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	No Hiding From Sustainable Development by Jeffrey D. Sachs Earth Institute at Columbia University, agencies   Too many political leaders are ignoring a growing environmental crisis, imperiling their own countries and others.   Coastal areas around the world, are threatened by rising sea levels caused by human-induced climate change. Growing environmental threats are forcing their way into the headlines whether politicians or land developers like it or not. The bad news about mega-droughts and freshwater scarcity stretches from Brazil to California to conflict-ridden countries in the Middle East.   Sao Paulo"s metropolitan region of 20 million people is now on the verge of water rationing, an unprecedented threat for one of the world"s leading cities. In California, this winter has been another dry season in a bitter four-year drought, one of the most severe in the region"s history.   In Pakistan, the minister of water and energy recently declared that, “Under the present situation, in the next six to seven years Pakistan can be a water-starved country." In Iran, the Hamoun wetlands bordering Afghanistan are disappearing, posing a grave threat to the local population.   Looking back, it is also clear that a decade-long drought in neighboring Syria helped to trigger the unrest that escalated into a catastrophic civil war, with at least 200,000 Syrians dead and no end to the violence in sight. The drought had displaced an estimated 1.5 million people and caused food prices to soar, leading to a spiral of protest, crackdown, and eventually war. Though drought does not explain all of the ensuing violence, it certainly played a role.   Each of these droughts reflects a complex mix of factors: long-term climate change, short-term or decade-long weather patterns, growing populations rising demand for freshwater, mismanagement of local resources, and, of course, a lack of political attention and will. Every drought must therefore be confronted locally, addressing local realities.   Yet the global message is also clear: the world"s growing population (now at 7.3 billion, but likely to reach eight billion by 2024 and nine billion by around 2040), human-induced climate change, and the overuse of freshwater for irrigation and urban needs (especially when cities are built up in dry regions) are all fueling the potential for catastrophe.   Recent research indicates that these trends are likely to intensify. Almost all studies of human-induced climate change show that the Mediterranean region, including security hotspots like Libya, Egypt, Israel, Palestine, and Syria, is likely to experience a further significant decline in rainfall, compounding the drying trend that has occurred during the past quarter-century.   Likewise, a recent study by my colleagues at Columbia University"s Earth Institute has shown that human-induced climate change is likely to cause increasingly frequent mega-droughts in the second half of this century.   In September of this year, world leaders will gather at the United Nations to adopt a set of Sustainable Development Goals to address these rising threats.   Those who want to hide from reality will find that they no longer can. That is because our new reality is one of droughts, heat waves, extreme storms, rising sea levels, and unstable climate patterns. Unless we act with foresight and base our actions on scientific evidence, water stress, food insecurity, and social crises will not be far behind. In other words, today"s mounting threats cannot be covered up. The Age of Sustainable Development must be built on openness, participation, and science.   * Jeffrey D. Sachs, Professor of Sustainable Development and Director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University, is also Special Adviser to the United Nations Secretary-General on the Millennium Development Goals. http://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/topics   * A few links exploring the Post 2015 Development Agenda:   http://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdgs http://sd.iisd.org/ http://www.beyond2015.org/ http://www.participate2015.org/ http://www.worldwewant2015.org/ http://www.worldwewant2015.org/inequalities http://www.worldwewant2015.org/es/node/283328 http://cesr.org/article.php?list=type&type=157 http://www.fao.org/post-2015-mdg/home/en/ http://www.srfood.org/en/equality-or-bust-for-post-2015-global-development-goals-un-rights-experts   http://www.unicef.org/post2015/ http://www.unicef.org/post2015/index_69527.html http://www.unicef.org/socialpolicy/ http://www.unicef.org/publications/index_86337.html http://socialprotection-humanrights.org/   http://blogs.oxfam.org/en/blogs/16-01-15-experts-say-inaction-climate-change-top-global-risk-next-decade http://www.wfp.org/stories/ending-hunger-3-things-need-happen-after-paris-agreement http://www.wfp.org/news/news-release/achieving-zero-hunger-combining-social-protection-propoor-investments http://theelders.org/article/paris-climate-agreement-gives-us-momentum-build http://www.oxfam.org/en/pressroom/pressreleases/2015-12-12/agreed-climate-deal-offers-frayed-life-line-worlds-poorest-people http://careclimatechange.org/historic-climate-deal-signals-hope-for-the-poor/ http://www.ifrc.org/en/news-and-media/press-releases/general/cop21-the-red-cross-red-crescent-urges-states-and-partners-to-implement-the-paris-climate-agreement-with-a-focus-on-the-people-most-exposed-at-risk-and-vulnerable/ http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/features/the-2015-paris-climate-summit/ http://www.irena.org   http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=16702&LangID=E http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/345727/icode/ http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/COP21.aspx http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=16049&LangID=E http://www.wmo.int/media/content/wmo-2015-likely-be-warmest-record-2011-2015-warmest-five-year-period http://reliefweb.int/report/world/shock-waves-managing-impacts-climate-change-poverty http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=4626 http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/food-insecurity-index/ http://www.mrfcj.org/news/ http://www.iied.org/what-do-least-developed-countries-want-cop21 http://theelders.org/news-media/climate-change http://careclimatechange.org/   http://www.unwomen.org/en/news/in-focus/women-and-the-sdgs http://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2013/7/post-2015-long-paper#view http://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/focussdgs.html http://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/index.html http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/ http://www.whiteband.org/en/content/post-2015 http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Poverty/Pages/Post2015Development.aspx http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/MDG/Pages/Stories.aspx http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=15505&LangID=E http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=13063&LangID=E http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Development/Pages/PromotingHRbasedfinancialregulationmacroeconomicpolicies.aspx http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=15592&LangID=E http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/Climatechangestragictollonhealth.aspx http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Development/Pages/NewsFeatureStoriesPromotingahumanrights.aspx   http://post2015.org/ http://www.unrisd.org/ http://www.un-ngls.org/IMG/pdf/UN-NGLS_Post-2015_Regional_Consultation_September_2013.pdf http://www.ethicsandinternationalaffairs.org/2014/eliminating-extreme-inequality-a-sustainable-development-goal-2015-2030/ http://www.ipsnews.net/topics/inequality/ http://www.ipsnews.net/news/development-aid/poverty-mdgs/ http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/sustainable-development-goals   http://www.irf2015.org/ http://www.irf2015.org/blog http://www.irf2015.org/post-2015-round-around-web-world-resources-institute-0 http://www.iied.org/tag/post-2015-agenda http://www.iied.org/tag/sustainable-development-goals-sdgs http://www.whiteband.org/en/news/14-01-07-open-working-group-side-event-implementing-just-inclusive-equal-and-sustainable-develo http://webtv.un.org/watch/what-can-the-post-2015-development-agenda-achieve-for-persons-with-disabilities-2nd-meeting-of-the-high-level-political-forum-on-sustainable-development-side-event/3664934986001/ http://www.saferworld.org.uk/what/post-2015 http://www.action2015.org/who-we-are/   http://www.fian.org/news/article/detail/fian-demands-human-rights-for-all-in-post-2015-agenda http://post2015.iisd.org/category/post2015-themes/post2015-inequalities/ http://post2015.iisd.org/news/aina-report-highlights-seven-key-messages-on-inequalities/ http://www.ifrc.org/en/news-and-media/opinions-and-positions/opinion-pieces/2013/feedback-on-the-report-by-the-high-level-panel-of-eminent-persons-on-the-post--2015-development-agenda/ http://www.beyond2015.org/news/people-know-what-they-want-and-need http://www.ids.ac.uk/news/people-and-institutions-must-work-together-to-address-inequalities-that-characterise-extreme-poverty   http://www.beyond2015.org/news/beyond-2015-reaction-special-events-outcome-document-press-release http://www.beyond2015.org/sites/default/files/Beyond2015_Reaction_UNSG_Synthesis_Report.pdf http://www.cesr.org/downloads/RF_letter_SG_nov17.pdf http://www.networkideas.org/news/mar2013/pdf/Inequality_Letter.pdf http://cesr.org/article.php?id=1532 http://www.cesr.org/article.php?id=1512 http://www.rightingfinance.org/?p=1038 http://www.rightingfinance.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/full-response.pdf http://www.cesr.org/article.php?list=type&type=157 http://www.cesr.org/article.php?id=1576 http://www.cesr.org/article.php?id=1578 http://cesr.org/article.php?list=type&type=157 http://cesr.org/article.php?id=1504   http://theelders.org/article/one-flaw-sustainable-development-goals-may-make-difference-between-success-and-failure http://sd.iisd.org/news/odi-provides-scorecard-on-sdgs-recommends-early-action/#more-299925 http://sd.iisd.org/news/civil-society-focus-shifts-toward-sdg-advocacy-implementation/299135/ http://www.together2030.org/en/ http://deliver2030.org/ http://www.wfuna.org/post-2015 http://tapnetwork2030.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/TAP_Toolkit_FINAL_web.pdf http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Poverty/Pages/AnnualReports.aspx Visit the related web page
	A central role for a civil society is the only way to guarantee inclusive post-2015 by Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council   May 2015   A central role for a civil society is the only way to guarantee inclusive post-2015 development goals   As the launch of the post-2015 development agenda approaches, a group of United Nations human rights experts call on UN member States to ensure that the new global goals are firmly grounded in international human rights norms and standards, including the principle of participation, and that they acknowledge the importance of a free and vibrant civil society for effective implementation.   In the midst of the global debate on the next set of development goals, targets and indicators, the experts emphasized that civil society plays an undeniably central role in the implementation of the development agenda. Civil society is integral in helping Governments find innovative solutions to complex developmental problems while oftentimes providing necessary public services.   A vibrant civil society also ensures that the voices of the vulnerable and marginalised are meaningfully included in the development initiatives that will affect their aspirations and well-being. But in order to undertake this role, civil society must be free to operate.”   “Civic space is shrinking worldwide, and there is therefore, a need to explicitly recognize the importance of a free and vibrant civil society”, the experts said. They cited a noticeable rise in attacks on civil society actors, a proliferation of laws that limit freedoms of expression, association and peaceful assembly, growing restrictions on associations’ ability to access resources, an increase in bureaucratic harassment of civil society, politically motivated prosecutions of human rights defenders, violent dispersal of peaceful demonstrations and a surge in illicit surveillance of activists.   The experts also expressed grave concerns at a spike in the number of reports documenting physical assaults and killings of in particular environmental right defenders, social workers, women"s rights activists and other members of civil society promoting the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals.   “It is essential that the principle of partnership with civil society as well as the space for civil society to freely operate are at the heart of the post-2015 framework”, the experts said, noting the shift from the MDGs to a broad-based consultation process leading up to the post-2015 and the support of the UN Secretary-General, who unequivocally stated in his report “The Road to Dignity by 2030” that participatory democracy, free, safe and peaceful societies are both enablers and outcomes of development.   The experts noted that a human-rights based approach to the post-2015 goals requires a set of indicators measuring the extent to which enabling environments for civil society exist. They called upon member States to include such indicators as an indivisible component of the post-2015 framework. In this regard, the experts referred to OHCHR’s work on human rights indicators, including on developing indicators to measure the right to freedom of expression and the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association.   These freedoms are essential to the realisation of the entire new development agenda and are integral to Goal 16, on the promotion of peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development and its target 16.10, to ensure public access to information and communication for all.. OHCHR’s work and the various multi-stakeholder and civil society initiatives to measure civic space and civil society participation should become an integral part of the discussions on indicators.   Civil society organizations can also play a critical role in collecting data on the most vulnerable or marginalised populations groups, often excluded from traditional statistical surveys conducted by national statistical offices. In conformity with international statistical standards, collaborations between national statistical offices and civil society organizations should be strengthened.   The experts took note of the Secretary-General’s call that all “financing streams need to be optimized towards sustainable development, and coordinated for the greatest impact.” “We take this encouraging message to mean that in the post-2015 framework there will no longer be any room for restrictions on civil society or associations to seek, receive and utilize resources so that they too may operate freely to fulfil their work” the experts said.   They added: "The shared post-2015 goals also entail and presuppose civil society"s ability to freely associate and cooperate worldwide, without any obstacles that hinder financial and material cooperation by and support for civil society across borders”.   When States convene in May 2015 to discuss a monitoring and review framework for the post-2015 development agenda, the experts urged that a prominent focus of the conversation be a people-centered sustainable development agenda that enables individuals, particularly those from the most marginalized communities, to participate freely in monitoring and review mechanisms. All civil society organizations, regardless of their status at the national and international level, should be regarded as equal partners and entitled to participate States should recognize the need to support efforts of developing the capacity of organizations representing the most marginalized groups, to enable them to influence on an equal basis.   The promise that no one be left behind cannot be met without full and free civil society participation throughout the post-2015 process, from negotiation of the goals, targets and indicators to the monitoring and review of measures to achieve them.   “Public participation in development and accountability will remain elusive without an active civil society of empowered women and men, young and old, who can exercise their rights in an enabling, supportive environment,” the experts said.   http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/SP/Pages/News.aspx http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Poverty/Pages/Post2015Development.aspx http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=15505&LangID=E http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=13063&LangID=E http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Development/Pages/PromotingHRbasedfinancialregulationmacroeconomicpolicies.aspx http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=15592&LangID=E http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Development/Pages/NewsFeatureStoriesPromotingahumanrights.aspx Visit the related web page
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