11th Meeting of the General Assembly Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals United Nations
New York – 08 may 2014
Cluster 8 - Peaceful and non-violent societies, rule of law and capable institutions
Intervention by Portugal
Mr. Co-Chair,
This working document provides a balanced and fair reflection of the diverse positions expressed during this process. Indeed, the current working arrangements have proven to be a key way of advancing the substantive discussion and understanding on the significant challenges that stand before us and the co-chairs have been playing a decisive role. We continue to support your leadership role moving forward.
As stated in previous sessions, Portugal attaches great importance to the inclusion of peaceful and stable societies and of governance and effective institutions both as important goals in themselves and as fundamental pre-conditions for the attainment of all other priority areas. Although clearly linked, they should however be address as two stand-alone areas of the future agenda, as Timor-Leste and others have already defended. Inclusiveness should also be a main guiding principle of the whole 2015 framework.
Considering targets proposed for both areas, Portugal considers that the work is well advanced but that there is still room for improvement in order to better capture some dimensions. The proposals contained in goals 10 and 11 of the Report of the High Level Panel and the targets proposed by Timor Leste and São Tomé and Principe during the last OWGSD session are important contributions to that objective.
Concerning Peaceful and inclusive societies:
Target a) we should be more ambitious aiming at a significant reduction of crime and violence, and at the eradication (and not only reduction) of all forms of exploitation and violence against women and children, including through reduction of human trafficking, as mentioned in the co-chairs proposal, but also through the elimination of sexual and gender-based violence in conflict, post-conflict, disaster and post-disaster situations; (further mainstreaming the objective of gender equality into this agenda, as we promoted on Tuesday afternoon.) We could look favorably at ideas to split this target, as advanced this morning my some delegations.
Target c) inclusive participatory decision making is of paramount importance, not only to future but also for current generations and for the whole implementation of the post 2015 framework. Therefore, this should be seen as an important and immediate priority, and therefore we should aim toward the establishment of inclusive and participatory political dialogue and decision making at all governance levels, including local governments, to be disaggregated by sex, social ethnic and other categories.
Target d) beyond information and education on a culture of non-violence, we should also aim at increasing the opportunities for people to participate in formal and non formal dispute resolution mechanisms.
A specific target is also missing on the external stressors that lead to conflict, such as organized crime in line with proposals contained in area 11 (target c) of the High Level Panel Report, as well as on the internal stressors such as state fragility and the dispute over natural resources.
On Rule of law and capable institutions
Target a) we would prefer to mention the establishment (and not only the development) of effective and accountable institutions. We also suggest to add, at the end of this target, or as a new target area, the following: “and strengthen the capacity of national and local government institutions to guarantee ownership and use of country systems”. From our perspective, this is particularly important in the case of fragile states, with important consequences in the implementation of all focus areas.
Target b) we suggest to mention equal access for all to independent and responsive justice systems, and add at the end (after trade and finance) the following: and sexual and gender based violence”.
Target c) we would prefer to address public services and legal identity as two separate targets. On legal identity, it is of utmost importance that we clearly aim at universal legal identity for all citizens, as already supported by many.
Target f) we suggest changing the wording to “ensure freedom of media, association and speech.
Finally, we consider that the targets to be defined in this focus area should also give adequate attention to ending impunity, including in what concerns human trafficking and smuggling networks, drug-trafficking, organized crime, and religious, ethnic, sexual and gender-based violence.
Thank you, Mr. Co-Chair.
