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	UN High Commissioner for Human Rights outlines concerns in over 40 countries by Volker Turk 52nd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council   Mar. 2023   I am aware that discussions of complex human rights issues may be difficult or sensitive, for some. Others may feel they are best whispered behind closed doors. Yet, we need to regain the space where we can discuss them in a constructive and open spirit, undisturbed by the tug of geopolitics and bearing in mind that nobody is perfect.   In the spur of the moment you may not like what you hear but over time you may appreciate what we had to say. My only consideration, and in fact my duty, is to stay true to the mandate, the normative human rights framework and the imperative of improving people's lives.   Contempt for the human being reaches agonizing levels when war breaks out, and violence becomes a daily occurrence. One quarter of humanity is living today in places affected by conflict, and it is civilians who suffer the most.   Peace is precious and it is fragile – and we must nurture it. First and foremost, by respecting the Charter of the United Nations and international law, including international human rights law.   The war in Ukraine has led to civilian casualties and destruction of a shocking magnitude. The rights of Ukrainians will be harmed for generations to come, and the war’s impact on fuel and food prices, as well as geopolitical tensions, are impacting negatively on people in every region of the world.   That such damage could once again be done across the world by warfare in Europe is a betrayal of the promises of transformative change made at our foundation over 75 years ago. I will be speaking in detail on the situation in Ukraine at the end of March.   Twelve long years of excruciating bloodshed: Syria is a microcosm of the wounds inflicted by utmost contempt for human rights. Last month's earthquakes have added to this tragedy. The only way forward must be through respect for human rights, and proper accountability of all those who have committed atrocity crimes – both of which Syria has long lacked. I fully support calls for a new institution that is focused on clarifying the fate and whereabouts of missing persons, and providing support to victims, and I urge the Government – as well as other Member States – to cooperate with it, if it is indeed established.   The security situation in Mali is particularly alarming in the central part of the country and the border area between Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. In this area, numerous armed groups are capitalizing on intercommunal hostility, and the absence of State authorities to expand their influence and carry out attacks against civilians. Armed non-state groups have perpetrated most violations and abuses. Serious violations have also been committed by the Malian Armed Forces, in some instances accompanied by foreign military and security personnel.   I am also very worried by hate speech on ethnic grounds, as well as threats, intimidation, and attacks against civil society and media by State and non-state actors, leading to an increasing fear of speaking out. This is particularly concerning given that the country is embarking on an electoral process where a free debate of ideas should flourish.   I am concerned about the prospect of deepening instability in Burkina Faso. Over the last six months of 2022, my Office documented at least 1,076 victims of violations and abuses. That toll almost doubled in the months between October and December, compared to the previous three months. Armed groups are responsible for most of these incidents, but the military's operations take a growing toll on civilians.   I have urged the authorities to listen to the grievances people have regarding impunity, and to investigate such allegations. It is critical to reverse the course of ever-increasing violence, and to allow civil society and political parties to thrive.   In Ethiopia, the welcome implementation of the cessation of hostilities agreement needs to be fully effected, including on transitional justice. I am glad to report that National Consultations on Transitional Justice Policy Options opened yesterday, with the support of my Office; to be followed by consultations across the country with people who have been affected by the conflict.   Despite this progress, we have received reports of the continued presence in Tigray of the Amhara Regional Forces and Fano militia, as well as Eritrean Defence Forces, which have reportedly perpetrated very serious violations. There is a clear need for continued monitoring and reporting.   There also needs to be tangible progress on accountability regarding conflict-related violations and abuses – including in implementation of the report by my Office and the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission. The human rights situation in other regions of Ethiopia is also of great concern, particularly Oromia.   In addition to Eritrea’s continued military presence in Tigray, we have received reports that Eritrea is further increasing its use of forced and prolonged conscription, a practice that is akin to enslavement and the main driver of refugee outflows. This needs to be reversed, urgently, for the country to be placed on a path for sustainable development.   In Yemen, the parties need to heed the calls of a population exhausted by eight years of brutal warfare, and move decisively towards a UN-led peace process. For any peace agreement to be durable, transitional justice and accountability are fundamental, and women must be able to participate fully in such talks. Two UN staff members – one from UNESCO and one from my own Office – have been detained for 16 months and must be released at once.   In Libya, widespread violence by armed actors, a longstanding political impasse, and an increasingly restrictive civic space continue to destroy lives and severely harm rights. The Independent Fact-Finding Mission on Libya will present its final report at the end of this session, and it is urgent for the authorities to implement its recommendations without delay.   On Western Sahara, my Office continues remote monitoring of the human rights situation. Given that the most recent visit by the Office took place almost eight years ago, it is crucial for my Office to be able to undertake again meaningful missions to the region.   In recent months, I have had the opportunity to discuss the worrying human rights situation in Kashmir with both India and Pakistan. Progress on human rights, and justice for the past, will be key to advancing security and development. I will continue to explore how my Office can assist, including through meaningful access to the region.   The people of Haiti endure conditions of nightmarish violence. Heavily armed gangs control services and access in large sections of the capital and the country – perpetrating frequent killings, abductions, random sniper attacks and a horrifying level of sexual violence.   The situation calls for a combination of responses: turbo-charging the political process towards free and transparent elections; fully implementing the arms embargo; effective sanctions against those who sponsor and direct armed gangs; and international support to build up the capacity of Haiti’s police and judicial systems to fight pervasive impunity and corruption; as well as the deployment of a time-bound specialized support force, with human rights safeguards. We must keep Haiti in our focus, including in support to my Office’s work on the ground.   Discrimination and racism are virulent threats, both to human dignity and to our relationships as human beings. They weaponize contempt. They humiliate and violate human rights, fuelling grievances and despair, and obstructing development.   I am shocked to the core by the contempt for women, and women's equality, that is spawned across the Internet by some so-called “influencers”, feeding social attitudes that make it possible to ignore, or even condone, gender-based violence, and the pervasive commodification of women.   More generally, the scope and magnitude of discrimination against women and girls makes this one of the most overwhelming human rights violations worldwide, and dismantling it will be a major focus of our work.   The repression of women in Afghanistan is unparalleled, contravening every established belief system. Women and girls’ rights to make choices about their lives and participate in public life have been, or are being, eliminated as we speak. This repression and persecution of women constitute a clenched fist around Afghanistan’s economy and its future. Such a tyranny must not escape accountability. We will not give up; we will continue to fight for respect for the rights and freedoms of every Afghan woman and girl.   In Iran, it is urgent for the authorities to act on the demands of protestors, in particular women and girls, who continue to endure profound discrimination. I remain deeply concerned about 17 protestors who have reportedly been sentenced to death; 4 have been executed so far, and more than 100 currently face charges that carry the death penalty. The recently announced pardons are a welcome first step.   I continue to urge the immediate and unconditional release of all those arbitrarily detained in the context of the protests and more generally – including foreign and dual nationals. All Iranians – including all women and girls – must be free to make their own choices, express their views and exercise their rights.   I welcome the new law passed by Sierra Leone in November that prohibits gender discrimination; mandates at least 30 percent women in Parliament, the diplomatic corps, local councils and the civil service; and establishes equal pay for women, among a host of other steps. Many far more wealthy States could learn from this example.   I also welcome Spain’s adoption last month of legislation to uphold essential sexual and reproductive rights, including by removing restrictions on access to safe abortion. The new measures also address access by all women to assisted reproduction, as well as violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity; and they ban so-called "conversion therapies" and the genital mutilation of babies who are born intersex.   Vicious hate speech is not only directed at women and girls, but also people of African descent; Jews; Muslims; LGBTIQ+ people; refugees; migrants; and many other people from minority groups. Deliberate provocations, such as recent incidents of burning the Qu'ran, are intended to drive wedges between communities. And this is dangerous.   The violence that is so disproportionately inflicted on people of African descent by law enforcement officers is an example of the deep structural harm rooted in racial discrimination.   My Office and UN human rights mechanisms have repeatedly highlighted excessive use of force, racial profiling and discriminatory practices by police, most recently in Australia, France, Ireland and the United Kingdom. In Brazil, overall deaths in encounters with police fell in 2021 for the first time in 9 years, with a 31% drop for "white" people, according to one source – but a rise of almost 6% in the number of deaths of Afro-descendants.   In the United States, people of African descent are reportedly almost three times more likely to be killed by police than are "white" people. The brutal death of Tyre Nichols in Memphis two months ago stood out not just because of the severity of the violence caught on tape, but because it was followed by immediate action to prosecute the officers involved, while generally only a fraction of such cases lead to those responsible being brought to justice.   In the US and all other countries, swift and determined action to hold perpetrators accountable in each case should be the rule, not the exception. Structural safeguards must be set up, including independent oversight, effective complaint procedures, and robust legislative reform. But even the strongest actions within law enforcement will not fully succeed unless further concrete steps are taken to address racism and the structures that perpetuate it throughout our societies.   Police forces need to serve and protect everyone in society. In the Philippines, where killings in drug-related police operations still occur, my Office is working with security actors to strengthen accountability and promote human rights in drug enforcement. The Government has announced steps to vet senior police officers for corruption, and I hope there will be rapid progress in prosecuting human rights violators. While I welcome recent acquittals of human rights defenders, there must be an end to other politically motivated charges, and a safer environment for civil society.   Structural injustices, abject poverty and skyrocketing inequalities constitute pervasive human rights failures. I’d like to mention a few examples.   Lebanon is in the throes of one of the worst economic crises in modern history, with more than half of the population now said to be living below the poverty line, and two million people facing food insecurity. Many public sector services have been halted; access to education and healthcare are becoming luxuries; and electricity is scarce.   I urge stronger efforts to fight corruption, anchor economic and financial regulation in the rule of law, and firmly embed accountability and transparency into all economic measures. Serious investigation into the explosion of August 2020 is urgently needed, without political interference or further delay.   In Sri Lanka, debilitating debt, and economic crisis, have sharply restricted people's access to fundamental economic and social rights. Recovery policies will need to redress inequalities, and invest in social protections and other levers of economic resilience. They should also tackle underlying issues of corruption, transparency and accountability in governance, as well as entrenched impunity. The reliance on draconian security laws, as well as the harassment and surveillance of civil society and victims, must end. My Office remains committed to supporting a genuine and comprehensive approach to transitional justice.   Many countries in southern Africa have been hard-hit by successive economic blows, including from COVID-19; rising food, fuel and fertilizer prices due to the war in Ukraine; and spiralling debt repayment. In a region that is the world's most unequal, these shocks are pushing millions more people into poverty.   Surging inflation in Mauritius, for example, has led to unprecedented public protests. Energy shortages have led to severe power cuts in several countries, with negative impact on business, healthcare and water supplies. South Africa last month declared its energy crisis a national state of disaster. At the same time, courts in South Africa are helping to chart a way forward on the legal foundation of economic, social and cultural rights.   While numerous countries in the Global North are also experiencing poverty, people in the United Kingdom are currently experiencing a cost of living crisis that may result in the largest drop in living standards on record. Racial and ethnic minority groups are disproportionately affected. I welcome measures taken by the Government to provide some relief from increased fuel costs and raise the minimum wage, but I encourage more dialogue with striking workers, and with people living in poverty, as well as reforms that advance economic, social and cultural rights.   To face these challenges of structural injustice and inequalities, we need to build economies that build trust in government and advance people’s rights and well-being.   A human rights economy is one in which the aim of advancing human rights informs all national economic, fiscal, monetary, investment and business decisions.   Such national measures will bring immense benefit to millions of people. But they cannot hope to address the global debt emergency that has hit developing countries, in particular, like a runaway train. The impact on their people is crushing hopes and lives.   Dramatically scaled-up financing, as well as reforms of the international financial institutions, are urgently needed to meet these challenges, and my Office will strongly advocate human rights-based change. The Bridgetown Initiative by Barbados stands out for its clear vision of economic justice and new methods for international financing bodies.   Harsh restriction of the civic space is the Achilles heel – the fatal weakness – of governance. If I have one message to deliver to every Head of State or Government it is this: listen to the people – and in particular, to victims and defenders of human rights. These are people who have the deepest experience of these issues, and they have something to say that you need to hear.   I am alarmed by the number and range of countries in which I must report steps that undercut institutions of justice, media freedoms, and the space for fundamental civic freedoms.   Allow me to begin on a positive note. In Tanzania, progress has been made in opening up civic and democratic space over the past two years. Bans on media outlets and political rallies have been lifted, and reform of restrictive legislation is promised. Tanzania still faces many challenges, and I welcome the President's commitment to dialogue. More needs to be done to address accountability and other human rights issues, including the Ngorongoro and Loliondo situations.   Zambia has also taken positive steps towards greater respect for human rights and the rule of law. They include numerous amendments and enactments of legislation, among them abolition of the death penalty and removal of provisions that criminalise “defamation of the President”. I look forward to working with the National Mechanism for Reporting and Follow-up, and encourage measures to foster peaceful dialogue between political parties.   I also urge both political leaders and the media to back away from increasing polarisation and ethnic division. International financial institutions must recognize that Zambia – like several other countries – urgently needs debt relief to consolidate its progress.   In Kenya, some advances have been made towards accountability for serious human rights violations. I encourage more concrete progress to deliver justice, in line with the Government’s commitments.   Yet, in the Russian Federation, I am deeply concerned by multiple trends. The closures of the newspaper Novaya Gazeta and the Moscow Helsinki Groups are another sign of the demise of Russia's civic space. Constant pro-war messages on State media feed stereotypes and incite hatred and violence. Over 180 criminal cases have been opened on charges related to alleged defamation of the Armed Forces; those convicted so far include a journalist and a municipal councillor.   Since December, any person or entity considered to be “under foreign influence” – an overly wide and vague qualification – can be designated as a "foreign agent” and subjected to numerous restrictions. In December, in a troubling development, legislation prohibiting so-called “propaganda of non-traditional relationships” was extended, to cover information, to anyone, about LGBTIQ+ relationships and sexuality, as well as gender transitioning.   I am also worried by growing agitation against the rights of LGBTIQ+ individuals in many countries, mostly recently in East Africa – including rhetoric by politicians that incites hatred, and crackdowns on LGBTIQ+ organisations. Last week a very troubling draft so-called "Anti-Homosexuality" Bill was tabled in Uganda's Parliament, while in Burundi, 24 people were arrested in a crackdown, many of them engaged in AIDS education. It is unthinkable that we are facing such bigotry, prejudice and discrimination in the 21st century, holding back development of all members of society.   In Tajikistan, independent journalists and bloggers have been sentenced to between 7 and 21 years in jail, on charges related to terrorism and extremism, in a deepening crackdown on freedom of expression. The trials were closed, but do not appear to have presented substantial evidence of any crime.   In Bangladesh, I regret the increasing incidence of political violence, coupled with arbitrary arrests of political activists, and ongoing harassment of human rights defenders and media personnel in the build up to the elections this year. Following lengthy consultations with my Office on the Digital Security Act, I urge that it be amended, as criminal sentences continue to be handed down against those exercising their rights to free expression and belief.   In Cambodia, the Government continues to suppress political opposition, human rights defenders and independent media. This has been exemplified by the closure of the Voice of Democracy media outlet and the extraordinarily heavy sentence imposed last week on opposition leader Kem Sokha, on questionable charges. These actions seriously undermine the civic and political space, including the environment for free and fair elections in July.   In Tunisia, I am concerned by recent harsh crackdowns in which judges, media, civil society actors, opposition members and labour leaders have been prosecuted – including before military courts – for allegations that include national security crimes and terrorism. This trajectory of shrinking civic space, and the space for trade unions to defend workers' rights, must be reversed.   More recently, a country-wide wave of arrests and attacks, coupled with dehumanising and racist rhetoric, has targeted migrants, mostly coming from south of the Sahara. I acknowledge the authorities have announced two days ago some measures to support migrants. In addition, I urge full investigation of all attacks, as well as a halt to xenophobic hate speech.   In Egypt, continuing restrictions on civic space include crackdowns on dissent, arbitrary detention, and action to censor and block websites. Lengthy sentences were handed down two days ago to several people carrying out human rights advocacy, in proceedings on questionable terrorism-related charges which also raised fair trial concerns. Building on Egypt's National Strategy for Human Rights, I urge the authorities to release all those arbitrarily detained, and to lift restrictions on civic space.   In Peru, at least 60 people were killed and over a thousand injured in clashes with security forces and at roadblocks during recent protests. The underlying grievances, including discrimination and exclusion, particularly affect indigenous peoples, rural campesinos and the urban poor. Recent initiatives by the Government, such as the creation of a commission to provide economic support to families of those killed and injured, should be expanded to ensure accountability, truth and full reparation for all victims. My Office is ready to support meaningful dialogue about the underlying issues.   Regarding China, we have opened up channels of communication with a range of actors to follow up on a variety of human rights issues, including the protection of minorities, such as for Tibetans, Uyghurs and other groups. In the Xinjiang region, my Office has documented grave concerns – notably large-scale arbitrary detentions and ongoing family separations – and has made important recommendations that require concrete follow-up.   We also have concerns about the severe restrictions of civic space more generally, including the arbitrary detention of human rights defenders and lawyers; and the impact of the National Security Law in Hong Kong.   Combatting climate change and upholding the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment are the defining struggles of our generation. Again, I would like to share a few examples.   Somalia is currently enduring a historic drought, with agonizing impact on the lives and rights of millions of people. Last year, almost 1.2 million Somalis left their homes because of lack of rain. Competition among pastoralists for scarce natural resources is a driver of conflict: since 2020 at least 237 people have been killed in clan violence related to land, pasture or water. The situation is exacerbated by the Al-Shabaab armed group, which targets water sources and infrastructure to punish communities perceived to support the Government. In all, a projected 8.3 million people across Somalia are expected to be in acute need of food assistancem or other assistance, between April and June this year.   In the Sahel region, a recent report by my Office outlines the profound impact of climate change-related soil degradation and declining food production on income, health, resource competition, conflict, and displacement – a vicious cycle that now spins deeper with every planting season. Temperatures in the Sahel are rising much faster than the global average; even if the global temperature rise is kept to an unlikely 1.5 degrees, the impact on the people of the Sahel will be permanent and devastating.   Iraq is also suffering profound damage from climate change, with sharply increasing temperatures, less rainfall, and more dust storms. Water flow in the Tigris and Euphrates rivers has decreased by 29 percent and 73 percent respectively, with dam projects in the region an additional factor. According to technical experts at the Second Baghdad Water Conference last year, 7 million Iraqis risk being unable to meet their water needs in the near future. I am also concerned about the shrinking space for free expression in the country.   Pacific Island States and other small island developing countries have led the world in advocating for climate action, including a regional framework to prevent and respond to displacement, which my Office is helping to support. I note in particular Vanuatu’s initiative to seek an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice on the obligations of States to protect the rights of present and future generations against the adverse effects of climate change.   Transparent governance is critical, to repair harms and build resilience. Climate finance funds need to reach those most affected and most vulnerable, and they need to build in strong human rights safeguards.   And we must call out fake climate solutions. I deplore the attempts by the fossil fuel industry at global climate talks and elsewhere to greenwash their reputation and derail our goal of decarbonization. This must be averted at the upcoming COP28 in Dubai, and we need inclusive, safe and meaningful participation of civil society.   In every country, I strongly encourage the following. Public access to information on environmental risks and Government policies. Full participation and consultation on environmental laws and measures – notably for indigenous peoples and others who are first in line for climate harms. And protection of those who raise concerns over environmental crimes, or policies that result in harm.   Bashing climate protests; designing laws that unfairly restrict activities that call the public's attention to climate harms; and allowing attacks on activists to go unpunished: these are tactics that harm all States and all human beings. And they need to be addressed, urgently.   Conflict, discrimination, poverty, restrictions on civic space and the triple planetary crisis. We face the compounding effects of all these crises – while also confronting a surge of new human rights challenges, notably in the digital realm and involving artificial intelligence and surveillance.   Fresh thinking, political leadership, renewed commitments, and dramatically scaled-up financing — with the centrality of human rights at their core — are urgently needed to meet these challenges.   http://www.ohchr.org/en/statements-and-speeches/2023/03/global-update-high-commissioner-outlines-concerns-over-40-countries http://www.ohchr.org/en/hr-bodies/hrc/regular-sessions/session53/list-reports http://www.ohchr.org/en/hr-bodies/hrc/regular-sessions/session52/list-reports Visit the related web page
	Creating conditions necessary for peace, justice and inclusion by TAP Network, Forus, civil society agencies Transparency, Accountability and Participation Network, agencies   Sep. 2023   Poverty & Hunger eradication targets to miss UN’s 2030 deadline by wide margins, by Thalif Deen for the Inter Press service   When the UN’s 193 member states reviewed the current status of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger by 2030, the verdict was mostly failures—and with little or no successes.   The hunger/poverty nexus was best characterized by Alvaro Lario, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), who warned last week that under current trends, at least 575 million people will still be living in extreme poverty in 2030—and as many people suffering from hunger by 2030 as in 2015 (over 600 million people).   “Hunger remains a political issue, mostly caused by poverty, inequality, conflict, corruption and overall lack of access to food and resources. In a world of plenty, which produces enough food to feed everyone, how can there be hundreds of millions going hungry?” he asked.   According to the UN, all developing countries also suffer from severe debt problems. These countries cannot fund progress on the SDGs if they are facing exorbitant borrowing costs and paying more on debt servicing than on health or education.   “Developing countries face borrowing costs up to eight times higher than developed countries – a debt trap. And one in three countries around the world is now at high risk of a fiscal crisis. Over 40 per cent of people living in extreme poverty are in countries with severe debt challenges,” warned UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres last week.   The high-level segment of the UN General Assembly attracted about 88 Heads of State, six vice presidents, 43 Heads of Government, four deputy prime ministers, 41 ministers, seven chiefs of delegations, plus three high-level speakers from UN observer states.   The high-level meetings included the SDG Summit and a forum on Financing for Development (FfD), among others. The active participants also included scores of civil society organizatiions (CSOs).   Mandeep Tiwana, Chief Officer – Evidence and Engagement at CIVICUS told IPS that a major reason the SDGs are off-track is because 85% of the world’s population live in countries with severe civic space restrictions which severely impedes meaningful civil society partnerships and deprives communities of innovations in sustainable development, service delivery to the most excluded, and importantly, transparency, accountability and participation in how development policies are implemented.   The SDG Stimulus put forward by Secretary General Guterres, he pointed out, should be accompanied by guarantees for civic freedoms and effective civil society partnerships.   Otherwise, funds intended for sustainable development, that leaves ‘no one behind’, are likely to be channeled to support networks of patronage and to shore up repressive state apparatuses, he noted.   “It’s unacceptable in this 75th year of the celebration of the Universal of Declaration of Human Rights that civil society activists and investigative journalists should be persecuted for uncovering high level corruption and serious human rights violations”.   He said demanding transformative social and economic policies is a dangerous activity in far too many countries around the world.   “The globe is a facing an acute crisis of leadership due to a toxic mix of authoritarianism and populist nationalism which is leading to unabashed promotion of perceived national interest at the expense of the rules based international order intended to create a better world for all,” Tiwana declared.   Guterres gave a new political twist to the SDGs when he said the ”goals” were really ”promises”   “A promise to build a world of health, progress and opportunity for all. A promise to leave no one behind. And a promise to pay for it”.   This was not a promise made to one another as diplomats from the comfort of this chamber, he argued. “It was — always — a promise to people”.   People crushed under the grinding wheels of poverty. People starving in a world of plenty. Children denied a seat in a classroom. Families fleeing conflicts, seeking a better life. Parents watching helplessly as their children die of preventable disease.   People losing hope because they can’t find a job — or a safety net when they need it. Entire communities literally on devastation’s doorstep because of changing climate. So, the SDGs aren’t just a list of goals, he declared.   In an interview with IPS, Amitabh Behar, interim Executive Director of Oxfam International, said: “Unfortunately, in Oxfam’s programmatic, advocacy, and campaigning work, we see clearly that at this half-way point, we are very off-track to achieve the SDGs.”   The UN SG’s latest progress report shows that 80% of SDG targets are either showing weak progress or regression. Much blame is cast on the pandemic, but in reality – it simply magnified an already bleak trend.   By many measures, he said, Goal 10 is the furthest off-track of all the goals. For example, inequality between countries has risen for the first time in three decades.   Oxfam, a global organization that fights inequality to end poverty and injustice, is bringing this focus on inequality (Goal 10) and how it intersects with the entire 2030 agenda, said Behar who previously served as the Chief Executive Officer of Oxfam India.   At this year’s General Assembly, Oxfam pushed leaders to make bold commitments and more importantly follow-up with action to get the SDGs back on track.   “We know what works to address these challenges, and we know there are more than enough resources to do so. We must ensure that resources and capacity are in the hands of those on the frontlines tackling these complex issues.”   He said the lives and futures of millions of the most vulnerable people are directly impacted by the decisions and actions taken by leaders now and “we are running out of time”.   “We heard leaders reiterating their commitments to tackling issues of inequality, hunger, poverty and more. If they can work together to prioritize and finance the solutions to these issues, there is still hope to get the 2030 agenda back on track.”   Asked what was really needed to accelerate the pace, Behar said: “We are not seeing the financial and policy commitments from leaders needed to tackle the major challenges of our day – economic, gender and racial inequalities, the climate crisis, and the ongoing conflicts and humanitarian crises”.   Most of the trends and barriers which are contributing to the dire state of SDG implementation, he said, were in place before COVID, including the widespread unwillingness to put in place highly redistributive fiscal policy at the national level – or other measures to rein in the power of the top 1% of large corporations, and the failure of rich countries to meet their commitments or responsibilities, climate finance, official development assistance (ODA), debt relief and international finance reform.   “We support the Secretary-General’s emphasis on the importance of financing the SDGs and his call for an “SDG Stimulus” including a surge in development finance, reform of multi-lateral development banks, action on debt relief, the expansion of contingency financing in invest in basic services and clean energy, and to deal with the root causes of this situation”.   “We are calling on leaders to work on these areas so we can regain the momentum we’ve lost on the SDGs and get back on track before we’re too late,” he said.   * Report of the Secretary-General: Progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals: Towards a Rescue Plan for People and Planet : http://tinyurl.com/33prnjwx   July 2023   Creating conditions necessary for peace, justice and inclusion. (TAP Network)   Halfway to 2030, Report on Sustainable Development Goal 16 (SDG16) represents a joint civil society effort to assess progress towards peaceful, just and inclusive societies at this critical halfway point to the 2030 target date for the implementation of the SDGs in 2023.   In addition to providing in-depth analysis around key SDG16+ issues, this report is also intended to provide key recommendations to governments and the international community on where action and ambition must be directed in the second half of SDG implementation to 2030. The report also provides insights into the leadership role of civil society in advancing SDG16+ at all levels to-date, showcasing best practices and case studies around civil society action.   A central feature of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is interlinkages; the goals, targets and indicators are interconnected, with the implementation of each supporting the attainment of the others. Given this interconnectivity, when working towards implementation, various goals, targets, and indicators should be considered in tandem, to safeguard against the potential undermining of essential objectives and the effectiveness of the broader agenda.   The preamble of the 2030 Agenda affirms that “the interlinkages and integrated nature of the Sustainable Development Goals are of crucial importance in ensuring that the purpose of the new Agenda is realized.” In other words, all 17 SDGs depend upon one another; no single goal can be fully realised alone.   SDG16 was designed to be an enabler, or in other words, to provide support for the achievement of other Goals. SDG16 targets critically important issues that have significant implications for people worldwide, including violence, insecurity, conflict, injustice, exclusion, inequality, discrimination, weak institutions and poor governance.   These issues also undermine government capacities to achieve sustainable development across numerous fronts: ensuring identity and reducing bribery and corruption to remove barriers to accessing education and essential services; ensuring public participation to give people a voice and a role in decision making; ensuring access to information to facilitate oversight and transparency; ensuring people’s fundamental freedoms to give them the opportunity to challenge decisions; ensuring access to justice for people to protect and assert their rights.   SDG16 is rooted in a human rights-based framework to address issues of universal relevance, significant to individuals in all nations. Sustained peace and non-violence, access to justice, rule of law, effective and accountable institutions, inclusive governance, participatory decision making and respect for human rights are all needed in order to advance other areas of sustainable development.   They are all key elements of SDG16 that ensure that the foundational objectives of ‘leaving no one behind’ and ‘reaching the furthest behind first’ are upheld.   The success of SDG16 is equally reliant on the other goals. Progress on targets for peace, justice and inclusion directly affects outcomes for all other SDGs, while social, economic and environmental progress plays an equally important role in creating the conditions necessary for peace, justice and inclusion.   http://www.sdg16now.org/report/   * The Transparency, Accountability and Participation (TAP) Network is a global civil society coalition working to advance and catalyse ambitious action to achieve SDG16+ to promote peaceful, just and inclusive societies. The TAP Network’s members represent hundreds of civil society organisations (CSOs) around the world.   July 2023   New Forus Report: “Sustainable Development by Shifting the Power”   The Forus network issued a new report at the 2023 United Nations High Level Political Forum, titled “Sustainable Development by Shifting the Power: Capacity Strengthening of Civil Society as a Tool for the Implementation of SDG17”.   The report co-created by 14 Forus members from different regions and contexts, calls for transformative changes in the international development sector, with a focus on power dynamics, localization, and decolonization. It highlights the crucial role of civil society organizations in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and stresses the importance of capacity strengthening initiatives that are driven by the needs and priorities of CSOs themselves. The report also provides recommendations to relevant stakeholders and reaffirms the commitment to support CSO capacity strengthening and foster inclusive practices:   http://www.forus-international.org/en/custom-page-detail/102430-new-forus-report-sustainable-development-by-shifting-the-power http://www.openglobalrights.org/transforming-global-aid-architecture-leave-no-one-behind/ http://lens.civicus.org/un-general-assembly-pr-and-platitudes/ http://www.socialwatch.org/node/18696 http://www.socialwatch.org/varios/2023-Civil-Society-Statement-at-LDC5.pdf   Oct. 2022   A UN expert warned today that with the world approaching the halfway mark towards 2030, current trends show that almost all States will miss nearly all Sustainable Development Goals and targets.   “Failing to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals will condemn billions of people to misery and jeopardise the future livability of the planet for everyone,” said David Boyd, UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment presenting his report to the United Nations General Assembly.   “On the other hand, meeting them would dramatically improve the quality of life for billions of people, and protect the extraordinary Earth that is needed to sustain all forms of life,” Boyd said.   The expert’s report said that today’s global economy was based on two pillars—the exploitation of people, and the exploitation of the planet—that were fundamentally unjust, unsustainable and incompatible with the full enjoyment of human rights. Boyd said the Sustainable Development Goals aim to address these problems by transforming the economy, alleviating inequality and protecting the environment.   “There are two main reasons why we are not on track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals,” the UN expert said. “The first is that States have misunderstood the Goals as political aspirations when in fact they have a rock-solid foundation in international human rights law. Every single Goal and over 93% of the 169 targets are directly connected to an international human rights treaty.”   “The second problem is grossly inadequate levels of investment in achieving the goals, with an annual gap of more than $4 trillion,” Boyd explained. His report identifies seven sources of funding that could generate up to $7 trillion annually towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.   Examples include new taxes on wealthy individuals and pollution, debt relief for low- and middle-income States, closing tax loopholes, redirecting subsidies from environmentally destructive activities to sustainable actions and fulfilling longstanding commitments to foreign aid and climate finance.   “The recent UN recognition of the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment should be a catalyst for accelerated action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals,” Boyd said.   The Special Rapporteur urged States to take immediate and ambitious rights-based action to improve air quality, ensure everyone has access to safe and sufficient water, transform industrial agriculture to produce healthy and sustainable food, accelerate actions required to address the global climate and energy crises, replace fossil fuels with renewable energy, and conserve, protect and restore biodiversity. He also called on States to ensure that a rights-based approach is at the heart of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework and detoxify people’s bodies and the planet.   “Employing a human rights-based approach to each of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals is the best way to ensure effective and equitable action, prioritising vulnerable and marginalised populations and making sure that no one is left behind,” Boyd said.   http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2022/10/trillions-needed-close-finance-gap-sustainable-development-goals-says-un http://www.ohchr.org/en/special-procedures/sr-environment/annual-thematic-reports Visit the related web page
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