Sustainable Development & Human Rights - Archive

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted by world leaders at a United Nations summit on 25 September 2015. It is an ambitious, universal Agenda in which 193 states commit to protecting people and the planet and to ensuring sustainable development in three dimensions – social, economic and environmental – in all parts of the world by 2030. During the summit, the Swedish prime minister and heads of state and government from Brazil, Colombia, Germany, Liberia, South Africa, Tanzania [...]

The European Political Strategy Centre, a subsidiary branch of the European Commision, has published a new report titled "Sustainability Now!". The report authored by Karl Falkenberg, says that while Europe should be applauded for its many achievements, it needs to become aware of the limits of the Blue Planet and of the need for a fair share for all, notably the rapidly growing developing nations and the younger generation.

Europe needs to rediscover social market economy principles, including solidarity, and [...]

The German Institute for Human Rights comments on Germany's 2016 Report to the High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.

The German Institute for Human Rights welcomes:

• Explicit references to Germany´s human rights obligations and related processes
• Commitment to accountability and to disaggregation of data at national level

The German Institute for Human Rights is concerned that

• National measures and indicators do not systematically build on national challenges
• The draft National Sustainability Strategy does not include details on civil society [...]

Independent monitoring and review of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and its structural obstacles and challenges are key factors for the success of the SDGs. It is for this reason, the Reflection Group on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development together with other civil society organizations and networks has produced the first annual Spotlight Reportassessing the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the structural obstacles in its realization. The report puts a spotlight on the fulfillment of the [...]

Shadow reporting is a well-established tool of civil society when it comes to holding governments accountable. A number of CSOs have already started to prepare shadow or spotlight reports or similar monitoring tools to follow-up on their governments efforts to implement the 2030-Agenda, especially its 17 goals and 169 targets. The main focus in this first year’s reports was to devise and discuss methodologies and to monitor governments’ efforts on drafting national implementation plans or strategies. In future reports they [...]

Shadow reporting is a well-established tool of civil society when it comes to holding governments accountable. A number of CSOs have already started to prepare shadow or spotlight reports or similar monitoring accounts to follow-up on their governments efforts to implement the 2030-Agenda, especially its 17 goals and 169 targets. The main focus in this first year’s reports was to devise and discuss methodologies and to monitor governments’ efforts on drafting national implementation plans or strategies. In future reports they [...]

Independent monitoring and review of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and its structural obstacles and challenges are key factors for the success of the SDGs. It is for this reason, a global alliance of civil society organizations and networks has agreed to produce an annual Spotlight Report assessing the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the structural obstacles in its realization. The report puts a spotlight on the fulfillment of the 17 goals, with a particular focus on inequalities [...]

In July 2015, the international community will have the chance to change the future of finance development. Governments, civil society, trade unions and other actors will meet for the third UN conference on Financing for Development (Ffd) in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) to take concrete decisions for the future of development and how to finance it. In the run-up to this crucial meeting, two major reports have been released which are intended to inform the upcoming debates: one from the Intergovernmental [...]

NGOs, particularly those seeking to imagine and practice alternatives, are confronted with the pitfalls of this aspiration and the reality of being a part of the structured mainstream development apparatus. Very little practical research has been conducted so far, both about the consequences for their work, as well as conflicts within Post-Development theory itself. Indeed, although Post-Development has been discussed extensively on a theoretical level and been criticized for lacking propositions of concrete and constructive alternatives, spaces for a practical [...]

By Marianne Beisheim

At the Sustainable Development Summit in September 2015 the heads of state and government of all the UN member states adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Several countries, including Germany, committed to move rapidly on implementation. During the UN High-level Political Forum (HLPF) in July 2016, twentytwo countries volunteered to conduct national reviews of their implementation. Moreover, UN member states plan to adopt a resolution on the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda before that [...]

• “Partnership” is a misleading term to cover every type of engagement between UN entities and non-State actors.
• It promotes a false sense of equality. Lumping CSOs and corporate actors together according to their non-State status ignores the profound differences in their orientation, interests and accountability.
• Before considering ways to enhance the effectiveness of partnerships between UN entities and non-State actors and establishing a system-wide delivery support, more fundamental questions should be addressed.
• This Background Note poses necessary questions and offers [...]

By Roberto Bissio

versión en español

An “Environmental Performance Index” to be launched on May 9 at the UN claims to align itself with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) but actually hides the impact of unsustainable consumption and production patterns in the North as well as the contributions of the Global South to achieving the internationally agreed targets.

The EPI (available at https://issuu.com/2016yaleepi/docs/epi2016_final), now in its 10th edition, is authored by the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy, in [...]

More than 200 academics, policy and decision makers, practitioners and advocates signed on to a letter to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, asking for his urgent political backing to efforts now under way to mobilize UN and other sources of funding for UNRISD. UNRISD is still collecting signatures; please read the letter and show your support by signing on today.

UN DESA/DSD has invited the nine major groups and other relevant stakeholders to submit one paper per sector/group of no more than 2,800 words to DSD by Monday, 25 April 2016. The list of the endorsing organizations may be found at the end of the document.

HLPF 2016 – “Ensuring that no one is left behind”

Our starting point: All members of the Major Groups of NGOs are committed to deliver fully on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Active participation [...]

During “The way ahead: Successful frameworks and strategies for financing the Sustainable Development Goals and the paradigm shift towards low carbon societies” panel discussion on “Financing poverty eradication and sustainable development” at the President of the General Assembly’s High-Level Thematic Debate on Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals held at the UN in New York on Thursday, 21 April 2016, Barbara Adams from Global Policy Forum pointed out governments on one hand are signing the Paris Agreement and on the other [...]

During “The way ahead: Successful frameworks and strategies for financing the Sustainable Development Goals and the paradigm shift towards low carbon societies” panel discussion on “Financing poverty eradication and sustainable development” at the President of the General Assembly’s High-Level Thematic Debate on Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals held at the UN in New York on Thursday, 21 April 2016, Barbara Adams from Global Policy Forum pointed out governments on one hand are signing the Paris Agreement and on the other [...]

The United Nations – a 70-year-old institution – has reached an inflection point and like other institutions, is facing challenges in rapidly demanding times, challenges to which it must adapt in order to survive. Some Member States are asking if this important institution will maintain its relevance and credibility. They’re asking whether the UN development system will be able to be country-led and to deliver to all countries, and in particular demonstrate its commitment to implementing the 2030 Agenda for [...]

By Barbara Adams and Sarah Dayringer

Less than one month ago the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) adopted its “ agreed conclusions” on “Women’s empowerment and the link to sustainable development.”

From 18-20 April, the Financing for Development Forum (FfD Forum) will provide an early test on the commitment and ability of Member States and the UN system to finance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and address structural obstacles to development. 

The CSW Agreed [...]

During the session on “accountability and transparency of multi-stakeholder partnerships” held in the framework of the Partnership Forum at the UN, Barbara Adams from Global Policy Forum and Social Watch said that partnerships are based in a win-win dynamic but there is a need to understand of what is “win-win”.

20160331-Barbara-Adams-ECOSOC-Partnership-Forum from Social Watch on Vimeo.

Would be beneficiaries of such initiatives have to be included, she argued. “We need to look and see how the contribution of partnerships [...]

By Sarah Dayringer

The UN Statistical Commission (UNSC) is comprised of Chief Statisticians from National Statistical Offices (NSOs) and has a working method of decision by majority vote, rather than by consensus. “Data needs are vast and the Data Revolution is reshaping the landscape quickly,” John Pullinger, former chair of the UNSC said in his opening remarks of the 47th session of the Commission.

Discontent among many UNSC Member States with the Inter-Agency and Expert Group on Sustainable Development Goals [...]

In support of the upcoming ECOSOC Partnership Forum (March 31, 2016), researchers Marianne Beisheim and Nils Simon have prepared an independent paper to inform and stimulate a debate around "ways to improve, inter alia, transparency, accountability and the sharing of experiences of multi-stakeholder partnerships and on the review and monitoring of those partnerships." The paper defines and differentiates types of multi-stakeholder partnerships, identifies reasons for their successes and/or failures, briefly recaps the history of the UN’s involvement in those partnerships [...]

In support of the upcoming ECOSOC Partnership Forum (March 31, 2016), researchers Marianne Beisheim and Nils Simon have prepared an independent paper to inform and stimulate a debate around "ways to improve, inter alia, transparency, accountability and the sharing of experiences of multi-stakeholder partnerships and on the review and monitoring of those partnerships." The paper defines and differentiates types of multi-stakeholder partnerships, identifies reasons for their successes and/or failures, briefly recaps the history of the UN’s involvement in those partnerships [...]

Throughout the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is the commitment to the integrated nature of sustainable development. The challenge of how to capture this has shown some interesting dynamics, most recently in regard to the global indicators. Statisticians have sought to integrate their work across indicators on decent work and social protection, which can be found in SDGs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, and 16. Similarly indicators on gender equality go across many of the same goals. This [...]

During the United Nations observance of International Women’s Day 2016, Barbara Adams from Global Policy Forum and Social Watch addresses the obstacles to Women’s Rights: the unfair global trade and investment system and the lack of a debt workout mechanism deviate the resources that should ensure an universal social protection floor.

Obstacles to Women's Rights and to the SDGs. Barbara Adams at the UN. March 8, 2016 from Social Watch on Vimeo.

By Karen Judd and Sarah Dayringer

Throughout the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is the commitment to the integrated nature of sustainable development. The challenge of how to capture this has shown some interesting dynamics, most recently in regard to the global indicators. Statisticians have sought to integrate their work across indicators on decent work and social protection, which can be found in SDGs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, and 16. Similarly indicators on gender equality go across [...]