Sustainable development it is, but how shall the world set the measure for all subsequent work ? Of the MDGs, to develop global partnership for development is the essence of all. Cross-border routes need special attention otherwise the so called regional economic community will be only left in jeopardy. A concordant road map is therefore definitely required.

Russian and foreign political scientists and experts speak more often about the responsibility of the world powers for the stability in the world and believe that the political elites are rather embarrassed about further development of the architecture of the international order. In the absence of political initiatives and constructive projects, the global crisis continues to deepen, while the model of universal welfare in a democratic world has collapsed. A concrete question, and nothing less than rhetorical, has arisen in recent times: who will take the responsibility for further progress of civilization - the world's elite or the United Nations as the Secretariat of the world community?

1111_3398_Savoysky Cyclicity 01.09.2014.doc

This Position Paper builds on points made in SDKP Position Papers 1 and 2. It focuses on the Contribution Attitudinal and Behavioral Change can make towards evolving New National and International Order that help achieve increasing convergence between Final Push to achieve MDGs’ by 2015 and Post 2015 Development Agenda Vision Intention and Reality.

1111_7268_SDKP Position Paper 3.doc

This Position Paper builds on points made in SDKP Position Paper 1. It focuses on the Contribution Value Chain Development towards evolving New National and International Order that help achieve increasing convergence between Final Push to achieve MDGs’ by 2015 and Post 2015 Development Agenda Vision Intention and Reality.

1111_7268_SDKP Position Paper 2.doc

This Position Paper raise fundamental issues regarding ongoing National and Global Consultations on Final Push to achieve MDGs’ by 2015 and Post 2015 Development Agenda. Should the issues resonate positively with relevant authorities, the probability is high that much can be achieved to Deliver Interim Report to the 69th General Assembly, September 2014 whose implementation and evaluation can help achieve increasing convergence between Final Push to achieve MDGs’ by 2015 and Post 2015 Development Agenda Vision Intention and Reality.

1111_7268_SDKP Position Paper 1.doc

Measures to de-escalation of global financial and economic crisis, the strict compliance of Human Rights in the economic and social development of States, the balance between the public administration and development of the civil society, the search for resources in the economic and social growth not only States but also the civil community in general are the main issues of New Era.

1111_3398_Sail of Hope 3.07.2014.pdf

The problems of difficult settlement or solution in the world cannot be solved by segmented academic formats, market-place interests or mass-media headlines (usually aligned with the dominant paradigms of growth, power, wealth, work and freedom embedded into the cultural, social, political and economic institutions). Instead of taking current prospects for granted and projecting them into the future, a theoretical and practical ecosystemic framework is posited in view of the configurations formed by the ensemble of the four dimensions of being-in-the-world (intimate, interactive, social and biophysical), as they combine, as donors and recipients, to induce the events (deficits and assets), cope with consequences (desired or undesired) and contribute for change (potential outputs). In the socio-cultural leaning niches, heuristic-hermeneutic experiences unveil the forms of subject-objects relationships (epistemic analysis) and the emphasis and inclusiveness of the assemblage of the different dimensions of being in the world (thematic analysis). To counteract the prevalent ideology of the market and the lost of value systems, and to deal with the asymmetries of power between citizens and corporations, ethically interpreted and ordered social experiences are promoted as the bases of rights-bearing. For the transition to an ecosystemic model of culture, a “new global covenant” emphasizes the equilibrium between natural and built environments, physical, social and mental wellbeing and social justice. In view of their role to maintain or change the course of the events, special attention is given to the role of the elites at the top of the scale of influence (economic, political, educational, cultural, military, artistic, media, entertainment).

1111_6939_Building a New World Copy.pdf

The SDGs must address the current institutional failure and aim to transform governance and
institutions at all levels, to be effective, accountable and transparent, for sustainable
development. Policy and legal frameworks and institutions must be cohesive, well-designed
effective, including facing out of harmful subsidies and redesign fiscal reforms and financial
instruments, with appropriate safeguards and taking into account distributional effects, that
work in favor of a sustainable development. There must be coherence and synergies between
policies and goals. There is also a strong need for sector integration, implying that the SDGs,
should be formulated as true sustainability goals, that link social and ecological systems
explicitly.

1111_5040_Rockstrom Sukhdev input OWG UNEP_FINAL.pdf

The OWG has begun to engage in detailed consideration of individual goals and targets. At this important moment however CIDSE believes a number of over-arching issues must be taken into account if this work, and the outcome framework, are to deliver and respond to the considerable task it has been entrusted with. This document contains a set of recommendations to the OWG incl. on partnership anchored in accountability and the role of the private sector.

1111_3563_CIDSE OWG stock take and recommendations April 2014 Final.pdf

Stakeholder Forum has produced a 'Summary of targets from proposals in the SDGs e-Inventory under the OWG’s 19 Focus Areas'. A section is devoted to targets and indicators related to implementation/global partnership for sustainable development.

Summary of targets from proposals in the SDGs e-Inventory under the OWG’s 19 Focus Areas
Putting stakeholders at the core of post-Rio+20 processes

The publication is a tool for government officials to guide on the formulation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at a national level. This innovative study presents a set of illustrative goals and indicators created by analysing the connections between proposed SDGs and national strategic documents. The research was conducted by a team of Asian and European experts on sustainable development. This publication will be followed by Part II, which will focus entirely on indicators for sustainable development as well as potential applications and availability of those measures in Asia and Europe.

This study includes individual country profiles of 14 countries including Australia, Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Singapore, France, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Sweden and Switzerland.

1111_5722_ASEF_Report_Sustainable-Development-Goals-Indicators_01.pdf

The concept of Common But Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR) was enshrined as Principle 7 of the Rio Declaration at the first Rio Earth Summit in 1992.
The declaration states:

“In view of the different contributions to global environmental degradation, States have common but differentiated responsibilities. The developed countries acknowledge the responsibility that they bear in the international pursuit of sustainable development in view of the pressures their societies place on the global environment and of the technologies and financial resources they command.”

The principle holds that although all countries are responsible for the development of global society, each has a different set of capabilities that they can contribute to this project.

In order to enhance global partnerships, International Movement ATD Fourth World believes that the CBDR principal are ensured in environment, poverty eradication, financing areas of post 2015. A series of policy proposals are also presented in the position paper.

1111_920_cbdr paper for OWG 112113.pdf

The Sustainable Development needs its own international metric unit.
An International Sustainable Development Metric Unit.
This should be a goal for the UN’s post-2015 agenda

1111_5398_METRIC UNIT SD PROPOSAL.docx

In today’s world the challenge of sustainable mining is more than critical.
Per RIO+20: "The Future We Want" document (paragraphs 227 and 228):
“227. We acknowledge that minerals and metals make a major contribution to the world economy and modern societies. We note that mining industries are important to all countries with mineral resources, in particular developing countries. We also note that mining offers the opportunity to catalyze broad-based economic development, reduce poverty and assist countries in meeting internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals, when managed effectively and properly. (...) We further acknowledge that mining activities should maximize social and economic benefits, as well as effectively address negative environmental and social impacts.
(...)
228. We recognize the importance of strong and effective legal and regulatory frameworks, policies and practices for the mining sector that deliver economic and social benefits and include effective safeguards that reduce social and environmental impacts, as well as conserve biodiversity and ecosystems, including during post-mining closure. We call on governments and businesses to promote the continuous improvement of accountability and transparency, as well as the effectiveness of the relevant existing mechanisms to prevent the illicit financial flows from mining activities...”

My proposal to the UN is to create a “Global Best Practice Sustainable Development Heritage List and/or Award” for good paradigms of sustainable mining projects.

If We really Want a Future full of New Acropoles then we need to act and offer good paradigms to all stakeholders.

1111_5398_GLOBAL_SUSTAINABLE_MINING_DEVELOPMENT_HERITAGE_LIST.doc

Bali, Indonesia
22 March 2013

We, members of the Campaign for People’s Goals for Sustainable Development, coming from grassroots organizations, labour unions, social movements and non-governmental organizations, make the following statement on the occasion of the fourth and final meeting of the High-Level Panel on the Post-2015 Agenda, in Bali, Indonesia.

CONTEXT

As the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) come close to their target date, a new, transformative and “people-centred” development agenda is being discussed in a world far different from that which contextualized the Millennium Declaration.

The unresolved problems of poverty and underdevelopment are compounded by financial, food and environmental crises which are presenting new challenges for people all over the world. Therefore, we underscore the pressing need for a wholly new development agenda that produces concrete processes to achieve outcomes framed by principles such as equity, social justice, human rights, participation, accountability and non-discrimination.

Half of the world’s population live on less that US$2.50 per day. Nearly 1 in 7 people live in hunger while 1 in 5 are obese, and some 2 billion live in multidimensional poverty, a measure incorporating nutrition, education and sanitation. Inequality, discrimination, and widespread human rights violations, especially against marginalised groups such as women, workers, small-scale farmers, indigenous peoples, children, youth, disabled persons, LGBT, ethnic and religious minorities are a blight on the world and a rebuttal to proclamations of progress on poverty made under the MDGs. The wealthiest 20 percent of humankind enjoy more than 80 percent of total world’s wealth while the bottom 20 percent share only 1 percent.

Global economic expansion for the minority, and the unsustainable modes of production and consumption especially in Northern industrialized countries, have brought us to the brink of a planetary emergency – humanity’s ecological footprint now exceeds the planet’s bio-capacity by over 50%.

Persisting inequalities and pressure on resources are driving injustice, insecurity, poverty and conflict across the world. People’s movements have risen up in protest at the absence of respect, protection and fulfilment of human rights, stark inequality, persisting discrimination and an absence of opportunity as well as full and effective participation in the decision-making processes that govern their lives and livelihoods. Social and economic inequalities are mirrored in the democratic deficits in many countries and in the multilateral system.

The neoliberal framework of development has been discredited, and it is time to step-up to the challenge of committing to a truly transformative agenda that prioritizes processes to redress the inequities, injustices and discrimination of the current development paradigm – crucially, these processes must be of, for, and by the people. It is the world’s poorest and most marginalized who are the targets of sustainable agenda, and it is their goals that must shape sustainable development; it is their ability to claim their rights that must be a marker; it is their voice that must be heard in a people-centred agenda.

As the High Level Panel of Eminent Persons (HLP) prepares to meet in Bali for the final time, we urge the HLP members to live up to the challenges of our era by laying down a bold and visionary agenda for transforming our societies and the international system. While the hard choices will ultimately be made by the member states of the United Nations, the HLP has the unique opportunity and duty to call attention to the fundamental challenges we are facing and the need for far-reaching changes that address the structural barriers to a decent life and a sustainable future for all of humanity.

OUR RECOMMENDATIONS

The Campaign for People’s Goals affirms that sustainable development must be based on the principles of human rights, equality and non-discrimination, self-determination, social, gender, and ecological justice, and culturally sensitive approaches that value diversity, harmony and wellbeing.

We call on the HLP to recall and prioritize positions made by civil society at various consultations, in particular civil society calls for:

A coherent framework for post-2015 that is open, inclusive, transparent, consultative, and transformative
a new development agenda that is based on the principles of social justice, ecological justice, solidarity, human dignity, and freedom from all forms of discrimination
a rights-based approach that strengthens citizenship, participation and empowerment of people, especially from disadvantaged and marginalized communities (children, women, youth, disabled persons, small-scale farmers, indigenous peoples, ethnic minorities and workers) to become agents of change
An agenda for addressing inequalities within and between countries that also guarantees decent employment and universal social protection for all.
ON GLOBAL PARTNERSHIPS

We also call on the HLP to address the injustices of the multilateral system, and ensure that there are more equitable partnerships between countries and between institutions and countries. This requires universal commitment to a new and fairer international economic architecture which benefits all countries.

Indeed one of the major criticisms of the MDGs was that it placed the burden of achievement on developing countries without fully taking into account the role of the international system in undermining countries’ abilities to meet the needs of their citizens, especially the poorer countries. For instance financial speculation is one of the leading drivers of food price inflation; illicit financial flows are bleeding many of the poorest countries of resources for development; the intellectual property rights regime is preventing many countries from fostering infant industries including low-carbon alternatives; unfair trade rules have led to the bankruptcy of millions of small farmers and entrepreneurs in developing countries; and investment liberalization has encouraged a race to the bottom in labour rights and working conditions. Economic policies and plans have been imposed in a one size fits all approach developed and led by international financial institutions which have restricted states from being able to respond to economic crises in a manner suitable to their political and economic context. This has in fact led to underdevelopment in many countries which followed IFI prescriptions.

Thus the themes of the Bali HLP are central to creating an international framework for a new development agenda. Global partnerships are necessary for a just, democratic and sustainable development agenda. However, global partnerships must be based on principles of solidarity, common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capacities, and democratic participation and accountability. They should also be grounded on universal human rights norms and standards including the Right to Development.

MAKE FINANCE WORK FOR THE PEOPLE AND THE PLANET

Neoliberal policies have advanced financial liberalization and deregulation and increased the flow of credit for short term and speculative purposes and not for long-term sustainable development in the real economy. Financial liberalization and deregulation has encouraged excessive risk-taking and fraud and has increased the instability and volatility which is linked to the financial crises of 2008. The neoliberal policies which informed the current financial system were promoted by the IMF and World Bank which fail to represent the interests of developing countries.

Create a strict global regulatory framework for banks and financial activities. Finance must be controlled to serve the real economy. There must be strict limits to commodity price speculation. There should be a work plan to abolish tax havens.
Resources for sustainable development should be mobilized through progressive taxation, debt cancellation, debt restructuring, financial transactions taxes, new taxes on polluting and harmful corporate activities, redirecting harmful subsidies, the creation of a sustainable development fund, and others.
Banks and financial institutions that are “too big to fail” should be placed under public control. Alternative monetary and development lending organizations must be established which respond primarily to broad development objectives. They should be established based on fair lending terms, transparent and accountable practices and equal voting and negotiating rights.
Multilateral development banks, international financial institutions, and the Basel Committee on Banking Regulation should be reformed to increase transparency, accountability and decision making democratized instead of remaining under the control of bankers and shareholders.
Sovereign debts should be subjected to social audits. Countries should not be forced to pay for illegitimate debt.
The global financial system must move to a global reserve and payments system which is not based on one country’s currency and which supports countries out of payment crises through growth and employment.
ESTABLISH FAIR AND EQUITABLE INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND INVESTMENT RULES

Unfair trade rules have restricted policy space for poor countries to use trade and investment policies to promote domestic economic development as well as social and environmental goals. The current trade regime has permitted rich countries to maintain significant protection of their domestic sectors while opening developing countries to their exports. The trade regime has also strengthened the monopoly protection of corporations over medicines and allowed patenting biodiversity and increased the freedom of multinational firms to profit and exploit labour and exploit the environment. Patterns of trade and restrictive trade rules lock developing countries in activities which keep them poor.

We need to reform trade agreements and regulations to ensure that they are pro-poor and development oriented. Trade agreements which unduly restrict poor country policy space must be revised. Countries must be able to choose appropriate trade, investment and industrial policies along with social and environmental policies.
Infant industries in developing countries must be supported in multilateral trade agreements and as necessary, developing countries must be allowed to protect their fledgling industries.
Intellectual property rights should not interfere with open access to technology, information or other resources that are deemed essential for development or for meeting sustainable development goals and there must be open sharing of technology and knowledge between countries to support sustainable development.
All trade agreements must comply with an international human rights assessment and trade agreements which will breach human rights agreements must be revised.
Trade agreements must support decent work conditions and protect and promote labour rights. Trade agreements which repress labour standards must be revisited.
DEMOCRATIZE GLOBAL GOVERNANCE

The global governance system, despite being a major proponent of ‘good governance’, is hindered by a critical democratic deficit –the wealthiest countries dictate the global governance agenda, its norms, targets, and implementation, whether through bilateral or multilateral relations or institutions. This imbalance of power, absence of transparency and accountability, and inequity in participation in global governance is distorting multilateral processes and limiting their ability to respond to the needs of developing countries. There needs to be major reform global governance systems to make them responsive to the demands of sustainable development, which are equitable, democratic and based on human rights for all institutions.

The United Nations. Issues affecting the common good of humanity must be ultimately addressed at the UN General Assembly, not the G8, the G20, the international financial institutions or the Security Council. This includes protection and management of the global commons and global public goods. At the same time, the UN should be reformed to ensure full and effective participation of civil society, transparency and accountability to citizens.
Public Participation Create mechanisms for public participation and co-determination in global governance structures. Ensure that civil society has full and effective participation free from discrimination in the new high level political forum – a model example is the new Global Partnership for Development Effectiveness Cooperation. Create the means for effective consultation and participation in policy development and implementation for traditionally underrepresented groups including smallholder farmers, women, workers, indigenous peoples, youth, LGBT persons, disabled persons, religious minorities, migrants, refugees and other marginalized groups
Transparency: Global governance institutions should ensure public access to information. Ensure that the decision-making process for agreeing development agendas at all levels is transparent, and all negotiation texts and agreements are published and widely accessible.
Accountability Mechanisms: Mechanisms for compliance to Human Rights norms and standards should be strengthened with penalties and means of redress at the national, regional and international levels. Freedom of expression and assembly is a prerequisite for developing effective accountability mechanisms and there must be global commitment to protect and achieve these rights at all levels. Establish participatory accountability mechanisms through which the people’s voice, including smallholder farmers, women, workers, indigenous peoples, youth, LGBT persons, disabled persons, migrants, refugees, religious minorities, can be reflected, and independent monitoring of goals, targets and indicators can be conducted at national, regional and global levels.
Recent international summits have failed to address the critical sustainable development challenges faced by the world. Individual states’ short-term interests have superseded strong, decisive outcomes; commitments made on paper going back 20 years have not been adhered to in practice; the world is failing to meet the needs of current generations and imperilling the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Developed States are also increasing backtracking on commitments to promote genuine sustainable development as seen on negotiations to reverse climate change.

The world is at a critical juncture and we must all rise up to the challenge of our time. The world is looking to the High Level Panel on Post-2015 to produce bold and visionary recommendations to inspire a transformative development agenda. The people demand no less from the High Level Panel. #

Save the Children promotes a holistic post-2015 development agenda that has poverty eradication at its core and is guided by universal, equitable and human rights-based approaches to sustainable development. This briefing highlights key recommendations on global partnerships for achieving sustainable development, means of implementation, needs of countries in special situations, human rights, the right to development and global governance, which are priority issues for Save the Children. The following recommendations are based on the 10-goal framework proposed in our Ending Poverty In Our Generation report.

1111_3319_Save_the_Children_Briefing_OWG_6.pdf

In order to inform the deliberations of the sixth Session of the UN General Assembly Open Working Group (OWG) on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Stakeholder Forum has conducted an analysis of the proposals currently housed within the SDGs e-Inventory which relate to the thematic areas of the meeting, including Global partnership for achieving sustainable development.

1111_444_SDGs e-Inventory analysis for OWG 6.pdf

The recommendations on means of implementation presented here have been compiled from two civil society consultations conducted by UN-NGLS in 2013: a teleconference-based consultation that resulted in the report Advancing Regional Recommendations on the Post-2015 Agenda, and an online consultation on four post-2015 reports to the Secretary-General. This policy brief also draws on recommendations from the consultation that UN-NGLS undertook for the Commission of Experts of the President of the UN General Assembly on Reforms of the International Monetary and Financial System in 2009 and the consultation it carried out for the UN Secretary-General’s High-level Advisory Group on Climate Change Financing (AGF) in 2010. In addition, it includes elements from A Call for a Global Partnership for Just and Transformative Development in the Post-2015 Era by the CSO Partnership for Development Effectiveness (CPDE).

1111_3099_UN-NGLS Brief for OWG on SDGs-MOI-Dec 2013.pdf

Trade is a crucial enabler of sustainable development. This paper summarises the findings of ICTSD research assessing the effectiveness of Aid for Trade on the ground and how Aid for Trade could complement climate change financing where adaptation and mitigation projects have an impact on trade.

1111_1953_ICTSD Input paper - Aid for Trade.pdf

For the last 20 years, the international development debate has been dominated by two trends that seem at first to be heading in a similar direction. However, under closer scrutiny they differ with respect to their focus and underlying philosophies. These are on the one hand the agenda of reducing poverty in developing countries in its various dimensions (lack of income, education, water, political participation etc.) that found their expression in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). On the other hand, there is the idea of sustainability that became popular at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 and that at the Rio+20 summit in 2012 generated a parallel concept to the MDGs: the so called Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Two independent UN working groups will soon be created: One to discuss whether there should be a new global development agenda after the term of the MDGs ends in 2015, and what such an agenda should entail; the other is to compile a list of possible SDGs. This raises the question what happens if these separate processes actually result in two differing sets of goals, and if it might still be possible to merge the poverty and sustainability agendas.

Both agendas have a lot in common, but in contrast to the MDGs, the proponents of SDGs see poverty as merely one of a number of global issues to be addressed, which again makes those in favour of the MDGs afraid that poverty reduction will become secondary in an SDG agenda as just one item among many others. On the other hand, the pro-SDG side criticises the MDGs for having a too narrow concept of development and giving immediate results preference over socially, economically and ecologically sustainable ones.

Both are valid concerns, and thus it is important to find a solution that takes them both into account, while still satisfying the interests of countries around the world.

In this case it is helpful to highlight a rather technical aspect: The majority of the MDGs refer to improvements in the wellbeing of individuals, they are thus final goals of human development (education, health, access to water) to be measured at the micro-level. The SDG agenda also
involves such goals (clean air, biodiversity), but also ones that refer to the preservation or establishment of global public goods (limiting climate change, financial stability) that can thus only be measured through macroindicators. The latter are not objectives, but preconditions for sustainable development that for reasons of consistency should not enter into one agenda with final goals. Some of these are already addressed by MDG 8 (among them a fair financial and world trade system).

If one were to create two separate but mutually referring agendas for the future beyond 2015 – one concentrating on human development, the other on global public goods – it might be possible to address the most serious concerns of the proponents of either pure MDGs or pure SDGs.

1111_829_Post-2015_DIE_BP 18.2012.pdf

Major Groups Recommendations for Multi-Stakeholder Engagement with the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals

As part of the Rio+20 Conference follow up, governments stated that they would establish the 30 member inter-governmental Open Working Group (OWG) on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by September 2012. Member States will nominate representatives from the five United Nations regional groups, with the aim of achieving fair, equitable, and balanced geographic representation. In addition, paragraph 248 of The Future We Want, instructs the United Nations “to establish an inclusive and transparent intergovernmental process on sustainable development goals that is open to all stakeholders”.

Thus, in order to adhere to the requirements of The Future We Want and maximize its effectiveness, the OWG needs to ensure that it has recognized, effective and ongoing engagement of stakeholders.
Therefore, we, the nine Major Groups established in 1992 for the Rio process on sustainable development, offer recommendations on how to ensure that the deliberations of the OWG will draw on broad multi-stakeholder input and expertise thus ensuring that the SDG processes and decisions are “inclusive and transparent”.

This paper builds on the central role the Major Groups played in Rio+20 processes and is being submitted to DESA in the spirit of our continued engagement in this area. This paper will also be sent to the President of the UN General Assembly and to the Permanent Representative of the Brazilian Mission to the UN for information.

As decisions on the modalities and governance of decision-making processes (such as the OWG) will begin in earnest in October 2012, this note offers recommendations on how multi-stakeholder engagement can ensure that
the SDG processes and decisions are “inclusive and transparent” as Rio+20 called for.

Finally, we offer these recommendations in recognition that civil society and other stakeholders’ ”Major Groups” will need to be involved in designing, implementing and evaluating sustainability, and therefore have a stake
in developing the SDGs. This requires the full and fair facilitation and representation of multi-stakeholder input to the OWG and other relevant processes for the post-2015 development agenda.

1111_446_SDGs recommendations OPs on MG participation MAG Working Paper - Setting Our Common Goals 17Oct2012 (1).pdf