The text “seeks to stimulate
debates about alternative development paths, participatory and inclusive
governance structures, and the transformation in politics and societies that
future justice for all will require,” reads a statement launched by the Group,
comprised of members of Social Watch, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, terre des
hommes, Third World Network, Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation, DAWN and the Global
Policy Forum. “Governments failed to bring their policies into line with the
agreed principles of sustainability and human rights. Instead, policies are
still too often sectorally fragmented and misguided, with an overreliance on
economic growth and self-regulation of the ‘markets’. New concepts like ‘green
growth’ are, at best, attempts to treat the symptoms of the problems without
tackling their root causes,” warns the Group.
“All too often, national and
international policies have not aimed at reducing inequalities,” summarizes the
statement. “The dedication to stimulating economic growth has provided the
incentive to exploit nature, rely on the use of fossil fuels and deplete biodiversity,
undermining the provision of essential services. Women, especially the poor,
continue to suffer from social and economic discrimination and in many places
are deprived of their bodily, reproductive and sexual rights. Biodiversity and
the bounty of nature, while cherished, are not respected, protected or valued.
Communities and populations that seek to live in harmony with nature find their
rights ignored and their livelihoods and cultures jeopardized.”
“We have exceeded the ecological
limits and ignore the planetary boundaries. With the climate change threat we
are already living on borrowed time. However, we refuse to cut back on
emissions and allocate the scarce resources to those who have not yet
benefitted from their exploitation,” warned the Reflection Group. The activists
and experts propose “fundamental changes at three levels”: (1) “changes in the
mindset, the guiding concepts and indicators of development and progress”; (2) “changes
in fiscal and regulatory policies at national, regional and international
levels in order to effectively overcome social inequalities and the degradation
of nature and to strengthen sustainable economies”, and (3) “changes in
institutions and governance mechanisms at national, regional and international
levels.”
“To date, a holistic approach of
sustainability has not been adopted for action. It is necessary to redefine,
for public policy and public life, the concepts of development and well-being,
along with their content, their metrics and their strategies,” adds the Group
and remarks that “every concept of development, well-being and progress in
societies is based on a set of fundamental principles and values” that “are
rooted deeply in our cultures, our ideologies and our belief systems.” In that
sense, it proposes a “set of eight principles as the foundation for a new
sustainability rights framework”, that “are interconnected and must not be
applied in isolation” and “should build the cornerstones of a universal
sustainability rights framework”. They are the “solidarity principle”, the “’Do
no harm’ principle”, the “principle of common but differentiated
responsibilities”, the “’polluter pays’ principle”, the “precautionary
principle”, the “subsidiarity principle”, the “principle of free, prior and
informed consent”, and the “principle of peaceful dispute settlement”.
The statement also refers to
“fundamental values, which are also essential to international relations,” some
of them included in the Millennium Declaration, such as “freedom, equality,
diversity and respect for nature”. But most of the governments “have mostly
failed to translate them into enforceable, guaranteed obligations and specific
policies.” The document postulates “a framework for global sustainability
goals”, with a preliminary list that is the “result of a joint brainstorming
exercise of Reflection Group members”. It is made up by six “core goals”:
“dignity and human rights for all”, “promoting equality and justice”, “respect
for nature and the planetary boundaries”, “building peace through disarmament”,
“fostering fair and resilient financial systems”, and “strengthening democratic
and participatory governance”.
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