Sustainability is the new buzzword in global discourse on how to promote human wellbeing.
The SDGs, meaning Sustainable Development Goals, are about to replace the MDGs, meaning Millennium Development Goals, as the United Nations’ branded definition of “the future the world wants.” They are like MDG++, a new prescription with all the active ingredients of the latter, and much more.
The MDGs were time-bound, from 1990 to 2015. The targets—MDG1 Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, MDG2 Achieve universal primary education, MDG3 Promote gender equality and empower women, MDG4 Reduce child mortality, MDG5 Improve maternal health, MDG6 Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, MDG7 Ensure environmental sustainability, and MDG8 Develop a global partnership for development—are now expiring, whether attained or not.
(In particular, MDG1 is still far from completion in the Philippines. Its lack of progress was unnoticed by the elite because official statistics were done only 12 times for reference points in 1991-2014.)
SDGs will take over in 2016, and last up to 2030, at least. The horizon of about 15 years, compared to the MDGs’ 25 years, shows its urgency.
The sharing of human wellbeing, at present and in the future. The critical issue in human wellbeing is the unfairness in its distribution. It is quite unfair that people are extremely deprived of sustenance, that women and children are discriminated against, and that basic health services are inaccessible.
What SDGs seek is assurance of more fairness in future sharing, as ever larger populations must cope with an increasingly battered environment. They not only expand the scope of MDG7, but also widen the visions of the other MDGs.
Next week (June 26-July 8), a High-level Political Forum will be held at the UN Economic and Social Council in New York to discuss the SDGs proposed by an Open Working Group in 2013. Formal approval is expected at the UN General Assembly’s 70th session in September.
Traditional development goals. Thirteen of the 17 proposed goals are relatively traditional: SDG1 End poverty in all its forms everywhere, SDG2 End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture, SDG3 Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages, SDG4 Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all, SDG5 Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls, SDG6 Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all, SDG7 Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all, SDG8 Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all, SDG 9 Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation, SDG 10 Reduce inequality within and among countries, SDG11 Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable, SDG12 Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns, and SDG17 Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development.
Three goals give the environmental context more detail: SDG13 Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts, SDG14 Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development, and SDG15 Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.
Justice, the new ingredient. What is unique is a consideration for justice: SDG16 Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.
This SDG on justice has 12 subgoals of its own: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere. End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children. Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels, and ensure equal access to justice for all. By 2030, significantly reduce illicit financial and arms flows, strengthen the recovery and return of stolen assets and combat all forms of organized crime. Substantially reduce corruption and bribery in all their forms. Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels. Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels. Broaden and strengthen the participation of developing countries in the institutions of global governance. By 2030, provide legal identity for all, including birth registration. Ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms, in accordance with legislation and international agreements. Strengthen relevant national institutions, including through international cooperation, for building capacity at all levels, in particular in developing countries, to prevent violence and combat terrorism and crime. Promote and enforce nondiscriminatory laws and policies for sustainable development.
The SDGs call for scientifically-collected data that are equity-oriented, affordable (at least annual), realistic (meaningful to the disadvantaged), understandable, and accessible. They open many opportunities for socially relevant research.
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Contact mahar.mangahas@sws.org.ph.