that improve the home environment as a learning environment and provide opportunities for learning in communities. 3. Strengthening monitoring and accountability structure in education sector so as to check wastages and seal off leakages of public funds into private pockets and bring the culprits to book accordingly. 4. Promotion(ing) of pro-poor policies as a strategy for poverty reduction, improving equity, access and learning outcomes. 5. That government as a matter of urgency should improveImprovingthe quality of teacher selection and training to achieve higher learning outcome. 6. That government should encourage, promote and strengthenPublic Private Partnership for improved learning outcomes. 50 Campaign2015+International
7.
Enhanced community participation in improving demand, access, and learning outcomes.
Conclusion The meeting concluded that if the post-2015development agenda deliberations are all inclusiveinvolvingbringing all stakeholders, we are going have a better and robust post-2015 successorframework which successful implementation will be sustainable.
51 Campaign2015+International
Signed below by us representing the CSO particpants: 1. Campaign2015+ International 2. Save the Children International, Nigeria 3. Civil Society Action Coalition on Education for All 4. Joint Association of Persons with Disabilities 5. Global Call to Action Against Poverty
52 Campaign2015+International
Chapter Nine 40-COUNTRY CIVIL SOCIETY DEMANDS FOR THE POST-2015 AGENDA Introduction Since September 2012, Beyond2015, the Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP) and the International Forum of National NGO Platforms (IFP) have been convening national, regional, and community civil society deliberations in 40 countries in Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Representatives from thousands of CSOs took part. This report synthesizes the outcomes of these deliberations. There is a collective understanding across national contexts that the world is in crisis. There have been fundamental changes since the Millennium Declaration in 2000. The MDGs played a useful role in bringing many stakeholders into a common conversation, but the deliberations agreed that it is time to develop a framework that will capture the transformational changes needed to realise human rights for everyone. At the end of May, the UN High Level Panel (HLP) issued a report titled A New Global Partnership: Eradicate Poverty and Transform Economies through Sustainable Development. While this report made positive steps in insisting a post-2015 framework leave no one behind, it did not go far enough in articulating a transformative, alternative development path. The national deliberations raised an urgent need to work collectively to find new ways of organizing society, our relationship to the planet, and the logic of our economy. We have received contributions from people around the world echoing the same demands. Civil society is concerned about rising inequality. People acknowledge that social protection is decreasing, leaving more people vulnerable to vagaries like climate change and fluctuating food prices. Those who already live in poverty are being further marginalized. Even in places where economic growth is robust, many people are not included. A post-2015 framework needs to meaningfully integrate the following themes that emerged from the national deliberations, which are the main sections in the report below: Equality – gender equality, social inclusion, and just global governance are essential for achieving transformation. Environmental Sustainability – all development must happen within planetary boundaries, and corporations must be held responsible for the environmental destruction they cause. 53 Campaign2015+International
Human Rights – rights must be at the core of a post-2015 framework, ensuring no one is left behind. Eradication of Poverty and Hunger – there is no excuse for hunger. The time to end poverty is now. We need to redefine poverty to be a more holistic measure of inclusive development.
Vision Many countries presented a vision of how they saw the realization of true development after 2015. People are calling for a framework that is transformative. It should not only look at incremental changes to alleviate poverty, but rather fundamental changes that help us collectively rethink our system of production and consumption, as well as how we define wealth. While the specificities of each national context influenced the vision, there were several common themes. Specifically, the deliberations envisaged: 1. A post-2015 framework that looks at the wellbeing of people, not economies. Poverty has a financial element, but is not only about money. In recognition of this, seven deliberations called for holistic measures of wellbeing, such as Gross National Happiness, being pioneered in Bhutan. Human rights will only be realized when they are seen as an integral part of the way we live with each other and contribute to society. 2. A developmental framework that sees human development and environmental development as inextricably interlinked. There is no doubt that our current patterns of production and consumption are putting the planet at risk. Every single deliberation called for respecting planetary boundaries inour development trajectory. 3. An agenda that centres around equality, and respect for human rights. Thepost-2015 development framework needs to treat all people as equal. This means addressing gender injustice, as well as specifically considering marginalized communities in a new developmental framework. 4. Active, engaged citizens who are empowered to hold governments to account for progress in the post-2015 framework. The economy is growing, but poverty is increasing. Clearly, we need to change the way we define progress. – Nigeria We envision a world of peace, equality and sustainability, a future where society is free of poverty, inequality and powerlessness, and development takes place through the full exercise of economic, social, political, civil and cultural rights of all citizens, within the carrying capacity of our natural environment. - Philippines
54 Campaign2015+International
Purpose The deliberations reflected on the value of the MDGs, within the framework of thinking on the vision, purpose, values, and criteria of a post-2015 framework. While most did not explicitly reflect on this thinking, some outcomes of the deliberations are relevant to the discussion. We heard from eight coalitions about the value of having an agenda that led civil society, government, and international organisations to speak the same language about development. It was also an advantage for raising public awareness, and keeping poverty on the media agenda. Some coalitions found the precise, time bound nature of the MDGs to be an advantage in their advocacy, while others found it restrictive, making the MDGs unable to adapt to national contexts and realities. A post-2015 framework should maintain its role as a common reference point, while employing common but differentiated responsibilities to allow for flexibility to acknowledge national realities in a universal framework. Values “The post-2015 framework must prioritise the realisation of people’s rights and the key human rights- based principles must underpin it, including participation, non-discrimination and equality, empowerment and accountability”. – Beyond 2015 European Task Force To eradicate poverty and build a more just world, a framework must be based on four values: 1. human rights, 2. equality and justice, 3. environmental sustainability 4. Good governance, participation, and accountability. The outcomes of the national deliberations put forward a strong consensus on the right of each person on the planet to live a life free from poverty. A post-2015agenda must make explicit provisions for social protection and service provision, to provide an opportunity for all to live in dignity. It should be a framework that does not look to define poverty based on narrow measures of income. Rather, it should seek to measure human development in a way that is holistic, taking into account equality, the environment, and wellbeing, which should include social protection and access to services. Additionally, it should explicitly make human rights more important than business interests, ensuring that this is expressed through its language, structure, and accountability mechanism. 55 Campaign2015+International
People coming together to participate in the deliberations, regardless of national origin, share the opinion that inequality is one of the biggest challenges facing the world today, and all nations have an equal obligation to creating a more just world. Acknowledging this, a post-2015 framework needs to focus on equality, through promoting gender justice, progressive redistribution, structural transformation, corporate regulation and social protection. National deliberations pointed to the need for a new development framework to express universal values. All countries, rich and poor, in all regions of the world, are tied up in the same crisis. However, the way governments have responded has played a critical role in people’s lives, with some countries making great strides in human development, while other countries, with more resources, are not moving forward. The crisis has different expressions in different contexts, ranging from unemployment to environmental degradation, domestic violence to hunger; but a fundamental, transformative shift will require all countries commit to upholding common values of equality and justice, respect for human rights, just governance and environmental sustainability. Finally, concern was raised in many national deliberations about the threat of poor governance to achieving current and future goals. Therefore, accountability, universality and good governance must underpin a new framework. Without clear delineations of responsibilities as well as rights, and without a mechanism for holding actors to their account for commitments, progress will not be made. Additionally, people affected by the outcomes of the framework need to be included and participate actively in building the more just world envisaged by the deliberations. Equality Inequality was brought up as the defining feature of poverty by 32 deliberations. Clearly, grappling with inequality will be crucial both to ending poverty, but also to creating a transformative change needed to address social exclusion, accountability and environmental sustainability. Governments in both the North and South must take responsibility for charting a new development path that is both just and sustainable. As such, the post-2015 framework must be universal, with nations working on, reporting against and contributing to all issues as relevant to their national context. In the MDGs’ focus on halving poverty, an aggregate approach at the national level was taken, as opposed to a human rights approach. As a result, many countries found that social exclusion is making many people slip through the cracks. A goal can be achieved even if hunger is worsening among the poorest of the poor. This is something we heard of from 26 countries. Even when children are now in school – what about 56 Campaign2015+International
children with disabilities? Even when child health has improved dramatically – what about indigenous children? With inequality growing across the world, a message that came out very strongly is that for a new framework to be effective, data needs to be disaggregated. Even where there is aggregate progress, inequality and social exclusion means that the aggregate picture may be incomplete. In a post-2015 framework, it is essential that nobody is left behind. “Civil society in Indonesia has not found conclusive evidence to substantiate claims of an inclusive and equitable development process. Hard facts on the multiplying wealth of the selected few and extreme inequalities are compelling evidence on the urgency for a shift in development orientation.... In view of this, all development efforts and measures must be directed at eliminating these inequalities. We strongly urge for a shift away from a growth-oriented development paradigm to sustainable development with the intent to end all inequalities.” – Indonesia Participants of the consultation meeting have raised strong voices that the poverty continues to exist in our society because of unequal access to resources and services such as land, education, health and opportunities such as employment, and participation in decision-making. - Nepal People live in poverty not because the resources are lacking but because its distribution is inequitable. – Philippines Gender Equality is essential to a new development agenda. This includes gender equality. Every single deliberation recognized that there can be no equality without gender justice. Violence against women is a major inhibitor to development, as well as a violation of human rights. While equality begins in the household, it must extend to the national level. The HLP report does provide a stand alone goal on gender equality, as well as specific targets supporting sexual and reproductive rights. Even so, it does not go far enough in acknowledging the structural causes of the feminization of poverty. The national deliberations were very clear that we cannot continue with more of the same, incremental progress, while inequalities grow. To achieve gender justice, a fundamental transformation of the economy that prioritizes human rights is crucial. A gender-transformative, gender-inclusive and gender-responsive policy frame guided by principles of gender equality and equity is essential to advance and achieve full potential of all women in all spheres of life, namely, economic, social and political. - India
57 Campaign2015+International
Social Exclusion With inequality so high, even in places that have experienced economic growth or made substantial progress to meeting the MDGs, many communities of people have been left behind. For example, indigenous communities, people with disabilities or ethnic minorities are often experiencing even deeper poverty. This highlights the fact that poverty must not be seen as an aggregate, economic phenomenon. It is multifaceted, and therefore requires a response that acknowledges the indivisibility of human rights. The recommendation of the HLP report to Leave No One Behind is commendable, and the national deliberations were clear in their support for this. However, the report does not go far enough in making sure this happens. Universal social protection must be made a reality. The post2015 framework must make a clear link between a transformation of the economy around a logic of human rights, and the inequality that is excluding people. The most disadvantaged have seen few or no improvements and the disparities between them and others have only increased – Finland Global Governance Equality between people is essential, but right now 85% of a person’s income can be explained by their country of birth. This clearly illustrates that equality cannot be achieved without a drastic reform of global governance. To ensure equality between nations, fair terms of trade and a just system of global governance is required. For a post-2015 framework to tackle equality meaningfully, it must promote the progressive redistribution of resources, corporate regulation, an end of tax havens and a promotion of democracy at the global level. The deliberations recognized that change demands a shift in our current systems of production and consumption. Reducing inequalities between countries is a necessary step to ending poverty, and doing so will require a new approach to the stalled trade negotiations and flawed global financial architecture. “You cannot speak of human development without looking at the system of global governance, the place of multinational corporations, and an equal sharing of wealth between people.” – Morocco. “Focus on Structural Change: unjust, oppressive or badly designed structures are often at the root of many of the issues that the framework must tackle.” – Senegal Recommendations The framework should: 58 Campaign2015+International
1.
2.
3. 4.
5.
6.
Explicitly acknowledge the challenge of inequality and work towards building a more equitable society. This should be done by social protection, but also by supporting progressive taxation, nationally and globally. Design goals, targets, and indicators to explicitly ensure the needs of marginalized communities are addressed, including ensuring gender justice. Ensure that data is disaggregated by gender, marginalized groups and for the poorest. Be universal, incorporating the responsibilities of both northern and southern governments and other stakeholders employing the principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibility Combat extreme inequality by addressing unfair terms of trade, tax havens and corporate accountability. Put in place targets to ensure an alignment between human rights commitments and trade negotiations. Unfair terms of trade should not be allowed to continue violating people’s rights. Incorporate targets on the reform and democratisation of globalinstitutions, particularly the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF).
“We need attention to specific goals, targets, and indicators for marginalized and vulnerable groups, including people with disabilities, indigenous communities, the elderly, women, youth, and children.” – Ethiopia Environmental Sustainability “The development framework should be based on climate rights; the poor and vulnerable people affected from the climate action must be protected. Climate change governance must be transparent and responsible to the people who have been victimized by the action of industrialized countries.” – Nepal There was a consensus in all countries: climate change poses an eminent threat to society. In every region, it was noted that people living in poverty are already feeling its effects. A post-2015 framework must take into account the interconnectedness of social and environmental consequences of our growth path. Particularly in rural areas, where many marginalised communities live, climate change is affecting everything from access to services to maternal health. In developing countries, the deliberations strongly condemned a lack of action on climate change, and acknowledged that people living in poverty are left increasingly vulnerable to natural disasters, droughts and other effects of climate change. Already impoverished rural communities have been unable to cope with the added effects of climate change.It is a matter 59 Campaign2015+International
of justice, since countries least responsible for causing climate change are feeling its effects the most. The national deliberations linked people’s experiences of the effects of climate change to generalized inequality, with industrialised countries polluting, and developing countries paying the price. Deliberations further linked climate change to accountability; with extractive industries and multinational corporations being on the forefront of environmental destruction, changes in national policies will only be as effective as their accountability mechanisms. Due to the inherent linkages between economic development, industrialization, trade and fossil fuels emissions, a more just world needs to be created for people and the planet together. Recommendations The post-2015 framework should: 1. Acknowledge existing commitments on emissions reductions and climate financing and be more ambitious. 2. Acknowledge the interconnectedness of sustainable human development, by having one single set of post-2015 goals that combines environment and development holistically. 3. Be explicit about the planetary boundaries within which development activities must take place. 4. Require governments and allow people to hold multinational corporations and extractive industries to account for the environmental damage they cause. 5. Provide for a mitigation of the effects of climate change on the most vulnerable people. Human Rights It emerged very strongly from the national deliberations that human rights must underpin a new development framework. This means poverty must be eradicated, not reduced, and coverage must be universal for fundamental human rights. The universality and indivisibility of human rights should be recognized in the post-2015 agenda. One strong criticism of the Millennium Development Goals was that they set targets that left people behind (for example, halving the portion of people who are hungry). We must not make the same mistake again. While it is commendable that the HLP report mentions human rights, they are often narrowly limited to civil and political rights. The deliberations were clear that a post-2015 framework must explicitly include economic, social and cultural rights. We now understand that rights are indivisible, and there are a range of mechanisms to uphold and enforce human rights that need to be strengthened through increased legitimacy and recognition. “The fulfillment of rights and freedoms is a foundation or prerequisite for the attainment of human development outcomes. Rights-based indicators 60 Campaign2015+International
should thus be developed and integrated in all endeavors for development and peace.” – Philippines “In order to attain significant and sustainable changes in the lives of people and communities, and not simply reduce gaps in statistics, it is essential to rethink the current paradigms of social and economic development from the human rights perspective." – Mexico “The existing MDGs have largely ignored the universality, indivisibility, inter-dependence and inter-relatedness of human rights. If the post-2015 development agenda is to remain relevant, it must emphasize on the fundamental inalienability of human rights as the macro frame to locate within it specific goals and targets.” - India Recommendations The post-2015 framework should: 1 Be explicitly linked to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the International Covenant on Social, Economic, and Cultural Rights, and other existing human rights agreements. 2 Where needed, provide explicit definitions and benchmarks for the progressive realisation of rights. Eradication of Poverty and Hunger End hunger and achieve long-term food security – including better nutrition – through sustainable systems of production, distribution and consumption. – Bangladesh The right to live a life of dignity, free from poverty and want, and the right to food, are the most fundamental human rights. Aiming to eradicate poverty and hunger is an essential foundation to a new development agenda, identified by every national deliberation. Food insecurity and obesity are two sides of the same coin, and while every deliberation mentioned hunger, 18 also mentioned non communicable diseases, primarily lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. Genetically modified food was linked to hunger by 9 deliberations, and agricultural subsidies were targeted as problematic by 11 deliberations. Eradicating hunger requires extending specific support to farming communities and rural areas, which experience poverty differently than cities. Just land distribution and the right to secure tenure were identified as fundamental to eradicating hunger in 16 national contexts. Agricultural subsidies in rich countries are strong drivers of rural poverty in other countries, and it was recognized in 11 national deliberations that their harmful effects need to be ended as a matter of urgency. Recommendations 61 Campaign2015+International
The post-2015 framework should: 1. Acknowledge the fundamental rights of all people to live free from poverty, and enjoy a minimum level of social protection. 2. Define poverty more broadly than a completely inadequate amount of $1.25 per day 3. Require a minimum level of universal social protection to be provided by governments 4. Explicitly acknowledge gender justice as an essential element ineradicating poverty. 5. End policies and practices that contribute to hunger, including harmful agricultural subsidies and land grabbing. Democracy and Justice Finally, concern was raised in many national deliberations about the threat of poor accountability to achieving current and future goals. Therefore, accountability, universality, peace and good governance must underpin a new framework. Without clear delineations of responsibilities as well as rights, and without a mechanism for holding actors to their account for commitments, progress will not be made. A post-2015agenda should be underpinned by a comprehensive and inclusive accountability mechanism that should empower existing human rights structures. It must also provide for financing in a way that is fair. Even if the post-2015 framework is prepared through consultations to ensure a meaningful result, civil and political rights must be firmly entrenched, including freedom of expression and assembly. Access to information is a priority for the accountability of both governments and businesses. National security cannot be an excuse to withhold critical budget information. It is essential that a post-2015 framework explicitly target an enabling environment for civil society as crucial for upholding human rights, and ensuring progress towards all goals. Sustainable development will only be achieved through a genuine, equitable partnership of all sectors across national contexts. People must participate in building their future for the vision of a development framework to be realized. So far, we haven’t heard any information about the government of China’s positions on the post-2015 process. A key challenge is the block of related government information and lack of formal public participation channels. - China Recommendations The post-2015 framework should: 1. Be underpinned by a strong accountability mechanism. 2. Be harmonized with existing international agreements, such as theUDHR, 3. Be localized at the national level. 62 Campaign2015+International
4.
Include minimum standards on an enabling environment for civil society, as well as access to information. 5. Include a funding mechanism integrated into the framework, so progress is not dependent on fundraising or aid. 6. Include targets on military spending. Conclusion We have a unique opportunity to transform the current global social, economic and environmental system into one that is more just and inclusive. It is clear from the national, local and community deliberations that have taken place that the knowledge exists within civil society to eradicate poverty, uphold human rights, respect the planet, and build a more just future. As the MDGs come to an end, civil society in 40 countries has provided a roadmap for a framework that is holistic and inclusive in ensuring a more just world. This includes the following key demands: 1. Gender justice and social inclusion are essential for realizing rights; nobody should be left behind. 2. Human rights and economic, social, and cultural rights specifically, must be at the center of a post-2015 framework. 3. Equality should be central to the post-2015 framework, and included prominently in goals and targets. 4. The obligation of governments to uphold the economic, social and cultural rights of all people, through adequate and universal social protection should be recognized. 5. For poverty to be eradicated, a post 2015 agenda must fundamentally transform the economy to serve people, not corporate interests. 6. Global governance structures must be democratized for any discussion of equality to be meaningful. 7. Development must respect planetary boundaries. Governments must heed the call of these national deliberations, and develop a post-2015 framework that will address the root causes of poverty, inequality, and environmental degradation. We must ensure widespread, meaningful participation from a community level, and collectively set an agenda that will be responsive to the needs of people living in poverty and affected by climate change.
63 Campaign2015+International
Chapter Ten
AFRICAN CIVIL SOCIETY DEMANDS FOR THE POST-2015 DEVELOPMENT AGENDA6 Introduction and Background This project is a joint initiative between Beyond 2015, the Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP), and the International Forum of National NGO Platforms (IFP) to facilitate a series of national deliberations to create a global civil society consensus on the post 2015 framework. These deliberations were held at the national level, sub-national (regional or country level) as well as the District or local government level in 11 African Countries. The countrywide deliberations were based on the critical need for Civil Society to make inputs and actively participate in the process of developing a new global development framework beyond 2015. These deliberations were primarily intended to solicit ideas and reflections from members of the civil society, government sector offices and other members of the society (the elderly, youth, women, persons with disabilities, CBOs)with a view to inform the Post-2015 development
agenda setting. Newspaper caption of local consultation in Tubmanburg, Liberia
6
This report of Post-2015 national consultations in 11 African Countries was a joint initiative between Beyond 2015, the Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP), and the International Forum of National NGO Platforms (IFP) 64 Campaign2015+International
Despite achievements registered in achieving the MDGs in the areas of halving hunger, poverty and reducing maternal and child mortality, serious gaps still exist in achieving universal access to equality basic education, promoting gender equality and reducing the impact of climate change on the environment and livelihoods. Furthermore, frontline service delivery sectors, such as education, health, water and sanitation, continue to perform far below the required global standards. Furthermore, they do not meet the needs of vulnerable groups such as women, young people, person with disabilities and the aged. Challenges in the areas of good governance and respect for human rights have further been worsened by growing insecurity in the region where destabilizing factors are exacerbated by armed conflicts, rebels and armed fundamentalist groups representing a large threat to peace in the Sahel, West, North and Horn of Africa. The new development framework should therefore be robust and provide global support and commitment to tackling the current challenges. 1.2 The Deliberation Process The Post 2015 deliberations were conducted in an interactive and participatory manner through: reflective sessions, town hall meetings, smaller meetings, and workshops, group discussions, plenary as well as focus group discussion at the rural level. Meetings were held with various specific key stakeholders such the Members of Parliament, district leaders and government departments, Civil Society Organizations, women and youth groups, persons with disability, ethnic minorities and the business community. Additionally, in DRC, they included the civil servants, armed forces, police force and other security agencies in the national deliberations. These meetings provided a useful insight in terms of how the MDGs had been implemented, development challenges and the general status of development in respective areas as well as the solutions to move beyond 2015. Additionally, communities Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) were conducted and these provided community members to participate and advance their views on current and future development dispensation. 2.0
Perspectives on Vision, Purpose and Values for the Post-2015 Development Framework The following were the key ideas that were raised by participants of the various deliberations on the Post 2015 Framework: 2.1
Vision 65
Campaign2015+International
An equitable, just society and a safe sustainable environment, where there is respect for human rights and the rule of law, equal and unimpeded access to basic social services, and equal participation and representation in development and political processes; where governance systems and institutions promote peace and protect the lives of the people and the integrity of the environment irrespective of family, religion, education, ethnics, or social backgrounds. Key ideas of the vision: Democratic development based on respect and promotion of human rights. It also includes the freedoms guaranteed, eradication of discriminations based on differences and social inequalities. Real democracy in an international context is governed by the values and the governance principles accepted by all. The vision of the new framework should be designed through a coherence of various texts, conventions, declarations and resolutions of the United Nations for universal operational definition of the right to development. At national level, recognize local communities as key stakeholders for the achievement of development goals. The local community must be recognized in its role in the entire development process and not just in some areas of being passive recipients. Universal consensus should be a source of strengthening local communities in all sectors of development. 2.2.1 Purpose The purpose of the post 2015 framework is to eradicate poverty, promote human rights and the rule of law, ensure good governance and accountability at all levels; and ensure equal participation and representation in development and political processes irrespective of family, religion, education, ethnics, or social backgrounds.
Uganda consultation
The new development framework is therefore expected to: 1. Reduce poverty and assure adequate food and safe water for all 66 Campaign2015+International
2.
Guarantee access to socio-economic, cultural, environmental and political equality and social equity; 3. Improve the access to quality Basic Social Services (education, health, 4. water, water, sanitation); 5. Foster a fair legal environment that ensures the respect and promotion of human rights in all sectors 6. Promote and ensure equitable distribution of resources and wealth among nations, individuals, grassroots communities and homelands; 7. Ensure the establishment and maintenance of conditions of an environment of peace and lasting security; 8. Enable citizens and their organizations including CSOs to be involved in the development, monitoring and evaluation of national policy development; 9. Provide development actors including the United Nations mechanisms for monitoring, evaluation and accountability for results and not on development efforts based on indicators and statistics on the potential and actual economic wealth of each country to where and how were invested. These should be a legally binding after their ratification by the states of the countries concerned. 2.3 Values Good governance, rule of law, human rights, peace, social justice, environmental sustainability, transparency and accountability, and effective development. Values should be based on:: 1. Equity 2. Solidarity 3. Participation 4. Respect for human rights 5. International Governance 4.0
Summary of key recommendations emerging from the various deliberations in Africa on the Post 2015 framework by order of priority. The Post 2015 framework should emphasize on the following: 4.1 Good Governance and human rights: The main agenda under this pillar is participation, reducing corruption, creating effective civil service, transparency and accountability, human right issues and more space for the participation of vulnerable groups and CSOs. 67 Campaign2015+International
1.
Build Functional systems and structures that guarantee stability and transparency in all countries. 2. Political leaders at all levels must be accountable to their citizens, and should clearly explain the political decisions taken. Political accountability should be demand-driven 3. Foster a fair legal environment that ensures the respect and promotion of human rights in all sectors. The human rights of the citizens must be respected amidst political differences. This is a highly volatile area – where threats, intimidation and arrests are happening in many African countries. Citizens should be given the freedom to participate freely in the democratic processes, and make independent judgments and decisions. 4. Through legal and institutional reforms, political leadership both at global and local levels should be responsible to uphold internationally agreed goals and fundamental human rights protocols they sign or ratify. Many protocols are signed to improve governance in the countries, but are not respected by state actors. The UN and the post 2015 framework should have a mechanism of holding leaders who violate these protocols accountable 5. Increase civil service productivity through a disciplined and accountable work culture; decentralization of service delivery; and a stronger collaboration between public and private sectors as well as participation of civil society. 6. Strengthen and build strong institutions and law enforcement agencies to tackle the menace of corruption and impunity. 7. Inclusive (women, youth, persons with disabilities) to ensure better living conditions for populations; 8. Strengthen democratic participation of citizens in integrating the fight against violence and the fight against discrimination based on gender. 4.2 Environmental Sustainability, Natural Resource Management and Building Resilience to Tackle the Impact of Climate Change and its Attendant Effects on Livelihoods: 1. Africa Civil Soceity also demand that the post 2015 framework should provide standards which will ensure better management of the earth’s limited resources for sustainable use. 2. Devise mechanisms for mitigating the impact of climate change; especially disasters and shocks. 3. More focus should be on building resilience for sustainable livelihoods. 68 Campaign2015+International
4. 5. 6.
Strengthen management practices and environmental protection and practice of adaptation to climate change; Protect forest biodiversity and water to promote environmental protection Nothing on planetary boundaries?
4.3
Prioritize inclusive growth, energy, infrastructure development and job creation
1.
The equity dimension should be considered to take in to account the benefits of the growth to reach all sections of the society through a fair system of distribution of resources and creating equal opportunities
2.
Macroeconomic stability which focuses on: increasing power generation capacity; expanding telecom services; human resources and technological development; developing the capacity of local private sector; and enhancing local revenue generation capacity.
4.4
The new framework should adequately address economic and social inequality by promoting the rights and full inclusion of persons with disabilities, the aged, young people, girls and other socially excluded. There is a heightened despondency on the considerable and growing levels of inequalities between urban and rural populations as well as men and women. Extreme poverty is strongly linked with inequalities in literacyand access to economic opportunities. Lack of prioritization of development needs and corruption has been identified as other factors that contribute to skewed development and inequality in the distribution of development benefits. Furthermore, young people represent a hub of resource, knowledge and innovation for sustainable development, however, they been marginalized in the development process and there has not been a genuine political will and commitment to explore their potential. 1. Improve women’s access to economic and productive resources and their participation in political decision making position 2. Eliminate all forms of gender based violence through strong institutions which enforce the law and protects the rights of women 3. Improve access of children with disability to accessible quality education. 4. Ensure that young people have access to equal opportunities to enable them maximise their potential
69 Campaign2015+International
5.
6.
Create opportunities for young people through acquisition of productive skills and harnessing their creativity into economic ventures. Promote inclusion of persons with disability in all spheres of society by tackling discrimination and empowering them economically and politically.
4.5
Accessible quality basic social services- Education, Healthcare, Water and Sanitation Education was considered key to sustainable development, and a tool for addressing poverty and its various manifestations. Education was articulated as the trigger that will change the opportunities that young people can avail of and a powerful instrument for advancing equity and human development. Essentially, education builds people’s capacities and expands their freedom of choices should be emphasized by the post 2015 framework. 1. Affirmative action should be undertaken to tackle inequality issues in the education system as girls, the disabled, orphans and vulnerable children experience challenges in accessing education services. In particular, the current MDG framework has done very little to influence gender equality in the school set up as the numbers of girls in school keep reducing at various levels of education, especially at secondary and tertiary education level. 2. The new development framework should set targets which to ensure that more girls progress in school and complete their education as well as get appropriate skills as a way of empowering them to improve their situation. 3. Improve the health of those living with HIV though up scaling access to ART services, especially in the rural areas. 4. Efforts to addressing infection and spread of HIV/AIDS should also include support and care for the orphans and vulnerable children affected by the epidemic. 5. Address the cause of lack of access to safe drinking water by building infrastructure at the grassroots 6. Children and mothers should have access to free healthcare Peace and security is a key requirement in an environment for people and states to function effectively. It is therefore essential for the post 2015 framework to stimulate governments to act decisively to establish and maintain conditions of an environment of peace and lasting security of its citizens and neighbors. Specific recommendations include.Regulate the 70 Campaign2015+International
trade in arms (i.e., the Arms Trade Treaty and other related instruments promoting peace, security and stability) 1. For fragile states and states recovering from armed conflict, a national army and police force should be trained and equipped, an effective intelligence service as a prerequisite to ensure national stability protection of geographical boundaries. 2. The strengthen cooperation and trust between communities and security agencies. 3. The adoption and implementation of national security policy and action plan adapted to the context to check terrorism 4. Maintaining the conditions of an environment of peace and lasting security. 4.6 Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger In spite of the reduction of the population living below poverty line in the past two decades, this progress does not reflect the actual situation in many developing countries as many people continue to suffer hunger and many cannot afford two meals a day. Poverty continues to devastate countries in sub-Saharan Africa,as can be seen in unemployment, inability to afford education, good health and food among others. Recommendations for eliminating poverty and hunger in the post 2015 framework include: 1. Improve Food security and nutrition by focusing on increasing production and productivity, 2. The farming communities, the poor and the vulnerable should all be adequately supported to go into smaller holder farming by being involved in the food production and productivity. 3. Encourage commercialization of agriculture – through availability of modern farm equipment and tax free farm inputs. 4. Extension services should be provided free of charge, and people must be encouraged to venture into farming. 5. Farmers should have easy access to information especially on the marketability of their products. 6. There should be commitment to improvement of infrastructure, such as roads and electricity. 7. Local ownership of development initiatives among communities 4.7
Global Partnership: this includes accountability and commitment in implementing global agreements; trade and investment partnership and trade justice, climate change partnership, overall development partnership, etc.
4.8 Inclusive Social Security Ensure that vulnerable people such as the disabled, the elderly, widows, orphans, child beggars, women with multiple births have access to safety net systems and social security interventions. 71 Campaign2015+International
Overview of Africa Post 2015 National Deliberations on Vision, Purpose, Values and Criteria The following were the key wordings/ideas that were raised by participants of the various national consultations on the Post 2015 Framework. 1. Vision An equitable, just society and a safe sustainable environment, where there is respect for human rights and the rule of law, equal and unimpeded access to basic social services, and equal participation and representation in development and political processes;where governance systems and institutions promote peace and protect the lives of the people and the integrity of the environment irrespective of family, religion, education, ethnics, or social backgrounds. Key ideas of the vision: Democratic development based on respect and promotion of human rights including the freedoms guaranteed eradication of differences and social inequalities in the context of a real democracy included in an international context governed by the values and the governance principles accepted by all. The vision of the new framework should be designed through a coherence of various texts, conventions, declarations and resolutions of the United Nations for universal operational definition of the right to development. This vision requires: 1. A review of the order of international governance; 2. The revision of the role of multinational and economies in support of human rights and the sharing of wealth between nations, communities and individuals; 3. A clear and inseparable link between development and democracy 4. A link between poverty and wealth; 5. The abolition of "sovereign funds" and "black boxes" of weapons and producing countries involved in the wars against the peoples (USA, Gulf countries ...) used to confuse the democratic changes in some countries; 6. The consolidation of international financing mechanisms for development assistance (ODA) by the northern countries and international financial institutions to serve the goals of the new framework; 7. At national level, recognize local communities as key stakeholders for the achievement of development goals. The local community must be 72 Campaign2015+International
recognized in its role in the entire development process and not just in some areas of being passive recipients. Universal consensus should be a source of strengthening local communities in all sectors of development. 2. Purpose The purpose of the post 2015 framework is to eradicate poverty, promote human rights and the rule of law, and ensure equal participation and representation in development and political processes irrespective of family, religion, education, ethnics, or social backgrounds. Key Ideas: The new development framework is expected to: 1. Guarantee access to socio-economic, cultural, environmental and political equality and social equity; 2. Equitable distribution of resources and wealth among nations, individuals, grassroots communities and homelands; 3. Enabling citizens and their organizations including CSOs to be involved in the development, monitoring and evaluation of national policy development; 4. Provide development actors including the United Nations mechanisms for monitoring, evaluation and accountability for results and not on development efforts based on indicators and statistics on the potential and actual economic wealth of each country to where and how were invested. These should be a legally binding after their ratification by the states of the countries concerned. 3. Values Good governance, rule of law, human rights, peace, social justice, environmental sustainability, transparency and accountability, and effective development. Values should be based on the principles of: ▪ Equity ▪ Solidarity ▪ Participation ▪ Respect for human rights ▪ International Governance 4. Criteria: 1. Have indicators and statistics on the potential and actual economic wealth of the country in order to subsequently know where and how of its investments;
73 Campaign2015+International
2.
The right of appeal to the courts against the State in case of non respect of the content of the new framework by considering the objectives of development rights; 3. The obligation to produce an annual / bi-annual national report on the results that can include in its content diversity and divergence of views of all stakeholders in the country. 4. Respect and promotion of independent CSOs and its role in mobilizing for the realization of the content of the new post-2015 framework, or even put at his disposal means of action and capacity building of CSOs to be able to fulfil their role vis-à-vis the new framework; 5. A partnership framework by multi national and international actors to finance development through transparent and effective mechanisms to ensure financing in local development sectors. Reports from the following Countries are included in this synthesis Africa Benin DRC Ethiopia Kenya Liberia Mali Senegal
Asia Bangladesh Cambodia China India Indonesia Japan Philippines
Morocco Nepal Nigeria Pakistan Uganda South Korea Zambia
Latin America Bolivia Colombia Dominican Republic El Salvador Guatemala Mexico Peru
Europe Denmark Finland France Germany Ireland Italy
Uruguay Venezuela
Spain UK
Sri Lanka
Chapter Eleven CAMPAIGN FOR PEOPLE’S GOALS FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Our World. Our Future. Our Goals Response to the UN Secretary General’s report to the 68 th Session of the UN General Assembly on the follow-up to the outcome of the Millennium Summit,”A life of dignity for all: Accelerating progress towards the Millennium Development Goals and advancing the United Nations development agenda beyond 2015.” 74 Campaign2015+International
Overall: The Campaign for People’s Goals for Sustainable Development welcomes the UN Secretary General report which is a comprehensive assessment of the millennium development goals (MDGs) to date and offers some good recommendations for a new development agenda. However, it is disappointing that the UN SG Report does not make substantive recommendations for a truly transformative and just development agenda as the proposed framework does not challenge the status quo. The current available evidence on poverty, environmental degradation and inequality trends around the world shows clearly that a ‘business as usual’ approach is not an option. Review of MDGs: 1. While acknowledging the importance of identifying positive recommendations and lessons learnt, we also recommend that the UN Secretary-General identify the negative practices and lessons learnt through the MDGs. Including the MDG’s problem of addressing symptomatic causes of inequality and exclusion without addressing the structural causes causing those symptoms. For example MDGs approach in promoting primary health care for HIV/AIDs, Malaria and tuberculosis without channeling attention to the structure of health care services at local and national levels and the need for good governance to ensure response and adequate health care provision. Another critical lesson that has been learnt is the failings of the current economic model to achieve development equitably and fairly. Extended economic growth in the Asia-Pacific region has been matched by growth of inequality between rich and poor, men and women and marginalized communities. The existing development model is not working. There are many positive aspects of the report that we welcome: 1. The UNSG recognizes the role of inequality and exclusion in preventing the achievement of the MDGs and its role in the future development agenda. We strongly encourage the adoption of specific goals related to reducing inequality. 2. The UNSG also recognizes the importance of strong national ownership and multi-stakeholder partnership in contributing towards the MDGs and we urge that this approach is carried forward and developed in a new development agenda..
75 Campaign2015+International
3.
4.
We welcome and support the UN SG calls for the new development agenda to be based on human rights and to include a participatory monitoring framework and mutual accountability mechanism for all stakeholders. Although there are no recommendations on how to realize and achieve human rights in the UNSG recommendations for a new development agenda. In particular we welcome the UNSG recommendations for a strong monitoring framework and accountability mechanisms which ensure the direct engagement of citizens. The real enablers of change are people themselves and we need to institutionalize people’s participation in governance.
However, we raise the following concerns: 1. The UNSG report while recognizing the need for a profound transformation to achieve sustainable development, in particular an economic shift, and yet the substantive recommendations do not move away from the existing development framework. The prevailing development framework is failing the poor and marginalized. We strongly recommend a new development model which learns from past experiences and does not maintain the current disparities of economic and social power between and within countries. 2. The UN SG report fails to put people at the centre and forefront of development. We need to recognize that people and their communities are not passive recipients of development but active agents for change. It is not enough to consult communities if they have no control or influence over development being carried out in their name. If people have the power, they will ensure that both the legislature and the governance respond to ensure a better future for them. We call for a stronger emphasis on participation and inclusive decision making. 3. While we support the UNSG recommendations for a strong monitoring and accountability framework which ensures direct engagement of citizens we remain concerned that there is no mention about who should be held accountable and who should be monitored. Given the long history of transnational corporations and big business in undermining national and local development and in regular and gross violations of human rights, we strongly recommend that the UNSG states that business, as well as 76 Campaign2015+International
4.
5.
6.
7.
governments, should be monitored and held accountable, not conducting the monitoring. Financing for development is a critical issue which the UNSG report identified could be met through a strong global partnership for development. We are concerned that the UNSG report recommends a more conducive international environment for business as a means to secure sustainable development.Big business already benefit from a conducive environment which allows them to channel capital flows and portfolio investments without having to meet existing tax obligations; as well as to conduct illicit financial flows freely. We also question the UN SG recommendation for greater corporate governance of extractive industries, given corporations gross abuses in extractive industries. We strongly recommend stronger regulation and controls for corporations to stop their gross violations of environmental and human rights and to ensure that they meet existing tax obligations, eliminate tax havens and to regulate illicit financial transactions and stop exploitation of natural resources. We also recommend that solutions for financing for development are concrete and innovative which address social, ecological threats as well as economic. For example: we call on the UNSG to recommend eliminating subsidies on fossil fuels and placing a global tax on extractive and polluting industries; and establish a sovereign debt work out. The UN SG report also fails to recommend reform of current financial institutions, without which we cannot achieve development which will reach the marginalized and excluded. We strongly recommend that there is reform of the current financial institutions and rules and systems. The UNSG Report only calls for empowering women and girls. While a reference to the importance of empower girls and women is positive, this formulation is both vague and does not go far enough to ensuring that frameworks of gender inequality will be addressed. While the report does go on to state that The UN SG Report should be stronger in its recommendations for gender equality and gender justice. We recommend that there is a stand-alone goal for gender justice which, calls for the realization of women’s human rights, in particular sexual and reproductive health and rights, and an end to all forms of discrimination against women. 77
Campaign2015+International
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
In the report, the Secretary General uses the term ‘sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights’ in describing the vision for the Post-2015 agenda. While it is positive that there is at least a limited reference, this term is not as inclusive as “sexual and reproductive rights and health”, including access to holistic and comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services, safe abortion and the right to comprehensive sexuality education. The call to include this term was supported by the outcomes of the recent ECE and ECLAC ICPD+20 regional conferences. We are concerned about the UN SG recommendations for greater partnerships with pharmaceutical companies under the TRIPS agreement. Agreements under TRIPS have led to increased prices for life saving drugs and lower access, prioritizing profits over people’s right to health. We also call on the UNSG report to clarify partnerships with business sector should encourage domestic business sectors and small-scale enterprises and not transnational corporations which undermine rather than promote development. Given the lessons learnt from the MDGs and the particular limitations of MDG8, we recommend that a new global partnership for development ensures that people are included and represented in the new global partnership. We are concerned with plans for food security which do not promote principles of food sovereignty including self-reliance and selfsufficiency in food production – necessary for sustainable and equitable access to food.We strongly recommend that a new development agenda promotes the principles of food sovereignty. We are disappointed that sexual orientation and gender identity have not been picked up in the UNSG report and we recommend that their concerns are incorporated into the post-2015 development agenda. Efforts to achieve peace and security should be based primarily on justice and respect for people’s rights including the right to selfdetermination as a fundamental element to achieve peace and security. We recommend that the UNSG promote the right to self-determination. The report does not adequately reflect the importance of youth participation throughout the report. For example, young people must play an active role in the comprehensive monitoring framework and robust accountability mechanisms called for. Even more, they must 78
Campaign2015+International
be active participants at all levels of decision-making about their rights, their health, and their futures. Youth participation is not only essential to the integrity of these processes, but also to ensuring that the next development agenda yields strong commitments to young people’s health and rights. It is imperative that youth participation within the post-2015 process goes beyond surface-level representation. It is essential that, moving forward there is a transparent and participatory political process that enables broad and meaningful youth participation in continuing to shape the post-2015 development agenda.# Main Contributors: Dominican Sisters International Campaign2015+ International Neighborhood Community Network Reality of Aid-Asia Pacific Roots for Equity WOREC Nepal International Presentation Association NGO Committee on Financing for Development and Daughters of Charity
79 Campaign2015+International
Chapter Twelve BEYOND2015 VALUES AND TARGETS OF THE POST2015 AGENDA Introduction Since 2012, Beyond2015 has focused on the conceptual foundationsof the post-2015 agenda: the vision; the purposeand the values, which we deem crucial to be the basis of any framework. We have also developed a set of criteriaby which we can judge potential goals, targets and indicators. These four components should be seen as a whole, and slot together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. The shared visionarticulated by the 1000 organisations of Beyond 2015 is of ‘an equitable and sustainable world where every person is safe, resilient, lives well, and enjoys their human rights, and where political and economic systems deliver well-being for all people within the limits of our planet’s resources.’ The purposeof the post-2015 framework is: ‘to enable coherence and prioritization of action; to secure commitment to coordinated action by actors in all countries at all levels; and to ensure accountability for that action. The framework should not aim to address every issue but needs to tackle underlying problems rather than symptoms in order to be communicable and effective.’ The current focus: Values and Targets Building on the above mentioned conceptual foundations Beyond 2015 has recently focused on developing potential targets which exemplify how it can be ensured that the entire structure of the future framework, as well as each and every goal is underpinnedby the seven ‘foundational values’ that Beyond2015 has identified as being crucial for tackling the underlying problems rather than just the symptoms of poverty, inequality and climate change. Task Forces consisting of CSOs from all over the world have worked together to develop targets that collectively embody the following foundational values: 1. Environmental Sustainability 2. Human Rights 3. Poverty Eradication 80 Campaign2015+International
4. 5. 6. 7.
Well-being Peace and security Equity Global Responsibility
The ‘vision’ This is the broader state that we want the world to be in, and that we want the post-2015 framework to be working towards. The framework should contribute to the vision, but it does not have sole responsibility for bringing it about. The ‘purpose’ This is the particular role that the framework has – describing exactly how the framework is going to contribute towards the changes necessary to achieve the vision. The framework should be designed in such a way so it can fully achieve this purpose. The ‘values’ These are characteristics that should underpin the whole framework and be reflected throughout its whole structure. The values should support the design of the framework so it will achieve its purpose. The ‘criteria’ The criteria are the means by which we can evaluate specific proposals for goals. These should facilitate a basic but systematic assessment of whether a proposed goal is a strong option for a post-2015 framework.
The way in which the post-2015 framework is implemented will be critical to its overall impact, and implementation must be based on Beyond 2015’s ‘Implementing values’ of Accountability, evidence, effectiveness and participation. The targets listed below should not be seen as anexhaustive list of targets that Beyond 2015 is proposing, but rather concrete suggestions for how our values can be meaningfully translated into targets for the post-2015 framework. Beyond 2015 has made a conscious decision to focus on targets because they provide more substantial guidance when it comes to concrete action on the ground and to take a more holistic approach. Many of these targets relate to more than one of the seven values, and could fit well under more than one potential goal area proposed by different actors (for example, the Open Working Group). The table below indicates, via a simplecolour 81 Campaign2015+International
coding system, which targets are connected to which values. An ‘X’ indicates that this value is the principle value for this target.
82 Campaign2015+International
A shared understanding of goals, targets and indicators As a basis for our thinking, we are following the definitions of goals, targets and indicators proposed by the Independent Research Forum (below). However, as a campaign, we also support the notion of qualitative targets as long as they can be measured in a quantitative way. For example, it is important not just to measure the number of female politicians but also the extent to which they feel that they have influence. This could be made a measurable target in the following way: “Increase in the number of female politicians who report that they have real influence in the decision making processes which they are involved”. Attribute
Goal Aspiration: An ambitious commitment to address a single challenge.
Target Action: A specific, measurable and time-bound outcome (result) that directly contributes to achievement of a goal.
Indicator Accountability for results: A metric used to measure progress towards a target; generally based on available or established data.
Quantitative or Qualitative
Qualitative or quantitative
Quantitative
Quantitative
Scope
Global
Global or national; may be aggregated to assess global progress
Global or national; may be aggregated to assess national or global progress
Examples
Achieve universal primary education
Ensure that, by 2030, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling
● Net enrollment ratio for in primary education ● Literacy rate of 15-24 year olds
Reduce child mortality
Eradicate under-five mortality
● Infant mortality rate ● Under-five mortality rate
Ensure food security and good nutrition
Reduce post-harvest loss and food waste by 50% by 2030
● Share of agricultural produce loss and food waste
Key definition
83 Campaign2015+International
BEYOND 2015 PROPOSED TARGETS
T1: Full implementation of existing international commitments and multilateral agreements, for example related to biodiversity, land and oceans management, natural resources and climate change, and others. T2: All countries have developed and implemented action plans for disaster risk reduction that enable communities to respond effectively to climate change impacts and strengthen resilience, specifically focusing on those most affected by climate change T3: All countries have developed and implemented low carbon development strategies that put the world on track to not exceed global warming of 1.5 degree Celsius. T4: Ensure transparency, accountability and meaningful participation in the governance and equitable sharing of natural resources that supports people’s rights to a healthy, clean environment, sustainable livelihoods, adequate nutritious food and livable habitats. T5: Universal access to clean, reliable, renewable, safe and affordable energy services and technologies is achieved in all countries and implemented with social and environmental safeguards. T6. Marine ecosystems, including marine
E n v. S us ta in a bi lit y
H u m a n R ig ht s
P W P o el ea ve l ce rt b a y ei n E n d ra g S di ec ca u ti ri o ty n
E q ui ty
G lb l R es p o ns ib ili ty
X
X
X
X
X
X 84
Campaign2015+International
biodiversity, deep sea mineral and resources, fish stocks, coastal marine areas and high seas are protected, maintained, rebuilt and/or restored to healthy and sustainable levels for the long term sustainability and security of all. T7: Developed nations significantly reduce their water, carbon, cropland and raw material footprints per unit of GDP, and developing nations receive the financial and technology transfers required to achieve a good quality of life for all their citizens. T8: Governments implementation of a favourable environment for an informed, open, active and free civil society by guaranteeing the freedoms of association, expression, peaceful protest and meaningful political participation of all social groups, and supporting human rights and environmental defenders against threat or hindrance T9: Enable all people, in particular poor and marginalized communities, to obtain timely, quality, accessible, reliable, understandable and disaggregated information at all levels, in particular, about what financial resources are available, how they are raised and spent, and what they result in T10: Guarantee and enable active and meaningful participation of all people without fear, especially people in poverty and marginalization and civil society in the design, implementation and monitoring of public policies and programs from local to national to global levels, especially over the generation and use of public resources and the delivery of essential services T11: Achieve secure employment for all, with a focus on youth and the most disadvantaged; and including fulfilment of all fundamental worker's rights in both formal and informal sectors. T12: Achieve by 2030 women’s equal
X
X
X
X
X
X 85
Campaign2015+International
access to and control over land, property, inheritance, and productive resources T12b. Progressively redistribute the burden of women’s unpaid domestic and care work T13: Guarantee the right of indigenous peoples to free, prior and informed consent and overall decision-making over natural resource extraction in their lands and territories T14a By 2030 ensure universal, free, equitable access to and completion of quality primary and secondary education , leading to effective learning outcomes T14b People from all social groups, particularly those with no formal education, have opportunities for decent literacy and numeracy learning and skills development opportunities T15: Increase the share of young people, people with disabilities, older people and other marginalised groups with access to an control over land, property, inheritance, and productive resources that support their wellbeing and livelihoods T16: By 2030, ensure that no one lives with less than 2 dollars per day, and every country to reduce relative poverty according to national poverty lines, including ensuring 0% of the population live below the national poverty line. T17: Economic development is inclusive, pro-poor and sustainable through the reduction of income inequalities between the top and bottom quintiles. T18: Ensure that by 2030, areas of high importance for biodiversity and ecosystems, such as forests and oceans, are managed sustainably, effectively, equitably and with respect for the right of the local communities, as well as the rights of nature. T19: Guarantee by 2030 universal social protection floors for every category of the population.
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
86 Campaign2015+International
Indicators to measure decent unemployment benefits and decent pensions T20: Ensure by 2030 universal standards of good basic quality living conditions are met for 100% of the world’s population: including 100% access to and use of sanitation, safe drinking water and basic hygiene and sanitation products; secure housing, and a safe and healthy environment. T21: Ensure by 2030, that every country has implemented a new internationally-agreed standard measuring multi-dimensional progresstowards sustainable development, beyond GDP and income-based focus on economic growth. T22a: Ensure food sovereignty, end hunger and guarantee the right to universal, yearround access to sustainable adequate, affordable, nutritious food that meets foodbased dietary recommendations T22b. End malnutrition in all its forms, including reducing stunting to less than 5% and ending childhood deaths from wasting. T23: Reduce by x% the number of violent deaths per 100,000 and reduce the number of people from all social groups affected by all forms of violence, with a particular focus on children, people with disabilities, people with mental health issues and older people T24: People from all social groups feel safe and have confidence in security provision T25: Guarantee that people from all social groups have effective remedies to injustice, and access to and confidence in effective, accountable and impartial justice provision T26: A greater proportion of tensions, grievances and disputes in the world in general and within each state are being resolved peacefully, inclusively and constructively, showing tolerance for all people involved
X
X
X
X
X X
X
87 Campaign2015+International
T27: Significantly reduce international stresses that drive conflict, violence and insecurity, including global inequalities in wealth, land and resource ownership; irresponsible trade in arms and conflict commodities; and the illicit drugs trade T28: Prevent and eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls, and hold perpetrators to account / end impunity for gender based violence T29: Reduce by X% bribery and corruption and ensure that all those involved are held accountable T30: Ensure full, equal and meaningful participation and influence of women in all decision making bodies at international, regional, national, community and household levels. T31: Reduce economic inequality within countries [by x%], and between countries [by y%], including through progressive tax systems and distributive mechanisms at national and international level. Potential indicators include the ginicoefficient and the palma ratio T32: Increase the recognition and fulfillment of cultural, and political, economic, social and environmental rights for specific political, social and cultural minorities, and eliminate every legal and socio-cultural base for discrimination. T33: Ensure universal access, for all social groups, to quality health services in the context of an adequately resourced and supported health care system, including sexual and reproductive health and rights, and covering both communicable and noncommunicable diseases. T34: Ensure everybody has health care coverage to protect them from financial risk, so that no one is pushed into poverty or kept in poverty because of expenditure on health
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
88 Campaign2015+International
services. T35: IFIs, governments and the private sector respect human rights and sustainable development, and are responsive and accountable to citizens (Proposed indicator: Number of IFIs, governments and large companies which conduct public ex-ante independent, rigorous and periodic impact assessments of the social, environmental and human rights impacts of their policies/activities, within and beyond borders, including tax, trade, investment and financial regulation.) T36: All direct and indirect subsidies for fossil fuel consumption and production are completely phased out by 2030, while protecting low income and vulnerable populations from negative impacts and prioritizing their access to clean, safe, affordable and sustainable energy sources. T37: Eliminate illicit financial flows, including money laundering, trade mispricing, transnational corruption and bribery, and eradicate cross-border tax evasion, improve and standardize financial reporting standards to increase transparency, including full transparency of global financial transactions, bank holdings and deposits, and beneficial ownership, and increase stolen asset recovery. T38: Reform trade systems to promote equality among trade partners, recognising the need for special and differential treatment of developing countries, and more equal distribution of profits along the value chain, by x% over y number of years T39: Ensure adequate financing for development, fulfillment of human rights obligations and protection of global goods, building on the Monterrey Consensus, with a special focus on the needs of LDCs and LICs.
X
X
X
X
X
89 Campaign2015+International
90 Campaign2015+International
About this paper This paper is issued on behalf of the Beyond 2015 VPVC Working Group. The original draft of the targets was produced at the Beyond 2015 VPVC Workshop in Pretoria in March 2014. Subsequently, dozens of online comments were received by participating organisations throughout the world. These comments were considered and discussed by the Task Forces for the relevant values, and by the VPVC Working Group. The redrafting was coordinated by the VPVC Working Group, led by International Youth Council (Kenya), MESA (Chile), Sightsavers (UK), VSO (Belgium) WWF UK. It was possible to incorporate many of the inputs received. This document represents a work in progress, and the targets have not yet been signed off by the Executive Committee as an official Beyond 2015 policy position. Diversity of opinion within civil society Whilst Beyond 2015 participating organisations have a range of views regarding the content of a post-2015 framework, the campaign is united in working to bring about the following outcome: 1. A global overarching cross-thematic framework succeeds the Millennium Development Goals, reflecting Beyond 2015’s policy positions. 2. The process of developing this framework is participatory, inclusive and responsive to voices of those directly affected by poverty and injustice During the process of writing this paper, different opinions emerged within Beyond 2015 on: 1. Financial vs multidimensional definitions of poverty and approaches to inequality 2. The potential value of phasing out fossil fuel subsidies for poverty eradication
91 Campaign2015+International
Chapter Thirteen POPULATION DYNAMICS IN THE CONTEXT OF THE POST-2015 DEVELOPMENT AGENDA Executive Summary Population dynamics and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) will have a major impact on the post-2015 development agenda and the achievement of developmental and environmental sustainability. Population dynamics comprises trends and changes in population growth; migration; urbanization; population density; and age structures, and associated with the latter, young and older people. Population dynamics influence consumption and availability of natural resources, and together with consumption levels and efficiencies determine environmental sustainability. Addressing population dynamics in ways that respect and protect human rights must therefore be part of the solution, alongside other important sustainable development strategies, including those addressing unsustainable and inequitable patterns of consumption, while recognizing that a post 2015 framework needs to be putting consumption of resources on a sustainable and equitable trajectory. Population growth will occur mainly in developing countries. With relatively high birth rates and a high proportion of young people, populations of least developed countries are projected to double from 803 million in 2010 to 1.7 billion by 2050 and to almost triple to 2.5 billion by 2085. This is likely to undermine poverty alleviation and economic growth, and outpace investments in health, education and other basic services. Fertility decline, combined with increased longevity, means an increase in the number and proportion of people aged 60 and over, with the global total rising from the current 810 million worldwide to more than 2 billion by 2050. There will also be large rises in young people because of population momentum. International migration has increased by almost 40 percent since 1990, reaching 214 million annually in 2010 and is expected to continue to rise, with significant consequences for both origin and host countries. Internal migration is also rising, with increasing numbers moving from rural to urban areas, in addition to seasonal migration. More than half of humanity now lives in urban areas, a third in slums, and numbers are expected to increase. Under-pinning population dynamics, promotion of SRHR is an essential component of the post--�2015 development agenda. Originally missing from the Millennium Development Goals, SRHR was partially addressed as Target 5B in 2007, as part of MDG 5, which is the MDG that is most off-track. This omission should not be repeated n the post-2015 92 Campaign2015+International
framework. SRHR, within a human-rights framework and addressing the unmet need for family planning, offer opportunities to influence population dynamics positively and contribute to sustainable development while addressing gender inequality and women’s empowerment. Without the inclusion of comprehensive sexuality education and access to youthfriendly services, the needs of young people will not be met. This paper includes a comprehensive set of recommendations that are essential for the post--‐2015 development agenda. (See page 14) Introduction The process for framing the post-2015 development agenda has identified eleven areas for consideration .i Of these, population dynamics, including sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), is critically important for the others in working for the achievement of the post-2015 development agenda and for inclusive development. It has a major impact on the development agenda’s fundamental principles of human rights, equality and sustainability, and the core dimensions of inclusive social development, environmental sustainability and peace and security.” Population dynamics includes trends and changes in population growth; migration; urbanization; population density; and age structures, and associated with the latter, young people and the elderly. Under-pinning all of these is SRHR. Discourse on the post-2015 development agenda has focused on sustainable development, poverty alleviation, environmental sustainability and specific development priorities. Population dynamics has attracted less attention, despite population size, location etc., shaping and determining the scale and scope of development challenges and influencing the achievement of sustainable development and poverty eradication. Development planning and policies should monitor and address population dynamics in ways that respect and protect human rights and advance SRHR as part of sustainable and inclusive development and poverty eradication. Key elements of population dynamics Overview Mortality, fertility and migration drive population changes and influence age structure and population distribution, urbanization and population density. Rapid population growth increases the proportion of young people while, as mortality and fertility rates decline, the proportion of older people increases. This process is the demographic transition: the changes that take place as countries move from high mortality and fertility to low mortality and fertility. During this transition, population growth and movement occur, including internal, rural to urban and international migration.iii 93 Campaign2015+International
Least developed countries are typically in the second stage of demographic transition, experiencing rapid increases in population size and density and, because of the high proportion of young people, high youth dependency ratios. Other developing countries are in the third stage of transition with declining fertility, yet due to demographic momentum (the phenomenon of continued population growth beyond the time that replacement level fertility has been reached, because of the relatively high proportion of the population in their reproductive years) population growth continues. As the fourth stage is reached and demographic transition achieved, as seen in developed 4 countries, the profile of the population ages .iv Population dynamics and trends, particularly given their interaction with social inequalities, strongly influence the capacity of countries to achieve development goals.v 1. Population growth The world’s population doubled vi between 1965 and 2010, reaching 7 billion in 2011. According to the UN’s medium variant, it will reach 9.3 billion by 2050 and 10 billion by 2085. In contrast, the UN’s high projection variant, (with fertility just half a child above that in the medium variant), projects a world population of 10.6 billion in 2050 and 15.8 billion in 2100.vii The increase in least developed countries is projected to be from 803 million in 2010 to 1.7 billion in 2050, then almost tripling to 2.5 billion by 2085, due to relatively high birth rates and a high proportion of young people. The rate of growth and size at which the world population ultimately stabilizes significantly affects the world’s potential to reach its development goals. Growth is driven by increasing longevity, an above replacement birth rate and increases in the number of people reaching maturity arising from past population growth. Global average life expectancy at birth has increased from under 50 in the 1950s to around 70 today and is projected to reach 80 before the end of the century. Life expectancy Varies widely, while generally rising. The global average fertility rate has fallen, from just under 5 children per woman in the 1950s to around 2.5 today, varying from under 2 for more developed countries to around 4 for the least developed countries. Longevity is projected to continue to rise, although there are increasing risks of catastrophic ecological failure, given climate change, soil erosion and limits to water and other resources. Future population growth is also related to future fertility levels, which depend on access to family planning, the reproductive choices of present and future generations and economic, social, educational and political factors. Population growth, with related rises in demand for food, water, land, energy and other resources, increases pressures on the environment and on the commitment of policy makers to address these challenges. As this 94 Campaign2015+International
growth will be mainly in developing countries, it may undermine poverty alleviation and economic growth, outpacing investments in health, education and other basic services. Slowing population growth can alleviate pressures on the environment and on natural resources, energy and water, and services, particularly at the local level. However, limiting population growth would not necessarily mean that humanity would be living within the carrying capacity of the Earth, which is already being significantly exceeded.viii Due to vastly inequitable consumption patterns, particularly in the Global North, it is the rich minority who pose most of the greatest global threats to the environment, with impacts that touch the lives of many of the world’s poorest people. These points to the importance of a post- 2015 development framework that considers and addresses the influence of both population – and consumption – related factors. In summary, “demography is not destiny”, it is not pre-destined (policies, cultural values and programmes can affect it), nor are its impacts strictly determined. Where there are universal, adequate, affordable and accessible sexual and reproductive health services that respect and protect rights, women’s health has improved, maternal mortality declined and fertility fallen. Investment in sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and in health, education and gender equality therefore advances development prospects and achieves the demographic transition in developing countries, while stabilizing the world population, there by contributing to sustainable development. 2. Population ageing Fertility decline and increased longevity mean increasing numbers and proportion of people aged 60 and over; currently there are 810 million worldwide, with a projection of 2 billion by 2050. Changing family structures mean less family support for older people. Governments should provide services to protect the rights of the elderly, including social security and health care, suitable housing and transportation systems. Providing for the elderly is a problem in developed countries due to the demographic transition, as well as for low and increasingly middle income countries.ix. Factors such as migration and the HIV pandemic mean that there are increasing numbers of ‘skipped generation’ households in some regions, with older carers bringing up grandchildren.x Data on older people, disaggregated by sex, is required. Evidence-based policies are also required to ensure that both men and women are able to enjoy their rights to full, productive and remunerative employment that encourages savings, with pensions and social security measures in place to provide for those older persons in need of support. Support is also important in situations for Grandparent care and skipped generation households, recognizing the needs and rights of both older persons and the children in their care. xi 95 Campaign2015+International
3. Young people Today’s generation of young people is the largest ever, with 1.2 billion aged 15-24, which will have a major impact on Government policies and development strategies. With their capacity for creativity and innovation, growing numbers of young people can make an enormous contribution in countries in the developing world, in addition to the Challenges they pose. Governments must have in placed the necessary laws and policies to foster the innate innovative capacity of their youth. Promoting lower birth rates while increasing employment rates, societies can profit from the so--�called demographic bonus. Policies and strategies should include access to quality education, training and employment opportunities for all young people, particularly for girls and young women, to enable them to earn incomes. Young people must also have access to comprehensive sexuality education and youth--� friendly sexual and reproductive health information and services, which address barriers including discrimination, social stigma and lack of confidentiality. Together these will allow young people to delay marriage and family responsibilities for as long as they wish and to plan their pregnancies. xii 4. Migration Migration occurs for reasons including economic disparities, low-cost transportation, improved communication and migrant networks, xiii with short-term positive outcomes for some migrants, but conflict and persecution may also be major causes. Climate change falls in food and water supplies and rising sea levels may also increase future migration. Internal migration takes place within countries, including from rural to urban areas. It may be seasonal and not always permanent. Migration includes undocumented migration and the displacement of people as refugees. Migration has increased by almost 40 percent since 1990, reaching 214 million annually in 2010, and is expected to continue to rise. Large-scale migration can have significant consequences for both origin and host countries, including transfer of labour and skills, transfer of funds via remittance and other payments, and reducing resource pressures in countries of origin, while increasing it in host countries. For some people seeking better socio-economic conditions migration is the only option. Women migrants may be adversely affected, particularly as refugees or undocumented migrants. The increase in adolescents and children, migrating often alone and without family support, should be noted, as 33 million migrants are under-20, representing 16% of all migrants, with 11 million aged between 15 and 19 years. xiv 96 Campaign2015+International
Migrant-responsive Policies are important, including proper documentation and full information. Migration should take place in safe and legal conditions, respecting human rights. In addition, the root causes of undocumented migration and human trafficking should be addressed. Women migrants may be particularly adversely affected, especially as refugees or undocumented migrants, while children must be protected from abuse and exploitation commonly associated with trafficking and assured fair treatment and equitable access to education and other services in destination countries. xv 5. Urbanization Over half of humanity lives in urban areas and this is expected to increase. One third live in slums with numbers expected to rise due to population growth and internal migration. xvi The Future We Want, the Rio+20 outcome document, emphasizes that 7 well�planned cities can promote economically, socially and environmentally sustainable societies. This requires a holistic approach for affordable housing and infrastructure and prioritizing slum upgrading and urban regeneration, including “a safe and healthy living environment for all, particularly children, youth, women, elderly and disabled�. xvii Cities and urban areas must ensure access to education, health and other social services and employment opportunities. To avoid isolation and being confined to their homes, vulnerable groups including women, youth, children and those with disabilities must have adequate infrastructure and transportation. The specific needs of children should also be considered. 6. Social processes and individual capabilities and choices Population dynamics can contribute to better policies and programmes that advance the welfare of communities, families and individuals. Some population dynamics mechanisms work through aggregate processes: a larger proportion of working age people in the overall population, coupled with investment in health, education and SRHR and with policies conducive to job creation, can increase total savings and investment and spur economic growth and poverty reduction. xviii A parallel mechanism operates at family and individual level: a smaller family with multiple earners can save more and/or invest in a higher quality of life and opportunities for its members. xix The impacts of population dynamics do not always have such direct analogies. Increases in education, decreases in child mortality and other social changes that support decisions to delay marriage and family formation and reduce desired family sizes, for example, have substantial impact on the pace of demographic change through attitude and behavioral change. Smaller families also mean reduced competition for household resources and facilitate more collaborative relationships. The number of siblings can impact the extent of social networks and the balance between 97 Campaign2015+International
intra-familial and other social relations and provide challenges and options for old-age support for parents. Changing fertility patterns affect the duration of a generation (with implications for population momentum). Migration is often higher among relatively young adults, again changing household composition, and remittances can improve family welfare and alter power relationsxx. In different settings, the gender profile of migrants (especially labour migrants) varies. Intergenerational relations are also affected by the dispersion of formerly more settled extended family structures. Wealth flows in most settings are directed from older to younger family members but might require public programmatic intervention to ensure life quality through the life cycle. In short, population dynamics are manifested through the options and institutional structures available (in families, communities and beyond) as well as the ability of individuals to enhance their status and dignity. Protection, promotion and free exercise of individuals’ social, political and economic rights are essential to these processes. 7. Population dynamics and consumption Humanity’s impact on the environment is determined by population size, consumption levels and efficiency levels of resource consumption. Population dynamics, not only population size but also factors such as population density, ageing, urbanization and migration influence consumption and availability of natural resources, including land and water. The linkages between population dynamics, consumption levels and environmental sustainability are highly complex as well as sensitive, in part because of vast demographic and consumption disparities at the local, nation and global levels. The vast majority of projected population growth is due to take place in developing countries and amongst the poorest populations with the lowest per capita consumption rates. In the developed world, however, population growth is not an issue, yet the per capita consumption rates are on average much higher. xxi When considering the relationship between population dynamics and environmental sustainability, it is therefore necessary also to consider consumption inequities. Humanity is currently using 50 per cent more resources than the Earth can sustainably provide, and unless we change our consumption patterns that number will grow very fast – by 2030, even two planets will not be enough. The consumption of resources is highly unjust and unequal. If all of humanity lived like an average Indonesian, for example, only two‐thirds of the planet’s biocapacity would be used; if everyone lived like an average Argentinean, humanity would demand more than half an additional planet; and if everyone lived like an average resident of the USA, a total of four Earths would be required to regenerate humanity’s annual demand on nature. The excessive use of limited resources by more 98 Campaign2015+International
affluent sectors of the global population linked to growing levels of inequity between and within nations as well as increasing numbers of people, drives pressure on the Earth’s resources and its capacity to support us. An urgent global priority that the post 2015 framework needs to address is supporting all sectors of the expanding population to consume resources more efficiently and equitably. In essence, both population and consumption issues are of critical relevance to the post-2015 agenda. Without addressing both simultaneously sustainable developments cannot be achieved. Importance of access to sexual and reproductive health and rights 1. ICPD Programme of Action Securing universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) is a goal in itself and is critical for achieving social, economic and environmental developments. The interrelationships between population, sexual and reproductive health, development 9 and the environment were recognized in the Programme of Action (PoA) of the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD). xxii The ICPD PoA defined sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights within primary health care systems, including addressing the unmet need for family planning, maternal mortality and morbidity, unsafe abortion, sexuality and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV and AIDS.xxiii Gender equality and women’s empowerment are central guiding principles, as are the specific sexual and reproductive health needs of adolescents and vulnerable groups, including older persons, those with disabilities and indigenous people. Most important, the ICPD PoA is rooted in respect for human rights and the need to address gender--‐ based violence and harmful practices.
99 Campaign2015+International
2.
Sexual and reproductive health and rights and the MDGs: the unfinished agenda for post-2015 SRHR were not included in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), although maternal healths were included in MDG5. This was partially rectified in 2007 with the introduction of MDG Target 5B on Universal access to reproductive health by 2015. MDG 5: Improve maternal health is the most ‘off-track’ MDG with Target 5A Reduce by three-quarters, between 1990 and 2015, the maternal mortality ratio, only being met, or expected to be met, by 2015 in two subregions – Eastern Asia and the Caucuses and Central Asia.Target 5B has only been achieved, or is expected to be achieved, in Eastern Asia. xxiv While births to women aged 15 to 19 years fell between 1990 and 2000, the rate of decline has slowed, or reversed, subsequently in most regions. sub-Saharan Africa continues to have the highest adolescent birth rate (120 births per 1,000 adolescent women). The significant increases in contraceptive use that occurred in the 1990s have not been sustained. While women and couples “have the basic right to decide freely and responsibly the number, spacing and timing of their children…”xxv and more than half of all women aged 15 to 49, married or in a union, were using some form of contraception in 2010, the contraceptive prevalence rate of women in sub-Saharan Africa and Oceania was only 25 percent. The unmet need for family planning, i.e. “the percentage of women aged 15 to 49, married or in a union, who report the desire to delay or avoid pregnancy, but are not using any Form of contraception”, has declined only slowly since 1990. xxvi Moreover, it will probably expand sharply as the number of young people grows and as urbanization and globalization affect social structures. Girls who are married early or who are living on the streets are especially vulnerable with limited rights and access to sexual and reproductive health services. Given the investment to date and the progress in some regions and subregions, a strong argument can be made for the inclusion of SRHR in the post-2015 development framework. This will also influence population dynamics, with positive implications for 10 sustainable development priorities, including poverty alleviation, equity, health, education, food and water security, gender equality and environmental sustainability. 3. Sexual and reproductive health and rights agenda post-2015 An estimated 222 million women and girls in developing countries have an unmet need for modern contraception. xxvii 40 percent of pregnancies worldwide are unintended, leading to 21 million unsafe abortions and 47,000 maternal deaths each year. xxviii The Family Planning 2020 initiative has led to a commitment to provide voluntary family planning services to 100 Campaign2015+International
an additional 120 million women and girls in the world’s poorest countries by 2020.xxix Investment in family planning is cost effective – for every dollar spent, 2-6 (US) dollars can be saved for other development interventions. xxx Funding is also required for health services other than family planning, as part of comprehensive rights-based sexual and reproductive health services. Sustained funding and appropriate policies are necessary at all levels, including for health workers and essential medicines; comprehensive sexuality education; universal access to affordable, adequate, accessible sexual and reproductive health care, and information respecting reproductive and sexual rights, including for marginalized groups, such as young people, undocumented migrants, people with disabilities, people living with HIV and AIDS, drug users and sex workers. 4.
Population dynamics and sexual and reproductive health and rights – cross-cutting and under-pinning the evolving post-2015 development framework
1. Economic and social development The size, structure and spatial distribution of the population has implications for economic growth, sustainable development and prosperity, by influencing labor markets, income distribution, pressure on resources and infrastructures, poverty and social protection and pension schemes. Access to voluntary family planning services and the resulting falling birth ratesxxxi and smaller families can mean more disposable income for households, fewer children to support and more opportunities for paid employment or women. Countries can benefit from the demographic bonus resulting from the voluntary decrease in fertility rates and the corresponding increase in the employed proportion of the population, if employment opportunities, education, investments in women’s and girls’ health and other requirements are in place. Conversely, the high population growth of many developing countries contributes to preventing the breaking of vicious poverty circles, slowing uman development and undermining initiatives for economic prosperity and poverty alleviation. 2. Environmental sustainability As outlined in section 2.7, population dynamics has implications for consumption and availability of natural resources, and therefore environmental sustainability. Population growth is highest in the world’s poorest countries, which are also most vulnerable to food and water insecurity. In these countries population growth can undermine climate change adaptation and poverty reduction by exacerbating pressure on 101 Campaign2015+International
resources. Meeting the need for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) services, including voluntary family planning, would support climate adaptation and increase resilience in ecologically fragile areas. Without sound policies to manage the environment, population growth contributes to environmental issues such as soil degradation and erosion, fresh water scarcity, migration, deforestation and shortages of farmlandxxxiias well as reductions in natural habitat and biodiversity, particularly at a local level. At the global level, the links between population growth and environmental sustainability are more complex. The consumption patterns of richer populations have a far greater impact on environmental sustainability at a global level than the consumption of poorer populations. In fact, high-income countries have a footprint five times greater than that of low-income countries. xxxiii 3. Food, water and energy Population growth is likely to undermine progress towards achieving food, water and energy security for the global population, particularly because the vast majority of projected population growth will take place in the world’s poorest countries, where water shortages are severe and hunger is prevalent. By 2030, the world will need an estimated 50 percent more food and energy; and 30 percent more water because of increased demand because of population growth and increasing per capita consumption. xxxiv Global food prices are already rising, due in part to stock situations and to financial peculations, while water scarcity is increasing. Moreover, food production is being impacted by alarming climate change, as well as by the depletion of natural resources such as fish stocks and water for agriculture, and by limited availability of inputs such as clean energy and fertile land. A post 2015 framework should deliver food, water and energy for all, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. 4. Health Health, including SRHR, is critical for human and sustainable development, with ‘the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health’ as a recognized human right. xxxv Reducing unplanned pregnancies would reduce maternal 12 and infant/child mortality and morbidity and alleviate pressure on limited health resources. Health services should consider the needs of both women and girls and men and boys throughout their lives. 5. Education and employment Links between education, sexual and reproductive health rights, and women’s empowerment are multiple and mutually reinforcing. 102 Campaign2015+International
SRHR are linked to achieving universal access to,and completion of,education for girls by combatting early and forced marriage,early pregnancy,HIV and AIDS and other sexual and reproductive health issues thatprevent young people, particularly girls, from attending school and from completing their education.Comprehensive sexuality education, both in and out of school and for both girls and boys,together with youthfriendly sexual and reproductive health services, are critical for empowering girls and young people. Education is itself a means to promote SRHR and to enable women to control their fertility. Girls who go to school are more likely to delay sexual initiation and to make more informed, empowered choices. Women with seven or more years of schooling have Fewer children than those who have not been to school, and their children are healthier and better educated. Similarly, enabling women to determine the timing and spacing of their pregnancies will allow them to take advantage of opportunities for education and employment. 6. Gender inequality and women’s and girls’ empowerment SRHR empowers women and transforms their economic and social position, increasing their opportunities for education, employment and full participation in society. Women and girls should not be subjected to harmful practices such as female genital mutilation/cutting, early and forced marriage, early pregnancy, domestic and gender-based violence, rape and sexual coercion, pre-natal sex selection and infanticide, honour crimes and widow inheritance andsexual harassment, all of which disempower them. 7. Conflict, violence and disaster High rates of population growth or density can lead to conflict over resources or dissatisfaction with insufficient employment or inheritance opportunities, particularly in resource poor settings. This can contribute to political instability and the creation of fragile states. Population pressures can also increase vulnerability to disasters, by forcing people onto marginal land or areas of greater risk, and by contributing to household poverty. Increasing access to rights-based family planning programmes an reduce population-related pressures and increase resilience. 5. Recommendations The following recommendations are made in the context of the post-2015 development agenda: 1. romote as a framework the outcomes of relevant international processes, particularly ICPD Beyond 2014 and Rio+20, that comprehensively addresses the social, economic and environmental pillars of sustainable development, including population – and consumption-related factors and the nexus between population 103 Campaign2015+International
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
dynamics, sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), gender equality and sustainable development, creatingsynergy and coherence. Include population dynamics and SRHR in the post-2015 development agenda, within a human-rights based and gendersensitive framework, recognizing the inter-related benefits that universal access to SRHR, employment opportunities for women and promotion by voluntary means of the existing trend to smaller families bring to gender equality, population and environmental sustainability. Ensure development goals, planning and policies, including for health, education, food and water security, environment and wider poverty eduction programmes, consider, address and monitor population dynamics, and advance SRHR as part of sustainable and inclusive development and poverty eradication. Ensure development goals are based on projected changes in population size, location etc., which influence demand for and supply of essential resources and services, and population data is used for planning, monitoring, reporting and accountability mechanisms, including, where relevant, data disaggregated by sex, age and rural/urban etc. Prioritise universal access to SRHR, including providing voluntary family planning and youth--� friendly services, increasing demand for SRHR services, promoting integration of reproductive health and HIV/AIDS programmesand encouragingmale participation within the context of the ICPD Programme of Action and the Beijing Platform of Action. Address both populations – and consumption-related factors, shifting consumption patterns onto a sustainable and equitable pathway with goals for sustainable consumption for all countries. Responsibilities will differ between countries and there is an imperative for richer countries and populations to reduce their per capita consumption of resources, while poorer populations will need to increase their per capita consumption. Improve transparency and accountability in the provision of SRHR services through, for example, the involvement of the private sector, introducing results-14 based financial systems, and greater involvement ofcivil society, particularly instrengthening maternal mortality surveillance, reducing under-registration, preventing default and improving maternal deaths classification. Reduce migratory pressures while respecting the human rights of migrants, including child migrants, eliminate forced female migration such as bride importation, forced marriages and trafficking and seek to improve living standards for those living in slums, rural and hard to reach areas and refugee/migrant camps. 104
Campaign2015+International
9.
10.
11.
Provide quality education and training at all levels, particularly secondary education for girls, including reducing user fees in a properly phased and responsible manner; ensuring safe school environment and access for irls; enabling adolescent mothers and pregnant girls to continue their education; and ensuring a full curriculum including comprehensive sexuality education. Provide decent employment opportunities for young people and women to enable them to earn a sustained livelihood and be financially independent; establish and enforce rights--� based policies to address early and forced marriage and early childbearing. Include in relevant SRHR programmes the specific needs of older people, including those dealing with skipped generations, and of ther marginalized groups such as people living with HIV and men who have sex with men. -----
This paper is issued on behalf of the Beyond 2015 Campaign. The original draft was produced by a drafting team comprised of the following Beyond 2015 organizations: Campaign 2015+, Christian Relief & Development Association; Commonwealth Medical Trust;International Planned Parenthood Federation; Population Matters; opulation and Sustainability Network; Women Deliver; and with the coordinating efforts of theChristian Relief & Development Association and the Commonwealth Medical Trust. The drafting process consisted of a thorough literature review and team drafting. The draft was circulated to the campaign for review. Comments and feedback were received from 11 organizations. The redrafting was coordinated by the team, and it was possible to incorporate most of the inputs received. In accordance with the Beyond 2015 protocol on forming policy positions... Thanks go to the drafting team comprised of the members of the following organizations: Meshesha Shewarga (Christian Relief & Development Association; Marianne Haslegrave (Commonwealth Medical Trust); Sarah Shaw (International Planned Parenthood Federation); Sarah Fisher (Population and Sustainability Network); Simon Ross (Population Matters); Tola Winjobi (Campaign 2015+ International) and Joanna Hoffman (Women Deliver). Thanks also go to individuals of contributing organizations: CAFSO-WRAG for Development, Nigeria; EuroNGOs; Kigen Korir (Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Alliance (SRHR Alliance-Kenya)). ENDNOTES i.
ii. iii.
The areas identified are: Inequalities, Environmental sustainability; Health; Water; Food; Energy; Education; Employment; Conflict, violence and disaster; Governance; and Population Dynamics. United Nations System Task Team on the Post--� 2015 UN Development Agenda. 2012. Realizing the Future We Want for All. The Royal Society (2012) People and planet.London.
105 Campaign2015+International
iv. v. vi. vii. viii. ix. x.
xi. xii. xiii. xiv. xv. xvi. xvii. xviii. xix.
xx.
xxi. xxii. xxiii. xxiv. xxv. xxvi. xxvii.
xxviii. xxix. xxx. xxxi. xxxii. xxxiii. xxxiv. xxxv.
Ibid. UNDESA & UNFPA (2012) Population Dynamics Thematic Think Piece produced for the UN System Task Team on the post—2015 Development Agenda. United Nations Population Division 2011. World Population Prospects: The 2010 Revision. New York Ibid WWF (2012) Living Planet Report 2012. Gland: WWF. Global Footprint Network Ecological Footprint for Nations 2010. UNFPA and HelpAge International (2012) Aging in the 21st Century. A Celebration and a Challenge United Nations Population Fund, New York and HelpAge International, London and EveryChild and HelpAge (2012) Family First.Prioritising Support to Kinship Carers, especially older carersEveryChild, London EveryChild and HelpAge (2012) Family First.Prioritising Support to Kinship Carers, especially older carersEveryChild, London Formore information see See Africa’s Demographic Challenges: http://www.berlin--‐ institut.org/fileadmin/user_upload/Afrika/Africas_demographic_challenges.pdf Population Dynamics. Thematic Think Piece UNICEF (2012) International Migration of Children and Adolescents. Facts and Figures UNICEF, New York Save the Children (2012) Voices of Children on the Move. Submission to the UN CRC Committee Day of General Discussion Save the Children, London UN--‐ Habitat The Challenge of Slums 2003 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development. 2012. The Future We Want. Paras 134--‐ 135. New York. Bloom, D.E., Canning, D., and Sevilla, J. 2003.The demographic dividend: A new perspective on the economic consequences of population change.Santa Monica: Rand. The familial (micro--‐ level) impacts of population dynamics were acknowledged even in the macro--‐ level skeptical reports of the 1980s (see National Academy of Science. 1986. Population Growth and Economic Development: Policy Questions. Washington: National Acadeimies Press and Birdsall, N., Kelley, A.C. and Sinding, S. 2001. Population matters: Demographic change, economic growth, and poverty in the developing world. New York: Oxford University Press). UNFPA. 2006. International migration and the Millennium Development Goals. NewYork: UNFPA. UNFPA. 2006. Moving Young.Youth Supplement to the State of World Population Report. New York: UNFPA. Stephenson, J., Newman., K and Mayhew, S (2010) “Population dynamics and climate change: what are the links?” Journal of Public Health, 32, 2, pp. 150--‐ 156. United Nations. 1994. Report of the International Conference on Population and Development, Cairo, 5--‐ 13 September 1995. A/CoNF.171/13, chapter IV Ibid. paras 7.2, 7.3, 7.6 United Nations.2012.The Millennium Development Goals Report 2012. New York United Nations.1994. Report ICPD paras 7.3, United Nations. 2012. MDG Report Singh, S. and Darroch, J. E (2012) dding It Up:Costs and Benefits of Contraceptive Services – Estimates for 2012. New York: Guttmacher Institute and United Nations Population Fund. Singh, S., Sedgh, G., and Hussain, R. (2010) Unintended Pregnancy: Worldwide Levels, Trends and Outcomes. Studies in Family Planning .41, 4, 241-250. http://www.londonfamilyplanningsummit.co.uk/1530%20FINAL%20press%20release.pdf 16 Moreland, S &Talbird, S. 2006. Achieving the Millennium Goals: The contribution of fulfilling the unmet need for family planning.USAID, Washington DC. See Africa’s Demographic Challenges: http://www.berlininstitut.org/fileadmin/user_upload/Afrika/Africas_demographic_challenges.pdf Bryant, L, Carver, C, &Anage, A (2009). “Climate change and family planning: leastdeveloped countries define the agenda.”WHO Bulletin, 87, pp.852--‐ 857. (WWF Living Planet Report 2012). Beddington (undated) Food, energy, water and the climate: A perfect storm of global events? UK Government Office for Science.
106 Campaign2015+International
xxxvi.
UN General Assembly (1966) International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, 16 December 1966, Article 12.1
Chapter Fourteen BEYOND2015 POSITION PAPER ON UN THEMATIC CONSULTATION ON CONFLICT, FRAGILITY & DISASTER Summary No conflict affected or fragile country has met a single MDG, nor are they likely to do so, demonstrating that the post-2015 framework and actions to meet it must adopt a fundamentally different approach to its predecessor in order to contribute to genuine progress in poverty reduction. In short, the framework must address the political factors that drive conflict and currently prevent the development of resilience against natural disasters and slow-onset environmental change. Long term sustainable development can only be delivered by a post 2015 framework which recognises that the relationship between people and their governments is critical, and that the development of national and local institutions to manage conflict, build resilience to disasters and provide services must include all sections of society. This includes groups that are often overlooked. We believe the post-2015 framework should be: 1. A global overarching framework but one which has the flexibility to be designed and implemented according to the individual circumstances of each country or region, reflecting the unique local dimensions of each 2. One which places emphasis on the active and meaningful involvement of local civil society in the design and operation of peacebuilding, statebuilding, service delivery and disaster reduction strategies 3. One which places responsibility on every and each international intervention to respond to the needs of the population in its diversity, including for example women and people with disabilities in the design, delivery and evaluation of programmes 4. One which builds resilience against conflict and disaster in a manner which contributes to strong societies by investing in active civil society networks, which are able to hold governments to account 107 Campaign2015+International
5.
One which recognises the challenges of meeting human development needs in conflict and disaster-affected countries and ensures development actors are prepared to address these
Evidence of the relationship between MDG achievement, armed violence and disaster No low-income fragile or conflict-affected country has achieved a single MDG; and none are on track to achieve the MDG targets by 2015 7. Throughout the lifetime of the MDGs, conflict-affected and fragile states have consistently made least progress towards the goals: 29 of the 42 countries at the bottom of UNDP’s human development index are fragile states. These facts show a direct correlation between the prevalence or risk of armed violence and the capacity of a country to make progress towards the goals. Evidence points to the primary reason for this being the inappropriately limited focus of the MDG framework which, by definition, fails to acknowledge or respond to the interlinked and complex relationships between drivers of conflict and the human development issues the MDGs attempt to address. The lack of capacity in weak and unstable states, with equally weak civil society structures, also hampers the delivery of immediate and long term services to those populations. This lack of capacity and local infrastructure combined with insecurity also means delivery is expensive. Large numbers of expatriate staff and importation of goods raises those costs further and mitigates against the growth of local service providers who themselves possess expertise in the political sensitivities of the local context the expatriate staff do not, while continued exposure to disaster risks the reversal of any progress made. These political factors combine with social, economic, justice and environmental factors, including those which leave populations vulnerable to disaster, to render the framework entirely ineffective for fragile and conflict affected countries. The narrow focus human development issues related to poverty, and their measurement by even narrower indicators, leads to the reduction of what should be a genuine endeavour to address human progress and build strong, resilient states and societies to a “..reductionist view of 7
http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTWDRS/Resources/WDR2011_Overview.pdf
108 Campaign2015+International
development” 8 or an oversimplification. In addition, there is considerable evidence that global trends such as climate change, migration and urbanisation (increasing the number of people living in high risk areas 9), environmental degradation, population growth, as well as economic trends since the original development of the MDG’s, will cause the impact of disasters to intensify10 and thus pose a major development challenge. It is widely argued that “…any post-2015 agenda to reduce poverty sustainably needs to be ‘climate proofed’ with the flexibility and resources to ensure that communities can adapt to climate change and are protected against its impact.”11 Hence, it is highly likely that the post-2015 development framework will operate within a context that is even more vulnerable to disaster and conflict and one where achievement of new development goals will be even more dependent on the need to enhance the resilience of communities to manage the impact of disasters and conflict. This will require much greater investment in reducing vulnerabilities by addressing their root causes1213 as well as greater attention to elements of prevention, relief and recovery that in the past were too often overlooked The MDGs usefully prescribe global standards for development, the benchmarks for achievement and donor commitments. Yet, as the World Development Report of 2011 highlighted, greater attention needs to be paid to the individual ‘stress factors’ driving each conflict, avoiding set models of practice and policy and advocating innovative approaches. The current MDG framework does not provide a realistic or relevant set of targets for many conflict-affected countries, such as South Sudan struggling to escape cycles of violent conflict based on multiple and deeprooted drivers of conflict. These might include, for example, a complex inter-relationship between intra-clan tensions over natural resources and social exclusion at the local level and a wider political conflict between a
8 9
If not the MDGs, then what?, Jan Vandemoortele, Third World Quarterly, Volume 32, Issue 1, 2011 Migration and human mobility, Thematic Think Piece IOM, UNDESA, May 2012
10
Disaster Risk and Resilience, UN Task Team on Post 2015 - UNISDR/WMO, May 2012, Migration and human mobility, Thematic Think Piece IOM, UNDESA, May 2012 11 12 13
ODI, Background Note, Climate change as part of the post-2015 development agenda, July 2011 Sahel Working Group (2011), Escaping the Hunger Cycle – Pathways to resilience in the Sahel HFA priority 4 is considered to be the weakest priority actions
109 Campaign2015+International
Government and an insurgency at national level 14. The current MDGs in these contexts are meaningless; future MDGs must seek to offer both global standards and aspirations, but allow scope to cater to the specificities of each conflict to offer constructive and achievable milestones of achievement so that there is donor, country and community commitment which is maintained over a long-term period The MDGs are a global framework that do not account for the unique local circumstances of each country, nor the regional factors which affect them. Neither conflict nor natural disasters respect state borders or boundaries. The cross-border dynamics of conflict and violence are a challenge to national governments, peacebuilders, donors and all others seeking to transform conflict and build resilient and strong communities. The problems of fragile states spread easily and drag down neighbouring states, undermining development gains. This cross-border dimension remains a significant gap in policy and practical responses, and also in the MDGs. A multi-layered response, which thinks ‘outside’ and ‘below’ the state is needed to address issues of conflict and violence at different levels, be they local, national, regional or international. Building resilient states for sustainable and accelerated long term development Resilience to internal stresses, external shocks and slow-onset environmental change are key prerequisites to sustainable development in conflict affected and fragile states. The World Development Report 2011 highlights that external shocks, including from volatile commodity markets, migration, illicit transfers of drugs, arms and money and transnational ideological threats can all increase the likelihood of violent conflict breaking out. 15 Fragile and conflict affected countries are at greater risk of disaster because they have less capacity to respond to unexpected events, or to prepare for slow onset changes. The populations of both are also, therefore, likely to suffer most from both eventualities. Yet the process of building resilience also provides an opportunity to bring communities together in a common endeavour which, if designed appropriately, provides a potential opportunity to build long term peace.
14 15
Inclusive peace in Muslim Mindanao, International Alert, 2009 World Bank, World Development Report 2011 (2011), p 217-240.
110 Campaign2015+International
Thus, resilience is at the heart of sustainable development. Resilience principles and values need to be embedded into development processes to ensure development processes do not increase vulnerability and exposure. The process of strengthening local risk governance to enhance local absorption and adaptive capacities are key to building resilience to shocks and stresses of all kinds e.g. protecting people from both "natural" and "man-made" disasters. Approaches to statebuilding and development in these contexts must aim to build states capable of responding effectively to shocks, including those relating to governance, natural disasters, changes in climate and population at a minimum in order to deliver peace and sustainable development in the long term. This will include the establishment or enhancement of institutions at national and local level, in order to provide means by which conflicts can be managed without recourse to violence while requisite endeavours to build resilience against disasters can be pursued. Yet in building those institutions a critical pre-requisite for success is the relationship that each has with the people they are there to serve.
While the need for this legitimacy of institutions is widely acknowledged at the policy level 16 actual implementation is weak or non-existent, despite the Dili Declaration recognising “..the centrality of state-society relations in supporting the development of capable, accountable and responsive states17” and the UN Global Programme on the Rule of Law arguing “...representative and inclusive institutions contribute to resilience and legitimacy18”. The natural and political challenges faced by the majority of the world’s population are set to grow exponentially. Coupled with long term changes to the climate and of human developmental trends, such as over half of all people now living in urban settings19, the need for effective national and local institutions will grow accordingly. Yet direct beneficiaries must be 16
See principle 3, OECD Fragile States Principles, http://www.oecd.org/dac/conflictandfragility/aboutthefsps310.htm 17
International Dialogue on Peacebuilding and Statebuilding, Dili declaration: a new vision for peacebuilding and statebuilding, http://www.oecd.org/international%20dialogue/44927821.pdf 18 19
UNDP 2011 Annual Report on the Global Programme on the Rule of Law, 2011 Sustainable urbanization, UN Task Team on Post 2015 - UN Habitat, May 2012
111 Campaign2015+International
included at every stage of their inception and development to ensure effectiveness and legitimacy, without which conflict and vulnerability to disaster will remain or worsen. Enhanced attention should be given to ensuring that prevention, relief and recovery plans and policy frameworks include all elements that further the resilience of communities. For example, the inclusion of protection of animals and other productive assets in relief plans will allow for quicker and more robust recovery later and has long-term positive consequences for maintaining community livelihoods, food security, health and social wellbeing. Overall, building resilience is critical. Greater attention must be paid to a number of key issues that currently inhibit MDG success, including comprehensively addressing the contexts where chronic vulnerability persists, and for the system itself to work effectively there is a need for greater levels of investment in coherent policy infrastructure and disaster risk reduction measures. Recovery and transition to development: An approach to strengthen development sustainability While people living in conflict affected and fragile countries have the same needs as others, the lack of state capacity to deliver basic services means those needs go unmet, particularly once short term humanitarian assistance is drawn down, for example after a natural disaster. Efforts to build peace and state systems are long-term and outside the remit of the current humanitarian aid architecture, leaving these long term processes to development actors. Yet focus is also needed on human development during this period to develop health and education services as a means of building genuine developmental progress and resilience against further external shocks and to support statebuilding through, for example, the development of health provision 20. . Approaches to strengthening developmental sustainability must seek to build long term capacity in the provision of critical health and education services as a whole, in a manner appropriate to contexts affected by conflict and fragility. This includes focussing on both supporting health service delivery and strengthening the health system. This means focus on resilience to the 20
Health and Fragile States Network (2008): Health System Reconstruction: Can it contribute to State Building. Conducted by HLSP Institute: Jack Eldon, Catriona Waddington, Yasmin Hadi
112 Campaign2015+International
major local hazards, to ensure that progress made is not immediately lost. Attention is also needed to the development of the limited local capacity. Currently, international NGOs can find it hard to identify capable local NGOs with whom to partner, and so are often forced to engage in direct delivery. This can reduce the long term benefits of there being high capacity national organisations and their staff in country. Finally, there must be a significant focus on LRRD /transition programming which remains a challenge for the international community. Humanitarian actors are often seen as the lead on LRRD, but are not always best placed or able to address the underlying causes of– and many humanitarian agencies would not want to partner with state or political structures for fear of losing their perceived neutrality and independence. The task of ‘state building’ often gets left to development actors who often do not see LRRD and intervention in “humanitarian” and protracted crises as their responsibility. These interventions must also address the specific needs of people who have been traditionally invisible and ignored both by policy makers and service delivery programmes. This is especially the case for people with disabilities who need to be considered as a key target group across all intervention processes from identification, assessment and planning, delivery of support programs, monitoring and evaluation. The approaches must adopt the emerging ‘community resilience’ concept as a framework for approaching assistance to fragile and insecure contexts, which should promote greater synergies between humanitarian and development actors and reduce the ‘silo effect’ in programming, leading to a more holistic approach to aid in these contexts. Working towards community resilience implies that development and humanitarian interventions co-exist side-by-side, and local services can switch between long-term programmes addressing underlying causes to palliative aid in times of crisis, whilst progressively building up the assets required in order to cope with disaster without losing long term prospects. In funding these approaches the international community must address the problem of the gap between humanitarian, development and peacebuilding partners, and develop appropriate funding and delivery models. It is still the case that development partners do not see resilience and Linking Relief, Rehabilitation and Development (LRRD) programming as a core responsibility. Significant increases in long term funding need to be allocated for sustainable development and peacebuilding in areas 113 Campaign2015+International
traditionally the domain of humanitarian funding. Institutional donors need also more confidence in programming in fragile environments, through the development of protocols and continuing to build an emerging evidence base21. There needs to be agreement about how state and peacebuilding can include support for health and other human development goals and vice-versa. The two disciplines – development and humanitarian, must be combined and resourced more coherently. The effects of investing in disaster risk reduction on MDG achievements While great strides have taken in the commitment and focus on integrating disaster risk reduction (DRR) in broader development strategies, those most vulnerable and at risk still find their social wellbeing, livelihoods and food security affected on an annual basis often with devastating results. Countries that have invested in strengthening their disaster management capacities have witnessed a steady decline in mortality risk, primarily with regard to weather-related disasters. However, much more needs to be done to reduce economic losses fuelled by the rapid growth of asset exposure. If the objective of the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) – the significant reduction of disaster losses – is to be achieved and if progress is to be made towards the MDGs, a new paradigm in disaster risk reduction must emerge. 22 DRR is recognized as a cost-effective alternative to the ever mounting costs of emergencies 23 and an important determining factor of a country’s resilience and preparedness. Enhanced investment in DRR measures should therefore be included as an integral element of the post-2015 development framework. UNISDR research highlights two examples – Philippines and Mongolia that show investment in risk reduction practices has been very effective in facilitating progress across a wide range of MDGs. 24 A further example of the positive recovery and resilience capacity that DRR imbeds can be 21
22
23 24
Health in Fragile States Network (2009): Health Systems Strengthening in Fragile Contexts: A report on Good Practices and New approaches. Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction, Revealing Risk, Redefining Development, UNISDR 2011 Leonard and Howitt, 2010,World Disasters Report, IFRC 2011 http://www.unisdr.org/2005/mdgs-drr/summary-countries.htm
114 Campaign2015+International
gleaned by comparing the 2010 earthquakes in Chile and Haiti. The Chilean 8.8 magnitude earthquake resulted in far fewer deaths than the 7.0 Haitian earthquake; with the difference credited to Chile’s significant investment in DRR since the 1960s, including strong building code regulations, and Haiti’s inherent vulnerability caused by low literacy, poor access to basic services, years of conflict, political instability and recurrent disasters such as cyclones, floods and mudslides which had weakened Haiti’s already low capacity to invest in the long-term safety of its citizens25. Thus, coherent and comprehensive policy approaches would address, for example, the link between low literacy and effective DRR strategies. There is political acknowledgement 26 of the importance of DRR but enhanced efforts are needed to embed DRR within national and international policy and legal frameworks. DRR must extend beyond the humanitarian domain and be ‘hardwired’ into the post-2015 development framework, both as a cross-cutting issue that should be mainstreamed and as a stand-alone goal in its own right. To this end the work leading up to the post-2015 HFA will be instrumental and must be integrated into post2015 development framework discussions. Moreover, to ensure that enhanced investment in DRR will result in optimal effects for overall development greater emphasis must be placed on addressing the underlying causes of risk and vulnerability, while DRR funding must be embedded to a greater extent in development spending, with an increased focus on low income and highly vulnerable contexts. Often within this context the role of animals and animal welfare is key to livelihood protection, recovery, food security and social structures. DRR preparation should consider vulnerability in its broadest definition and avoid focussing solely on the large scale intensive disasters but be more comprehensive in scope, including by incorporating human derived hazards, while reducing vulnerability must also take into account the role of the private sector and social protection. This must be addressed through a long term integrated approach to build adaptive capacity by ensuring livelihoods are diversified and locally appropriate innovative approaches are supported.
25 26
Annual Disaster statistical review – CRED 2010 Disaster risk management in post-2015 policy frameworks, ODI, June 2012
115 Campaign2015+International
Overall, the role of the state is of fundamental importance in reducing risks – through long term investments in risk resilience and risk reducing infrastructure, embedding DRR in education systems, providing social protection, developing and supporting early warning systems, preparedness and contingency planning and the coordination of disaster relief and recovery. Such centrality of the State means that the perceived legitimacy and inclusiveness of its institutions are of critical importance to mitigating conflict while effectively addressing disaster risk reduction. Inclusive responses to fragility and disasters: diversity of needs and ideas. The impact of conflict and disaster on people depends on a variety of factors, including but not limited to someone’s gender, age, disability, socio-economic background and religion. While young men of fighting age may be forced to become combatants risking death or physical and mental injury young women may be forced into sexual servitude or become the victims of other forms of human rights abuses. Similarly in the aftermath of a natural disaster women may find themselves more at risk due to their subservient social status and therefore lack of any access to meaningful decision making or vital resources, while the specific needs of persons with disabilities are rarely adequately addressed resulting in exclusion and the violation of their human rights. In both cases, conflict and disaster, women have been proven to play a critical role in supporting the survival and rehabilitation of their communities and a failure to recognise or support this 27 is to the detriment of those communities as a whole. Humanitarian responses must seek to build resilience of women and men; address immediate gender and disability needs post-disaster, including protection in humanitarian responses; and respond to strategic gender needs ensuring that responses do not reinforce existing gender inequalities. Women also play a key role in relation to peacebuilding and conflict prevention and are actively involved in and regularly lead grassroots initiatives for peace. Women’s efforts for peace are not always recognised. Furthermore, women continue to be absent from peace talks. For persons with disabilities relevant actors must include the people themselves and their representative organizations in: planning, preparing, 27
Joanne Hoare, Ines Smyth and Caroline Sweetman, ‘Introduction: post-disaster humanitarian work’ in Gender and Development 20:2 (2012).
116 Campaign2015+International
preventing, protecting, mitigating, testing, notification, community evacuation and transportation, shelter, temporary lodging and housing, social security and benefit programs, emergency care and services, relocation (including transportation and back), recovery and remediation, implementation and evaluation. All relevant actions, and the use of actions, must be inclusive of persons with disabilities and in keeping with their human rights so that actions do not perpetuate exclusion, barriers and inequalities that exist in societies, and build better communities. For approaches to conflict and disaster to be successful, sufficient attention must be paid to broader gender roles and relationships as these can stimulate and sustain conflict, for example those centring on rites of passage for young men involving violence. It is also important, however, to recognise that conflicts offer an opportunity for social change as they disrupt traditional social patterns and gender roles. A post-2015 framework must therefore acknowledge the role of gender dynamics in building resilience against both disaster and armed violence. Central to that must be an approach which includes a gender element to any analysis of the context and which seeks to ensure that women have equal access to decision making with regard to conflict resolution and governance in the longer term, as mandated by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325. It is simply not possible to build long term peace without the involvement of women. This may take the form of National Action Plans or another mechanism appropriate to the local context. Equally prominent should be efforts to address violence against women and girls (VAWG), the negative effects of which on development outcomes has been well documented 28, leading UNIFEM to describe VAWG as “the missing MDG target 29�. Such gender based violence is a symptom of underlying gender roles and relations. It is key that these are addressed by a post-2015 framework. As well as being a direct barrier to development, VAWG, including the use of rape as a weapon of war, “can significantly exacerbate situations of armed conflict and may impede the restoration of international peace and
28
29
See, for example, ActionAid, Destined to fail? How violence against women is undoing development (2010).
UNIFEM, The missing MDG target: violence against women film (2010)
117 Campaign2015+International
security�.30 VAWG in armed conflict is not a wholly separate phenomenon from VAWG in peace time, as common factors such as gender inequality and lack of access to justice underpin VAWG in all its forms, and a comprehensive approach is therefore needed for tackling it. 31 The case for including a target on violence against women in the post2015 framework is made clear by the evidence of its impact on development outcomes, and supported by its potential to promote peace by reducing the incidence of VAWG as a trigger and manifestation of conflict. Further, long term efforts to build peaceful and resilient societies need to acknowledge that women’s vulnerability to violence and their lack of access to decision making or positions of power are both directly related to other factors such as their lack of access to education and economic independence. Thus any post-2015 framework must link targets around tackling VAWG or increasing women’s participation in decision-making to measures designed to fundamentally alter their positions in society by tackling the underlying causes of gender inequality, paying attention to multiple forms of discrimination. All sections of society experience conflict and disaster differently, yet all of them have a role to play in building the future. All sections of societyhave a right to play their full role and be empowered in order to do so. Only genuinely inclusive processes are likely to result in sustainable peace and development. That will mean planning effectively for their needs in situations of conflict and disaster in the short term, while ensuring their active involvement and inclusion in the long term futures of their countries. Without such inclusion development goals can never be fully achieved. As such, targets and indicators for development in the context of conflict and emergencies are needed that are disaggregated based on gender, disability, age and others.
Chapter Fifteen UN-NGLS POST-2015 CIVIL SOCIETY CONSULTATION 30
UN Security Council, UN Security Council Resolution 1820 (2008).
31
For an outline of a comprehensive approach, see Department for International Development, A theory of change for tackling violence against women and girls (2012).
118 Campaign2015+International
for the UN Secretary-General, UN General Assembly, and the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals June-August 2013 Guidance Note In partnership with the Post-2015 Development Planning Team / Executive Office of the Secretary-General, the UN Non-Governmental Liaison Service (UN-NGLS) is facilitating a consultation in four languages (Arabic, English, French, and Spanish) to gather critical analysis from civil society on four reports submitted to the UN SecretaryGeneral: 1) High-level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda (Post-2015 HLP) 2) UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) 3) UN Global Compact (UNGC) 4) UN Development Group (UNDG): “The Global Conversation Begins� The consultation includes an open written component as well as teleconferences with regional civil society networks based in the global South. Detailed information is available at: www.worldwewant2015.org/NGLSconsultation. This guidance note will elaborate on the purpose and focus of the consultation, and provide background about the institutions that produced the four reports under review. In the Annex to this note, UN-NGLS also provides a 7-page listing of the proposed post-2015 sustainable development goals and targets from the Post-2015 HLP, SDSN, and Global Compact reports, to support your analysis. Purpose and focus of the consultation The four reports under review in this consultation were all delivered to the Secretary-General and serve as input to his report to the September 2013 General Assembly Special Event on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the Post-2015 Development Agenda. This consultation provides the official channel for civil society to provide analysis of the findings of these reports and to propose alternative approaches. UN-NGLS will produce a consultation synthesis report that will be delivered to the Secretary-General, Heads of State and Government attending the General Assembly in September 2013, and the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals (OWG on SDGs). The synthesis report will further inform a day of dialogue between civil society and Member States on 22 September, ahead of the UN General Assembly Special Event on MDGs. UN-NGLS will also work to facilitate 119 Campaign2015+International
substantive discussions between civil society and governments that follow up on critical recommendations from the synthesis in the lead up to related intergovernmental meetings. In addition, UN-NGLS will promote the synthesis report throughout the UN system and in all UN-NGLS communication tools and materials. UN-NGLS encourages you to provide analysis in response to as many of the four reports as possible, so that the consultation synthesis report may contribute a comprehensive overview ofcivil society perspectives. Please consider how the reports converge or diverge, and provide input regarding which elements should or should not be drawn upon by the UN system and Member States. In framing your responses to these reports, we encourage you to provide examples of initiatives, policies, and mechanisms that support sustainable development, as well as those that do not. Please provide supporting evidence in order to best inform the intergovernmental process for defining the post-2015 development agenda. For example, please describe: 1. initiatives that are helping to overcome, or are perpetuating, the structural barriers to development within your region; 2. examples of policy measures that States are implementing in your region that advance, or undermine, objectives such as human rights, economic fairness, and climate justice; 3. mechanisms that are effective, or counterproductive, for ensuring transparency and accountability; 4. mechanisms that are effective, or ineffective, for financing sustainable development. The synthesis report will focus on concrete proposals from civil society, emphasizing regional perspectives from the global South. The synthesis report will build upon concerns raised in previous UN-NGLS consultations, including for example: systemic issues of trade, finance and development; human rights framework and accountability mechanisms; public-private partnerships; extractive industries and land grabbing; social, economic, environment / climate, and gender justice; and peace and conflict. These recommendations and concrete suggestions will be particularly relevant in the context of four thematic sessions that will be conducted by
120 Campaign2015+International
the OWG on SDGs between November 2013 and February 2014. 32 These thematic sessions will address: 33 1. sustained and inclusive economic growth, macroeconomic policy questions, infrastructure development and industrialization (25-27 November 2013); 2. energy (25-27 November 2013); 3. means of implementation (9-13 December 2013); 4. global partnership for achieving sustainable development (9-13 December 2013); 5. needs of countries in special situations (9-13 December 2013); 6. human rights, the right to development, global governance (9-13 December 2013); 7. sustainable cities and human settlements, sustainable transport (6-10 January 2014); 8. sustainable consumption and production (6-10 January 2014); 9. climate change and disaster risk reduction (6-10 January 2014); 10. oceans and seas, forests, biodiversity (3-7 February 2014); 11. promoting equality, including social equity, gender equality and women’s empowerment (3-7 February 2014); and 12. conflict prevention, post-conflict peacebuilding and the promotion of durable peace, rule of law and governance (3-7 February 2014). After this “input phase” of thematic discussions, the Open Working Group will spend March through September 2014 formulating its report of recommendations for SDGs, to be submitted to the 2014 General Assembly. The focus on regional perspectives in this consultation is part of UNNGLS’s strategy to deepen engagement with civil society networks at the regional level and increase the substantive contributions of civil society in the global South to the post-2015 and post-Rio+20 intergovernmental processes. In 2014, the UN Regional Commissions will conduct meetings on the post-2015 development agenda, and civil society can serve to stimulate States toward stronger outcomes from these meetings in order to raise the bar for the multilateral deliberations. Background on the institutions that produced the four reports
32
In its first four meetings, the OWG addressed: poverty eradication; food security and nutrition; sustainable agriculture; desertification, land degradation, and drought; water and sanitation; employment and decent work for all, social protection, youth, education and culture; and health and population dynamics. 33
General Assembly Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals: Programme of Work 2013 2014.
121 Campaign2015+International
The 27-member High Level Panel on the Post-2015 Development Agenda was established by the Secretary-General in July 2012 and tasked with providing bold and practical recommendations “regarding the vision and shape of a Post-2015 development agenda that will help respond to the global challenges of the 21st century, building on the MDGs and with a view to ending poverty.” In its Terms of Reference, the Panel was called upon to consult widely and to propose innovative ways for all stakeholders to engage continuously in discussions about the shape of the Post-2015 Development Agenda. The Panel’s work concluded with the 30 May 2013 release of its report, “A New Global Partnership: Eradicate Poverty and Transform Economies through Sustainable Development.” Individual Panel members will now promote the report’s recommendations in their personal capacity through various national and international fora. The United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) was launched by the Secretary-General in August of 2012 to “mobilize scientific and technical expertise from academia, civil society, and the private sector in support of sustainable development problem-solving at local, national, and global scales.” TheSDSN’s report, “An Action Agenda for Sustainable Development,” outlines ten priority challenges for sustainable development and presents suggestions for framing a global set of sustainable development goals. The report has been delivered to the Secretary-General and to the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals. TheSDSN will continue its work through at least 2016: it will share ongoing analysis by its 12 Thematic Groups; it will promote solutions initiatives for sustainable development; and it will launch regional and national networks of universities, research institutions, and civil society to promote practical solutions. For more information, and to apply to join the network, please visit http://unsdsn.org/membership/become-a-member. The UN Development Group (UNDG) “unites the 32 UN funds, programmes, agencies, departments, and offices that play a role in development,” in order to “deliver more coherent, effective and efficient support to countries seeking to attain internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals.” The UNDG has been facilitating approximately 90 national consultations on the post-2015 development agenda, conducted with the support of UN Country Teams and the UN Resident Coordinators, as well as 11 global thematic consultations. For the national consultations, UNDG produced a set of 122 Campaign2015+International
guidelines to help UN Country Teams “to formulate their own, contextappropriate, consultation processes to inform the post-2015 development agenda.” Preliminary findings from the first 36 national consultations are presented in the UNDG report, “The Global Conversation Begins,” which is under review in this UN-NGLS consultation. A final report about all of the post-2015 national and thematic consultations facilitated by UNDG will be released in September 2013. The UN Global Compact asks businesses to voluntarily enact ten principles in the areas of human rights, labour, the environment and anticorruption, and to “catalyze actions in support of broader UN goals, including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).” The Global Compact LEAD platform, which involves 56 national and multi-national corporations, promotes a Blueprint for Corporate Sustainability Leadership. Global Compact LEAD “developed a task force to review what themes a new set of global sustainable development objectives should contain; how they could be shaped as goals and targets; and how business can best be involved.” The work of this task force informed the Global Compact report, “Corporate Sustainability and the United Nations Post-2015 Development Agenda,” which was presented to the SecretaryGeneral on 17 June 2013. On 19-20 September 2013, theGlobal Compact Leaders Summit, chaired by the Secretary-General, will take place in New York. This Leaders Summit “will bring together chief executives with leaders from civil society, Government and the United Nations to unveil a new global architecture for corporate sustainability.”
Chapter Sixteen OUTCOME DOCUMENT 68TH SESSION UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY Outcome document of the special event to follow up efforts made towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals The General Assembly adopts the following outcome document: 1. We, Heads of State and Government and heads of delegation, have gathered at United Nations Headquarters in New York at the special event convened by the President of the General Assembly to review progress made towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and to chart the way forward. Our deliberations
123 Campaign2015+International
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
have taken account of the voices of people worldwide and of the concerns and priorities they have conveyed. We gather with a sense of urgency and determination, with less than 850 days remaining for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. We renew our commitment to the Goals and resolve to intensify all efforts for their achievement by 2015. We welcome what has been achieved so far. The Millennium Development Goals have provided a common vision and have contributed to remarkable progress. Significant and substantial advances have been made in meeting several of the targets. * Reissued for technical reasons on 8 October 2013. However, we are concerned about unevenness and gaps in achievement and about the immense challenges that remain. The Millennium Development Goals are critical for meeting the basic needs of people in developing countries; as we approach the 2015 deadline; unrelenting efforts are required to accelerate progress across all the Goals. Among and within developing countries, those who have been left furthest behind require our most urgent attention and support. We are conscious of the special challenges and needs of the least developed countries; the fact that, despite some impressive progress, most African countries remain off track in meeting the Goals; and that conflict and post-conflict countries face the most challenges in achieving any of the Goals by 2015. We recognize the special challenges and needs of small island developing States and landlocked developing countries, many of which are not on track to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. We also recognize the special challenges in meeting the Goals faced by people living under foreign occupation. We acknowledge the challenges in meeting the Goals for people living in areas affected by complex humanitarian emergencies and in areas affected by terrorism. We also recognize the specific challenges that many middle-income countries face.
Accelerating progress 7. We reaffirm our commitment to the outcome document of the highlevel plenary meeting of the General Assembly on the Millennium Development Goals, held in 2010. The annual Millennium Development Goals reports provide updated assessments of where 124 Campaign2015+International
8.
9.
10.
11.
our efforts are most needed and will assist us in framing our approach and priorities. We resolve to target in particular the most off-track Millennium Development Goals and those where progress has stalled, including the Goals relating to poverty and hunger, universal access to primary education, child mortality, universal access to reproductive health, including maternal health, environmental sustainability and access to water and sanitation. In each of these areas, we are determined to take the purposeful and coordinated action required. We will scale up proven interventions, fulfil the pledges we have made and strengthen our support for the range of valuable initiatives under way, including international support for the implementation of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development. Across all our acceleration efforts, we will emphasize inclusivity and accessibility for all and will place a particular focus on those who are most vulnerable and disadvantaged. We will, for example, seek to build the resilience of the poorest in combating hunger, to improve support for women giving birth in areas of greatest deprivation and to improve educational opportunities and learning outcomes for the most vulnerable children. Where efforts are broadly on track and momentum exists, we will do everything possible to sustain and reinforce it. For example, in combating HIV/AIDS, we will step up efforts to meet the goal of universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services by 2015. We will sustain and build on the remarkable gains in the fight against malaria and tuberculosis. We will place a strong emphasis on all approaches that have a crosscutting and multiplier effect. In particular, we recognize that promoting gender equality and empowering women and girls underpins and advances progress across all the Goals. We will resolutely promote gender equality and eliminate the range of barriers to the empowerment of women and girls in our societies.
Global partnership for development 12. We underline the central role of a strengthened global partnership for development. We recognize the importance of national ownership and emphasize that if the Millennium Development Goals are to be achieved by 2015, national efforts need to be assisted by international support and an enabling international 125 Campaign2015+International
13.
14.
15.
environment. The mobilization and effective use of all resources, public and private, domestic and international, will be vital. We reaffirm the importance of promoting human rights, good governance, the rule of law, transparency and accountability at all levels. We call for the urgent implementation of all commitments under the global partnership for development so as to overcome the gaps identified in the reports of the Millennium Development Goals Gap Task Force. We emphasize the need to accelerate progress towards the target of 0.7 per cent of gross national income as official development assistance by 2015, including 0.15 per cent to 0.20 per cent for the least developed countries. We call upon developed countries to urgently fulfil the official development assistance commitments they have made, individually and collectively. We underline the need for the business sector to engage in responsible business practices.
Post-2015 development agenda 16. In parallel with the intensification of efforts to accelerate the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, we are determined to craft a strong post-2015 development agenda, that will build on the foundations laid by the Millennium Development Goals, complete the unfinished business and respond to new challenges. 17. As we take the work forward, we reaffirm our commitment to the Millennium Declaration, the outcome document of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, the Monterrey Consensus, the Doha Declaration on Financing for Development and the outcomes of all the major United Nations conferences and summits in the economic, social and environmental fields. We will continue to be guided by the values and principles enshrined in those texts. 18. We reaffirm all the principles of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, including, inter alia, the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, as set out in principle 7 thereof. 19. We are resolved that the post-2015 development agenda should reinforce the international community’s commitment to poverty eradication and sustainable development. We underline the central imperative of poverty eradication and are committed to freeing 126 Campaign2015+International
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
humanity from poverty and hunger as a matter of urgency. Recognizing the intrinsic interlinkage between poverty eradication and the promotion of sustainable development, we underline the need for a coherent approach that integrates in a balanced manner the three dimensions of sustainable development. This coherent approach involves working towards a single framework and set of goals, universal in nature and applicable to all countries, while taking account of differing national circumstances and respecting national policies and priorities. It should also promote peace and security, democratic governance, the rule of law, gender equality and human rights for all. We decide today to launch a process of intergovernmental negotiations at the beginning of the sixty-ninth session of the General Assembly, which will lead to the adoption of the post-2015 development agenda. We acknowledge with appreciation the processes mandated in the outcome document of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development that are now under way, in particular the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals and the Intergovernmental Committee of Experts on Sustainable Development Financing, as well as the process to develop options for a technology facilitation mechanism. We urge that these processes complete their work in a comprehensive, balanced and expeditious manner by September 2014. The report submitted by the Secretary-General1 in advance of today’s meeting, which draws on inputs from the High-level Panel of Eminent Persons, United Nations Development Group consultations, the United Nations Global Compact and the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, is a useful input to our deliberations. Over the coming year, the preparation of the post-2015 development agenda will benefit from the General Assembly events to be convened by the President of the Assembly under the theme “The post-2015 development agenda: setting the stage�. In arriving at an inclusive and people-centred post-2015 development agenda, we look forward to a transparent intergovernmental process that will include inputs from all stakeholders, including civil society, scientific and knowledge institutions, parliaments, local authorities and the private sector. 127
Campaign2015+International
25.
26.
We count on the strong support of the United Nations system throughout all our work. As an input to the intergovernmental negotiations to be launched at the beginning of the sixty-ninth session of the General Assembly, we call upon the SecretaryGeneral to synthesize the full range of inputs then available and to present a synthesis report before the end of 2014. The final phase of the intergovernmental work will culminate in a summit at the level of Heads of State and Government in September 2015 for the adoption of the post-2015 development agenda. We request the President of the General Assembly to convene, in a timely manner, intergovernmental consultations to achieve agreement on organizational modalities for the summit.
Chapter Seventeen CIVIL SOCIETY RESPONSES TO THE REPORT OF THE POST-2015 HIGH-LEVEL PANEL May-June 2013 Civil Society Organizations ACORD ACORD Responds to HLP Report on Post-2015 Agenda ActionAid Post-2015 Development Policy: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly Africa CSO Platform for Principled Partnership A second look [at] Poverty: An ACP Response to the UN High Level Panel Report on Post 2015 Alliance for International Youth Development We Are the MDGs: Youth Engage the Post-2015 Agenda Amnesty International Human rights must play stronger role in post-2015 development agenda Article 19 ARTICLE 19 welcomes UN Report emphasising free expression in development 128 Campaign2015+International
ATD Fourth World A transformative vision, but implementation and responsibilities that need to be strengthened Beyond 2015 31 May Press Release: 12 new development goals proposed by the UN High Level Panel English 31 May Analysis: English Campaign for People’s Goals for Sustainable Development 31 May Press Release: High Level Panel Report Fails to Address Wealth and Power Inequalities, Say Civil Society 7 June Response CARE International CARE International comments on the Report of the High Level Panel on the Post 2015 Development process Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD) CAFOD response to launch of UN High Level Panel report Center for Economic and Social Rights (CESR) High Level Panel recommendations fall short of the human rights litmus test Christian Aid High Level Panel: a good start, but increasing inequality can’t be ignored Chronic Poverty Advisory Network Getting to zero: how can it be done? And how to frame the poverty eradication goal post-2015? Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era [DAWN] From People's Rights to Corporate Privilege: A South Feminist Critique of the HLP Report on Post 2015 Development Agenda Development Initiatives Leading transparency campaigners welcome UN development report The Elders 129 Campaign2015+International
Post-2015 goals include peace and ending child marriage End Water Poverty Historic report sets out recommendations for the development agenda beyond 2015 Equity for Children A Great Step Forward but Let’s Be More Daring: Equity for Children’s Comments on the High Level Panel for the Post-2015 Development Agenda Family for Every Child The post-2015 development framework – what do vulnerable children want? Feminist Task Force (of the Global Call to Action against Poverty GCAP) Shrinking Sphere of Influence for Women in the UN High Level Panel Report Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) Leave No One Behind! Initial GCAP Response to the UN Post-2015 High Level Panel Report
Global Initiative for Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights GI-ESCR Comments Regarding UN High Level Panel Report on Post2015 Development Framework Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases NTD control for the eradication of poverty by 2030 Green Economy Coalition 7 out of 10 for the High Level Panel Greenpeace Missing a clear road map: thoughts on 'A new global partnership' Habitat for Humanity International Statement from Habitat for Humanity International CEO Jonathan Reckford welcoming U.N. plan to eradicate extreme poverty, in part by focusing on the secure right to land Health Poverty Action 130 Campaign2015+International
Response from Health Poverty Action Director Martin Drewry HelpAge International Post-2015 High-level Panel fails to address the challenges of rapid population ageing Eradicating Poverty in an Ageing World Indian Civil Society NGOs Civil Society Response from India to the UN High Level Panel Report on Post-2015 Development Agenda InterAction NGO alliance welcomes UN plan to eradicate extreme poverty, urges U.S. government engagement International HIV/AIDS Alliance Our Response to the HLP Report on Post-2015 Agenda International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) New international development goals: score or miss? International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) HLP Collects Stakeholder Responses to Report on Post-2015 Agenda International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) 31 May 2013: UN Post-2015 Report: Decent Work and Rights Needed 27 June 2013: HLP report on the Post-2015 Development Framework Business ‌ as usual International Women’s Health Coalition What the Post-2015 High Level Panel Report Means for Women and Girls Ipas Letter to the HLP in response to report LDC Watch Post-2015 High-Level Panel Report Marginalises the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) Make Roads Safe Campaign Post-2015 HLP report response: include road injury target Modernized Foreign Assistance Network John Podesta Speaks at UN Foundation Panel 131 Campaign2015+International
NCD Alliance Health and NCDs a priority in the UN High-Level Panel report on post2015 ONE Campaign ONE Welcomes UN Vision for Post-2015 Development Goals Oxfam International Global leaders shirk responsibility to tackle global inequality crisis Participate Response to the High Level Panel on the Post-2015 Development Agenda Report Progressio Report runs dry for world’s poorest Responding to Climate Change (RTCC) World Leaders Put Sustainability Top of Development Agenda Restless Development Youth Response to the HLP report Saferworld 31 May Comment Piece: A welcome shift towards peace 31 May Press Release: High Level Panel report represents a transformative shift towards peace Save the Children Press Release: Post-2015 Development Agenda Report Article by Kate Dooley: Who Said Inequality Was Too Political? Skoll Foundation Inclusion of “End child marriage” as indicator in High-Level Panel report on post-2015 development agenda is bold and crucial effort to address global poverty Sightsavers Sightsavers praises UN panel’s report on Post-2015 Social Watch English: High Level Panel Proposes to the UN to Put Mega Business, Not People, at the Center of Development
132 Campaign2015+International
Español: Grupo de alto nivel propone a la ONU poner a los negocios, no a la gente, en el centro del desarrollo Stakeholder Forum 31 May Press Release: Response to the Report Transparency International Transparency International Welcomes Good Governance Goal Proposed by New United Nations Report Tearfund Get your skates on - Tearfund responds to High Level Panel Post-2015 Article on Tearfund’s JustPolicy Blog: From vision to action: how do we break the political deadlock? Terre des Hommes The High-Level Panel report on the post-2015 agenda does not leave children behind UK Consortium on AIDS and International Development UK Consortium welcomes HLP report on Post-MDGs VSO VSO 'Hugely encouraged' by High Level Panel proposal to put women's empowerment at the heart of future efforts to fight poverty Wateraid Response to the High-level Panel Report Welthungerhilfe Nachfolgeprozess für die Millenniumsziele 2015 hat in New York begonnen Womankind Post 2015 sights set on gender equality
World Resources Institute Statement by Managing Director Manish Bapna WWF International Protecting environment key to ending poverty, finds UN High Level Panel Joint Statements/Sign-on Statements 133 Campaign2015+International
African women’s steering committee on Post 2015 agenda: FEMNET, Akina Mama wa Afrika, IPPF Africa, others English:Reaction to High Level Panel Report on Post 2015 Development Agenda French: Comité de pilotage des femmes africaines sur le programme Post 2015: Réaction au Rapport du Panel de Haut Niveau sur le Programme de développement Post 2015 Center for Women’s Global Leadership and 30+ women’s organizations Feminist Reflections: UN’s High Level Panel Report on Post-2015 Development Agenda ChildFund Alliance, Plan International, Save the Children, UNICEF, World Vision Joint statement of child-focused agencies on the post-2015 High-Level Panel report Women’s Major Group Reflections on HLP post Blogs / Think Tanks
2015 report - by far not good enough!
Bapna, Manish and Hazlewood, Peter (World Resources Institute). Huffington Post The Post-2015 Development Agenda: Linking Sustainability and Poverty Eradication Brookings Institute Great Expectations for Post-2015: An Analysis of the High-Level Panel Report Chatham House UN Panel’s Post-MDG Agenda: a Coherent Vision for a Better Future Cobham, Alex. Center for Global Development Major Progress and a Striking Absence: First Thoughts on the #post2015hlp Report
Frecheville, Neva (Beyond2015/CAFOD). CAFOD “Serpents and Doves” policy team blog The HLP: hearing from the people? 134 Campaign2015+International
Galasso, Nick. Oxfam America “Politics of Poverty” blog 15-Year-Old Thinking for Post-2015 Solutions on Inequality? A serious critique of the new UN goals Goldberg, Mark Leon. UN Dispatch The 12 Targets That Could Replace the MDGs Green, Duncan and Hale, Stephen (Oxfam). Guardian “Poverty Matters” blog How can global goals lead to lasting change at a national level? Haddad, Lawrence. Development Horizons (Institute of Development Studies) The High Level Panel’s After 2015 Report: Solid--and that is OK Houghton, Irungu (Oxfam). Personal blog Remarks on the Report of the High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda India Education Bureau (with interviews with Wada Na Todo Abhiyan & GCAP) The UN High Level Panel presents a roadmap for development: Some 'hits', many 'misses' Kenny, Charles. Center for Global Development 31 May: The High Level Panel Report: First Reactions 3 June: The (Old) Panel and the MDGs: Post-2015 Development 25 June: High-Level Panel Development and Sustainable Development: Not So Different After All? Kindervatter, Suzanne (InterAction). Devex The post-2015 development agenda: Ten things to celebrate, and get behind, in the HLP report Kohler, Gabriele (development economist, former UN staff). Personal blog More of the same, just prettier Lappin, Kate (Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law, and Development - APWLD) (The Jakarta Post) Development report — business as usual (The Bangkok Post) Poor need living wage far above poverty threshold Lawson-Remer, Terra. Council on Foreign Relations 135 Campaign2015+International
Thoughts on the UN High-Level Panel’s Post-2015 Report Maxwell, Simon (development economist). Personal blog Unpeeling the onion: reflections on the post-2015 High Level Panel report McGrath, Simon (University of Nottingham). NORRAG Newsbite Skills, Work and Development: Initial Reactions to the High Level Panel’s Post-2015 Vision Melamed, Claire (Overseas Development Institute). Guardian “Poverty Matters” blog - with responses from Kate Lappin, Roberto Bissio, others The good, the bad and the ugly in the long-awaited UN development report Mitchell, Tom (Overseas Development Institute). Thompson Reuters Foundation How did disasters fare in the post-2015 panel report? Muggah, Robert. Global Observatory New UN Development Agenda Gives Peace a Chance Muiderman, Karlijn. The Broker Dreaming of peace isn’t enough Norris, John. Foreign Policy The World in 2030 Rai, Shirin. The Broker A new global partnership? Rigby, Brendan. WhyDev.org The roadmap to ending extreme poverty by 2030: a street directory or GPS? Scherr, Jacob. Natural Resources Defense Council Staff Blog (NRDC) Two Top-Level “Post-2015” Reports to the UN Call for “Transformations” to Curb Climate Change and Secure a Sustainable Future Smith, Dan. International Alert International development post-2015 (personal blog) What will happen when the MDGs expire? (New Internationalist blog) 136 Campaign2015+International
Steven, David. Global Dashboard Synopsis of Early Reactions to the Report Suzman, Mark (Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation). Huffington Post Doubling Down On An Agenda To End Hunger Underwood, Chris (International Alert). Personal blog Post 2015: Development redefined, but can we adjust? Vincent, Chris (Habitat for Humanity). International Housing Coalition (IHC) blog The Jury Is Still Out On Urbanization and the Post-2015 Agenda Vivero, Jose Luis. Guardian Global Development Professionals Network - Transforming institutions hub UN high-level panel: do the recommendations on hunger fall short? Wagstaff, David (World Bank). Let’s Talk Development blog (World Bank) Health and the post-2015 development agenda: Stuck in the doldrums? Local Governments / Other Girls Not Brides Inclusion of “End child marriage” as indicator in High-Level Panel report on post-2015 development agenda is bold and crucial effort to address global poverty Global Taskforce of Local and Regional Governments for Post-2015 Development Agenda Towards Habitat III New York Communiqué , May 2013 High-level Task Force for ICPD Statement on the Report of the Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda UN Foundation UN Secretary-General’s High-level Panel Report is a Bold and Inspired Step Toward a Better World UN Population Fund (UNFPA) UNFPA Welcomes Eminent Persons’ Call to Place People, Particularly Women, at Heart of Transformative Development Efforts
137 Campaign2015+International
Pauline Rose, Director of the Education for All Global Monitoring Report High-Level Panel post-2015 roadmap: Close, but still some way to go
Chapter Eighten WATERAID POSITION AND FEEDBACK ON WATER, SANITATION AND HYGIENE IN THE POST-2015 AGENDA WaterAid is the world’s leading international NGO dedicated to water, sanitation and hygiene with over 30 years experience in 27 countries. WaterAid is actively engaged in ongoing global debates regarding the Post-2015 Agenda and played a leading role in recent international consultations on the development of goals, targets and indicators for enhanced global monitoring of drinking water, sanitation and hygiene post-2015. A section of this chapter provides recommendations for inclusion of water, sanitation and hygiene goals in post 2015 goals and targets as well as WaterAid’s summary feedback to High Level Panel of Eminent Persons report on the Post-2015 Development Agenda (Post-2015 HLP). It focuses in particular on how emerging proposals for water, sanitation and hygiene can be further strengthened and refined. WaterAid Post 2015 Vision WaterAid’s overall vision for post-2015 is an ambitious new development framework unifying poverty eradication and sustainable development objectives, supported by a renewed global partnership ensuring effective resource mobilization and mutual accountability for progress achieved. Specifically the framework should: 1. Include a goal to achieve ‘universal access to water and sanitation’ as a human right. 2. Recognise that universal access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) is an essential component of an integrated approach to tackling poverty, hunger, health and inequality. 3. Recognise that achieving and sustaining universal access to WASH depends on establishing accountable systems for equitable and sustainable management of water resources.
138 Campaign2015+International
4.
Set an ambitious target date of 2030 for achieving universal access to water, sanitation and hygiene, focused on the following priorities 34: (i) No one practices open defecation. (ii) Everyone has safe water, sanitation and hygiene at home. (iii) All schools and health centres have water, sanitation and hygiene. (iv) Water, sanitation and hygiene are sustainable and inequalities in access have been progressively eliminate
Universal Access to Water and Sanitation Access to water and sanitation is a basic human right. Whilst we’ve seen progress in the numbers globally gaining access to safe water and toilets – the situation remains critical with many African Countries off track to meet both MDG targets on water and sanitation. Worse still, of all the existing MDGs – sanitation is the most off track. There are currently 18 countries in the sub-Sahara where less than a quarter of the population uses adequate sanitation. In total there are 600 million people, 70% of sub-Sahara Africa that are still without access to an improved toilet. Over 200 million of these face the daily indignity and danger of having to go to the bush, further spreading illness and disease. Over the past five years, water and sanitation have risen up Africa’s development agenda. This reflects recognition of both the scale and urgency of water and sanitation related challenges and their impact on the continent’s health, education, women empowerment, agriculture, energy, industry, and environment. In 2008, at the 11th African Union Summit, held in Sharm El-Sheikh, Heads of State and Governments agreed on commitments to make water and sanitation a priority. They reaffirmed their commitment to raise the profile of sanitation by addressing the gaps in the context of the African Conferences on Sanitation and Hygiene and the eThekwini Ministerial Declaration on Sanitation in Africa, which was adopted by all African Ministers Council on Water (AMCOW) members in 2008. Water and Sanitation is critical to all aspects of people-centred development and ultimately ending poverty. Whilst girls, children and women continue to spend exhausting time walking distances and serving 34
139 Campaign2015+International
as water transport systems, or dropping out of school because there are no toilets, we will not see the development progress we need if water and sanitation is ignored. Diarrhoea is a leading killer of children under 5 in Africa and yet 90% could be prevented through basic improvements in drinking water, sanitation and hygiene. Addressing the global water and sanitation crisis is not about charity but development opportunity. According to the World Health Organisation, every $1 invested in water and sanitation produces an average of $4 in increased productivity. It is a key driver of sustainable and equitable economic growth. The UN estimates that poor water and sanitation cost developing countries around $260 billion a year, about 1.5 per cent of their gross domestic product. This is why the UN Post 2015 High Level Panel recommended establishing a dedicated (Goal #6) - Achieve universal access to Water and Sanitation. Bold and ambitious positions for post-2015 are being proposed with a strong commitment to poverty eradication and sustainable development outlined in the draft Matrix of Priorities. Water and sanitation underpin all aspects of social, economic and environmental development. Structural Economic Transformation and Inclusive Growth is dependent on sustainable development and use of water resources including provision of safe drinking water supply, sanitation and hygiene which is essential to improving the health and economic productivity of the population. Infrastructure development is necessary for economic transformation but not sufficient for inclusive growth. The latter requires an explicit focus and commitment to reduce inequalities in access to basic infrastructure services between rich and poor, urban and rural, formal urban settlements and slums. We therefore recommend that related actions, indicators and strategies should therefore include: achieving universal access to basic infrastructure services and progressively reducing inequalities in access between population groups. People Centred Development strategies including the eradication of poverty and improvements in education, health and gender equality will not be possible unless improved access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) is fully integrated as central priority. Diarrhoeal diseases remain the second leading cause of preventable child deaths globally (CHERG, 2012). Inadequate WASH accounts for 50% of malnutrition (WHO, 2008) and has profound negative impacts on girls’ education and women’s 140 Campaign2015+International
empowerment (UNICEF/UNESCO). Experience has shown that an integrated approach to disease prevention and treatment (GAPPD) is key to improving nutritional status (SUN) and child and maternal health outcomes (EWEC). A dedicated priority area is therefore recommended focusing on: Universal access to safe drinking water supply, sanitation and hygiene which builds on the recommendations of the WHO/UNICEF JMP international consultations for enhanced monitoring of WASH post-2015: 1. Ensuring that everyone has water, sanitation and hygiene at home and that no one defecates in the open. 2. Ensuring that all schools, health centres, workplaces and refugee camps have water, sanitation and hygiene 3. Ensuring that improvements in water, sanitation and hygiene are sustained 4. Ensuring that inequalities in access (between rich and poor, urban and rural, slums and formal urban settlements, disadvantaged groups and the general population) are progressively eliminated. Environmental Sustainability and Natural Disaster Reduction has many dimensions and it is essential that the importance of Sanitation is recognised alongside Water. Sanitation is the most off-track MDG target with 2.5bn lacking access globally. The scale of the problem and its negative impact on all other aspects of social, economic and environmental development demands that it receives explicit focus alongside water and is systematically addressed throughout. It is further recommended that related actions, indicators and strategies include: advocating for blue economy and sustainable exploitation of marine resources; universal access to safe drinking water supply, sanitation and hygiene in urban and rural areas in a sustainable manner; assuring and safeguarding water quality for all; sustainable development and use of water resources for all; improving waste water and water quality management systems; and mitigation and reduction of water related disasters. WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme shared vision for progressive realisation of the human right to water and sanitation. See www.wssinfo.org/post-2015-monitoring/overview/ for full technical proposals for post-2015 WASH targets and indicators.
141 Campaign2015+International
WaterAid’s response to High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons Report on the Post-2015 Development Agenda Responding to the High Level Panel Report, WaterAid’s Chief Executive, Barbara Frost stated: “With 1.2 billion people still living on less than $1.25 a day, WaterAid welcomes the bold vision outlined in this report by the UN High Level Panel. We hope it will inspire world leaders to commit to an ambitious new set of global targets that finally deliver an end to extreme poverty.” “WaterAid is delighted that the Panel has heard the call for a goal on universal access to water and sanitation. We will only succeed in ending poverty if ambitious targets are also agreed that by 2030 everyone everywhere has access to water, sanitation and hygiene.” Summary feedback on narrative sections WaterAid welcomes the HLP’s ambition of ending extreme poverty by 2030 and the recognition of the central importance of access to water and sanitation in achieving this. We are encouraged that water and sanitation issues are prominent in the narrative text and that “Achieve Universal Access to Water and Sanitation” is one of the 12 illustrative goals considered critical to ending extreme poverty in all its forms in the context of sustainable development. The MDG water and sanitation targets, that were set in 2000 and 2002, were given low priority under a much broader environmental goal and isolated from efforts to achieve goals on poverty, health, nutrition, education and gender equality. Sanitation has been particularly neglected. It is currently the most off track of all MDG targets undermining progress towards many other goals, particularly child health and nutrition. We believe that the inclusion of a dedicated goal on universal access to water and sanitation in the HLP report is an appropriate reflection of the scale of the challenge and its central importance to ending poverty and hope that it can help reverse the widespread neglect of sanitation globally. WaterAid nevertheless is disappointed that the importance of hygiene to progress on health, nutrition, education and gender equality is not reflected in either the narrative text or the targets. Water, sanitation and hygiene are important for health because they prevent the faecal-oral transmission of pathogens that cause diarrhoea and other major diseases. For example facial hygiene is a critical component of the SAFE Strategy (Surgery, Antibiotics, Facialcleanliness, and Environmental changes) to prevent 142 Campaign2015+International
trachoma. Poor personal hygiene, poverty and stigma are closely linked and combine to increase social isolation and poverty. The failure to tackle hygiene was a major weakness of the MDG water and sanitation targets and WaterAid supports the JMP working group recommendation that the post-2015 framework should include targets and indicators relating to hand washing and menstrual hygiene management. Hand washing has a critical role to play in reducing the burden of diseases such as pneumonia and diarrhea and ending preventable child deaths. Additionally, hand hygiene in health facilities, especially hospitals, is vital for the prevention of cross-infection of hospital acquired infections. Menstrual hygiene management is an issue for almost half the world’s population (adolescent girls and women), particularly in low and middle income countries. It is a cause of shame, social stigma and school absenteeism and there is evidence that it contributes to an increased risk of reproductive tract infections. Improved access to appropriate menstrual hygiene management facilities has a direct impact on girl’s education and women’s sexual and reproductive health and is an important first step towards gender equality and women’s economic empowerment. WaterAid support the commitment to finish the ‘unfinished business’ that was begun with the MDGs as a first priority. The water and sanitation targets aimed only to halve the proportion of people without access to water and sanitation. While the aggregate MDG target for drinking water has been met, significant disparities exist between and within countries, and 768m people still lack access to an improved water source. The world is currently on track to miss the MDG sanitation target by more than half a billion people, and 2.5billion people currently do not use an improved sanitation facility. At current rates of progress the sanitation target will not be met until 2025. Tackling the ‘unfinished business’ of the MDG target for sanitation therefore needs to be a top priority within the emerging Post2015 agenda. We support the HLP commitment to ‘leave no one behind’ (regardless of gender, ethnicity, disability or geography) and the statement that ‘where a target applies to outcomes for individuals, it should only be deemed to be met if every group – defined by income quintile, gender, location, or otherwise – has met the target’. WaterAid believes that elimination of inequalities should be integral to the formulation of post-2015 WASH goals and supports the JMP Working Groups proposed approach to measuring progressive reduction of inequalities between rich and poor, 143 Campaign2015+International
urban and rural, slums and informal settlements, and disadvantaged groups and the general population. We welcome the HLP recognition of the multi-dimensional nature of poverty and the inter-dependency of related human development outcomes in the narrative text. We also welcome the inclusion of ambitious goals aimed at improving health, nutrition, education and gender equality alongside achieving access to water and sanitation. WaterAid believes that the post-2015 framework should seek to promote better collaboration across sectors by highlighting the linkages between sub-goals and targets which contribute towards ending poverty. It should recognise that access to water, sanitation and hygiene is a key determinant of health and nutrition (see forthcoming Cochrane Review July 2013 on the effect of WASH on child nutrition) and ensure that targets aimed at improving health, eliminating preventable child and maternal deaths, and reducing the burden of stunting and major diseases are supported by universal access targets for WASH at home and in schools and health facilities. Access to WASH at home, in schools and workplaces also contributes directly towards efforts to reduce gender inequalities and improve social inclusion of disabled and older people. We support the commitment to ‘put sustainable development at the core’ and encourage an integrated approach to social, economic and environmental issues. An integrated approach is essential if we are to succeed not only in extending access to those currently underserved but also in sustaining existing services. In countries approaching universal access the latter is likely to become an increasingly important focus post2015. We welcome the Post-2015 HLP calls for a new global partnership based on principles of universality, equity, sustainability, solidarity, human rights, the right to development and responsibilities shared in accordance with capabilities. Developing inclusive partnerships and new ways of working will be crucial if we are to succeed in ending poverty and achieving universal access to WASH. WaterAid believes that the recently established Sanitation and Water for All global partnership provides a valuable platform for bringing together governments, civil society and private sector to ensure effective resource mobilization and mutual accountability for progress towards universal access to water, sanitation and hygiene. 144 Campaign2015+International
Finally we strongly support the call for a ‘data revolution’. Substantial investment in strengthening monitoring and evaluation is required at all levels to enable governments to track progress, inform decisions, improve accountability and ensure that no country or group is being left behind. Summary feedback on proposed goals, targets and indicators We welcome the inclusion of the illustrative goal to ‘achieve universal access to water and sanitation’ and the recognition of its central importance for both poverty eradication and sustainable development. WaterAid believes that the post-2015 framework should also explicitly recognize the Human Right to Water and Sanitation, reaffirmed by resolutions of the UN General Assembly and UN Human Rights Council in 2010 and in the Rio+20 Future We Want outcome document, which places legally binding obligations on all States to make provision for progressive realization. The targets outlined under goal #6 include many of the elements recommended by WaterAid and by the JMP Working Groups including addressing water and sanitation beyond the household, including a specific target to eliminate open defecation, addressing the wider environmental impacts of sanitation, and including targets for balancing withdrawals and improving efficiency of water use. Goal 6: Achieve Universal Access to Water and Sanitation 1. Provide universal access to safe drinking water at home, and in schools, health centres, and refugee camps 2. End open defecation and ensure universal access to sanitation at school and work, and increase access to sanitation at home by x% 3. Bring freshwater withdrawals in line with supply and increase water efficiency in agriculture by x%, industry by y% and urban areas by z% 4. Recycle or treat all municipal and industrial wastewater prior to discharge We are encouraged by the ambition of the Post-2015 HLP and support the overall logic of a goal framework which is clearly focused on achieving measurable outcomes in a small number of areas which are universally important for poverty eradication and sustainable development. Achieving access to water and sanitation undoubtedly falls into this category and was routinely ranked among the top ten development priorities during recent national and global consultations. The illustrative targets provide a valuable starting point for continued deliberation and debate. Based on the 145 Campaign2015+International
work of the JMP Working Groups, there are a number of specific areas in which the targets could be improved and made more consistent: 1. Hygiene should be included in the targets. Hygiene is overlooked in HLP Post-2015 targets. The JMP Working Groups proposed that handwashing facilities should be specifically mentioned for homes (everyone uses handwashing facilities when at home), and handwashing facilities and menstrual hygiene facilities for schools and health facilities (all schools and health centres provide all users with...handwashing facilities and menstrual hygiene facilities). Improving hand washing and menstrual hygiene facilities is directly relevant to the achievement of several other goals identified by the HLP Post-2015 including: Goal 2 Empower girls and women and achieving gender equality; Goal 3 Provide quality education and lifelong learning; and Goal 4 Ensure healthy lives. 2. Priority extra-household settings should be consistent for water, sanitation and hygiene. The HLP Post-2015 targets for drinking water specify schools, health centres, and refugee camps but omit work places. The sanitation targets specify schools and workplaces but omit health centres and refugee camps. The targets should encourage an integrated approach to water, sanitation and hygiene in all priority extra-household settings. In all cases the accessibility and acceptability of WASH facilities for women, and girls, and for people with disabilities must be stipulated to ensure universal access. 3. The wastewater target should be more comprehensive and include faecal sludge. If the intention is to encourage what the JMP Working Groups referred to as “full management” of waste, then fecal sludge management should be added. This would include safe treatment, disposal and or re-use of pit latrine and septic tank contents, and is particularly important as fecal sludge management is very relevant to the urban poor, who rely to a large extent on on-site sanitation. The term “municipal wastewater” is narrow and easily misunderstood (for instance, to include only urban wastewater flows). The term “all wastewater and fecal sludge” is therefore preferable. 4. The targets should require progressive elimination of inequalities in access to services. The HLP Post-2015 report narrative text recommends formulating “targets that deliberately build in efforts to tackle inequality and which can only be met with a specific focus on the most excluded and vulnerable groups. For example, we believe that many targets should be monitored using data broken down by income quintiles and other groups. Targets will only be considered achieved if 146 Campaign2015+International
they are met for all relevant income and social groups.” However the illustrative goals and targets do not specify how inequality should be addressed in practice. WaterAid strongly supports the recommendation of the JMP Working Groups that targets and indicators should be crafted that specifically call for the reduction and ultimate elimination of inequalities through targeting of the “most disadvantaged groups” while retaining attention to improvements for the lowest quintile. It is proposed that States themselves identify the most disadvantaged group to be monitored on the global level through a participatory process. Without such a concrete commitment on operationalizing the elimination of inequalities, this objective will simply remain a “good intention” on paper. WASH indicators should therefore be disaggregated between rich and poor, urban and rural, slums and formal urban settlements, and disadvantaged groups (identified through participatory national processes) and the general population. Data should also identify intrahousehold inequalities associated with gender, disability and age that are common in all countries. The JMP Working Groups proposed a detailed methodology for measuring and monitoring progress in this area. 5. Detailed indicators and definitions need to be developed for each target. The HLP applied the adjective “safe” for drinking water, but did not include any other parameters or adjectives. The JMP Working Groups defined “basic” and “intermediate” drinking water, “adequate” sanitation and “adequate” hygiene facilities. These detailed definitions and indicators specify the ambition of the targets, for instance, they specify the maximum time that should be spent collecting water from a source considered basic, and include a measure of water quality for intermediate supply. The sanitation definition specifies which types of sanitation are acceptable and how many people could share a sanitation facility. The hygiene definition specifies standards for hand washing and menstrual hygiene management facilities. Detailed definitions outline the minimum levels of service in schools and health centres based on existing WHO standards. These definitions could be adopted for future evolutions of the targets. If “refugee camps” are to be included, definitions of these settings and what constitutes an adequate level of service should be developed, preferably based on existing standards used by humanitarian agencies. What constitutes adequate water, sanitation and hygiene “at work” also has to be defined. 147 Campaign2015+International
6. Greater coherence and consistency is required between zero target end dates. The HLP report includes a series of ‘zero’ targets which contribute towards ending extreme poverty by 2030, including the elimination of open defecation and universal access to drinking water. The narrative text states that universal access to sanitation at home will be difficult to achieve by 2030 and the illustrative target simply aims to ‘increase access to sanitation at home by x%’. WaterAid believes that ending poverty by 2030 will depend on setting an equally ambitious target for achievinguniversal access to water, sanitation and hygiene. This is because access to water, and particularly sanitation and hygiene, is a key determinant of progress towards many other 2030 targets specified by the HLP. WaterAid fully supports the ambition of ‘ending hunger’, ‘reducing stunting and wasting’, ‘ending preventable infant and under-5 deaths’ and ‘eliminating all forms of violence against girls and women’ the evidence shows that each of these depends on also achieving universal access to water, sanitation and hygiene. 7. Systems for monitoring and aggregating data at national and global levels need to be strengthened. The HLP Post-2015 calls for a ‘data revolution’ and substantial investment in strengthening monitoring and evaluation at all levels in order to improve accountability for results achieved. It recommends establishing a Global Partnership on Development Data bringing together diverse stakeholders to fill critical gaps, expand data accessibility and establish a baseline for monitoring post-2015 targets. The JMP working groups recommended building on and enhancing existing monitoring systems and exploring how these might be combined with new emerging sources of data in future. For example, to measure the progressive elimination of inequalities, methodologies must be designed to assess inequalities in WASH access within households due to gender, age and disability. Methodologies are also needed to assess the accessibility and acceptability of WASH facilities outside the home for women (including for menstrual hygiene management), children and people with disabilities During 2013 proposed indicators and their data sources will be further validated to ensure that the indicators robustly measure the proposed targets. The JMP will then collect information where data is available in order to establish a credible baseline for global monitoring of water, sanitation and hygiene post-2015.
148 Campaign2015+International
Chapter Nineteen MDGs IMPLEMENTATION PROGRESS IN NIGERIA 35 MDG 1:
Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger
The achievement of this MDGs calls for the poverty level in the country to be reduced from 42 per cent in 1990 to 21 per cent by 2015. The records, however, show that by 2010 the poverty level had instead increased from 54 to 69 per cent. All official reports indicate that if present trends continue, Nigeria is unlikely to meet this goal. Although economic growth has been robust, apparently, the growth does not translate into poverty reduction, reduce gross inequality and create sustainable jobs. This has reflected negatively on the quality of lives and livelihoods of Nigerians. This model ought to be replaced with a new development paradigm that approaches development holistically other than the present jobless economic growth. The challenges facing the achievement of MDG-1 include: 1. Lack of consistency and effective coordination in pursuing poverty reduction policies and programmes that affect the most vulnerable groups. (i) Unequal access to resources, especially land and capital. (ii) Difficulties in integrating poverty reduction interventions seamlessly into government development programmes and projects. (iii) Ineffective results-based Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) systems for tracking implementation and taking corrective actions. (iv) Absence of a conducive atmosphere for conducting business in Nigeria; exacerbated by corruption, bureaucracy and weak regulatory systems (v) Lack of purposeful involvement by important external stakeholders such as the private sector and Civil Society in the design and implementation of MDGs investments and interventions.
35
Source: Center for Democracy and Development, Abuja serialised postings on MDGs Progress in Nigeria (2013).
149 Campaign2015+International
Moving forward, policies for eradicating poverty must carry along the very poor for whom they were designed by allowing them to participate in the design and implementation of the associated programmes and projects and the tracking of these initiatives. The increasing integration of the international economy manifested in increased trade, increased capital and labour mobility, and increased flows of technology, offers substantial opportunities for national income growth. Recommendations: 1. Efforts aimed at eradicating poverty and hunger in the country must be holistic and capable of alleviating the negative effects of the galloping free market economy; 2. There has been insufficient investment in poverty eradication programmes. In addition, there are wide regional variations in the incidence of poverty in the country and states with higher poverty rates must commit significantly more resources to the struggle against poverty. 3. All levels of government must commit themselves in their policies, programmes and levels of social investments to the promotion of the directive principles of state policy in our Constitution which emphasizes state responsibility in the provision of social services; 4. The participation of the poor in designing poverty reduction programmes is important and local ownership in programme design and implementation should be emphasized. MDG2: Achieve universal primary education The consensus is that Nigeria is way off-track in meeting the MDG of universal primary education and gender parity in education. While primary school enrolment did increase following the commencement of MDG related interventions, there is growing concern about the poor quality of the education being received by pupils in primary schools. There is a 150 Campaign2015+International
preponderance of evidence to suggest that meeting the country’s primary school targets in terms of primary school enrolment and/or completion have not equated to children leaving school, equipped with the skills and capabilities they need for the 21 st century. This has in essence affected the progress of the other goals especially Goal 1 as education is key to tackling poverty. These shortcomings are the result of corruption, poor governance, lack of an effective and accountable system for monitoring the activities of teachers in primary schools, and the nonexistence of robust and conscious planning and budgeting to support the essential services needed for effective teaching and learning. Consequently, the education sector is bedevilled with problems relating to poor quality of primary education on offer, poorly trained teachers, inadequate funding, overcrowded classrooms, insufficiency of textbooks and instructional materials, negative influence of socio-cultural beliefs, significant geographical differences in enrolment, obsolete teaching methods, etc., all of which have made the learning accomplishments of children, especially with respect to literacy and numeracy, very low even by local standards. In order to tackle the inconsistency involving the quantity and quality of the education received by primary school pupils in Nigeria, policies targeted at increasing the number of pupils in schools should provide that the education received by such school pupils must go beyond mere numbers and ensure quality alongside quantity. What is more, the country’s educational policies should be reviewed periodically, especially with regards the content of the universal basic education, so as to ensure that priority is given to core subjects such as mathematics, science, language and reading. The monitoring of the activities of teachers in primary schools has to also be made more effective by both the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and State Universal Basic Education Commissions (SUBEBs). In addition, a teaching style that is more structured and combines direct instruction, guided practice and independent learning in a child-friendly environment should be promoted. Similarly, there is need to standardize the system for acquiring education across the different geo-political zones irrespective of the socio-cultural affiliation prevailing in the zone so that the education acquired by children throughout the country would be standardized and be beneficial not only to the pupils but also to the country at large. There has been a steady rise in private primary school education in Nigeria. According to the Nigeria Digest of Education Statistics, a total of 6,202,754 pupils were enrolled in these schools between 2006 and 2010. 151 Campaign2015+International
In this period as well, there has been a steady increase in the number of illegal schools in various states and the FCT. In Delta State recently about 662 were shut down, while in Kaduna State, the government closed down over 400 of such schools. It is important going forward for the government to enhance regulations guiding the establishment of these schools, while also putting in place stringent monitoring policies to make sure that they provide not just quantity in enrolment but quality in the type of education provided.
Recommendations 1. A state of emergency on education should be declared in the North East and North West. These zones are far behind the rest of the country and their state governments must strive to catch up. Affected states should as a matter of urgency, increase budgetary allocations to education with a focus on the development of infrastructure, provision of school amenities, improved remuneration, training and re-training of teachers to enhance their capacity to adequately provide quality teaching to the pupils. 2. Measures should be put in place to ensure efficient resource utilization and the availability of more funds for activities such as the recruitment of teachers to improve teacher-pupil ratios. 3. Training should be provided for teachers to enhance the quality of teaching through the use of modern teaching techniques and tools. 4. The teaching environment should be improved with better remuneration and continuous training and re-training to improve the capacity to of achieving quality universal basic education. 5. Community and religious leaders, civil society and other stakeholders outside of government should be encouraged to play a greater role in monitoring the educational institutions in their areas and in promoting in better accountability in the use of allocated educational resources. MDG 3: Promote gender equality and empower women 152 Campaign2015+International
Although there have been pockets of progress, Nigerian women continue to face significant hurdles with regards to access to education, participation in politics, and engaging in business compared to their male counterparts. In terms of gender parity in education, Nigeria was ranked 120th in 2011 in the Global Gender Gap Index, (out of 135 countries), with a score of 0.6011. The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, Ministry of Education, Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on MDGs have implemented various programmes to improve access to education for girls especially in disadvantaged areas. The results have however been insufficient especially at the level of girls being allowed to complete their primary or secondary education. At every educational level, women earn less than their male counterparts and sometimes, men with less education earn more than their better educated female peers. Nigeria has one of the lowest rates of female entrepreneurship in sub-Saharan Africa. On the political front, although some progress has been made in terms of government appointments at the federal level, there appears to be reversals in a number of other areas. For example, there are currently only 7 female senators out of 109 and 19 female members of the House of Representatives out of 360 in the country’s National Assembly. The situation is much worse at the state and LGA levels. In the April 2011 elections, women lost the ground they had been gaining since 1999. Progress in meeting MDG-3 is being stymied by: 1. Lack of the political will to implement programmes contained in government development policies that will lead to inclusive growth and address inequality. 2. Lack of coordination and absence of credible data for results-based planning. 3. Poor governance, corruption, and insecurity with its attendant impact on poor and vulnerable women Falling quality of education and poor health system. 4. Dysfunctional traditional and socio-cultural practices. 5. Weak M&E systems. 6. Absence of legal remedies to tackle violence against women in private and public life. 7. Obstacles and barriers to entry by women into the political process at all levels.
153 Campaign2015+International
8.
Gender equality and women’s empowerment is a cross cutting issue and their intended impact can only be achieved when the other seven MDGs succeed in integrating gender awareness and gender responsiveness into their efforts. In other word, women’s empowerment and gender equality are essential for the achievement of all the other MDGs. To achieve the holistic empowerment which the targets of MDG-3 seek to accomplish, there would be need to develop the abilities of women to collectively and individually take control of their own lives, identify their needs, set their own agenda and demand support from their communities and the state, to meet those needs. Policies are needed that would ensure a long-term steady drive towards women empowerment based on holistic strategy that understands the political, economic and social-cultural dynamics surrounding women and gender issues and seek to address them through policies, investments and re-orientation. Women and their advocates must also take advantage of all opportunities on offer, plan strategically and consistently stay the course. An essential aspect of MDG-3 related policies is to build an effective women's agenda for change.
Recommendations The federal and state governments need to implement special measures to tackle the problems of gender inequality and women empowerment in addition to the following policy recommendations: 1. Provide in the constitution, a clause requiring that the state shall at every level implement the 35% affirmative action to ensure that women, minorities, people with disabilities and other marginalized groups participate and are represented in governance and other spheres of life; 2. Set 18 years as the minimum age for marriage in line with the Child Rights Act, 2003. 3. Amend the Land Use Act to guarantee equal access to land. 4. Allocate more resources to uphold the educational accomplishments so far and introduce a robust monitoring and evaluation system to enhance accountability in social sector spending. 5. Promote better synergy between the activities and interventions of the country’s development partners and those of the federal, state, and local development authorities to obtain maximum benefits from available resources. 154 Campaign2015+International
6.
Expand the Girl Child Education acceleration programme and promote ownership by all stakeholders especially the private school owners, development partners and communities.
MDG 4: Reduce child mortality The two key targets for MDG-4 are to reduce under-five mortality which was 191 per 1,000 in 1990 to approximately 64 per 1,000 live births and infant mortality from 91 to approximately 31 per 1,000 live births by 2015; and to increase the proportion of one-year-old children who are fully immunized against measles from 46 per cent in 1990 to 100 per cent by 2015. Progress towards these targets has been mixed. While under-five mortality has declined in some parts of the country, there have been significant reversals in other parts.
If Nigeria is to succeed in achieving Goal 4 by 2015 a concerted effort is required to mitigate this growing in-country divergence. In comparison to progress in other Goal areas, progress in Goal 4 is around 13% reduction per year, better than 
 progress in Goal 5 which is only a 4% reduction per year". Given these erratic movements towards the two targets, the country does not appear to be on track to meet the MDG to reduce child mortality by two-thirds by 2015. Key factors still hampering the attainment of the target to reduce infant mortality in Nigeria include: 1. Low budgetary allocation, low budget release and utilization 2. Lack of political will to implement policies and inadequate budgetary allocations. 3. Absence of skilled personnel and equipment in health centres. 4. Dysfunctional cultural and traditional practices. 5. Illiteracy and ignorance especially among rural dwellers. 6. Neglect of grassroots and traditional health care systems
155 Campaign2015+International
Pro-active policies that foster closer collaboration between the government, donor agencies, CSOs and the targeted communities are needed. Encouraging facility-based delivery where available is an important approach for increasing uptake of skilled care. In like manner, poverty is clearly linked to both maternal and infant mortality just as maternal survival is closely linked to child survival. Health services need to develop strategies that target poorer women and their children in rural communities because, saving the lives of mothers is in itself an asset in the health of babies. These strategies and policies should aim at institutionalizing routine immunization for major childhood diseases and should also give appropriate attention to other 'non-health sector' interventions such as the provision of safe water and sanitation. This is critical for reducing both maternal and neonatal mortality. Recommendations Prioritise the passage into law of the Health Bill, which has been on the waiting list. 1. Harmonize and rationalize MDG-4 related support on offer from the country’s development partners; 2. Enhance planning and implementation mechanisms through regular monitoring and evaluation and focused operational research initiatives are indispensable for planning; 3. Since the state and local governments are closer to the grassroots in delivering basic services, efforts to provide improved management of healthcare systems, strengthen human capacities, and provide the needed health infrastructure, should be focused in these two levels. 4. States and local governments need to advance their development planning, budgeting and implementation in a practical, synchronized, efficient and continuous way to ensure accessibility and affordability of services. Citizen participation in budget processes should be employed as accountability channels to achieve this 5. Considering the fact that maternal and under-five mortality are interrelated, efforts should be made to ensure that skilled birth attendants deliver a combined package of essential obstetric and new born care at birth in order to tackle some of the common complications that occur during and after delivery. MDG 5: Improve Maternal Health The good news is that maternal mortality is reducing in the country. Maternal Mortality (MM) declined dramatically by 47% between 1990 156 Campaign2015+International
and 2010. Ministry of Health statistics show that the MM ratio has decreased from 704 per 100,000 live births in 1990 to 487 per 100,000 live births in 2011. The challenges to further improving maternal health include: lack of political will, inadequate budgetary allocations, poor budget implementation, contextual differences across the different regions of the country, corruption and lack of accountability and transparency, poor health infrastructure, dearth of qualified personnel, harmful cultural practices, and lack of reliable data for effective planning.
It is important that efforts to achieve MDG-5 be connected with those of other programmes aimed at other broader interrelated goals, especially MDG-4 whose linkages with maternal, neo-natal and child health targets are obvious. Such a broader approach would lead to a general improvement in the quality of life of women which will, in turn, translate into reduction of maternal mortality. Furthermore, as the country gradually approaches the 2015 MDGs deadline, an approach to programming which takes into account the contextual differences across the country will be more cost effective. Government policy interventions should also focus more on states that are acknowledged to be the most affected by incidences of high maternal mortality. Recommendations 1. Given the geographical disparities in the status of maternal health in the country, contextual interventions would be necessary to level out improvements in maternal health in terms of geographical spread. 2. Passing of the National Health Bill will go a long way in fast tracking the development of the health sector, thereby reducing maternal mortality. Also the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) should be made to cover more states and should include coverage for maternal health. 3. In promoting family planning as a means of preventing maternal mortality, emphasis should be placed on where it is likely to make the most impact, especially in the rural areas. Similarly, States with lower numbers of higher cadre of health workers should focus their training 157 Campaign2015+International
programmes on producing new cadres of workers with skills specific to their contexts. MDGs 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other Diseases Despite considerable efforts at a sustained response, the HIV/AIDS epidemic has remained a major challenge. Currently, there are 3.4 million people living with the infection in Nigeria, which put the country as the second largest in the world, after South Africa. The estimated prevalence of HIV amongst 15-49 year olds in 2009 was 3.6%. While most-at-risk populations contribute to the spread of HIV, heterosexual sex, particularly of the low-risk type, still makes up the bulk of infections (about 80 per cent). Mother-to-child transmission and transfusion of infected blood and blood products are generally estimated as ranking next as common routes of infection. These two means of transmission are believed to account for about ten per cent of all infections.
The factors contributing to the continuing spread of HIV/AIDS infection in the country include: multiple concurrent sexual partnerships; ineffective and inefficient prevention services for Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs); inadequate access to and poor quality of healthcare services; gender inequality and inequities; poverty; persistence of HIV/AIDSrelated stigmatization and discrimination; religion and cultural practices; inadequate data for proper policy action and responses; unavailability and inaccessibility of Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART); and low grassroots knowledge and awareness of the dangers of the disease and methods of prevention. Other factors include: poor governance and corruption; duplication and wastage of resources; inadequate results based management and gender-based approaches; insufficient funds and limited ability to monitor the use of funds; unstable political and economic environment; lack of transparency and accountability; overdependence on donor support; centralized procurement and ineffective distribution systems for HIV/AIDS drugs and materials. Low detection rate, lack of proper coordination, and inadequate capacity building and technical support for implementation of the operational plans for HIV & AIDS. 158 Campaign2015+International
Impediments to combating Tuberculosis include: heavy dependence on external funding and poor coordination of the activities of partners supporting TB programmes; poor management supervision; limited coverage and poor community participation in community TB care and DOTS; poorly motivated staff; limited diagnosis of multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB); low access to quality DOTS; stock-outs of drugs and reagents; low case detection rate; and weak Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) system.
Combating malaria is constrained by weak case management; restricted acceptability and use of bed nets, inadequate focus of Roll-Back Malaria (RBM) programme on vector control and environmental health; absence of diagnostics; weak supply chain system; poor drainage systems; poor sanitation habits; and poor delivery of services at the health facility level. In moving forward to reduce the burden of HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases in Nigeria, there is need to improve knowledge and awareness of HIV/AIDS and access to anti-retroviral therapies and to effectively implement existing national strategic frameworks for HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis control. There is also need to ratify the antistigmatization bill to help tackle problems facing HIV-infected persons. These will also need strong political will, increased transparency and accountable management of financial resources. The capacity of the agencies responsible for implementing HIV/AIDS, Malaria and TB programs would also need to be strengthened. Recommendations 1. Intensify local production of consumables so as to reduce the cost of procurement from abroad while increasing availability, affordability and accessibility of ART. 2. Intensify awareness raising campaigns about HIV/AIDS. 3. Implement the up-dated National HIV/AIDS policy and the National Framework for HIV Prevention in the Sex Work Setting. 159 Campaign2015+International
4.
5.
6. 7.
8.
Mainstream HIV/AIDS into different public and for-profit private health sector plans to improve access to care and increase involvement of different providers. Explore additional sources of funding for HIV and AIDS control and counteracting erratic and declining international donor support in the face of increasing resource needs. Promote active private sector, CSOs and NGOs involvement in efforts to achieve MDG 6. Intensify active surveillance of malaria with infection screening and early diagnosis of the disease and targeted indoor spraying combined with other vector control interventions. Expand the reach and provision of existing TB control services beyond public health facilities into communities, private sector, and tertiary health care services.
MDGs 7: Ensure environmental sustainability A mid-point assessment of the MDGs in 2007 showed that Nigeria still faced serious challenges in achieving MDG-7. The management of the country’s natural resources continues to be inadequate. For example, it has been estimated that between 2000 and 2010, the country’s forests shrank by a third from 14.4 per cent to 9.9 per cent. Progress in improving access to safe clean water and adequate sanitation has slowed down and the country continues to face other environmental challenges, such as rapid deforestation and desertification, soil erosion, coastal flooding, environmental pollution, and climate change. This lack of progress is due to several challenges that continue to inhibit progress towards ensuring environmental sustainability in Nigeria including: 1. Difficulties in translating substantial public investments in water into effective access and improved sanitation due largely to our sociopolitical peculiarities. 2. Absence of community participation that encourages involvement by local communities in the identification of local needs and the design of holistic and appropriate solutions. 3. Lack of the required managerial, technical and financial resources and absence of effective accountability mechanisms. 4. Weak institutional capacities to enforce extant policies. Poor waste management. 5. Overgrazing, land degradation and poor natural resource management practices. 160 Campaign2015+International
To fast track progress towards ensuring environmental sustainability, there is need to have in place an all-encompassing policy that promotes transparency and accountability in land management, improves access to land for the urban poor, intensifies pro-poor growth, promotes access to safe drinking water and improves sanitation. Introducing structural changes, enhancing distributive equity, and addressing climate change will also improve environmental governance in Nigeria. In addition, there is the need to strengthen the sourcing, maintenance, analysis and dissemination of environmental statistics. The capacity-building support of national and state environmental agencies by development partners should be also encouraged. Furthermore, technical assistance in terms of capacity building for mortgage firms and regulators for increased access to improved technology and production/processing methods of local materials to reduce the cost of low income housing is essential for ensuring environmental sustainability. Recommendations 1. Review of existing environmental sustainability polices and integrating them into sectorial policies. There is also the need to improve and focus more on expanding the market for environmentally beneficial goods such as efficient stoves, anti-erosion tools for small scale farmers etc. while also enforcing such polices in the context of national development and poverty reduction strategies. 2. Ensuring commitment from governments at all levels to mainstream environmental concerns into development activities by building government capacity to coordinate a national framework for environmental management and making natural resource management sustainable. 3. Encouraging the use of gas for household needs. 4. Undertake an enumeration of slum populations and come up with realistic strategies to improve public facilities in slum communities and support people to upgrade their homes rather than displacing them under the guise of urban renewal and city beautification. This 161 Campaign2015+International
will help improve accountability and local governance at the city level and also address poverty in the long run. MDGs 8: Promote Global Partnership for Development This goal is extremely critical in the overall scheme of the MDGs as it is the only goal that generally and specifically covers the external economic environment, which is determined or influenced by the country’s development partners. The country successfully negotiated debt relief in 2005 which reduced debt-servicing from 15.2 per cent of exports in 2005 to 0.5 per cent in 2008 and provided much needed financial resources and new opportunities for MDGs-related social investments. Since then, however, the trends in forging similar broad-based partnerships have not been particularly impressive and the country’s development partners have failed to channel their support into the country’s critical development areas. Although development assistance has increased, trade relations continue to be one-sided and without much impact on the country’s development agenda. Progress in foreign direct investment has been slow and erratic. Although the deregulation of the telecommunications sector in 2001 has significantly increased the proportion of the population with access to mobile telephones from 2 per cent to about 50 per cent today, the digital divide is yet to be significantly bridged with only about 18% of the population currently having access to the internet. There are number of challenges that are working against efforts towards developing a global partnership for development. These include: 1. Difficulties in unleashing the potential of the private sector for development. 2. Negative impact of the on-going global financial crisis. 3. Slow pace of research, innovation, and protection of intellectual property rights. 4. Imbalances and difficulties in implementing WTO agreements. 5. Low access rate to the internet and the poor quality network services. 6. Poor access to international markets. 7. Weak regulatory environment. 8. Lack of accountability of the grants administered by donors. 9. Unsustainable debt management. 10. Lack of good governance for improved evidence-based planning, public financial management and institutional coordination.
162 Campaign2015+International
For Nigeria and other African and developing countries to begin to make concrete progress towards achieving all the MDGs, they should be given the opportunity to initiate and contextualize appropriate and realistic approaches towards selectively integrating their domestic economy with the world economy such that the policies, rules and conditionalities arising from these systems would reflect the realities facing their countries and their peculiar requirements. Development of a global partnership for development will require a policy to protect affordable access to telephony through the establishment of a fund to subsidize network rollout to underserved areas and thus grant increased access to the poor. Similarly, additional licenses should be issued to small businesses to service areas where access to basic telephony and broadcasting signals are still a problem. Encouraging public-private partnerships in the provision of social services is crucial as is the targeting by the country’s development partners of initiatives to improve government institutions and management and governance systems. Government on its part should facilitate the emergence of a strong national research and innovation policy. In this regard, government agencies and institutions should be reinforced to develop a more effective strategy to curtail smuggling. The implementation of the Import Prohibition Policy should also be strengthened to promote Nigeria’s access to international markets. Government on its part should facilitate the emergence of a strong national research and innovation policy. In this regard, government agencies and institutions should be reinforced to develop a more effective strategy to curtail smuggling. The implementation of the Import Prohibition Policy on certain items should also be strengthened to promote local manufacturing of goods and increase local and external demand for made in Nigeria goods. Recommendations 1. Increased transparency and accountability of donor support through better access to information on how the development funds on offer to the country are utilised or administered. 2. Promote good governance through improve evidence-based planning, public financial management and institutional coordination. 3. Encourage public-private partnerships in the provision of social services is crucial as is the targeting by the country’s development
163 Campaign2015+International
4.
5.
6.
7.
8. 9. 10.
partners of initiatives to improve government institutions, management and governance systems. Provision of physical and social infrastructure, legal environment and the quality governance as a means of attracting FDI and optimize its development relevance. Improve tax administration so as to boost public revenues, reward those who fulfil commitments and discourage fiscal tax avoidance and evasion Improved debt management to forestall a relapse into heavy burden of indebtedness that could slow down the country’s progress towards the achievement of MDGs by 2015. Introduction of measures to promote aid quality, i.e., reducing tied aid, increasing the grant element, enhancing direct budget support, and ensuring better targeting. Improvements in the availability and affordability of essential medicines such as the establishment of international patent pools. Expand access to telecoms for people in rural areas Intensification of collaboration with the private sector in treating greater chronic disease by improving accessibility to treatment facilities.
General Recommendations With less than two years to 2015, the MDGs target year, Nigeria has made relative progress in her efforts to achieve the various targets. The decision to channel the resources from the debt relief gains into MDGs-related projects and programmes in 2005 provided much needed resources to enable the government to take bold steps towards the MDGs and, more importantly, try to mainstream MDGs policies into its on-going development strategies and plans including: NEEDS, SEEDS, LEEDS, Vision 20:2020 and the Transformation Agenda. However, despite this progress, the analyses carried in this study reveals that some of the goals and targets are likely to be missed unless additional, strengthened, and corrective policy actions and investments are taken. Rapid progress in achieving the MDGS will require coherence in federal, state and local policies as well as harmonization between and among them. It would require coherence in the formulation and implementation of priorities and in the financing of MDGs-related interventions. It would also require coherence between interventions designed to manage shortterm emergency situations and longer-term development goals. Six action 164 Campaign2015+International
areas, which should receive attention to help accelerate the achievement of the MDGs as the country approaches 2015 are outlined below: Vision 2020: From Visioning to Implementation Nigeria stepped up its efforts to achieve the MDGs with the launching of Vision 2020 in 2009 as the country’s blueprint for economic transformation. The expected outcome of the policy is a high standard of living and quality of life for its citizens. To achieve this, the policy framework attempts to prioritise economic growth and job creation over the next seven years. The MDGs have been incorporated into the visioning process but the key challenge is that there is very little being done on the implementation of the policy package. The level of investment on infrastructure and job creation is insufficient to push the country to the desired goal of being part of the top twenty economies in the world. There is, therefore, need to invest more to meet the explicit targets for access to energy and transportation, provide key inputs to economic development that are deeply important for agricultural productivity, health, education, and other key Goals. This area typically requires a strong blend of partnership between public and private sectors, on both the investment side and the regulatory side, in order to ensure efficient operations with equitable access for poor people. The public sector must however take the lead if the country is to achieve the targets and policy- and decisionmakers must develop clear benchmarks for implementing the visioning process. Public budgeting processes must also become more closely aligned to the Vision 2020 implementation benchmarks. Combating Public Corruption Over time, there has been increasing evidence of the growth of mega corruption in Nigeria. Revelations over the past year relating to the petroleum subsidy reveal monumental and growing level of fraud in public life in which over one trillion naira has been looted so far. Corruption has therefore become a stumbling block to combating poverty and achieving the MDGs. In addition to fuel subsidy, the country has been witness to the recent police pension scam and the unbelievable spectacle in the House of Representatives investigations on the power probe where it was discovered that over $16bn was spent to provide electric power without commensurate results. Government is currently negotiating a N1.5 trillion loan to pay more fuel “subsidy”. Nigeria is suffering from a pattern of organised looting of its national resources. If Nigerians do not stand up to fight and hold their leaders accountable for their actions, the county’s 165 Campaign2015+International
prospects for development will remain mortgaged to poor governance. The spectacular failure of recent high profile criminal prosecutions relating to corruption dramatizes the collapse of the system of public prosecution in Nigeria. Public prosecution rests on a tripod - the detection and investigation of crime, the prosecution of offenders and the conviction and punishment. All levels are in crisis and for Nigeria to return to its development agenda and implementation of Vision 2020, the promotion of transparency and accountability in public life must become a priority. There is increasing evidence that Government will not act on anticorruption if citizens do not mount sufficient pressure. Nigeria belongs to all its citizens. They should, therefore, no longer leave the political space and bureaucracy to the shenanigans of common thieves and crooks. The fight against corruption must be comprehensive and all encompassing. All sections of the society must stand up and fight corruption and take responsibility for insisting that projects implemented by the government yield expected positive outcome, as part of the collective strategy of liberating the resources that are needed to achieve the Vision 20:2020. Addressing Poverty and Inequalities Since the return to democratic rule, a number of dangerous trends have emerged that reveal that the country has not been on course to achieving the MDGs. The first is that while the economy has sustained a growth rate of over 5% since 1999, the rate of poverty has increased over the period from 54% to 69% of the population. The gap between the rich and the poor has been widening and the number of the poor growing. Secondly, according to recent statistics from the National Bureau of Statistics, there is significant spatial differentiation in Nigeria’s poverty profile with the Northern region lagging behind its southern counterpart. Sokoto State has remained the poorest state in the country with an 81.2% poverty rate. Other Northern states have the following poverty rates; Katsina, 74.5%; Adamawa, 74.2%; Gombe, 74.2%; Jigawa, 74.1%; Plateau, 74.1%; Ebonyi, 73.6%; Bauchi, 73%; Kebbi, 72% and Zamfara, 70.8%. The state with the lowest poverty rate was Niger with 33.8%, followed by Osun with 37.9% and Ondo with 45.7%. Others include Bayelsa State with 47% and Lagos State, 48.6%. The average poverty rate of the states in the North-West geopolitical zone remained the highest at 71.4% followed by North-East 69.1% and North Central, 60.7%. The record showed that poverty was least prevalent in the 166 Campaign2015+International
South-West, with an average of 49.8%, followed by South-South, 55.5% and South-East, 59.5%. The country’s development agenda must therefore address both the growing incidence of poverty and the significant spatial differentiation in its distribution through improved planning and data collection, expansion of social safety net programmes and efficiency in the use of resources. Graphical Representation of Average Poverty Rates of some Nigerian States
National Bureau of Statistics Graphical Representation of Average Poverty Rates by Regions
National Bureau of Statistics Taking Population Dynamics Seriously Whilst Nigeria continues to grapple with economic crisis, the population growth rate continues to soar and to change in composition. The population of young people between ages 15-34 years has increased markedly as a proportion of the total adult population (greater than 15 years) creating a huge youth bulge of particular concern to Nigeria is the 167 Campaign2015+International
age distribution ratio as young adults make up the higher proportion of young adults as a ratio of the total adult population. Achieving Vision 2020 is dependent on Nigeria prioritizing its demographic transition. This means that the population must be transformed from one characterized by short lives and large families to one with long lives and small families, in addition, small families are able to cater for the needs of dependants than larger families. The country cannot achieve its development objectives if the current rapid population growth which results in an unusually large proportion of children and adolescent dependents and a relative dearth of working age adults per dependent, is maintained. Young people (particularly those aged between 15 and 29) are known to comprise a historically volatile population that produces an increased possibility of violence in countries with low and declining capacity to educate them and provide them with the requisite means of livelihood. Action is needed to reduce the country’s high population growth rate and provide jobs for the youths. The other dimension of Nigeria’s population dynamics is that the country has become a collection of internal migrants and settlers with a considerable part of the population settled and engaged in economic activities in parts of the country where they are considered non-indigenes. This process cannot be reversed and it is imperative that as part of the needed strategy for economic growth and progress, the settler/indigene divide is abandoned. It is estimated that almost 50% of the people in Nigeria had moved from rural to urban settlements in the postindependence period. When pre-colonial migration patterns are factored into current trends, it becomes clear that the great majority of Nigerians are settlers, not indigenes of the places in which they presently live and work. As this cannot be reversed, there is need to incorporate indigeneity for all Nigerians in all localities as part of the Vision 2020 strategy and the constitution review process. Addressing the Insecurity/Poverty Nexus Nigeria has several sources of instability. The Niger Delta amnesty remains fragile. Ethno-religious conflict in the ‘middle belt’ with its epicentre in Plateau state continues to grow. An Islamist insurgency in Nigeria’s north-east is spreading to other parts of the country. Banditry and kidnapping are making the south-eastern and south-southern parts of the country difficult to live in. These conflicts are fuelled at the national 168 Campaign2015+International
level by deepening poverty, an expanding demography as well as ethnic, religious, social and economic grievances. These grievances point to a crisis of democratic consolidation in which citizens are not seeing the dividends of the democratic transition that occurred in 1999. The reality is that the Nigerian state is undergoing a serious existential crisis. Nigeria has been rapidly urbanising at an incredible rate. The urban centres are focal points for the globalisation of the economy, society and religion, while shanty towns and their lumpen culture are the flash-points. Life is becoming increasingly precarious because of the breakdown of social fabric and family bonds as well as the mounting pressures on livelihoods. In these contexts, religious activities have proliferated, with both Muslim and Christian actors and movements stepping in to provide critical services that the family and the state are unable to provide. Most of the new religious actors operate in the field of popular religion and act autonomously with little or no supervision from the mainstream religious establishments. The counter factual message from this analysis is that if achieving the MDGs had been prioritized as a strategy for national survival and progress, the country would not have found itself in the present situation. The urgent message from this is that addressing poverty and misery is a vital component of the country’s national security strategy but even more importantly, it is a fulfilment of the pact signed by Nigerians and their governments to achieve the social and economic goals set out in chapter two of the country’s Constitution. Climate change and its attendant effects on livelihoods Nigeria is one of the tropical countries with the largest forest losses in the world. The country is experiencing an annual rate of deforestation of about 3.5%, resulting from illegal and uncontrolled logging, incessant and uncontrolled bush burning, overgrazing and unsustainable fuel wood gathering. The rich biodiversity of the forests remains imperilled by the high rate of deforestation and degradation not minding that forests play an important role in the global carbon cycle. Currently, forests in Nigeria occupy about 10 million ha(100, 000 sq./km), close to 10% of Nigeria’s initial forest land area and well below the Food and Agriculture Organization’s recommended national minimum of 25%. From 20002010, the area of forest reduced by one third, from 14.4% in 2000 to 9.93% of its land mass in 2010. The desert in the Sahara continues to encroach southwards at a rather unprecedented rate of 0.6km per year, 169 Campaign2015+International
causing the country to be losing 1,355 square miles of cropland and rangeland due to desertification each year. Elsewhere, the effects of global greenhouse gas continue to rise, causing dramatic changes in temperature, and precipitation. The impact of this on Nigeria has been dramatic in the last two years as floods and erosion continue to pose threats to human and food security and causing environmental degradation in alarming magnitudes in different parts of the country. Between 2010 and August 2012 alone, over a million people have been displaced by erosion and flooding in several parts of the country. These have led to the contamination of unprotected water sources, thereby exposing people to the risk of waterborne diseases; destruction of crops and disruption of the planting season. As Nigeria approaches 2015, there is an urgent need for the implementation of policies and programmes aimed at addressing the challenges of climate change. Conclusion Nigeria is a country of enormous diversity. The country’s zonal and regional differences and disparities are traced to history, culture, natural endowment and politics. These, in turn, have resulted in poverty reduction challenges that are peculiar to some regions and zones and not others and that manifest themselves in different intensities in different regions, zones, states, and communities. Consequently, a one-size-fits-all set of MDGsinspired interventions and investments is likely to miss the goals and targets. The enormous diversity among the different regions, zones, states, and communities in Nigeria with respect to their specific conditions, institutions, culture, and governance structures, implies that accelerated progress on the MDGs will depend on the unique conditions, opportunities and constraints of each of these component parts. No single roadmap will be adequate in scaling up the MDGs interventions in Nigeria.
Chapter Twenty CAMPAIGN2015+ INTERNATIONAL AND POST-2015 DEVELOPMENT AGENDA Campaign2015+ International happens to be the only coalition not only in Nigeria but also in Africa primarily established to collaborate with various stakeholders including the CSOs and governments towards attainment of MDGs and to campaign beyond 2015 on development and 170 Campaign2015+International
rights-based issues. With large membership and grassroots reach in some African countries, Campaign 2015+ is headquartered in Nigeria which is one of the countries that UNDG-led consultation took place. Campaign2015+’s constituency cuts across coalitions and networks including but not limited to NGOs, CBOs, FBOs, trade unions, professional associations, student organizations, minority groups, including the poor and the marginalised, disability groups, bilateral and multilateral agencies, and development partners working worldwide on development, human and socio-economic rights, justice and peace. Campaign2015+ International and Beyond2015 International: Campaign2015+ International is a staunch member of Beyond2015 International and an international member of GCAP and CIVICUS. Our members have served in various committees and discussion groups set up by Beyond2015 since 2011. Early in 2012, we set up a think tank strategy group that is responsible for programmes and activities that would make the voices of the people heard on post-2015 development agenda. Specifically in September 2012, we organized deliberations at the local level in the southwest Nigeria with focus on what the grassroots people want reflected in the new development framework. Later in October, Beyond2015 appointed Campaign2015+ as the Lead Agency to coordinate the national hubs for CSOs’ deliberations on post-2015 framework in Nigeria. Importantly, Campaign2015+ has been the first and only coalition so far in Nigeria that started discussions already on post-2015 agenda as it has solely organised several deliberations across the zones on the process and content of post-2015 development agenda. Our current discussions on the content of post-2015 agenda focus on four conceptual foundations: vision, purpose, principles, and criteria. We have carried out (as at January2013) deliberations in five out of six geo-political zones of Nigeria reaching out to grassroots people in about 30 states of Nigeria.
171 Campaign2015+International
Campaign2015+ and Global Health: Since 2012, Campaign2015+ has been collaborating with the Alliance of Southern CS in Global Health (Global Health South) as its members were represented at the international meeting on 2nd Dialogue and Retreat from 3rd-9th March 2012in Accra, Ghana. Recently, we also collaborated with Global Health South on Online CS Consultation on the Global Health Theme of the Post 2015 UN Agenda. Our members were mobilised to make input to the health theme discussions while the results were also shared with our stakeholders. The CS online consultation gives valuable perspectives on global health governance and development processes, calling for renewed attention to accountability and partnerships as well as participation and inclusive processes. The survey includes some interesting suggestions on how this should be shaped in the new agenda. Campaign2015+ and Youth in Sierra Leone: Campaign2015+ International Sierra Leone is led by the Youth Partnership for Peace and Development (YPPD) - a youth-led intervention enhancing governments’ commitment towards delivery on the MDGs promises in Sierra Leone through the establishment of the Youth Taskforce on the MDGs. YPPD represents a foremost youth-led development organization and a key player in the anti-poverty movement that has immensely contributed towards the MDGs advocacy and campaigns in Sierra Leone with supports from the United Nations Millennium Campaign, Global Call to Action against Poverty and UNDP. Other contributions have been inputs into the draft framework of the beyond2015 process with Campaign2015+. Looking at the challenges faced by the MDGs in the Sierra Leonean setting and the conscious steps taken by the wider civil society, Campaign2015+ has been a golden opportunity of raising the profile of the post-2015 process and the mapping out strategy for engaging other stakeholders in the country. Campaign2015+ International and ICT: New Generation Change-Makers Initiative (NGCI) is saddled with the responsibilities of being the ICT and Youth Coordinator at Campaign2015+ International and has been privileged to be invited as a delegate to African Youth Conference held in Nairobi, Kenya, from November 18-20, 2012. It jointly worked on African Youth Online Survey on Post-2015; and participated at My World Online Survey; and in UN online discussion on Youth and inequalities. Campaign2015+ and Climate Change: 172 Campaign2015+International
Climate Change Network of Nigeria, the South-south zonal coordinator of Campaign2015+ International and a national coalition of over 150 diverse civil society organizations from across Nigeria, has been actively involved in promoting a post-2015 global development framework with its activities in the area of environmental sustainability that will actually contribute to achieving “The World We Want”. Promoting climate resilience in the grassroots through our “Cities/Local Government and Climate Change” project is a project aimed at building the capacity of grassroots governments and communities on the top-down national climate change mitigation and adaptation agenda for an effective bottomup implementation of the national action plan, especially in the areas of low-carbon development, green job creation opportunities and urban resilience for poverty reduction and sustainable development. Campaign2015+ and Population Dynamics: Population dynamics in the context of the post-2015 development agenda is critical for the achievement of the post-2015 development agenda and for sustainable development in general. Campaign2015+ staunchly supports the view of Beyond2015 that population dynamics and sexual and reproductive health are included in the post-2015 development agenda within a human-rights and gender-sensitive framework. Campaign2015+ contributed immensely to the position paper of Beyond2015 International on population dynamics. Worthy of note is Camapign2015+’s position on the problem of irregular migration which is linked to migrant’s lack of proper documentation and the right information on migration which often leads to migrants’ rights violation made worse by lack of migrantresponsive policy in the country of origin, transit country or country of final destination. Campaign2015+ and Gender Issue: With the technical support of Campaign2015+ international, AFRICA WOCH carried out sensitization activities in the rural areas using the platform of Ward Development Committee (WDC). Some CSOs, CBOs, women leaders, youth leaders, town criers, and children were sensitized, and the success story was the establishment of a network of WDC members on post-2015 agenda. After the sensitization, WDC made key demands captured in COMMUNITY ACTION PLAN (August, 2012) and OPERATIONAL PLAN (November, 2012). AFRICA-WOCH organizes regular advocacy visits to trade groups, professional associations including Abia State Traders Association and Abia State Ministry of Women Affairs as part of her objective in organizing a state consultation for women and children summit on post 2015 agenda framework using the international 173 Campaign2015+International
days for children and women in 2013 and to dialogue and plan for a program hinged around post-2015 agenda and good governance.
Considering opportunities for synergy and engagement, we share outcomes of various local, national, regional, and global meetings on post2015 development agenda with a wide range of stakeholders in our database. While incorporating many deliberation outcomes, we continue to mobilize stakeholders within ECOWAS, other African states, and especially zones in our country to actively participate in the national level consultation process. D. Tola Winjobi Convener, Campaign2015+ International tolawinjobi58@yahoo.com +2348082008222 campaign2015@gmail.com http://campaign2015plus.blogspot.com http://facebook.com/campaign2015international http://m.facebook.com/groups/263518357002767?refid=27
Chapter Twenty-One POSITION OF THE NIGERIAN CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS (CSOS), NGOS AND PRIVATE SECTOR GROUPSWORKING ON MIGRATION On the 2013 UN High Level Dialogue UN (HLD) 3 rd – 4th October, New York. The Nigerian CSOs and NGOs working on Migration met on 16 th of September 2013 with the support of the NCFRMI and IOM and agreed as follows: On Labour and Mobility In view of the upcoming UN-HLD in New York, the Nigerian CSOs call on the Nigerian Government to as a matter of urgency adopt and implement the draft National Migration, Labour Migration and IDPs Policies which clearly articulate guidelines for Migration, Labour Migration and IDP governance in Nigeria. Specifically the CSOs made the following resolutions: Government should as a matter of urgency improve on the following: 174 Campaign2015+International
1.
2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Ratification, domestication and implementation of all relevant international conventions relating to migrants rights and social protection – most especially, ILO Conventions 143, 181, 185 and others yet to be domesticated in Nigeria. relevant national migration and labour migration legislations sanctions relating to breach of the Labour Act Recognition and regulation of the core informal sector, Establishing Labour AttachÊ desks in Nigerian missions and equip them to handle labour migration issues, Providing enabling environment for Nigerians to acquire relevant working skills to match employment needs in the country and abroad.
On Human Development and Diaspora Action 1. The CSOs recognize that the Nigerian Government has over the years tried to create opportunities for the Diaspora to intervene in economic development. Equally, the Nigerian Diaspora has demonstrated the potentials of contributing towards development their countries of destination and of origin through various projects. However, there is the need to further strengthen the Nigerian Government-Diaspora collaborations on issues of transformation and development related projects. 2. Increase support for migration data studies and researches in the country; 3. The CSOs reiterate the call on the Nigerian Government more actively and strategically engage the Nigerian Diaspora as entrepreneurs, social investors through Trade Investment Policy. Including establishing a remittance friendly medium and reinforcing the powers of the Nigerian Government Agencies overseeing Diaspora issues with a specific focus on the following: 4. Prioritizing Migration issues in the post-2015 development agenda; 5. Providing adequate funding for the Nigerian missions abroad to support Diaspora and Nigerian migrants abroad; 6. Create a more enabling environment in terms of improved security, infrastructural development that can facilitate and enhance the engagement of migrants and Diasporas as entrepreneurs, social investors and policy advocates in development. 7. Involving migrants, Diaspora inclusive, in post-2015 Development discussions in order to harness their development potential; 8. Increasing funding for CSO participation, advocacy in post-2015 Development Agenda in Nigeria; 175 Campaign2015+International
9.
The CSOs also called on the Nigerian Government Agencies working on Diaspora issues to synergize effort and adopt a coherent and holistic approach to their interventions on behalf of the Nigerian Diaspora.
On Rights and Protection The CSOs advocate for 1. The social protection of categories of migrants irrespective of their migration status – (this include the non-discrimination and decriminalization of victims of irregular migration most especially women, children and the youth.) 2. The Immediate set up of intervention mechanisms by the Nigerian government on all issues that have led to the discrimination and criminalization of Nigerian migrants (carrying Nigerian Passports) around the world. 3. That the intervention mechanisms should include efforts directed at addressing the protection needs of migrants stranded in transit and those efforts for the instant remedies for migrants’ rights violated. 4. Strengthening of relevant Government Agencies including the judiciary to protect migrants; 5. Remodel the existing judicial system including the National Industrial Court to handle migration issues; 6. Training and retraining of relevant government Agencies to mainstream migration and protection of migrant rights; 7. Mainstreaming migration in the curriculum of schools in Nigeria; 8. Strengthening Nigerian missions to be more responsive to Nigerian migrants especially Nigerian migrants in distress, stranded and in transit. 9. The CSOs call on the Nigerian Government to improve on the existing sensitization programmes for all categories of migrants. CSOs are also encouraged to work together to support government in this area to discourage irregular migration, promote regular migration and provide important travel information for migrants to enable them make informed decisions. The Federal and State Ministries of Information, NOA, media, and all relevant Agencies should be actively involved in advocacy and other migration awareness raising campaign activities. Government is called upon to:
176 Campaign2015+International
1.
2.
3.
Review existing agreements on migration with a view to improving on them and entering into new ones which will provide an enabling environment for Nigerian migrants with a specific focus on supporting Nigerian migrants and non-Nigerian migrants in distress including trafficked persons; Improve funding for key anti-human trafficking institutions specifically NAPTIP, WOTCLEF, NACTAL and others that work to assist migrants - most especially women, children and the youths. Ensure the immediate ratification of the anti-SOM legislation.
On Migration Governance and Partnerships The CSOs restate their position on the following: 1. Government should work on bilateral and multilateral basis with countries and international agencies on managing and protecting Nigerian migrants. 2. States that are yet to pass the Child Rights Act to do so as a matter of urgency. 3. Speedy adoption and implementation of the draft National Migration, Labour Migration and IDPs Policies; 4. Ensuring Synergy amongst relevant Government Agencies and other stakeholders working on migration and related issues. 5. Specifically: 6. Government should review bilateral and multilateral agreements with a view to improving migration governance; 7. Competent officials from relevant MDAs and non-state actors should be involved in drafting and negotiation of the agreements; 8. All relevant stakeholders, including CBOs, grassroots organizations and governments at the local levels should be involved in migration dialogue, decisions and projects; 9. Internal migration is often the first step in the process of migration, therefore push and pull factors such as poverty, ignorance, poor socioeconomic situation in the country, climate change, conflicts, other natural and artificial disasters, etc., that remotely influence irregular migration whether internally or externally should be addressed as a matter of priority. 10. In addressing all these issues the CSOs recognise the need for the Nigerian Government to also review regional and international instruments that impede the achievements, implementation and enforcement of the above highlighted objectives and enter into 177 Campaign2015+International
negotiation to ensure that the rights of all migrants are adequately protected. The Nigerian CSO positions were taken in Abuja on the 16 th day of September 2013 with the Intra ACP Migration Facility for ECOWAS in Nigeria and the UNFPA as observers.
Chapter Twenty-Two THE OPEN WORKING GROUP (OWG) SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGs) FOR POST 2015 The Open Working Group (OWG) is a group of representatives from 69 countries chosen by the United Nations to produce a set of universal Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for post 2015. During the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in June 2012, governments agreed to launch a process to develop a set of SDGs. They called for establishing an OWG comprised of 30 representatives from the five UN regional groups, nominated by UN Member States, to elaborate a proposal for SDGs to be submitted to the UNGA for consideration and appropriate action during its 68th session. The Rio+20 outcome document outlines, inter alia: • the importance of remaining firmly committed to the full and timely achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and of respecting all Rio Principles, taking into account different national circumstances, capacities and priorities; • the SDGs should be action-oriented, concise and easy to communicate, limited in number, aspirational, global in nature and universally applicable to all countries, and focused on priority areas for the achievement of sustainable development; • The need to ensure coordination and coherence with the processes considering the post-2015 development agenda, and to receive initial input to the OWG’s work from the UN Secretary-General in consultation with national governments; • The need to assess progress towards the achievement of the goals, accompanied by targets and indicators, while taking into account different national circumstances, capacities and levels of development; and • The importance of global, integrated and scientifically-based information on sustainable development and of supporting regional 178 Campaign2015+International
economic commissions in collecting and compiling national inputs to inform this global effort. The UNGA endorsed the outcome document, titled The Future We Want, in resolution 66/288 on 30 November 2012.On 21 December 2012, the UNGA adopted resolution 67/203, which calls for the OWG to report to the Assembly in the early part of its 68th session, preferably before the first meeting of the high-level political forum (HLPF). It also calls for the OWG to report regularly on its progress, taking into account the convening of the first HLPF and the UNGA Special Event to follow-up on efforts made towards achieving the MDGs. On 22 January 2013, the UNGA adopted a decision establishing the membership of the OWG as allocated to the five UN regional groups. According to the annex to the decision, six seats are held by single countries: Benin, Congo, Ghana, Hungary, Kenya and Tanzania. Nine seats are held by pairs of countries, as follows: Bahamas/Barbados; Belarus/Serbia; Brazil/Nicaragua; Bulgaria/Croatia; Colombia/Guatemala; Mexico/Peru; Montenegro/ Slovenia; Poland/Romania; and Zambia/Zimbabwe. Fourteen seats are held by trios of countries, as follows: Argentina/Bolivia/Ecuador; Australia/Netherlands/UK; Bangladesh/Republic of Korea/Saudi Arabia; Bhutan/Thailand/Viet Nam; Canada/Israel/US; Denmark/Ireland/Norway; France/Germany/Switzerland; Italy/Spain/Turkey; China/Indonesia/ Kazakhstan; Cyprus/Singapore/United Arab Emirates; Guyana/Haiti/ Trinidad and Tobago; India/Pakistan/Sri Lanka; Iran/Japan/Nepal; and Nauru/Palau/Papua New Guinea. One seat is shared by four countries: Algeria/Egypt/Morocco/Tunisia. The OWG held series of sessions at UN Headquarters in New York to discuss different development themes for inclusion in the SDGs. As at going to press, eight sessions had already taken place. A summary of the sessions is presented below. The first OWG meeting (OWG-1) took place on the 14th and 15th March 2013 at UN Headquarters in New York. The meeting included statements and an interactive discussion on “Conceptualizing the SDGs,� Also, the participants shared their initial views on both the process and substance of the SDG framework. The OWG-2 took place from 17th to 19th April 2013 also at UN Headquarters in New York. Discussions bordered on conceptualizing the SDGs and the SDG process and the Programme of Work for 2013-2014. 179 Campaign2015+International
The participants focused on the overarching framework of poverty eradication and sustainable development, and cross-sectorial issues including: governance; gender equality and women’s empowerment; human rights and rights-based approaches; and means of implementation. The OWG-3 held from 22nd to 24th May 2013, addressed the thematic issues of: (a) food security and nutrition, sustainable agriculture, desertification, land degradation and drought, and (b) water and sanitation. The OWG-4 was held between 17 th and 19th June 2013. The delegates focused on addressing the thematic issues of: (a) employment and decent work for all, social protection, youth, education and culture, and (b) health and population dynamics. The session also included a presentation from the lead author for the UN High-level Panel on the Post-2015 Development Agenda. The inaugural meeting of the HIGH-LEVEL POLITICAL FORUM ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (HLPF), under the auspices of the UNGA, was convened on 24 September 2013. Heads of State and Government, Ministers and other leaders proffered a number of proposals on the role of the HLPF. Among these were that it should include stakeholders; it should emphasize accountability; it should review the post-2015 development agenda and the implementation of the SDGs; and it should examine issues from scientific and local perspectives. The UNGA High-Level Special Event towards Achieving the MDGs took place on 25 September 2013 at UN Headquarters in New York. The Outcome Document of the event determined that the work of the OWG would feed into international negotiations on the post-2015 development agenda, beginning in September 2014, and that a Global Summit would be held in September 2015 to agree to a new UN Development Agenda. The OWG-5 which took place from 25th to 27th November 2013, focused on the thematic issues of: (a) sustained and inclusive economic growth, macroeconomic policy questions (including international trade, international financial system and external debt sustainability), infrastructure development and industrialization, and (b) energy. TheOWG-6 came off from 9 th to 13th December 2013. The session focused on the thematic issues of: (a) means of implementation (science and technology, knowledge-sharing and capacity building); (b) global partnership for achieving sustainable development; (c) needs of countries 180 Campaign2015+International
in special situations, African countries, least developed countries (LDCs), landlocked developing countries (LLDCs), and small island developing states (SIDS) as well as specific challenges facing the middle-income countries; and (d) human rights, the right to development, and global governance. Also during this session, the Co-Chair of the Intergovernmental Committee of Experts on Sustainable Development Financing, Pertti Majanen, reviewed the Committee’s work thus far, noting that the OWG and the Committee were “sister processes.” The OWG-7 indeed held between 6th and 10th January 2014, as usual, at UN Headquarters in New York. The meeting brought together OWG members and other Member States, observers and representatives from UN agencies, and Major Groups to address the thematic issues of: sustainable cities and human settlements, sustainable transport; sustainable consumption and production (including chemicals and wastes); and climate change and disaster risk reduction. Macharia Kamau, Permanent Representative of Kenya, and Csaba Kőrösi, Permanent Representative of Hungary, continued in their role as OWG Co-Chairs. The eighth session which held from 3-7 February 2014 at the UN Headquarters in New York dealt with: Oceans and seas, forests, biodiversity; Promoting equality, including social equity, gender equality and women’s empowerment; Conflict prevention, post-conflict peacebuilding and the promotion of durable peace, rule of law and governance SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGS) FOR POST 2015 Sustainable Development Goals are accompanied by targets and will be further elaborated through indicators focused on measurable outcomes. They are action oriented, global in nature and universally applicable. They take into account different national realities, capacities and levels of development and respect national policies and priorities. They build on the foundation laid by the MDGs, seek to complete the unfinished business of the MDGs, and respond to new challenges. These goals constitute an integrated, indivisible set of global priorities for sustainable development. Targets are defined as aspirational global targets, with each government setting its own national targets guided by the global level of ambition but taking into account national circumstances. The goals and targets integrate economic, social and environmental aspects and recognize their interlink ages in achieving sustainable development in all its dimensions. Summary of the 17 SDGs: 181 Campaign2015+International
Goal 1.
End poverty in all its forms everywhere
Goal 2.
End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture
Goal 3.
Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
Goal 4.
Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote life-long learning opportunities for all
Goal 5.
Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
Goal 6.
Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
Goal 7.
Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all
Goal 8.
Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
Goal 9.
Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive sustainable industrialization and foster innovation
Goal 10.
Reduce inequality within and among countries
Goal 11.
Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
Goal 12.
Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
Goal 13.
Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts (*Acknowledging that the UNFCCC is the primary international, intergovernmental forum for negotiating the global response to climate change).
Goal 14.
Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
Goal 15.
Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
Goal 16.
Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
Goal 17.
Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development
and
182 Campaign2015+International
Details of the SDGs: Proposed goal 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere 1.1 by 2030, eradicate extreme poverty for all people everywhere, currently measured as people living on less than $1.25 a day 1.2 by 2030, reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions 1.3 implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all, including floors, and by 2030 achieve substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable 1.4 by 2030 ensure that all men and women, particularly the poor and the vulnerable, have equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to basic services, ownership, and control over land and other forms of property, inheritance, natural resources, appropriate new technology, and financial services including microfinance 1.5 by 2030 build the resilience of the poor and those in vulnerable situations, and reduce their exposure and vulnerability to climaterelated extreme events and other economic, social and environmental shocks and disasters 1. a. Ensure significant mobilization of resources from a variety of sources, including through enhanced development cooperation to provide adequate and predictable means for developing countries, in particular LDCs, to implement programmes and policies to end poverty in all its dimensions 1.b create sound policy frameworks, at national, regional and international levels, based on pro-poor and gender-sensitive development strategies to support accelerated investments in poverty eradication actions Proposed goal 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture 2.1 by 2030 end hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people invulnerable situations including infants, to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round 2.2 by 2030 end all forms of malnutrition, including achieving by 2025 the internationally agreed targets on stunting and wasting in children under five years of age, and address the nutritional needs of adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women, and older persons
183 Campaign2015+International
2.3 by 2030 double the agricultural productivity and the incomes of smallscale food producers, particularly women, indigenous peoples, family farmers, pastoralists and fishers, including through secure and equal access to land, other productive resources and inputs, knowledge, financial services, markets, and opportunities for value addition and non-farm employment 2.4 by 2030 ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding and other disasters, and that progressively improve land and soil quality 2.5 by 2020 maintain genetic diversity of seeds, cultivated plants, farmed and domesticated animals and their related wild species, including through soundly managed and diversified seed and plant banks at national, regional and international levels, and ensure access to and fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge as internationally agreed 2. a increase investment, including thorough enhanced international cooperation, in rural infrastructure, agricultural research and extension services, technology development, and plant and livestock gene banks to enhance agricultural productive capacity in developing countries, in particular in least developed countries 2.b. correct and prevent trade restrictions and distortions in world agricultural markets, including the parallel elimination of all forms of agricultural export subsidies and all export measures with equivalent effect in accordance with the mandate of the Doha Development Round 2.c. adopt measures to ensure the proper functioning of food commodity markets and their derivatives, and facilitate timely access to market information including on food reserves, in order to help limit extreme food price volatility Proposed goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages 3.1 by 2030 reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births 184 Campaign2015+International
3.2 3.3
3.4
3.5 3.6 3.7
3.8
3.9
by 2030 end preventable deaths of new-borns and under-five children by 2030 end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and neglected tropical diseases and combat hepatitis, water-borne diseases, and other communicable diseases by 2030 reduce by one-third pre-mature mortality from noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) through prevention and treatment, and promote mental health and wellbeing strengthen prevention and treatment of substance abuse, including narcotic drug abuse and harmful use of alcohol by 2020 halve global deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents by 2030 ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health care services, including for family planning, information and education, and the integration of reproductive health into national strategies and programmes achieve universal health coverage (UHC), including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health care services, and access to safe, effective, quality, and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all by 2030 substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water, and soil pollution and contamination 3. a strengthen implementation of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in all countries as appropriate 3. b support research and development of vaccines and medicines for the communicable and non-communicable diseases that primarily affect developing countries, provide access to affordable essential medicines and vaccines, in accordance with the Doha Declaration which affirms the right of developing countries to use to the full the provisions in the TRIPS agreement regarding flexibilities to protect public health and, in particular, provide access to medicines for all 3. c increase substantially health financing and the recruitment, development and training and retention of the health workforce in developing countries, especially in LDCs and SIDS 3. d strengthen the capacity of all countries, particularly developing countries, for early warning, risk reduction, and management of national and global health risks 185
Campaign2015+International
Proposed goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote life-long learning opportunities for all 4.1 by 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes 4.2 by 2030 ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early child hood development, care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education 4.3 by 2030 ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university 4.4 by 2030, increase by x% the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship 4.5 by 2030, eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal access to all levels of education and vocational training for the vulnerable, including persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples, and children in vulnerable situations 4.6 by 2030 ensure that all youth and at least x% of adults, both men and women, achieve literacy and numeracy 4.7 by 2030 ensure all learners acquire knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including among others through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship, and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development 4. a build and upgrade education facilities that are child, disability and gender sensitive and provide safe, non-violent, inclusive and effective learning environments for all 4.b by 2020 expand by x% globally the number of scholarships for developing countries in particular LDCs, SIDS and African countries to enrol in higher education, including vocational training, ICT, technical, engineering and scientific programmes in developed countries and other developing countries 4. c by 2030 increase by x% the supply of qualified teachers, including through international cooperation for teacher training in developing countries, especially LDCs and SIDS
186 Campaign2015+International
Proposed goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls 5.1 end all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere 5.2 eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation 5.3 eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilations 5.4 recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work through the provision of public services, infrastructure and social protection policies, and the promotion of shared responsibility within the household and the family as nationally appropriate 5.5 ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic, and public life 5.6 ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights as agreed in accordance with the Programme of Action of the ICPD and the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of their review conferences 5.a undertake reforms to give women equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to ownership and control over land and other forms of property, financial services, inheritance, and natural resources in accordance with national laws 5. b enhance the use of enabling technologies, in particular ICT, to promote women’s empowerment 5. c adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls at all levels Proposed goal 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all 6.1 by 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all 6.2 by 2030, achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all, and end open defecation, paying special attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations 6.3 by 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and 187 Campaign2015+International
materials, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater, and increasing recycling and safe reuse by x% globally 6.4 by 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of fresh water to address water scarcity, and substantially reduce the number of people suffering from water scarcity 6.5 by 2030 implement integrated water resources management at all levels, including through trans-boundary cooperation as appropriate 6.6 by 2020 protect and restore water-related ecosystems, including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers and lakes 6.a by 2030, expand international cooperation and capacity-building support to developing countries in water and sanitation related activities and programmes, including water harvesting, desalination, water efficiency, waste water treatment, recycling and reuse technologies 6. b support and strengthen the participation of local communities for improving water and sanitation management Proposed goal 7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all 7.1 by 2030 ensure universal access to affordable, reliable, and modern energy services 7.2 increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix by 2030 7.3 double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency by 2030 7.a by 2030 enhance international cooperation to facilitate access to clean energy research and technologies, including renewable energy, energy efficiency, and advanced and cleaner fossil fuel technologies, and promote investment in energy infrastructure and clean energy technologies 7. b by 2030 expand infrastructure and upgrade technology for supplying modern and sustainable energy services for all in developing countries, particularly LDCs and SIDS Proposed goal 8: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all 8.1 sustain per capita economic growth in accordance with national circumstances, and in particular at least 7% per annum GDP growth in the least-developed countries 188 Campaign2015+International
8.2 achieve higher levels of productivity of economies through diversification, technological upgrading and innovation, including through a focus on high value added and labour-intensive sectors 8.3 promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, and encourage formalization and growth of micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises including through access to financial services 8.4 improve progressively through 2030 global resource efficiency in consumption and production, and endeavour to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation in accordance with the 10year framework of programmes on sustainable consumption and production with developed countries taking the lead 8.5 by 2030 achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value 8.6 by 2020 substantially reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training 8.7 take immediate and effective measures to secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, eradicate forced labour, and by 2025 end child labour in all its forms including recruitment and use of child soldiers 8.8 protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments of all workers, including migrant workers, particularly women migrants, and those in precarious employment 8.9 by 2030 devise and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism which creates jobs, promotes local culture and products 8.10 strengthen the capacity of domestic financial institutions to encourage to expand access to banking, insurance and financial services for all 8. a increase Aid for Trade support for developing countries, particularly LDCs, including through the Enhanced Integrated Framework for LDCs 8. b by 2020 develop and operationalize a global strategy for youth employment and implement the ILO Global Jobs Pact Proposed goal 9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation 189 Campaign2015+International
9.1 develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure, including regional and trans-border infrastructure, to support economic development and human well-being, with a focus on affordable and equitable access for all 9.2 promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and by 2030 raise significantly industry’s share of employment and GDP in line with national circumstances, and double its share in LDCs 9.3 increase the access of small-scale industrial and other enterprises, particularly in developing countries, to financial services including affordable credit and their integration into value chains and markets 9.4 by 2030 upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes, all countries taking action in accordance with their respective capabilities 9.5 enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all countries, particularly developing countries, including by 2030 encouraging innovation and increasing the number of R&D workers per one million people by x% and public and private R&D spending 9.a facilitate sustainable and resilient infrastructure development in developing countries through enhanced financial, technological and technical support to African countries, LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS 9. b support domestic technology development, research and innovation in developing countries including by ensuring a conducive policy environment for inter alia industrial diversification and value addition to commodities 9. c significantly increase access to ICT and strive to provide universal and affordable access to internet in LDCs by 2020 Proposed goal 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries 10.1 by 2030 progressively achieve and sustain income growth of the bottom 40% of the population at a rate higher than the national average 10.2 by 2030 empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status 10.3 ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including through eliminating discriminatory laws, policies and 190 Campaign2015+International
10.4 10.5 10.6
10.7
practices and promoting appropriate legislation, policies and actions in this regard adopt policies especially fiscal, wage, and social protection policies and progressively achieve greater equality improve regulation and monitoring of global financial markets and institutions and strengthen implementation of such regulations ensure enhanced representation and voice of developing countries in decision making in global international economic and financial institutions in order to deliver more effective, credible, accountable and legitimate institutions facilitate orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility of people, including through implementation of planned and well-managed migration policies 10. a implement the principle of special and differential treatment for developing countries, in particular least developed countries, in accordance with WTO agreements 10.b encourage ODA and financial flows, including foreign direct investment, to states where the need is greatest, in particular LDCs, African countries, SIDS, and LLDCs, in accordance with their national plans and programmes 10.c by 2030, reduce to less than 3% the transaction costs of migrant remittances and eliminate remittance corridors with costs higher than 5%
Proposed goal 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable 11.1 by 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services, and upgrade slums 11.2 by 2030, provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all, improving road safety, notably by expanding public transport, with special attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations, women, children, persons with disabilities and older persons 11.3 by 2030 enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanization and capacities for participatory, integrated and sustainable human settlement planning and management in all countries 11.4 strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage 11.5 by 2030 significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of affected people and decrease by y% the economic losses relative 191 Campaign2015+International
11.6
11.7
to GDP caused by disasters, including water-related disasters, with the focus on protecting the poor and people in vulnerable situations by 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality, municipal and other waste management by 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces, particularly for women and children, older persons and persons with disabilities 11. a support positive economic, social and environmental links between urban, peri-urban and rural areas by strengthening national and regional development planning 11.b by 2020, increase by x% the number of cities and human settlements adopting and implementing integrated policies and plans towards inclusion, resource efficiency, mitigation and adaptation to climate change, resilience to disasters, develop and implement in line with the forthcoming Hyogo Framework holistic disaster risk management at all levels 11. c
support least developed countries, including through financial and technical assistance, for sustainable and resilient buildings utilizing local materials
Proposed goal 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns 12.1 implement the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on sustainable consumption and production (10YFP), all countries taking action, with developed countries taking the lead, taking into account the development and capabilities of developing countries 12.2 by 2030 achieve sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources 12.3 by 2030 halve per capita global food was teat there tail and consumer level, and reduce food losses along production and supply chains including post-harvest losses 12.4 by 2020 achieve environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle in accordance with agreed international frameworks and significantly reduce their release to air, water and soil to minimize their adverse impacts on human health and the environment
192 Campaign2015+International
12.5 12.6
12.7 12.8
by 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling, and reuse encourage companies, especially large and trans-national companies, to adopt sustainable practices and to integrate sustainability information into their reporting cycle promote public procurement practices that are sustainable in accordance with national policies and priorities by 2030 ensure that people everywhere have the relevant information and awareness for sustainable development and lifestyles in harmony with nature 12. a support developing countries to strengthen their scientific and technological capacities to move towards more sustainable patterns of consumption and production 12. b develop and implement tools to monitor sustainable development impacts for sustainable tourism which creates jobs, promotes local culture and products 12.c rationalize inefficient fossil fuel subsidies that encourage wasteful consumption by removing market distortions, in accordance with national circumstances, including by restructuring taxation and phasing out those harmful subsidies, where they exist, to reflect their environmental impacts, taking fully into account the specific needs and conditions of developing countries and minimizing the possible adverse impacts on their development in a manner that protects the poor and the affected communities
Proposed goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change 36 and its impacts 13.1 strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate related hazards and natural disasters in all countries 13.2 integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning 13.3 improve education, awareness raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning 36
*Acknowledging that the UNFCCC is the primary international, intergovernmental forum for negotiating the
global response to climate change.
193 Campaign2015+International
13.a
13. b
implement the commitment undertaken by developed country Parties to the UNFCCC to a goal of mobilizing jointly USD 100 billion annually by 2020 from all sources to address the needs of developing countries in the context of meaningful mitigation actions and transparency on implementation and fully operationalize the Green Climate Fund through its capitalization as soon as possible Promote mechanisms for raising capacities for effective climate change related planning and management, in LDCs, including focusing on women, youth, local and marginalized communities
Proposed goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development 14.1 by 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, particularly from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution 14.2 by 2020, sustainably manage, and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience and take action for their restoration, to achieve healthy and productive oceans 14.3 minimize and address the impacts of ocean acidification, including through enhanced scientific cooperation at all levels 14.4 by 2020, effectively regulate harvesting, and end overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and destructive fishing practices and implement science-based management plans, to restore fish stocks in the shortest time feasible at least to levels that can produce maximum sustainable yield as determined by their biological characteristics 14.5 by 2020, conserve at least 10 percent of coastal and marine areas, consistent with national and international law and based on best available scientific information 14.6 by 2020, prohibit certain forms of fisheries subsidies which contribute to overcapacity and overfishing, and eliminate subsidies that contribute to IUU fishing, and refrain from introducing new such subsidies, recognizing that appropriate and effective special and differential treatment for developing and least developed
194 Campaign2015+International
14.7
countries should be an integral part of the WTO fisheries subsidies negotiation37 by 2030 increase the economic benefits to SIDS and LDCs from the sustainable use of marine resources, including through sustainable management of fisheries, aquaculture and tourism 14.a increase scientific knowledge, develop research capacities and transfer marine technology taking into account the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission Criteria and Guidelines on the Transfer of Marine Technology, in order to improve ocean health and to enhance the contribution of marine biodiversity to the development of developing countries, in particular SIDS and LDCs 14. b provide access of small-scale artisanal fishers to marine resources and markets 14.c ensure the full implementation of international law, as reflected in UNCLOS for states parties to it, including, where applicable, existing regional and international regimes for the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources by their parties
Proposed goal 15: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reversal and degradation and halt biodiversity loss 15.1 by 2020 ensure conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular forests, wetlands, mountains and dry lands, in line with obligations under international agreements 15.2
15.3
37
by 2020, promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, and restore degraded forests, and increase afforestation and reforestation by x% globally by 2020, combat desertification, and restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought and floods, and strive to achieve a land-degradation neutral world
taking into account ongoing WTO negotiations and WTODoha Development Agenda and Hong Kong
Ministerial Mandate
195 Campaign2015+International
15.4
15.5
15.6
15.7
15.8
15.9
by 2030 ensure the conservation of mountain ecosystems, including their biodiversity, to enhance their capacity to provide benefits which are essential for sustainable development take urgent and significant action to reduce degradation of natural habitat, halt the loss of biodiversity, and by 2020 protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species ensure fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources, and promote appropriate access to genetic resources take urgent action to end poaching and trafficking of protected species of flora and fauna, and address both demand and supply of illegal wildlife products by 2020 introduce measures to prevent the introduction and significantly reduce the impact of invasive alien species on land and water ecosystems, and control or eradicate the priority species by 2020, integrate ecosystems and biodiversity values into national and local planning, development processes and poverty reduction strategies, and accounts 15. a mobilize and significantly increase from all sources financial resources to conserve and sustainably use biodiversity and ecosystems 15.b mobilize significantly resources from all sources and at all levels to finance sustainable forest management, and provide adequate incentives to developing countries to advance sustainable forest management, including for conservation and reforestation 15.c enhance global support to efforts to combat poaching and trafficking of protected species, including by increasing the capacity of local communities to pursue sustainable livelihood opportunities
Proposed goal 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels 16.1 significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere 16.2 end abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence and torture against children 16.3 promote the rule of law at the national and international levels, and ensure equal access to justice for all 196 Campaign2015+International
16.4
by 2030 significantly reduce illicit financial and arms flows, strengthen recovery and return of stolen assets, and combat all forms of organized crime 16.5 substantially reduce corruption and bribery in all its forms 16.6 develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels 16.7 ensureres ponsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision- making at all levels 16.8 broaden and strengthen the participation of developing countries in the institutions of global governance 16.9 by 2030 provide legal identity for all including birth registration 16.10 ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms, in accordance with national legislation and international agreements 16.a strengthen relevant national institutions, including through international cooperation, for building capacities at all levels, in particular in developing countries, for preventing violence and combating terrorism and crime 16.b promote and enforce non-discriminatory laws and policies for sustainable development Proposed goal 17: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development Finance 17.1 strengthen domestic resource mobilization, including through international support to developing countries to improve domestic capacity for tax and other revenue collection 17.2 developed countries to implement fully their ODA commitments, including to provide 0.7% of GNI in ODA to developing countries of which 0.15-0.20% to least-developed countries 17.3 mobilize additional financial resources for developing countries from multiple sources 17.4 assist developing countries in attaining long-term debt sustainability through coordinated policies aimed at fostering debt financing, debt relief and debt restructuring, as appropriate, and address the external debt of highly indebted poor countries (HIPC) to reduce debt distress 17.5 adopt and implement investment promotion regimes for LDCs 197 Campaign2015+International
198 Campaign2015+International
Technology 17.6 enhance North-South, South-South and triangular regional and international cooperation on and access to science, technology and innovation, and enhance knowledge sharing on mutually agreed terms, including through improved coordination among existing mechanisms, particularly at UN level, and through a global technology facilitation mechanism when agreed 17.7 promote development, transfer, dissemination and diffusion of environmentally sound technologies to developing countries on favourable terms, including on concessional and preferential terms, as mutually agreed 17.8 fully operationalize the Technology Bank and STI (Science, Technology and Innovation) capacity building mechanism for LDCs by 2017, and enhance the use of enabling technologies in particular ICT Capacity building 17.9 enhance international support for implementing effective and targeted capacity building in developing countries to support national plans to implement all sustainable development goals, including through North- South, South-South, and triangular cooperation Trade 17.10 promote a universal, rules-based, open, non-discriminatory and equitable multilateral trading system under the WTO including through the conclusion of negotiations within its Doha Development Agenda 17.11 increase significantly the exports of developing countries, in particular with a view to doubling the LDC share of global exports by 2020 17.12 realize timely implementation of duty-free, quota-free market access on a lasting basis for all least developed countries consistent with WTO decisions, including through ensuring that preferential rules of origin applicable to imports from LDCs are transparent and simple, and contribute to facilitating market access Systemic issues Policy and institutional coherence 17.13 enhance global macroeconomic stability including through policy coordination and policy coherence 199 Campaign2015+International
17.14 enhance policy coherence for sustainable development 17.15 respect each country’s policy space and leadership to establish and implement policies for poverty eradication and sustainable development Multi-stakeholder partnerships 17.16 enhance the global partnership for sustainable development complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, technologies and financial resources to support the achievement of sustainable development goals in all countries, particularly developing countries 17.17 encourage and promote effective public, public-private, and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships Data Monitoring and accountability 17.18 by 2020, enhance capacity building support to developing countries, including for LDCs and SIDS, to increase significantly the availability of high-quality, timely and reliable data disaggregated by income, gender, age, race, ethnicity, migratory status, disability, geographic location and other characteristics relevant in national contexts 17.19 by 2030, build on existing initiatives to develop measurements of progress on sustainable development that complement GDP, and support statistical capacity building in developing countries
200 Campaign2015+International
Chapter Twenty-Three BEYOND 2015 BRIEFING FOLLOWING THE UN SPECIAL EVENT ON THE POST-2015 AGENDA 25 SEPTEMBER 2013 Introduction Ten intense days on side events, high level meetings, civil society planning sessions, bilateral meetings, stocktaking meetings, not to mention the UN Special Event on the post-2015 agenda itself, allow us to present a brief overview of where we stand, following the title of Sergio Leone’s classic film ‘The Good, The Bad and The Ugly’. The good The clear decision for a single framework and set of goals enables us all to work constructively towards transformation in the lives of the people who need it most – those experiencing the greatest poverty and vulnerability. The commitment to a coherent approach, which integrates poverty eradication, human rights, economic transformation, social justice and environmental stewardship, indicates the potential for transformational change in 2015. Central to this is the recognition of common but differentiated responsibilities in a universal agenda. The inclusion of peace and security, democratic governance, the rule of law, gender equality, and human rights for all is critical. Evidence and experience since 2000 illustrates that neither eradication of poverty nor achievement of sustainable development is possible without these essential elements. The event bringing together regional voices on post-2015 was well received by civil society, and there was a general recognition that Member States and UN officials were well engaged in a variety of side events with civil society. The bad Despite these positive signs, the tone of the debate in New York from most Member States lacked the ambition needed to make that change. For more than two years, civil society has been insisting that a post-2015 agenda must address the structural causes of poverty and injustice by tackling inequality, gender injustice, social exclusion and skewed financial systems. This has to be based on human rights for all people. A post-2015 framework approach that fails to tackle the root causes of deprivation through quick-fix solutions will be neither effective, nor sustainable or legitimate. Governments need to start listening to the people and to raise the level of ambition in order to ensure that no-one is left behind, that a new development agenda meaningfully addresses the 201 Campaign2015+International
structural causes of poverty and injustice, that it redefines the way in which we understand the economy, so that it exists to serve people and planet, rather than the other way round.
202 Campaign2015+International
The ugly Many of us were somewhat disheartened to hear the incoming President of the General Assembly inviting civil society to participate in the discussions, suggesting that we have a ‘blank canvas’. While the invitation to participate is welcomed, the suggestion that we have not been engaging in a meaningful way for the last two and a half years is somewhat insulting. Thankfully, this sentiment was raised with representatives of his office at a later date, who recognized that ‘CSOs have been more engaged in shaping the post-2015 agenda than there were for the MDGs’ Another ‘ugly’ moment during the week was when CSOs were speaking during the roundtables – as CSOs were left until the end, many of the senior level government officials had left, leaving only their junior colleagues behind. As such, there is a big question as to the influence we can have on the proceedings by bringing people to speak at these roundtables – which are, in fact, anything but roundtables. Many of us expected small tables of up to 40 people speaking, interacting, with others observing around the side-lines. However, the roundtables take place in huge rooms with almost 1000 people in them, and consist of government representatives reading their statements. There is literally no interaction, no discussion during these roundtables. So, the process moving forward… Beyond 2015 and others spent a lot of time persuading governments that one of the main outcomes of the 2013 Special Event needed to be a clear roadmap on the process moving forward. This time, governments listened, and the Outcome Document contains a clear roadmap. So, for those of you who have not had time to study the document carefully, a quick overview. 1. 2.
3.
The Open Working Group will continue its work, gathering input until February 2014 and writing its report from February until August. At the same time, the Inter-governmental Committee of Experts on Sustainable Development Financing will be discussing how governments and others will fund the post-2015 agenda – another important arena in which to engage. Both of these processes should complete their work by September 2014, to feed into the intergovernmental negotiations. Preparations for the intergovernmental negotiations will also benefit from a series of thematic events convened by the President of the General Assembly, under the theme ‘The Post-2015 Development Agenda – Setting the Stage’. Dates and ways to engage TBC. These themes are: (i) What role should women the young and civil society play in the new development agenda? (Feb 2014) (ii) How can we incorporate human rights and the rule of law? 203
Campaign2015+International
4.
5.
6.
7.
(iii) How to maximize South-South cooperation and ICT for development? (iv) New and existing partnerships for development outcomes (v) Promoting peaceful and stable societies (vi) How do we address to challenges of water, sanitation and sustainable energy Full intergovernmental negotiations on the post-2015 agenda will start at the beginning of the 69th session on the UN General Assembly (i.e. September 2014). These negotiations will take as inputs all the recent reports: from the High Level Panel, Sustainable Development Solutions Network, the Global Compact, and the national and regional consultations organised by the UN Development Group, and the future reports of the Rio+20 processes (Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals, Sustainable Development Finance Committee. The Secretary General will present a synthesis report to governments of all inputs available (see above) by the end of 2014 as an input into their negotiations. A high level Summit will take place in September 2015 to adopt the post-2015 agenda. This Summit will be the culmination of the intergovernmental negotiations.
This roadmap is very important information for Beyond 2015, as it provides clarity on the way that negotiations will proceed and decisions will be taken. This should allow Beyond 2015, and all its participating organisations, to organise advocacy activities around these key milestones. While we don’t know EXACTLY what the intergovernmental negotiations will look like between September 2014 and September 2015, a likely scenario seems to be something similar to the negotiations held in advance of the Rio+20 process. Beyond 2015 will provide further details of what the negotiations may look like, and how civil society can effectively engage, in due course. One crucial point to highlight here – while these global processes take place in New York, governments are influenced by what happens at home. We heard time and time again that to effectively influence this agenda, we have to engage in an ongoing manner at the national level. Beyond 2015 will be doing precisely this, and we encourage all participating organisations to do the same.
204 Campaign2015+International
So, what are the governments saying in all of this? Certain statements from governments are available here: http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/specialevent-programme.shtml Beyond 2015 hopes that, in the interest of transparency and accountability, the UN will publish all statements online without delay. Participating organisations of Beyond 2015 were present during each of the round tables, and we have compiled informal notes of each session. These notes are attached for your use (English only) (A selection of) The Good Fiji, on behalf of the G77: This is an opportunity for real transformative change, and it is time to tell our citizens we mean business. Let us commit ourselves to build a better future we want. Guyana, on behalf of the Small Islands and Developing States (SIDS): Post 2015 needs more focus on and understanding of the inequalities of the trade system. They focused on economic and trade inequality, as well as the need for true and genuine partnership with whole international community excluding none. South Africa: The post-2015 agenda must be guided by spirit of equality, mutual trust, inclusiveness and universality. The focus must be on the eradication of poverty and hunger as well as combating inequality. It must be cognizant of the principle of common but differentiated responsibility. Ecuador: The MDGs addressed symptoms not causes – and the post-2015 framework must address the political factors preventing development – including finance and trade. The aim should be the eradication of poverty in all its forms, while respecting nature. India: Post-2015 should be based on outcome of Rio – CBDR emphasized. Universal agenda demands meaningful action from developed countries. Greater focus on sustainable production & consumption, food waste, reform of global economic governance to give voice to developing countries. Need to integrate three dimensions of sustainable development in balanced manner at all levels. Colombia and Sweden: Both countries reiterated their commitment to ensuring strong citizen (especially those living in poverty and affected by climate change) participation in the creation, implementation and monitoring of the post-2015 agenda. These countries both issued a strong call for other governments throughout the world to ensure meaningful space for citizens and their organizations to engage with their governments at the national level. Ireland: The principles of equality, inclusion and fundamental human rights must be at core of the post-2015 agenda. 205 Campaign2015+International
(A Selection of) The Bad China: Amongst other things, China said that trend of economic globalization must be embraced, and that the post-2015 is an extension of MDGs and must serve as a continuation. See http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/zxxx/t1078984.shtml for a full explanation of China’s position on the post-2015 agenda. India: The post-2015 framework should promote rapid & sustained economic growth in developing countries. Shining a spotlight on gender equality We were asked many times about gender equality in the post-2015 framework in New York. For colleagues who are focusing specifically on gender equality in the context of the post-2015 agenda, it may be useful to know a selection (not exhaustive) of those countries which made specific reference to gender equality in their statements to the General Assembly (for advocacy planning purposes): Japan, Norway, Australia, Austria, Nicaragua, Finland, Trinidad and Tobago, Italy, The Netherlands, Romania, Iceland, Portugal. Where we now stand on our key issues, messages, and values Beyond 2015 key issues / message
Origin of Beyond 2015 message and further details
How it was dealt with during the UN Special Event
Environmental sustainability
VPVC, national deliberations
Outcome Document agrees on working to a ‘single framework and set of Goals’. It makes the link between poverty eradication and sustainable development. There was no mention of planetary boundaries, and there was resistance from some in the UNF CCC process to the idea of having a goal on climate change in the post-2015 framework.
Human rights
VPVC, national deliberations
Outcome Document states that the framework should promote ‘human rights for all’. What this means remains unclear, and CSOs should make practical recommendations as to how this would apply to goals, targets and indicators.
Poverty eradication and hunger
VPVC, national deliberations
Nobody seems to disagree with this, and the Outcome Document is clear: ‘We underscore the central imperative of freeing poverty eradication and are committed to freeing humanity from poverty and hunger as a matter of urgency’
206 Campaign2015+International
Well being
VPVC
This is a value that is not well reflected in global discussions, nor is it reflected in the Outcome Document. If we are collectively serious about looking beyond income to measure progress, we still have a long way to go, and many governments to convince.
Peace and security
VPVC
The Outcome Document suggests that the framework should promote ‘peace and security’ and a number of governments focus on this as well (Japan is a good example)
Equity and equality (including gender equality)
VPVC, national deliberations
While various reports have focused on tackling inequality and leaving no-one behind, there is no mention of it in the Outcome Document. Equity and equality may well be a key part of the negotiations, and we should continue to push the ‘Leave no-one behind’ message, as well as attempting to persuade government to tackle the growing economic inequalities. Gender equality has the support of a number of governments (see list above) but civil society will have to remain vigilant to ensure it remains on the agenda. Vulnerable groups, often highlighted in side events, were rarely mentioned in the High Level Event on the 25th – which disappointed many colleagues. The key here will be in the disaggregated data used to monitor the post-2015 framework.
Global
VPVC
After lengthy negotiations around the Outcome Document,
207 Campaign2015+International
Chapter Twenty-Four SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IS COMPLICATED ARE THERE REALLY TOO MANY SDGS? By Dominic White and Bernadette Fischler, WWF-UK Nobody would deny that it was a Herculean effort that brought us the outcome document of the Open Working Group (OWG) on SDGs. But demi-gods don’t tend to rest, at least not when the plans to deliver such transformative social change are as ambitious as described in Rio+20. While we are left to tread water until the process and its modalities are confirmed later this year, the debate about status of and further amendments to the current set of 17 goals and very many targets is running hot. Apparently India, China, Brazil but also Colombia, Indonesia, Kenya, Ghana, Gambia, Bangladesh and many other G77 countries don’t want to re-open the discussion on the SDGs and rather move on to Means of Implementation, accountability mechanisms and other discussions. France, Germany, Switzerland and (depending whose intel to believe) also Italy and Ireland are of that opinion too. The EU is split on this since the UK and Sweden joined by the US, Canada and maybe also Norway have a clear preference for fewer goals and targets – for various reasons. It is time to take stock of the arguments we have heard and share our reflections on it. This is a call for opening up this critical discussion. Generally there are three stances we observe among governments and stakeholders: 1. “It’s the best we can get” - leave it as is Two arguments to not re-open the outcome document are: If you touch it, you break it The OWG outcome represents a delicate balance of countries’ priorities and was agreed with a lot of ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ at the end. Many fear that any further changes will lead to issues being dropped and there is little hope that any improvement can be achieved. To get to a final agreement in September 2015, countries would have to move from a low common denominator to a lower common denominator and leave out the most controversial issues (governance, climate change) and those with the least vocal supporting constituencies (ecosystems, SCP). 208 Campaign2015+International
Given how difficult it was for the OWG to come to an agreement, it is very possible that the UNGA would not come to an agreement at all, if they were to re-open the discussions. That would be a catastrophic outcome for post-2015 development with a knock-on effect on other multi-lateral processes, not least the UNFCCC COP21 in Paris a few weeks later. Not a great way to celebrate the UN’s 70th birthday. Sustainable Development is complex and requires a breadth of issues to be addressed That is an even more compelling reason to keep this wide range of SDGs as they are, accepting any shortcomings but acknowledging this variety exists and paves the way towards sustainable development. Sustainable development is indeed complex and whilst poverty eradication is core to this ambition so too is addressing the underlying causes of poverty, inequality and environmental degradation that will allow for improved wellbeing into the long term. 2. “As long as my issue is in there” – do with the rest as you please That is quite a lame stance to take. In some cases it reflects a lack of understanding of the inter-connected nature of systems and what the mutually reinforcing benefits are that arise from more systemic approaches. There is growing pressure to reduce the number of goals. Whatever the motivation to do so, the current breadth of issues will be disturbed. We have to consider carefully what that means for the overall purpose and vision of the SDGs. After all, this is supposed to be a holistic approach to poverty eradication, a comprehensive agenda for sustainable development, isn’t it? 3. “There’s far too many” – let’s consider reducing Here we find a whole range of arguments (David Cameron wants 10-12 goals to make it simple, for example) with a layer of ulterior motives that can be gleaned through the lines: a. Countries will pick and choose what they want to implement Yes, of course they will. But they will pick and choose from 10 or 12 or 17 goals, that doesn’t make a difference. In 2001, no country implemented all eight MDGs at the same time and logic dictates if there is more than one option, there is a choice. Granted, the chance that a goal is picked is lower the more goals there are to choose from but there will be zero chance if that goal isn’t there in the first place.
209 Campaign2015+International
The question should be how countries decide what to pick: maybe they start with what will take the longest to implement? Those that are most transformative? Most urgent? Most relevant for their country’s context? All sorts of criteria could be considered. b. 17 goals are difficult to communicate No they are not! Everything can be communicated, that is not really an argument. Get the substance right first then let Comms and PR experts decide how to communicate it. Furthermore… (i) People cannot remember more than 3 things so 8, 10, 12, 15 or 17 are all too many anyway (ii) If we talk about attractive to communicate: 15 is an attractive number (2015, 15 years running, etc.) (iii) There are ways to communicate many goals: group or cluster them. There is precedence: the Aichi targets are 20 targets in five clusters (admittedly not the most compelling cluster titles but that can be dealt with). Just make sure you have some flashy headlines – job done. (iv) How to group the goals? Around interlinkages, around systems (e.g. enabling or serving systems), around goods and services or around access? Let’s think about it a bit, we’re sure there are good suggestions out there. Just don’t group around the 3 dimensions of SD as that would create the very silos we are trying to get away from. c.
17 goals are difficult to implement and there is only so much money Yes, that is a good argument and would sort of defeat the point of this whole SDG exercise. However…. (i) Everybody needs to start somewhere so the number of goals might not be so significant to get implementation going after all. (ii) Surely implementation will stand and fall with the Means of Implementation (the clue is in the name!). They include finance but also capacity-building, technology transfer and participation. Maybe we would be better to focus on getting those right to support implementation than on fussing over the number of goals. (iii) How about the following suggestion to ensure implementation: Each country needs to start on 1-3 goals from a goal cluster (to ensure balance) and they have to pick those which will be taking the longest to implement, or which might be the hardest to achieve. That 210 Campaign2015+International
would counter a dynamic seen in many other goal and target setting exercises: not much happens at the beginning, then stakeholders pick the low hanging fruit and then, towards the end, there is a rush to try to address the most difficult issues and have to declare failure because it was too much and too late (see MDGs!). d. 17 goals are difficult to account for The currently suggested goals and targets are not really easy to use for accountability purposes. That’s true, and that’s why we need a strong and functioning accountability mechanism in place. No matter how many goals, if the accountability mechanism isn’t good enough, if it does not include a peer-review mechanism and a way for civil society to hold their politicians feet to the fire as well as other implementation values set out in the Beyond2015’s VPVC, it will not be working. Most importantly we need crunchy indicators. e.
We need fewer but better integrated goals that can deliver transformational change. That is a good point. The SDGs need to stand for the bigger picture and not fall into the “MDG7” trap where everyone ignored the environment MDG. At the moment goals 14 and 15 are weak because they do not communicate the social/economic benefit sufficiently (even though we know these are significant and implicit). Consequently, they are not good goals. It is true that climate change, SCP and other goals need to be (better) mainstreamed. But what is the likelihood of achieving mainstreaming at this stage? Maybe our choice at the moment is reduced to: covering a topic in a weak goal or not covering it at all? f. Agencies will cut down this list to MDG+ goals anyway Probably a very UK-centric worry, but development institutions with a long-standing tradition might think along those lines: “we’ll do the first 8 goals, it’s what we’re good at already”. This means all new issues, particularly environmental issues, would lose out anyway, unless you view the goals on food, water and energy as sufficient to cover the environment. We have to do what is needed, not what we are already good at. g. Remove duplication and merge where there are synergies Some reductions might be achieved by cutting duplication, looking for more synergies, removing the excess. Just be careful with your secateurs in this pruning exercise! So where does that leave us? 211 Campaign2015+International
Some of the arguments for cutting down the numbers are only justification for a business-as-usual development MDG+ agenda. Transformational shifts are difficult to bring about. We should jointly mitigate against losing what makes this agenda transformational using different tools, e.g. MOIs, accountability framework and creative communications. Similar to the good the bad and the ugly there seems to be three ways this can go: The ideal – we end up with a number of goals that can be implemented by all countries straight away and will definitely deliver the right kind of action: All goals are well integrated, there is a good balance of goal headlines, each goal lives up to the standards of environmental sustainability, for example set out in the Beyond 2015 UK paper on environmental sustainability and post-2015. Likely problem with this is feasibility - given the lack of appetite to better integrate the goals and the justifiable worry that things will only get worse, not better. The acceptable – Agree on a slightly smaller number of goals, group them under ‘sexy’ headlines that are easy to remember and to communicate. Goals that make the entire agenda attractive for finance, ramp up the Means of Implementations to instil confidence in all countries that this is feasible, set up some rules how to implement and finally improve measurability of woolly targets to make them more suitable for accountability. The failure – cut down numbers by taking out goals that are more disputed under the false pretext that they have less strong backing and that their targets are less measurable. We would end up with a warmed up MDG agenda or an MDG+ agenda at best if it includes energy and water as additional goals. It would not be transformational neither for societies nor for systems such as trade, aid or governance. It would also not put the world on a sustainable trajectory, would not end poverty in the medium or longer term, and would not be universal. It would once again list ‘to-do’s’ for the developing world and ‘to-pay-fur’s’ for the developed world and thereby thoroughly undermining the intention to overcome a dichotomist world view of ‘us’ and ‘them’. There is a huge danger to aim for the ideal scenario and end up with failure. Maybe it would be better to aim for the acceptable? Otherwise the risk is that the S in SDGs does not stand for ‘Sustainable’ but for ‘Sorrywe-didn’t-get-our-act-together’. Thoughts? 212 Campaign2015+International
Let’s assume 17 goals are a bit much – how to cut down the numbers? By Dominic White and Bernadette Fischler, WWF-UK
The second part of our reflections looks at different types of logic that could be applied if one would set out to cut down the goals. We are not saying that this needs to happen, only listing options and discussing ups and downs of the different approaches: Bigger picture logic: Pull the MOIs out of the SDG framework and put them in a separate framework/compact/strategy/whatever; the MOI goal does not look like a goal and doesn’t work like a goal, doesn’t walk, talk or quack like an SDG. Means of Implementation are the sine qua none of the SDGs but – due to their importance and their different characteristics – warrant special treatment. It is like a layer on top of the SDGs that brings them to life, i.e. implements them. This would cut down the number of goals and targets by 1 goal and (I think!) around 80 targets already.
213 Campaign2015+International
Numerical logic: Drop those with the fewest targets. It would not be acceptable to just go and cut out the goals with the fewest targets (CC and energy with three targets each followed by poverty, food, industrialization with five each). So many reasons, not even worth starting to lay them all out… Conceptual logic: Merge those that are two sides of the same coin, e.g. SCP and Economic Growth, ecosystems and food/water, urbanization and industrialization, inequality and poverty into one, would increase integration and make conceptual sense; Problem: very little appetite to mainstream sustainability related issues and to integrate into existing goals, the OWG tried with CC and SCP and inequality and poverty and that didn’t work at all. Political logic: Take the path of least resistance? Probably ecosystems or more generally everything after goal 9 which is mostly environmental related or could lead to concrete actions for developed countries. That would not be great because much of the goals we care about would get lost. Getting rid of the most contested goals would mean getting rid of the governance goal, the climate change goal and maybe the energy goal. Quality logic: Do the Cinderella: keep the good ones, ditch the bad ones. For example, get rid of everything that is not measurable). Problem is, like Kate Raworth pointed out, that environmental targets and goals are new, less established, less popular (but no less important) with developed and developing countries for different reasons and that is the reason why they are weaker and fussier. So we would lose mainly environmental goals and targets which is once again not acceptable. Better to strengthen those that are important. Integration logic: Keep a good balance of goal headlines (and no, food and agriculture don’t count as environmental goals), ensure the green thread is there across all goals, guarantee that any goals that are cut will be offset by including their targets in other relevant goals. Don’t only cut environmental goals (that would be much in line with B2015UK recommendations in their paper). Problem: There is sub-zero appetite to work on greater integration among governments. So where does that leave us? 214 Campaign2015+International
As mentioned in the previous blog, there seems to be three ways this can go: The ideal – we end up with a number of goals that can be implemented by all countries straight away and will definitely deliver the right kind of action: All goals are well integrated, there is a good balance of goal headlines, each goal lives up to the standards of environmental sustainability, for example set out in the Beyond 2015 UK paper on environmental sustainability and post-2015. Likely problem with this is feasibility - given the lack of appetite to better integrate the goals and the justifiable worry that things will only get worse, not better. The acceptable – Agree on a slightly smaller number of goals, group them under ‘sexy’ headlines that are easy to remember and to communicate. Goals that make the entire agenda attractive for finance, ramp up the Means of Implementations to instil confidence in all countries that this is feasible, set up some rules how to implement and finally improve measurability of woolly targets to make them more suitable for accountability. The failure – cut down numbers by taking out goals that are more disputed under the false pretext that they have less strong backing and that their targets are less measurable. We would end up with a warmed up MDG agenda or an MDG+ agenda at best if it includes energy and water as additional goals. It would not be transformational neither for societies nor for systems such as trade, aid or governance. It would also not put the world on a sustainable trajectory, would not end poverty in the medium or longer term, and would not be universal. It would once again list ‘to-do’s’ for the developing world and ‘to-pay-fur’s’ for the developed world and thereby thoroughly undermining the intention to overcome a dichotomist world view of ‘us’ and ‘them’. There is a huge danger to aim for the ideal scenario and end up with failure. Maybe it would be better to aim for the acceptable? Otherwise the risk is that the S in SDGs does not stand for ‘Sustainable’ but for ‘Sorrywe-didn’t-get-our-act-together’. Thoughts?
Chapter Twenty-Five
215 Campaign2015+International
CROSSING FIRST AVENUE - PROPOSAL FOR POST 2015 ADVOCACY BEYOND UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY 201338 Introduction “I have three major frustrations. My major frustration with many actors in this process is that they are focused on one thing, and forgetting the foundation. The Post 2015 and Sustainable Development Framework will have one central pillar-known as the Strategic Vision. This will be the main document that will form the foundation of what we do. It is on the basis of this Strategic Vision that we will build the goals as an annex. There is a strong and disproportionate emphasis and demand for goals when we have not even built the foundation. Then we have another problem-we have forgotten that there are other central pillars that were non-existent in the MDGs, and which will contribute to their failure. The success of the Post 2015 agenda will not depend on the goals, but on the Frameworks - the Financing Mechanism, and the Monitoring through the High Level Political Forum. No one seems to be paying adequate attention to these areas-yet without them the Post 2015 Frame work will be even less successful than the MDGs. My third frustration is those who wait until we are on the second floor and then they come to question the foundation! We have been building, and the Open working Group will continue to build. Once we have passed the first floor, please do not come to question our foundation. You have that time now! Ambassador Csaba Koros, Co-Chair of the Open Working Group, speaking at the Session on the Role of Foundations and Civil Society in the Post 2015 Agenda, 27th September 2013 Getting to the centre of power. That is the task ahead of Civil Society after the just concluded UN General Assembly. We must move beyond the passes handed to us by governments on 46th street 2nd avenue to enter the General Assembly area of the UN or the Trusteeship Chamber. 38
This is a review by Paul Okumu for the Africa CSO Platform on Principled Partnership (ACP) and reflects his views on the Post 2015 Political Strategy. info@africacsoplatform.org Tel +254-20-2055003
216 Campaign2015+International
The real task ahead is to push beyond and sit with governments where they feel the greatest heat- beyond 1st avenue. In New York and in our countries we must resist the temptation to be invited to scripted events and engage in the periphery. It is not enough to stay on 2nd avenue.
217 Campaign2015+International
What we now know One of the greatest lessons that Civil Society learned from the just concluded United Nations General Assembly (and to some a longer experience with the UN advocacy) is that there is great potential in the current Post 2015 advocacy bringing major shifts in the development model of the World. No one thought that countries that have over the past four months been highly critical of some the radical shifts proposed by the High Level Panel and the UN Secretary General’s Reports, would embrace both and make reference to them as the pillars of citizen voices. But there are four things that we now know from the manner in which the Outcome Document was negotiated in the months (and hours) leading to the MDG Summit. 1. Advocacy within the United Nations and more specifically with member states is not as complex as we have been made to believe. And there is one positive news-they are a not as intense as we were made to believe, and because the stakes are shared by over 190 member states it will rarely succeed on a confrontational strategy as other successful campaigns such as AID Effectiveness, Trade or Environment. For the many organizations that have been give the perception that UN advocacy is complex, expensive and requires high technical capacity, this is good news for you. But that is not all. 2. Within the UN member states, relying on public statements or government positions as an indication of final voting direction is highly misleading. With the exception of a few governments, many governments take positions on subtle and sometimes emerging but shifting interests rather than national positions communicated in meetings or on the floor of the General Assembly. Some of those are shaped by interest of key blocs that are seeking political interests that may be totally unrelated to the issue at hand. Specifically Civil society must not risk the temptation to believe statements made at Civil Society-hosted meetings. The UN member states have clarity over what is popular and should be said in public and what is pragmatic and should determine their vote. 3. Unless we put in tremendous effort, the Post MDG Framework will be an exact replica of the MDG. Member states will take all the larger transformational agenda and put it in what they call a vision statement, in much the same way they did with the Millennium Declaration. Then they will take simple non-political issues and call 218 Campaign2015+International
4.
them goals. Then they will forget the Vision Statement and only focus on implementing the Goals. Finally we know one thing-the current strategy that civil society has adopted to reach the member states is not working, and will not work if we continue with that path. Participation in UN member events, however high profile they are, or being hosted by the President of the General Assembly, or hosting a series of joint side events with government officials is good, but by themselves they will not move the member states. Engaging with member states is a complex mixture of strategic dialogue, constant lobby and managing emerging interests and points of resistance-no looking at who appreciates and publicly declares support for our Policy Positions. . It is access to key players within the decision making processes in both New York and country offices of member states, and understanding how blocs work, how countries make decisions and what point negotiations or dialogue are made or broken.
Key Progress areas with the UN General Assembly and Civil Society advocacy Now that we know these four things, let us look at where we are, what we did right during the Just concluded General Assembly, what we must do over the coming twelve months to ensure that the Open Working Group Report is not only a transformational strategy document, but that member states will adopt our interests even in the privacy of their negotiationswhich will be between March and July, and again between October 2014 and June 2015. The 11-day marathon UN General Assembly was remarkable in many ways. With over 30 side events to choose from, some happening as far away as half an hours away from the UN compound) Civil Society, Foundations and the Private sector had remarkable engagement, albeit within sectors. Some good progress was made in shaping the MDG Outcome Document that was adopted by the General Assembly. Even greater progress was made in having member states attend several of the side events hosted by CSOs. Great progress was made by several CSOs who went ahead of the General Assembly and had great input through private engagements with the UN Secretary General’s Technical Teams the Co-Chairs of the MDG Summit. 219 Campaign2015+International
So here is a brief summary of some other areas of progress. Output 1. The famous Outcome Document, drafted under the Chairmanship of Ireland and South Africa, was fairly strong. It was only weakened by negotiations in the final 72 hours- a key warning to CSOs not to celebrate too quickly with UN Documents. The Outcome Document ended up as a highly negotiated document, with country x (name withheld) seeking to make changes. And so while the Outcome Document is still weak in many ways, it represents significant progress that points to a desire by some governments to move forward. Details here (http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/pdf/Outcome%20documentMD G.pdf) 2. The High Level Panel Report, considered fairly bold in its recommendations, became a reference point (at least publicly) for many governments, including China! This was a positive move, albeit in public. 3. China, for the first time, and with about 850 days to go, embraced the MDGs! It was interesting to hear China enumerate several achievements “under the MDG” when in practice China has been reluctant to be seen as following an international model for development. 4. Countries that can be publicly counted on to support CSO positions increased dramatically- new players such as Fiji, Ghana, Japan, and surprisingly Turkey. But some previous allies who have been calling for transformation “away from AID” have now dropped off-with Uganda and Rwanda joining William and Melinda Gates in championing AID for Humanitarian work and Private Sector Investment as the solution to worlds’ challenges. 5. The UN-NGLS Regional analysis of responses to key UN Reports, and the discussions that followed the launch of the Report, was perhaps one of the key highlights of the eleven-day event. The analysis, presented to the President of the General Assembly and the MDG hosts South Africa and Ireland-was one of the best ways to look at the Post 2015 advocacy through the separate eyes of the NorthSouth divide. And it showed that e share many aspects of our vision for the world- as evidenced in the transformative shifts raised by all Regions-(rebalancing of power for justice – in trade and investment rules; the fulfilment of human rights for all through a rights-based 220 Campaign2015+International
6.
7.
approach; ensuring the equitable distribution and safe use of natural resources; and implementing accountability mechanisms, transparency and the right to participate in decisions. Details here (http://www.un-ngls.org/IMG/pdf/UN-NGLS_Post2015_Regional_Consultation_September_2013.pdf) The High Level Political Forum in its first session reaffirmed commitment to merge sustainable development with the post 2015 agenda. They called for “achieving the primary goals of overcoming poverty and ensuring sustainable development,” and that “the Highlevel Political Forum will help renew partnerships and enhance multilateral engagement. Its role will be paramount in ensuring implementation of the Rio+20 commitments and the post-2015 development agenda, which will include the sustainable development goals.” Surprisingly, great reference was made to the High Level Panel Report. And it was positive, pointing to a successful advocacy by CSOs that turned the HLP Report into their mini Bible, and partly to the massive outreach that the Panel undertook in partnership with Civil Society and several actors. Details here (http://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/index.php?page=view&type=1 2&nr=481&menu=1649&event=469)
Political Strategy and Process Developments 1. The Africa Heads of States High Level Committee on Post 2015 Agenda, under the Chairmanship of President E J Sirleaf of Liberia, held its first inaugural meeting and pledged to deliver a coherent voice and consult on the Africa Position ahead of September 2014. The committee-made of the Presidents of Guinea, Mauritania, Algeria, Ethiopia, Mauritius, Chad, Republic of Congo, Namibia and South Africa- agreed to “an enabling environment for Africa to transform its economies, pursue sustainable development, strengthen resilience and promote an agenda that encourages open and accountable governance supported by strong, mutually beneficial and diversified global partnerships, strengthen South-South cooperation; mobilize domestic resources to finance Africa’s development effort; address the needs of landlocked and small island developing states; and to speak with one voice in support of the African Common Position” It’s a repeat of what the Africa position and China was during the 4th High Level Forum on AID Effectiveness in Busan in 221 Campaign2015+International
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
2011. (Details here http://www.au.int/en/content/inaugural-meetinghigh-level-committee-hlc-post-2015-development-agenda) The High Level Political Forum had its first meeting, with representatives of some of the most difficult governments in the GA. Civil Society have a daunting task dealing with this Forum in the months ahead, and as the key leaders in monitoring of the Post 2015 Structure and Implementation. The Major Groups, the Civil Society representation to The Open Working Group, made considerable progress in conforming to the Rio +20 calls for inclusion of other non-environmental groups and a new category known as “others”. While its clear the Major Groups will have much less space in the High Level Political Forum, as evidenced by the low level representation at the first inaugural meeting, there is great strides to be made if synergy is built within the broader Civil Society and an if engagement platform with the elusive Business and Industry is brokered by UN-DESA with the support of UNDP. Civil Society made considerable progress in their dialogue with governments, especially in the new tactic of dialogue, “intelligence” and building alliances with technical teams within the Post 2015 agenda. Almost all Government-hosted events had civil society as either participants or co-organizers. Some governments-such as Finland-had Civil Society as part of their official delegation-giving them unprecedented access meetings. Civil Society also made considerable progress in having governments and UN representatives. Some collaborative networks had very exceptional strategies-the disability alliance leading the pack and followed closely by Human Rights actors, the Major Groups and Beyond 2015. The last two groups were especially good at mobilizing collective voice and a focus on how to engage in the process beyond the General Assembly. The Civil Society Platform on Peacebuilding and Statebulding (CSPPS) seemed especially innovative, considering the difficulty that Peace and Security faces in the United Nations. Their Political Strategy with key UN insiders under Chatham House Rules, which had been preceded by two weeks of Personal visits to selected Permanent Representatives (PRs) was unique and a different way to host side events. The attempts by several CSOs to reach governments despite the strict security and rules is a show of CSO 222
Campaign2015+International
8.
9.
tenacity and a demonstration that Civil Society advocacy has reached higher levels than in the past. A group that went unnoticed by Civil Society was the Global Compact-which organized a host of high profile but closed sessions with the private sector and governments, but with very limited Civil Society participation. For the first time big Foundations and Philanthropists, under the Leadership of Ford Foundation, WINGS and UNDP, were active in the Post 2015 dialogue-hosting a high profile event at which they made a critical review of their place and strategy for engagement. This is an opportunity for civil society to get out of the trap of “thematic� advocacy being pushed by donor funding mechanisms.
Looking ahead - What Civil Society should do in the next 12 months...or perish The words of Ambassador Csaba Koros perhaps reflect the greatest challenge facing Civil Society in the Post 2015 engagement-our inability to have a wider and holistic scope of the Post 2015 process. Without a clear strategy of where, when, who and how to engage on the positions we seek to advance, we run the risk of putting too much resources into getting goals, or in consultations-and getting very little in return. The last minute negotiations before the tabling of the Outcome Document should be a wakeup call that side meetings with government officials, or even responding to position papers and public pronouncements by member states, will in itself not move the UN. If we are to achieve our agenda for transformation we will need to do four things-Split, Speak, Stay and Negotiate! Split Right now we are doing a great job in collecting ideas and positions. But we are leaving out many central pillars to the process because we are too thinly spread. There are too many of us doing a great job-but in too many narrow areas. Who among us should follow up with the High Level Political Forum? Who among us should keep track and ensure there is real accountability in the Financing Framework? What if the governments decide that all financing will come from private sector, philanthropy and AID? What if they refuse to place tax revenue and revenue from natural resources high up on the financing strategy? Will we have succeeded if we have exceptional goals, but badly financed, or not independently monitored? And what about the impact of the technology and science 223 Campaign2015+International
agenda that many governments are now pushing as the solution to consumption challenges? If we do not split roles and seek to build synergy along these parallel processes, we will fail the process in much the same way MDGs failed the world. And we need to split more. Who among us will take on the Private Sector on their field, and succeed? Who will engage with the Africa Heads of States Committee? And what about its complex coordinating team? Who will engage with the technical working groups? Who will build friendship with member states to enable us access information to use as we shouts from 2nd and 3rd avenue? Speak We are doing an exceptional job at speaking. But here are ways of speaking that will transform how we engage with the United Nations General Assembly and the member states. 1. Speak to member states and not only to Regional Blocs. Yes the Africa Union (through NEPAD and the Heads of States Committee) and the EU tend to “speak with one voice”- but that voice does not originate from the Regional Bloc. It comes from the members and works itself into a compromise at various levels. If we built greater collaboration-between CIVICUS, GCAP, Beyond 2015, Social Watch, Third World Network, CPED (on Aid Effectives) Pacific Islands Forum, Asia CSOs networks, Africa Group on Post 2015… and the over a dozen CSO regional coalitions-we will speak to almost every leader in every country. 2. Speak to Power, not to “government representatives.” We saw it in New York. The idea of government representations has been reduced to a few low key people being sent to sit with Civil Society, make prepared speeches and receive “position papers”, and off they go! And we are comfortable with this. Governments are ticking boxes in the name of having engaged with Civil Society. We should also not tick our institutional boxes if indeed we are looking for change. We need to engage with the technical teams, the people who hold the key to final policy positions. We need to engage with the Ministers and 224 Campaign2015+International
3.
4.
5.
Presidents. We need to engage with parliaments that approve military spending. These are the “real government.” Speak to Change agents and not at events: It was clear at the UN General Assembly that events are too formal, too structured and too scripted to try and infuse any change agenda. It’s even worse if it’s a side event. We will need to find strategies to speak directly to those on the other side of 1st Avenue- those who sit in the Trusteeship chambers and the General Assembly area. We cannot sit on 2nd and 3rd avenues, lining up for passes, to be allowed into scripted events where we have 3 minutes to make” interventions”. That may have worked in other spaces, but not the UN. We will have to cultivate and open up new spaces away from events. Because for the UN, events are for official positions, most of which will be radically different from the real positions during negotiations. Speak voices, not positions- We are doing a great job of communicating and articulating Civil Society positions. But what will move member states and make them act are the raw voices of their citizens. The poor and the voices we are refining needs sometimes to be heard in its raw form. It was sad to see that during the entire UNGA period Southern Civil Society were a handful, and even these were not at the fore front. The best strategy with the UN is to allow difficult states to speak to their own citizens. The success of the Post 2015 will depend on how willing the Northern voices are to allow the Southern voices to take leadership of the advocacy and the voice. Speak universal agendas, not coalition voices-While other advocacy platforms appreciate civil society coalition voices- the UN is much conservative and would sometimes be put off by a document preceded by 200 logos! The Southern governments, especially, are cynical of logo-driven positions.
Stay The United Nations is famous for one strategy-they stay you out of your position! One Government told me that they do not have to worry about goals now, because they have until July 24 hours before the Post 2015 Session in September 2015. Many governments simply want the strong actors to make their positions known now, so that they begin to weigh the options. And CSOs must be ready for a long journey-many meetings, many sessions, many documents, shifting positions. And that means we must consolidate our position and 225 Campaign2015+International
push. The staying power will especially be needed after the last session of the Open Working Group. We cannot engage at events only. That is not staying. We cannot engage for just a year and get concerned that documents are coming out as diluted versions. That is standard UN Negotiation-stay! Negotiate You will be expending good energy negotiating with your friends! And you will need too much energy to negotiate with your enemies. It’s your adversaries who hold the power to your success. One of the greatest fears is that the Post 2015 Strategy will be an exact replica of the MDG strategy. Here is how it works. The General Assembly approved an ambitious change agenda and called it the Millennium Declaration. We all cheered. Then they went ahead and removed the least common denominatorsimplistic things that they could measure and which were not political in nature-they called these goals. Then they threw away the Millennium Declaration-having achieved a political victory-and focused on the MDGs. Speaking during the Foundation’s Forum, Ambassador Koros alluded to this same script- there will be a Strategic Vision and a set of goals! The key for Civil Society is not to start parading its “key positions” but to begin to negotiate, negotiate, and negotiate! That has two levels-the first is to clarify what we mean. There are already concerns that Civil society would like to see Governance, Peace and Security, Human Rights, Transparency, anticorruption…but we have failed to realize that any goal within the Post 2015 agenda must meet two basic requirements-it must be measurable, and the indicators must be clear and data sources universally acceptable. We appear to have failed the test on these core areas. 226 Campaign2015+International
So the best option for governments is to appease us by putting these things in the Strategic Vision, but leave them out in the Goals. The second level is to spend time refining and defining and expanding the positions of governments, instead of defining and expanding ours. Japan, for example, is demanding Human Security. Africa is demanding Global Governance. G77 is demanding that the Rio +20 agreements become the foundation for a post MDG framework. We need to do more work in appreciating these positions, defining them beyond the government positions, and expanding them to include our own positions. It means toning down our thematic campaigns and focusing on helping the governments to come to our positions through their own lenses, not ours. It also means identifying governments and classifying them-then we place greatest effort in governments with strong influence, but very conservative positions. These are the ones who hold the rest back. We need to spend less and less time with “friendly governments”, even if we keep them updated. We even need to spend less in Civil Society only Consultations. We have done that a full year. The US classifies governments as – Friend, Foe-Neutral – and allocates attention based on who has the greatest resistance. If we are to succeed, we will need to have some form of classification in regard to our positions on the Post 2015 agenda. Conclusion In summary the UN General Assembly offered great insights into how we need to manage our advocacy strategy in the next one and a half years. It also showed us that it requires tact, collaboration and consistency, not necessarily big budgets and events. Hopefully we will deliver a fresh framework to our generation in the next two years. That responsibility now rests on us.
227 Campaign2015+International
Chapter Twenty-Six A HOLISTIC AND HUMAN RIGHTS�BASED APPROACH FOR ADDRESSING INEQUALITIES IN THE POST-2015 DEVELOPMENT AGENDA Abstract Addressing inequalities will assuredly play a major role in the post-2015 development agenda. Social, economic, political and material inequalities intersect and act as barriers to development. The Beyond 2015 campaign, comprising of over 380 civil society organizations, recognizes the importance of addressing inequalities. We argue that in order to achieve the world we want, the next agenda must embrace a holistic, rights-based approach to development that fundamentally focuses on equality, equity and inclusive participation, ensures that the most marginalized can benefit from development and growth and must empower all to be active agents of change. Whilst the organizations of Beyond 2015 hold a wide range of views regarding content of a post2015 framework, the campaign is united in working together with the two fundamental aims of bringing a globally overarching, cross-thematic framework succeeding the Millennium Development Goals that reflects its policy positions and ensuring that the process of developing this framework is participatory, inclusive and responsive to the voice of those directly affected by poverty and injustice. The paper addresses the crucial station at which inequalities stand today, provides an illustration of inequalities in their different forms, establishes the direct connection between inequalities and human rights and makes seven key recommendations. Preface Beyond 2015 is a civil society campaign pushing for a strong and legitimate successor framework to the Millennium Development Goals. The campaign is built on a diverse, global base, brings together more than 380 organizations and ranges from small community-based organizations to international NGOs, academics and trade unions. Whilst Beyond 2015 participating organizations have a range of views regarding the content of a post�2015 framework, the campaign is united in working to bring about the following outcome: 228 Campaign2015+International
•
•
A global overarching cross‐thematic framework succeeds the Millennium Development Goals, reflecting Beyond 2015’s policy positions. The process of developing this framework is participatory, inclusive and responsive to voices of those directly affected by poverty 1 and injustice.
Introduction “We have a collective responsibility to uphold the principles of human dignity, equality and equity at the global level. As leaders we have a duty therefore to the entire world’s people, especially the most vulnerable and, in particular, the children of the world, to whom the future belongs.” United Nations Millennium Declaration, Paragraph 2, 2000 When world leaders adopted the landmark Millennium Declaration in 2000, they recognized that they could not make “the right to development a reality for everyone” and free “the entire human race from want” without also promoting equality, non-discrimination and human rights. This declaration set the basis for the Millennium Development Goals, which have inspired significant action and investment to address some of the most pressing needs of the world’s most poor and marginalized. In translating the Declaration to a set of goals, targets and indicators, however, its core commitments to equality and human rights were largely lost. Twelve years on, it is now widely accepted that one of the biggest shortcomings of the MDGs was its lack of a rigorous focus on equality and incentives to address the needs of the poorest and most marginalized. Without doubt there has been significant progress in reducing the number of people living in poverty, improving access to education, improving the (maternal) health of children and addressing HIV, tuberculosis and malaria. The world has seen incredible development: significant advances in science and technology, huge upswings in economic growth, the world’s great potential for developing human capital and unprecedented levels of human interconnectedness. But as these processes unfolded, their progress was not equally shared either within or between countries. At the same time, progress has lagged in meeting the one goal explicitly focused on addressing inequalities: to promote gender equality and empower women.
229 Campaign2015+International
The evidence is clear: inequalities undermine efforts to achieve sustainable development and eradicate poverty: they dampen economic vitality, exacerbate health and environmental problems, increase social tensions and lead to political instability. The Beyond 2015 campaign acknowledges in this paper that addressing inequalities will play a significant role in the post-2015 development deliberations. In this paper, we, the Beyond 2015 campaign, make the argument that in order to achieve the world we want, the next development agenda must embrace a holistic, rights�based approach to development that fundamentally focuses on equality, equity and ensures that the most marginalized can benefit from development and growth. The agenda must empower all to be active agents of change. Tackling inequalities in resources, assets and wealth is critical. We must address relative poverty within and between countries to narrow the gaps in access, opportunities and outcomes between the rich and poor. Similarly, women, children and other traditionally marginalized groups such as people with disabilities, older people, people living in rural areas, racial, religious, ethnic, migrant and indigenous minorities, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered individuals must be enabled to overcome the additional hurdles they face in realizing internationally recognized goals for achieving development. Global Inequalities Interlinked and intersecting, inequalities are widely recognized as barriers to development. Each type of inequality – social, political, economic and material – impacts another and ultimately compromises efforts towards reducing poverty, leads to inequitable progress of MDG achievement, encourages unsustainable patterns of economic growth and can lead to instability, heightened social tensions and ultimately, to conflict. A holistic approach to inequalities in the next development agenda must include addressing not only gender and overarching social inequalities but also economic equalities, namely the extremes of wealth and poverty. The idea of equality is a defining element of social organization. It is not a mere tally of resources or something that arises from a contract between the individual and the state. It applies most profoundly at the level of that which makes human beings human, namely the inherent dignity of the human being. The recognition of this equality provides the ethical foundation for the discussion of inequalities. More than just a desirable condition to be achieved for the social good, this equality is a fundamental 230 Campaign2015+International
aspect of what it means to be a human being. Discrimination and prejudice related to race, gender, nationality and ethnicity deny this fundamental equality, adversely affecting not only those being discriminated against but society as a whole. While wide in their range and scope, inequalities can be categorized into two groups that both have significant impact on development: vertical and horizontal inequalities. Simply put, inequalities can be observed between individuals and between groups. ‘Vertical’ inequalities occur between individuals on the basis of access to resources, both tangible and intangible. ‘Horizontal’ inequalities occur between groups as a result of historical and/or cultural factors, geographic residence and discrimination based on factors of identity and status such as gender, age, disability, sexuality, ethnicity and other factors. Both vertical and horizontal inequalities manifest in unequal access to opportunities, essential goods, services and other resources, differences in treatment or status and differences in the ability to participate in and influence decision‐making. They are often mutually reinforcing and may create and perpetuate cycles of poverty over generations. Addressing inequalities development agenda.
will accelerate
progress in the next
This section address the following manifestations of global inequalities that are worthy of attention in the next agenda: economic and income inequalities, unequal concentrations of wealth and poverty, inequitable access to resources, to knowledge and to meaningful societal participation, inequality of employment and work and social inequalities, namely of gender and marginalized populations. Acknowledging these critical, overlapping and intersecting issues of inequality in hopes of creating a more equal society will catapult efforts in the next agenda. Growing income inequalities and the concentration of wealth have undermined efforts to reduce poverty and promote economic growth. A recent study of global trends in income inequality across more than 80 countries between 1993 and 2005 illustrates an overall upward trend in inequality within countries. Globally, income is concentrated in the hands of the few: the top 5% of the world’s population controls over 37% of global income, while the bottom 5% control less than 0.2%. Meanwhile, the combined income of the wealthiest 1.75% is equal to that of the poorest 77%.4 While significant progress has been made in reducing 231 Campaign2015+International
poverty globally, further progress could have occurred had the benefits of economic growth been more equitably distributed. According to research done by the Asian Development Bank, "another 240 million people could have been lifted out of poverty over the past 20 years if inequality had remained stable instead of increasing as it has since the 1990s.”5 In the long‐term, according to the IMF, recent evidence “tilt[s] the balance towards the notion that attention to inequality can bring significant longerrun benefits for growth.” 6 Recognition of the problem of the extremes of poverty and wealth concerns itself, in essence, with the nature of relationships between individuals, communities and nations. Today, most of the world’s people live in societies characterized by relationships of dominance—whether of one nation over another, one race by another, one social class by another, one religious or ethnic group by another or one sex by another. There is growing agreement that societies cannot flourish in an environment that fuels inequitable access to resources, to knowledge and to meaningful participation in the life of society. Such extremes undermine economic vitality, cripple participation in decision-making and political processes, obstruct the flow of knowledge and information, isolate people and communities and distort the perception of human capacity. Structures and systems that permit a few to have inordinate riches while the masses remain impoverished must be replaced by arrangements that foster the generation of wealth in a way that promotes justice. The progress and well‐being of all peoples and nations requires the development and implementation of economic models, which reflect the central role that relationships play in human life. Resources must be directed away from activities and programmers’ that are damaging to both the social and natural environment. Instead, efforts must be animated by a vision of systems that foster cooperation and mutualism. The impressive growth rates of the late 1990s and early 2000s were not accompanied by comparable increases in jobs and wages, but rather by growing extremes of income inequality. The majority of income‐poor men and women, in particular women, are economically active in sectors which suffer from high levels of risk and low levels of return – small‐holder agriculture and small and micro‐enterprises, usually informal. These account for up to 90% of jobs and up to 50% of GDP but suffer from 232 Campaign2015+International
under�investment and a lack of attention in economic policy- making. Giving priority to the creation of employment and decent work and to improving conditions for small�scale agriculture and small businesses would distribute the positive effects of growth in a more equitable manner.7 Implementing social protection floor systems that guarantee income security and access to basic services, adopting equitable progressive taxation and redistribution measures and maintaining focus on employment growth, youth employment and job security serve as ways to tackle vertical inequalities of income and unequal wealth distribution. In Brazil, where social protection schemes have been dramatically expanded, cash transfers and pensions contributed to half the fall in inequality between 1995 and 2004.8 Inequalities have thwarted progress in achieving social development and, in particular, the Millennium Development Goals and targets that focus on sanitation, nutrition, health and education. Children born into poor families are less likely to live prosperous lives, receive adequate nutrition and health care, benefit from quality education and otherwise access the services and opportunities that would allow them to escape poverty themselves.9 This is true in both wealthy and poor countries: children living in poor households in the UK were significantly more likely to miss out on essentials like healthy food and proper clothing, exacerbating their stress and leading to poor performance at school.10 Inequality disempowers individuals and groups and prevents them from maximizing their full potential.11 Compelling evidence suggests that poor children are acutely aware of their status relative to their peers, which often affects their aspirations and ability to thrive. The impact of income inequality early in life manifests in poor performance in school, the under�development of capabilities and limited prospects in adult life. Discrimination, as a driver of inequality, further undermines social and economic development by erecting barriers that prevent access to resources, services and opportunities.
233 Campaign2015+International
The
entrenched and often intersecting nature of inequalities can result in particular disadvantages and deprivations among certain groups. The interaction of discriminatory processes tends to have a compounding effect that increases marginalization and social exclusion. Substantial evidence across a number of countries demonstrates that women, racial, ethnic minorities and other marginalized groups have a disproportionate chance of being poor. This is an indication that discriminatory structures and processes play a role in keeping these groups in poverty by limiting their access to resources, services, opportunities and to power. In order to address these inequalities, we need to understand the discriminatory structures and processes that underlie them. Gender inequalities, for example, stem from cultural and social norms that prescribe less value to women, are particularly established and affect opportunity for women and girls.12 For some girls, gender inequalities could be likened to a death sentence. In 1990, for example, for every 100 male childhood deaths in South Asia, 137 female children died. By 2008, the difference had grown to 143.13 Globally, young women and girls are “less educated, less healthy and less free than their male peers.” 14 Girls in many settings, particularly those outside of parental care, are highly vulnerable to sexual abuse, violence in schools and early marriage, factors, which have significant impact on their schooling and development.15 The additional barriers faced by girls in rural areas, those with disabilities and of racial, religious16 and ethnic minorities prevent many from breaking out of poverty and unequal social structures. Investing in girls can be the single most effective intervention to reduce poverty and achieve our current goals and our agenda in the next development framework. Educated women are more likely to seek and use family planning, antenatal care and skilled care at birth and other sexual and reproductive health services and to ensure that their children receive essential preventative and curative health care (primary and critical care, vaccinations, etc.). Women’s participation in decision‐making and the labour force fosters greater investments in the health and well‐being of themselves, their families and communities and creates the conditions for stronger economic growth and good governance.17 234 Campaign2015+International
Addressing inequalities can improve social cohesion, reducing violence and conflict. The much‐cited publication, The Spirit Level, states that across even developed countries, crime is exacerbated by income inequality.18 Most recently, a Harvard University study linked the correlation between homicide rates in the U.S. and income inequality: income inequality alone explained 74% of the prevalence in murder rates across U.S. states. 19 Likewise, a study of several Latin American countries found that social environments characterized by polarized social structures and weak institutions can quickly lead to social unrest, crime and conflict. 20 Human rights: A framework for addressing inequalities and promoting equitable development Certain mechanisms and standards in the international legal framework, namely those related to human rights, are already equipped to address many of the aforementioned inequalities. International human rights standards, as established in the International Bill of Human Rights and other human rights treaties, set aspirations for the world we want: one where the inherent value, dignity and equality of every individual is respected, where all people are able to enjoy an adequate standard of living (including food, clothing and housing), education and the highest attainable standard of health, where all can benefit from physical and social security and participate equally and free of violence in economic, social and political life without discrimination.21 They not only set aspirations but establish binding international law and specific responsibilities on states on ensuring that people’s inherent dignity is respected. Therefore, we advocate a human rights‐based approach as paramount to the development framework for addressing inequalities and advancing humanitarian progress.22 A rights‐based approach recognizes that violations of human rights are both a cause and consequence of poverty. Violations create inequalities, contribute to the social exclusion and marginalization of certain groups and individuals and erect barriers to access to essential goods and services. The principles of equality and non‐discrimination are the cornerstones of international human rights agreements. Equality—the state of being equal in rights, freedoms, socioeconomic status and opportunities—cannot be achieved without protection of the right not to be discriminated against 235 Campaign2015+International
on any grounds, such as “race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, or other status.” 23 International human rights treaties recognize that marginalized groups, such as women and girls, racial and ethnic minorities, children and people with disabilities, face discrimination that disadvantages them and requires governments to take additional measures to address these inequalities. The rights to non‐discrimination and equality are non‐derogable rights, that is, rights that may not be violated under any circumstances, even in cases of emergency. The human rights system, through various treaties, protects marginalized groups such as women, minorities, children, persons with disabilities, and it places affirmative obligations on states to provide many of remedies to inequalities such as voting rights, water, food, health care, education, etc. Not only does the system already provide protection, the whole system, which, if properly utilized, can provide the means for individuals to obtain redress. Human rights standards set a roadmap for how to achieve the world we want by placing legal obligations on governments to promote, protect and realize a full range of civil, political, social, cultural and economic rights through the adoption and enforcement of appropriate laws and policies, as well as through the allocation of resources and provision of services. A rights‐based approach to development compels governments to take proactive measures to eliminate discrimination, reduce barriers and allocate resources in a way that promotes equality of both access and opportunity. Civil and political rights represent immediate governmental obligations, while economic and social rights may be realized progressively over time taking into account certain obligations such as ensuring minimum standards, taking “deliberate, concrete and targeted” actions and avoiding regression and non‐discrimination at all times. In cases where governments struggle to meet these requirements, human rights standards impel the international community to support the realization of rights through international assistance and cooperation. These standards include prioritizing the rights of disadvantaged, marginalized and vulnerable groups in states’ international cooperation and assistance.24
236 Campaign2015+International
A human rights approach to development requires communities at all levels – local, national and international – to address underlying causes of inequality and lack of human rights by focusing on both the substance and the processes that may lead to inequity via discrimination and poverty. Existing human rights mechanisms also offer a monitoring and accountability system that could facilitate analysis of discrimination, inequalities and countries’ responses to them. At the global level, these include the UN treaty bodies, the Universal Periodic Review and special rapporteurs. At the regional level, these include regional courts and human rights commissions. In most countries, international human rights treaties are binding law, which, in turn, encourages domestic mechanisms to protect and promote human rights at the national level. Finally, a human rights approach moves away from the notion that the beneficiaries of development are subjects of charity. It instead recognizes individuals as rights‐holders and places obligations on governments to protect and promote their rights.25 Linked to this, the right to participate in decision‐making is a key human rights principle and a critical element of a rights‐based approach to development.26 Governments have a particular responsibility to ensure that marginalized groups are supported to engage in policy‐making, including through representation in parliaments, public institutions and other bodies to ensure that they can contribute to decisions that affect them and their communities. Participation of the poor and marginalized is critical to ensure that strategies to address inequalities, discrimination, and poverty are relevant and appropriate. While the preservation of personal freedom and initiative is essential, so too must be the relational aspect of human life. A balance must be struck between the latitudes of individual freedom and the promotion of the collective good. Individual well‐being is intimately tied to the flourishing of the whole. Such flourishing calls for the utmost degree of understanding and cooperation between society and the individual. Because of the need to foster a climate in which the full potential of its individual members can develop, this relationship must allow for individuality to be expressed through initiatives and diversity that ensures the viability of society. This view in no way detracts from or weakens the responsibility held by 237 Campaign2015+International
governments to provide for the protections and promotion of the human rights of all members of society. Key recommendations for addressing inequalities in the next set of development goals Addressing inequalities requires political will and leadership and a conscious decision to direct resources, services and power to those who have most difficulty accessing them. We recommend that the new development agenda should: 1. Adopt a central framework based upon equality, equity and human rights that deliberately seek to improve the life chances of the poorest and most vulnerable with a focus on resources for the most marginalized. This could be done by framing development goals in terms of universal access and human rights, with targets and indicators for every goal that focus on reducing disparities between the rich and poor and addr essing the needs of the most marginalized. 2. Ensure inequality as an explicit focus of economic policies and strategies. To immediately address the extremes of poverty and address vertical inequalities, nation states should encourage systems of progressive taxation and equitable redistribution, commit to a focus on employment, youth employment, skills and job matching and implement social safety nets and protection floor systems. 3. Prioritize gender equality and women and girls’ rights and empowerment. As the most pervasive group‐based equality, gender equality needs to continue to be a priority. The evidence is now also indisputable that the achievement of other human development goals is dependent on women and girls’ empowerment and access to power, resources, services and opportunities. Building on existing international commitments, the next development agenda should retain a transformative goal to achieve gender equality and women and girls’ empowerment and address the structural factors that contribute to gender inequality by including targets that address strategic priorities that will have a significant impact, such as: • Strengthen opportunities for post‐primary education for girls while simultaneously building upon the successes of the goal for universal primary education with increased quality in education and decreases in drop‐out rates. • Guarantee sexual and reproductive health and the rights to the highest attainable standards of health. 238 Campaign2015+International
•
4.
5.
6.
Invest in infrastructure to reduce women and girls’ time burdens, and share unpaid care work more equally in society. • Guarantee women and girls’ property and inheritance rights. • Eliminate gender inequality in employment by decreasing women’s reliance on informal employment, closing gender gaps in earnings and reducing occupational segregation. • Increase women’s share of seats in national parliaments and local governmental bodies and promote their political participation and leadership at every level. • Combat violence against women and girls and ensure that girls are protected from abuse, exploitation, neglect, vital for their survival and ability to thrive. Address other dominant forms of group‐based inequality that result in inequitable outcomes, particularly those related to age, disability, ethnicity, caste, sexuality and the special needs of children. In addition, give space to countries to define other key marginalized and excluded groups, by requiring the development of context‐specific indicators. A specific goal centred on gender and women’s rights should not exclude having a separate goal that specifically addresses inequality. Better measure development progress among the poorest and most marginalized. The MDGs measure progress based on an average percentage that does not target all people living in poverty, as it aims only to halve the proportion of the population living in extreme poverty. Current measures exclude close to a billion people of the poorest, including those from marginalized groups. 27 • Develop information systems that disaggregate data and thus capture and allow frequent monitoring of health, education, etc., vis‐à‐vis marginalized groups. • Measuring progress on equality needs to be based on national, context‐sensitive targets yet be universal in their coverage to include marginalized groups. • Require and allow space at the country level to define context‐ specific groups that may need additional attention. • Disaggregate data collection and policy resolutions by sex. Identify and address institutionalized patterns of inequality through both policy and practice. Give attention to the quality of the efforts that are put forth to reach goals instead of solely focusing on numerical indicators of coverage and scale. Accountability and 239
Campaign2015+International
7.
being vigilant in acknowledging individual experiences are crucial steps to learning from the past and understanding the importance of pairing policy change with real changes (e.g. neither the civil rights movement in the US nor the end of apartheid in South Africa ended racism; the integration of gender language into UNFCCC and Rio+20 does not mean that real efforts are being undertaken to address gender inequalities). • Raise the current definition of the International Poverty Line (IPL) from $1.25 (2005 Purchasing Power Parity) to a level which better allows for an individual, family and community to live a fulfilling life free from want. Currently a person is considered extremely poor if their income or consumption expenditures are below $1.25 (2005 PPP) per day. Given the methodological limits acknowledged by the World Bank in the calculation of the IPL, increasing this value in real terms is one way to compensate for this.28 Similarly, it must be acknowledged that there is almost no material difference for an individual who lives just above this line, thus by raising the IPL greater concern will given to the lived experience of more of our fellow human beings. Proactively involve the poor and marginalized in decision‐ making. Ensure information and processes are accessible to all stakeholders including provision of information in minority languages, as well as alternative formats required by persons with disabilities. Allocate resources to build the capacity of and invest in the leadership of organizations representing poor and marginalized groups and provide the support that they need to be actively involved in development processes. • Require at the country level to define context‐specific groups that may need additional attention • Ensure inclusive governance over the rights and control of natural resources: engaging affected communities in decision making and sharing of benefits with greater rights over the natural resources on which they depend, including land tenure and water rights. • Ensure that marginalized groups have the information, funds and all other resources required to vindicate their rights through international and national legal systems.
240 Campaign2015+International
Conclusion The experiences gained in the course of implementing the Millennium Development Goals over the past 12 years have left no doubt about the fact that social and economic inequalities must take centre stage in the succeeding agenda. The Beyond 2015 campaign strongly encourages decision‐makers to apply the principle of equality throughout deliberation processes and as a main consideration for the new agenda. The ideals of equality must find expression not only in the outcomes of the agenda but also in the processes along which it unfolds A commitment to a rights‐ based approach provides the foundation for this. We must see every participant of development, whether they be the creators, the receivers, the benefactors or the providers, as equal in his or her capacity to participate in global change. Despite the diversity of the world’s people, humanity holds a remarkably clear vision for the future it wants for the children of the world, “to whom the future belongs”. This vision is one of peace, justice, honesty, equality and rights. Only the degree to which these principles become not only the vision but also the means of its implementation will our goal of achieving equality and justice be attainable. Further progress in our current path of development requires structural change, but most importantly, it requires a significant shift in mindset and attitude that puts at its core a commitment to equality of all: minorities and majorities, women and men, marginalized and underprivileged. It is only then that we will come closer to our vision of the world we want for all. The post‐2015 development agenda represents the next step in an unfolding process by which the people of the world learn to reach solutions together. All individuals have not only a right but a responsibility to play their role in the processes of constructing a world that is more just, more peaceful, more sustainable and one that yields greater happiness for all people. Ultimately, there is no ‘us’ and ‘them.’ While we have divided ourselves into ‘developed’ and ‘developing’ countries, into ‘benefactors’ and ‘recipients,’ into ‘North’ and ‘South,’— we all have much to learn from one another and much to contribute in these efforts. To achieve the levels of solidarity that our vision requires – evels far beyond what we have achieved to date— we must come to see ourselves as one “we.” The transformational hange for hich we all yearn will require not only structural change but most 241 Campaign2015+International
importantly a fundamental change of mind and heart, one capable of enlarging our vision, motivating our actions and sustaining our commitment to a more just world for all. This paper is issued on behalf of the Beyond2015 Campaign. The original draft was produced by a drafting team comprising of the following Beyon d 2015 organizations: Foundation for Democratic Process, Global Call to Action Against Poverty, Health Development Initiative, International Disability Alliance, International Disability and Development Consortium, International Women’s Health Coalition, Peace X Peace and Save the Children UK; and with the coordinating efforts of the Bahá'í International Community’s United Nations Office. The drafting process consisted of a thorough literature review, team conference calls and team drafting. The draft was circulated to the campaign for review. Comments and feedback were received from twenty‐three organizations. The redrafting was coordinated by the team, and it was possible to incorporate most of the inputs received. In accordance with the Beyond 2015 protocol on forming policy positions, the final version was signed off unanimously by the Executive Committee of Beyond 2015. Thanks go to the drafting team comprised of the members of the following organizations: Amanda Coleman of the Bahá'í International Community’s United Nations Office in New York; McDonald Chipenzi of the Foundation for Democratic Process in Lusaka, Zambia; Rosa Lizarde and Rajiv Joshi of the Global Call to Action Against Poverty in New York; Florence Mbogu of the Health Development Initiative in Abuja, Nigeria; Stefan Tromel Sturmer of the International Disability Alliance in Madrid, Spain; Diane Mulligan of the International Disability and Development Consortium in New York; Shannon Kowalski of the International Women’s Health Coalition in New York; Kim Weichel of Peace X Peace in Washington, D.C.; and Jessica Espey of Save the Children in London. Thanks also go to individuals of contributing organizations: Clare Coffey of Action Aid in the UK; Stella Joy of Active Remedy Ltd. In the UK; Tim Wainwright of the Action for Disability and Development International in the UK; Daniel Perell and Julia Berger of the Bahá'í International Community’s United Nations Office in New York; Christina Chang of 242 Campaign2015+International
CAFOD in the UK; Christine Walton of the Australian Disability and Development Consortium and CBM International in Australia; Helen Dennis of Christian Aid in the UK; Emily Delap of Family for Every Child in Mozambique; Jessica Woodroffe of the Gender and Development Network in the UK; Alex Surace of Global Young Greens in Sydney, Australia; Charles Knox‐Vydmanov of HelpAge International in the UK; Paul Quintos of IBON International in Quezon City, Philippines; Sugeng Bahagijo of the International NGO Forum on Indonesian Development in Jakarta, Indonesia; Eric Friedman of the O’Neill Institute at the Georgetown Law Center and the Joint Action and Learning Initiative in Washington, D.C.; Hannah Wright of Safer world in the UK; Marion Steff of Sightsavers in the UK; Robert Bissio of Social Watch in Uruguay; Hannah Ellis of Water Aid in the UK; Anush Aghabalyan of the World Association of Girl Guides and Scouts in the UK; and Kate Laburn‐Peart of World Vision International in South Africa. 1 2
3 4
5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12 13 14 15
See http://www.beyond2015.org/what‐we‐want. ECE, ESAP, UNDESA, UNICEF, UNRISD, UN Women (2012). Addressing Inequalities: The heart of the post‐2015 agenda and the future we want for all. UN System Task Team on the Post‐2015 UN Development Agenda. New York; UNDP (2012). Millennium Development Goals Report 2012. UNDP: New York. Ibid. Warner, D., Rao, D., Griffiths, W., & Chotikapanich, D. (2007). Global Inequality: Levels and Trends, 1993‐2005: How sensitive are these to the choice of PPPs and Real Income measures? Paper prepared for 32rd General Conference of the International Association for Research in Income and Wealth. Retrieved from: http://www.uq.edu.au/economics/abstract/436.pdf. Kwasi Fosu, A. (2010). Growth, Inequality and Poverty Reduction in Developing Countries: Recent Global Evidence. OECD Development Centre, OECD: Paris. Berg, A., & Ostry, J. (2011). Inequality and Unsustainable Growth: Two Sides of the Same Coin? International Monetary Fund, IMF Research Department: Washington, D.C. CAFOD (2011). Thinking Small: Why poor producers and small business owners may hold the key a sustainable rover, CAFOD: London. Soares, F.V., Soares, S., Medeiros, M., & Osorio, R.G. (2006). Working Paper: Cash Transfer Programmes in Brazil: Impacts on Inequality and Poverty, International Poverty Centre, United Nations Development Programme: New York. The United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF). (2005). State of the World’s Children: Excluded and Invisible. UNICEF: New York; UNICEF (2012). Save the Children, UK. (2012). Child Poverty in 2012: It Shouldn’t Happen Here. Save the Children: London. UNICEF. (2012). Chronic Poverty Research Centre. (2012). Stemming Girls Chronic Poverty: Catalysing Change By Building Just Social Institutions. Overseas Development Institute: London. Save the Children, UK. (2011). An Equal Start: Why Gender Equality Matters for Children Survival and Maternal Health. London. Levine, R., Lloyd, C., Greene, M., & Grown, C. (2009). Girls Count: A Global Investment and Action Agenda. The Center for Global Development: Washington. Delap, E. (2010). Protect for Future, Placing Children’s Protection and care at the Heart of the Achieving the MDGs. EveryChild, the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, ChildHope,
243 Campaign2015+International
16
17 18 19 20
21
22 23 24
25
26 27 28
Railyway Children, Consortium for Street Children, ICT, Retrak, Save the Children, and War Child: London. Despite its centrality to human well‐being and development, the right to freedom of religion or belief is often ignored, overlooked, or relegated to a second‐tier right by the international community and human rights bodies. Approximately 70% of the world’s people are currently living in countries with high restrictions on religion, the brunt of which falls on religious minorities and women. (Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life Report, September 2012.) At the heart of human existence is the impulse to search for truth and to seek meaning—to know who we are and why we were created. Levine et al. (2009). Wilkinson, R., & Pickett, K. (2010). The Spirit Level: Why Equality is Better For Everyone. London, UK: Penguin Books Limited. Kawachi, I., Kennedy, B., & Wilkinson, R. (1999). Crime: social disorganization and relative deprivation. Social Science & Medicine, 48, 719‐731. Gasparini, L. (2007). Economic Polarisation in Latin America and the Caribbean: What do Household Surveys Tell Us?, Centro de Estudios Distributivos Laborales y Sociales (CEDLAS) Working Paper: Argentina. The International Bill of Human Rights includes the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Other key human rights treaties include the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women; the Convention on the Rights of the Child; the Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities; and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. A number of regional treaties also exist that promote and protect human rights in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Europe. No Future Without Justice. (June 2012). Development Dialogue 59, 29. United Nations General Assembly. (1948). Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 2. Maastricht Principles on Extraterritorial Obligations of States in the Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (2011), principle 32. Retrieved from: http://www.fian.org/resources/documents/others/maastricht--‐principles--‐on--‐ extraterritorial--‐obligations--‐of--‐states/pdf. Donald, A. and Mottershaw, E. (2009). Poverty, Inequality and Human Rights: Do Human Rights Make a Difference? London: Joseph Rowntree Foundation.; Alston, P. (2005). A Human Rights Perspective on the Millennium Development Goals, paper prepared as a contribution to the work of the Millennium Project Task Force on Poverty and Economic Development.; O’Neill, T. and Piron, L-H. (2003). Rights‐based approaches to tackling discrimination and horizontal inequality. Overseas Development Institute: London. United Nations General Assembly resolution 55/2 of 18 September 2000. United Nations Millennium Declaration, Article 5, UN Document A/RES/55/2. Kabeer, N. (2010). Can the MDGs provide a pathway to social justice? The challenge of intersecting inequalities, IDS/UN MDG Achievement Fund. World Bank. (2008). World Bank Updates Poverty Estimates for the Developing World. Retrieved from: http://econ.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/EXTDEC/EXTRESEARCH/0,,contentMD K:21882162~pagePK:641654 01~piPK:64165026~theSitePK:469382,00.html.
Chapter Twenty-Seven ABOUT CAMPAIGN2015+ INTERNATIONAL Introduction In the decades preceding the turn of the new millennium, there were hopes and expectations that year 2000 would provide a magic wand that would 244 Campaign2015+International
provide solutions to many if not all of the intractable challenges facing humanity. It was a period where commonplace were slogans such as “health for all by the year 2000”, “education for all by the year 2000”, “food sufficiency for all by the year 2000”, “housing for all by the year 2000”, “prosperity for all by the year 2000” and several other slogans. Poverty, hunger, starvation and diseases seemed to be the major challenges facing the developing nations while the developed economies seemed to be enjoying the benefits of development including human rights, democracy, and good governance. The United Nations indeed felt concerned about the plight of common people especially in the global south.In order to address the problem of poverty and promote sustainable developments, the 8 millennium goals were adopted in September 2000 at the largest gathering of Heads of States committing both rich and poor countries to do all they can to eradicate poverty, promote human dignity and equality, and achieve peace, democracy and environmental stability. By this commitment the world has an unprecedented opportunity to improve the lives of billions of people by adopting practical approaches to meeting the Millennium Development Goals. The MDGs and related targets and indicators serve as benchmarks of progress towards the shared vision of where we want to go and commitment to work together to get there. There are 18 targets and 48 indicators set to achieve the 8 goals by 2015. Three distinct characteristics of MDGs are that: it is people-centred; it is adaptable to SMART test; and it involves the development partners, among others. There have been several initiatives, alliances, formations, coalitions, organizations including NGOs, CBOs, FBOs, trade unions, professional associations, student organizations, community groups, bilateral and multilaterals, and intergovernmentals working worldwide alongside the UN and governments in order to attain the vision and mission of the United Nations on the Millennium Declaration. Rationale for Campaign2015+International Can we attain MDGs by 2015? Yes, No! If “Yes” what happens, do we rest on our oars? And if “No” what about it, do we become despondent? The need to monitor and evaluate performance on MDGs implementation is not only important but also highly necessary so as to know whether the programme is on course or derailing, or to know how far we have gone, 245 Campaign2015+International
and where we need to strengthen our efforts. Monitoring and evaluation efforts have shown some astounding results giving way for despondency on attaining MDGs by 2015. Ten years on from the original adoption of the MDGs at the 2000 Millennium Summit, and five years left to 2015 it seems all the efforts by stakeholders towards achieving MDGs are not drastic enough. Though there is some remarkable progress made in some countries, collectively we are falling short in the achievement of MDGs globally. The consequence of these shortfalls, further aggravated by the combined effects of the global food, climate, energy and economic crises, is that improvements in the lives of the poorest are happening at an unacceptably slow pace while in some countries, hard fought gains are being eroded. At the current pace, several of the eight MDGs and associated targets are likely to be missed in many countries. The challenges are most severe in the least developed countries (LDCs), land-locked developing countries (LLDCs) and some small island developing states (SIDS). Therefore, if MDGs cannot be achieved by 2015 (which is very certain), the need to look beyond the target year is imperative. CSOs therefore have a crucial role to play in further engaging the governments to address those MDG lines they could not achieve at the set date and do more on those they achieved. If governments achieved MDGs by 2015 (which is very uncertain), imperative is the need for the CSOs to further engage governments in monitoring and evaluation so as to consolidate on and not to derail from the gains hitherto achieved. For this purpose, Campaign2015+ was set up. Campaign2015+ was also conceived in order to fill the lacuna left by the 8 MDGs. Though the MDGs are people-centred and development focused, lacking are the essential ingredients of human rights, peace and justice which are the bedrocks of development. The issues of democracy, good governance, and human rights, are not expressly stated in the Millennium Declaration though they can be linked in some way.However justice, peace, and security especially global terrorism are difficult to situate within the purview of the 8 goals. Institutional purpose Campaigning towards and beyond 2015 is the major thrust of Campaign2015+ International. Some of the challenges against achieving MDGs are: low political will; governments’ misplaced priorities; lack of inclusive policies and programmes; poor management of resources; lack of transparency and accountability; limited and conditional aids; gender inequalities; war; political instability including terrorism etc. The main purpose of this campaign is to tackle those challenges hindering the attainment of MDGs in Africa and other parts of the globe and campaign 246 Campaign2015+International
beyond 2015 on democracy, good governance, human rights, justice, development and global security. Vision: A society whose centre-stage is justice, peace, fulfillment of human rights and development in all ramifications. Mission: Campaign2015+, in partnership with other civil society, the poor and the marginalized, the donors, the development partners, and international community,aims at pressuring governments and other stakeholders to look beyond 2015 and give the lives of people a meaning through upholding justice, human rights and development. Our campaign theme focuses on: 1. Fulfillment of all economic, social and human rights, 2. Aid and financing for development effectiveness, 3. Global and national security, 4. Development issues, 5. Public accountability, 6. Debt cancellation, 7. Just governance, 8. Gender equality, 9. Trade justice, Campaign2015+ collaborates with other like-minded CSOs around the world to promote public debates and discussions on economic and social issues including human rights. A priority in the agenda of Campaign2015+, among other actions, is campaigning for pro-poor global and national policies that can accelerate broad-based economic growth, poverty reduction and public accountability, as well as the call for immediate action to reduce the debt burden of poor countries and institute fair trade policies and practices, and ODA development effectiveness among the OECD and other developed countries around the globe. Objectives: 1. To serve as an engagement platform at the national, regional and international levels ensuring that governments achieve and exceed the MDGs by 2015 and account to the people. 2. To build an alliance with and facilitate the participation of other CSOs both in Africa and other regions so as to ensure that citizens lead the process of determining the post 2015 development agenda.
247 Campaign2015+International
3.
To work with vulnerable groups including the marginalized, the less privileged women, children and youth so as to bring to the front burner of discourse their development prioritization.
Membership: CAMPAIGN2015+membership is free andcuts across coalitions and networks including but not limited to NGOs, CBOs, FBOs, trade unions, professional associations, student organizations, community groups (the poor and the marginalised), disability groups, bilateral and multilaterals, development partners, and intergovernmental agencies working worldwide on development, human and socio-economic rights, justice and peace. Campaign2015+Values: “Democratic Governance, Transparency and Accountability, Solidarity with the Poor, Inclusiveness and Partnership� 1. Democratic governance: Campaign2015+believes in the principles and practices of democratic governance which necessarily promotes dividends for the people. 2. Transparency and accountability: Campaign2015+ promotes transparency and accountability in its operations and therefore challenges government to be transparent and accountable to the people in all their dealings especially in response to poverty eradication and injustice. 3. Solidarity with the poor: Campaign2015+ has passion forthe poorest of the poor and the marginalized, identifies with them, and campaigns with them challenging governments to give their lives a meaning. 4. Inclusiveness: Campaign2015+ believes that the society is comprised of various groups and stakeholders. There is the need to involve all groups in its operations including the poor, the marginalised, persons with disabilities, people living with HIV/AIDS, women, youths, children, minority groups and other vulnerable groups. 5. Partnership: Campaign2015+considers all the stakeholders including the poor, the marginalised, the minority, and development agencies as co-partners who have an important but collective role to play on the attainment of the MDGs and post MDGs agenda, and upholding of human rights, justice and peace. Intervention Strategies 1. Research, Documentation and Information Dissemination 2. South-south and Triangular Cooperation 3. Monitoring and Evaluation 248 Campaign2015+International
4. 5. 6.
Campaigning/Mobilization Legislative/Social Policy Capacity Building
For more information contact: Campaign2015+ Secretariat c/o CAFSO-WRAG for Development
Maria Ebun Foundation Building, End of Ajibola Adekemi Drive, Atanda Estate, Road Opp. Honors Filling Station, Klm 5 Ibadan/Ile-Ife Expressway, Adegbayi Area, Box 15060, Agodi Post Office, Ibadan20003, Nigeria. +2348030618326, +2348082008222 campaign2015@gmail.com http://campaign2015plus.blogspot.com http://facebook.com/campaign2015international http://m.facebook.com/groups/263518357002767?refid=27/ http://www.campaign2015plusinternational.org/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/campaign2015plusnigeria/join
249 Campaign2015+International