The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), in collaboration with the United Nations SDG Action Campaign, convened an informal virtual dialogue with stakeholders, during which the main groups and other stakeholders provided input to the zero draft political declaration for the September 2023 SDG Summit.
The co-facilitators of the consultations on the political declaration of the SDG Summit – the permanent representatives of Ireland and Qatar – circulated the draft on 8 May 2023. Member States exchanged views on the zero draft during informal consultations on 16 May and 2 June. The next round of consultations on the political statement is scheduled for June 9.
Opening the dialogue, Neil Pierre, DESA, said the world is well on its way to achieving the SDGs by 2030. He said the SDG Summit will aim to put the SDGs back on track and emphasized the role of engagement, collaboration and partnerships in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Pierre said the informal dialogue provides an opportunity for parliamentarians, civil society, major groups and other stakeholders to share concrete suggestions on the zero draft.
Marina Ponti, UN SDG Action Campaigner, stressed that while the challenges may seem daunting, there is nothing that human creativity cannot achieve “when we come together with a sense of urgency”. Providing “a preview” of the new SDGs action campaign to be launched in early July to mobilize people and institutions before September, he said their aim is “to be united in action”. Unity is at the heart of the SDGs, Ponti explained, and achieving all the goals requires achieving them all. He called on everyone to come together across geographies and sectors, coming together in all our diversity, to give humanity and the planet a beautiful and sustainable future.
Co-facilitator Fergal Mythen, Permanent Representative of Ireland, echoed Ponti’s sentiment, noting that united and interconnected, “we are in this together.” He emphasized the need for the political statement: to be clear and accessible; capture “the spirit of ambition”; inject realism, urgency and hope into government efforts to implement the Goals; and reclaim the SDGs “for everyone, everywhere and at the same time”.
Co-facilitator Alya Ahmed Saif Al-Thani, Permanent Representative of Qatar, welcomed the active participation in the stakeholder and major group consultations. Stressing the importance of addressing new and emerging challenges, he wished for an action-oriented document and encouraged participants to share their views which he said will be taken into account by the co-facilitators.
Naiara Costa, DESA, facilitated the dialogue. He said the written submissions received so far highlight action on youth and gender equality, education, poverty eradication, water, health and partnerships, among other priorities. Costa urged interested parties to continue to submit input which he said will be recorded and analyzed.
Foteini Papagioti, Mechanism for Coordination of Major Groups and Other Stakeholders (MGoS), noted with concern that the draft lacks actionable time-bound commitments. He called for bold and urgent action to tackle inequalities and discrimination and reach the most disadvantaged first. Papagioti said the declaration must: reaffirm respect for international law and human rights, including the right to development; and center for women and girls, elderly people, people with disabilities and children and young people, among other groups. He highlighted the need to accelerate efforts to address gender-based violence, go beyond gross domestic product (GDP), adopt universal social protection and fiscal policies to promote inclusive growth and protect ecosystems through culture-based approaches , among other priorities. Papagioti also urged allowing meaningful stakeholder engagement rather than “brief interventions that don’t begin to scratch the surface.”
Alexandra Xanthaki, UN special rapporteur on cultural rights, lamented the lack of representation of cultural rights, which she said must be an integral part of sustainable development processes.
Paola Simonetti, Workers and Unions, prioritized a strong call for a new social contract rooted in a gender-sensitive agenda. He stressed the need to reflect, among others:
Social Watch’s Roberto Bissio warned that if least developed countries (LDCs) are left behind, the SDGs will not be achieved. She called for indicators beyond GDP to recognize the unpaid care work, carried out mostly by women and girls, and identified the need to build a solidarity economy, the multiplier effects of which, she said, are greater than those generated for investments in physical infrastructures.
Lucy Slack, local authorities, regretted that the zero draft does not refer to localization and the role that local governments play in achieving the SDGs. Highlighting the importance of multi-stakeholder governance, he stressed the need for engagement to empower local authorities and translate national priorities into local ones.
Supporting a human rights-based approach, Hannah Kohn, LGBTI People, highlighted the importance of: leaving no one behind; respect diversity, gender equality and inclusion; and the commitment to fight gender-based violence.
Jordi Pascual, from the Objective Cultura2030 campaign, highlighted the role of culture as the fourth pillar of sustainable development, and described it as a driver of development, diversity and creativity. He called on leaders to “be brave and get involved in the culture”.
April Porteria, Commitment of the Asia-Pacific Regional Civil Society Organization (CSO), hoped for an action-oriented political declaration that would: shift the focus towards catalyzing the capacity of the multilateral system to prevent crises and make the corporations are responsible for environmental degradation throughout the Global South; includes stronger language about the primacy of human dignity; and realizes developmental justice for all.
Tabitha Mbuthia, Children and Youth, welcomed the Zero Draft approach to partnerships, called for reference to the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum as part of the process preparatory to the ODS Summit and drew attention to the contributions of young people. at the July session of the United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) and the SDG Summit.
Gabriella Cuevas Barron, UHC2030, said that at current rates of progress, half of the world’s population will not have access to healthcare by 2030. She highlighted universal healthcare (UHC) as an essential driver of poverty reduction and all the SDGs and stressed the need for institutional mechanisms. to build equitable and resilient health systems.
International Disability Alliance’s Jarrod Clyne warned that non-inclusive systems produce inequality and stressed the need to recognize the root causes of marginalization suffered by all major groups, including people with disabilities, and offer solutions to their marginalization. He called for systemic changes in data and funding for inclusive development, underpinned by an intersectional approach.
Yuka Iwatsuki, Global March Against Child Labour, urged a focus on the rural areas of LDCs where the most disadvantaged live. It recommended addressing child labor and outlined an integrated area-based approach as a strategy to achieve the SDGs, with more funding channeled to the local level to enable change to happen more quickly and efficiently.
Ishaan Shah, Coalition for the UN We Need, called for gender equality to be integrated throughout the text; commitment to promoting meaningful youth engagement; and references to current and future generations, a rights-based approach, going beyond GDP and transforming the international financial architecture.
Cecilie Kern, the NGO’s Committee on Migration, warned that there was no need to label migration as a crisis, which only happens when governments lack social and economic inclusion policies, and said that the its positive role.
In conclusion, Mythen thanked the participants for their contributions. He said the zero draft is a starting point towards a concise document that connects with people outside the UN. Among the areas where improvements could be made, Mythen recognized indigenous rights, culture, labour, gender-based and gender-based violence, food security, disability, conflict and the role of parliaments and local authorities. He indicated that the next draft of the policy statement could be expected “by the end of the week” and looked forward to another opportunity before September to engage with stakeholders. [SDG Knowledge Hub Sources] [Informal Stakeholder Dialogue – Inputs to the Political Declaration Zero Draft]
