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AnotherGreatLeapForwardforDevelopmentbyJavierSolanaProjectSyndicate

SUSTAINABILITY&ENVIRONMENT
JAVIERSOLANA
JavierSolanawasEUHighRepresentativeforForeignandSecurityPolicy,
SecretaryGeneralofNATO,andForeignMinisterofSpain.Heiscurrently
PresidentoftheESADECenterforGlobalEconomyand
Geopolitics, DistinguishedFellowattheBrookingsInstitution,and a
memberoftheWorldEconomicForumsGlobalAgendaCouncilonEurope.

AUG27,2015

AnotherGreatLeapForward
forDevelopment
MADRIDNextmonth,theworldwillachieveamilestoneforglobaldevelopment
efforts.TheUnitedNationsGeneralAssemblywilladopttheSustainable
DevelopmentGoals,anambitioussetofglobalobjectivesexpectedtoimprovethe
livesofmillionsofpeopleby2030.
ThefactthattheSDGsarebeingestablishedontheUNs70thanniversarycouldnot
bemoreappropriate.ThoughtheUNsrecordoverthelastsevendecadeshasnot
beenperfect,withmanyinstancesofinadequateresponses,itssuccessinengaging
theworldinthepursuitofsharedobjectiveslikedevelopmenthasbeenimpressive.
In2000,theUNadoptedadevelopmentagendaunderpinnedbythesocalled
MillenniumDevelopmentGoals(MDGs)andguidedbytheprinciplethatnoone
shouldhavetosuffertheconsequencesofextremepoverty.Atthattime,veryfew
peoplebelievedthatthegoalscouldbeattainedbythe2015targetdate.But,
althoughpovertyhasnotbeeneliminated,therehasbeensignificantprogressand
somemajorvictories.
Since1990(thereferenceyearformeasuringimprovement),thenumberofpeople
livinginextremepoverty(livingonlessthan$1.25aday)hasfallenby33%,from
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1.9billionto836millionworldwide,withmostofthatprogresscomingafterthe
MDGsenteredintoeffect.Thenumberofpeoplewithaccesstosafedrinkingwater
hasincreasedby15%,to1.9billion.Infantmortalityhasbeencutbymorethanhalf,
andmaternalmortalityby45%.
Likewise,primaryschoolenrollmentrateshaverisenfrom83%to91%since2000.
ThenumberofnewHIV/AIDSinfectionshasdroppedby40%.Andofficial
developmentassistancefromdevelopedcountrieshasrisenby66%.
Thesefiguresshowthat,withwelldefinedobjectivesandrealaction,itispossibleto
bringaboutbigchanges.Thisideawasinstrumentalindesigningthepost2015
developmentagenda.TheSDGsbuildontheMDGssuccess,whileaddinganew
dimension:sustainability.Worldleadersnowrecognizethateffortstomeet
developmentneedstodaymustnotjeopardizefuturegenerationsprospects.
Thesustainabilitydimensionbringswithitauniversalitythatwaslackingfromthe
MDGs.Developedcountriesarenolongerjustenablersofprogress,earmarkinga
percentageoftheirGDPtosupporttheeffortsofdevelopingcountriestoreduce
poverty,improvehealth,andraiselivingstandards.Instead,theymustbe
committedandactiveparticipantsintheefforttoachievetheagreedgoals,insome
casesevenmodifyingtheirowndomesticpolicies.
Inthissense,theSDGsmoreclearlyreflecttheconviction,upheldbytheUN,thatall
ofusareglobalcitizens.Thisconvictionliesbehindtheestablishmentof
internationalhumanitarianlawandthesupranationalcourtsthataddressviolations
ofit.Anditunderpinnedtheadoptionoftheresponsibilitytoprotectprinciple,
whichdemandsthattheinternationalcommunitydefendacountryspeoplefrom
massatrocitycrimeswhentheirowngovernmentfailstodoso.
Itcomesdowntopersonaldignity.Nomatterwhoyouareorwhereyouwereborn,
youhaveabasicrighttobeprotectedfrombrutalcrimeslikegenocideortheundue
sufferingofextremepoverty.Futuregenerations,too,deservepersonaldignity
includingthataffordedbyacleanandhealthyenvironment.UNSecretaryGeneral
BanKimoonhasemphasizedpersonaldignityinthediscussionsleadingtothe
adoptionoftheSDGs,evenaskingPopeFrancistoaddresstheGeneralAssemblyon
thesubjectatitsnextmeeting.
Sowhatexactlyisonthenextdevelopmentagenda?Thedraftagenda,onwhich
agreementwasreachedatthebeginningofthismonth,contains17goalsincluding
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endingpovertyinallitsforms,achievingfoodsecurity,promotingsustainable
agriculture,providingqualityeducationtoall,ensuringaccesstoenergyandclean
water,andadoptingurgentmeasurestocombatclimatechangebackedby169
targets.
Fulfillingthisambitiousagendawillrequirerealisticandeffectiveevaluation
mechanismsthathelprevealthebestpoliciesandkeepcountrieseffortsontrack.
Accordingtothedraftagenda,themonitoringprocedureswillbedirectedby
individualcountries,sothateachgovernmentcantailorthemaccordingtonational
priorities.
Butitisuptotheinternationalcommunitytoensurethatallgovernmentsestablish
specificgoalsanddeadlinesformeetingthem.Withoutstrongaccountability
mechanisms,theSDGswillamounttolittlemorethananexerciseinraising
awareness,effectivelysubordinatingthehealth,dignity,andprosperityofall
humanitytoshorttermnationalinterests.TheupcomingSDGsummit,whichwill
bringtogetherthelargestconcentrationofheadsofstateandgovernmentinthe
historyoftheUN,presentstheidealopportunitytoestablishsuchmechanisms.
TheSDGsareextremelyambitious.Withasustainedcommitmentfromallcountries,
developedanddevelopingalike,theworldcanensurethatitcelebratesanother
greatleapforwardin2030.
https://www.projectsyndicate.org/commentary/sustainabledevelopmentgoals
adoptionbyjaviersolana201508
19952015ProjectSyndicate

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