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We are not on track in achieving the 2030 Agenda.
In Asia and the Pacific, despite progress on goal 4, some goals are stagnant and some are even regressing (Goal 12 and 13). While it is home to the fastest growing economies, the region also has millions of poor and undernourished peoples.
These shortfalls also need to be contextualized in the multi-dimensional crisis being lived by the people, characterized by the public health crisis during the COVID-19 pandemic; severe wealth inequality; environmental and climate crisis; as well as the crisis of democratic rights and good governance. The pandemic further exposed how neoliberal capitalism has failed to protect people’s rights and to deliver peoples’ needs, including access to quality public healthcare and universal social protection.
The HLPF’s theme Accelerated action and transformative pathways: realizing the decade of action and delivery for sustainable development will never be realised without addressing the root causes of the systemic impediments in achieving sustainable development. Although the GSDR report mentions the negative impacts of the current global trade, and investment regime and the corporate capture of food security, there is no mention of its role in perpetuating unequal and destructive economic growth, as well its role in perpetuating inequalities between rich and poor countries, including through Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS). Domestic tax laws, bilateral tax treaties, and trade agreements have been abused by tax evaders, including multinational corporations, in perpetuating illicit financial flows (IFFs) that are detrimental, especially to developing countries. Corporate capture of governance and resources worsen as solutions for sustainable development increasingly rely on public-private partnerships and investment protection policies that enable corporations to control our natural resources and crucial public services for profit. Big industries control technologies and large amounts of data in the ongoing 4th industrial revolution, at the expense of vulnerable workers, and privacy of ordinary citizens. Land acquisitions are increasing due to the growing infrastructure development. The influx of foreign capital and investments in the region has contributed to increasing militarisation and conflicts. In many countries, the prioritisation of military spending diverts much-needed funds for services including education, health, and housing. Meanwhile, patriarchy, casteism, feudalism and fundamentalism continue to exacerbate the marginalization of women, dalits, Indigenous Peoples and other discriminated groups in the social, political, and economic spheres, including unpaid/underpaid work done by women. We need universal access to well-being in a just, equitable, gender equal world.
In order to understand the interlinkages between the goals using the six entry points and their systemic issues, we recommend HLPF to not cluster SDGs goals into entry points. Instead, identify how each goal contributes to the entry points. Our concrete recommendations on the six entry points can be found in our full submission.
On HLPF Review, we reiterate our position to strengthen follow up and review with clearer principles on accountability and human rights. We highlight the importance of regional processes, including having regional VNRs which can support countries in terms of content and process. In order to formulate action-oriented policy recommendations, the conversation on SDGs at different levels urgently needs to shift to tackling systemic barriers.
Our Decade of Action should be based on human rights and Development Justice. A model that will not accelerate us to more inequality, environmental destruction, labour rights violations. A model that is based on redistributive justice, economic justice, social and gender justice, environmental justice and accountability to the peoples.
