Statement by Nicole Cardinal, Save the Children
Intergovernmental Negotiations on the Post-2015 Development Agenda
Meeting with Major Groups and Other Stakeholders, 24 June 2015
‘From Principle to Practice: Leaving No One Behind’
1. Thank-you for the opportunity to speak today. I am speaking on behalf of the following 40 civil society organizations: ACT Alliance, Age International, Anglican Alliance, Atlas Alliance, Australian Disability and Development Consortium, CAFOD, Chance for Childhood, Child Rights Movement Kashmir Chapter, Childfund Alliance, Children's Literature Festival, Christian Aid, Civil Society Action Coalition on Education for All (Nigeria), Civil Society Alliance for Scaling Up Nutrition (Bangladesh), Church World Service, Development Services Exchange (Solomon Islands), ECO Uganda, Gray Panthers, Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi (ITA) (Pakistan), Institute of Professional Learning, Motivation, National Confederation of Dalit Organisations (India), National Alliance of Women’s Organizations (UK), Ohaha Family Foundation (Nigeria), Oxfam International, Réseau des Organisations Féminines d'Afrique Francophone, Plan International, Sanjan Nagar Public Education Trust, Sightsavers, Society for Sustainable Development (Pakistan), Soroptimist International, Stakeholder Group on Ageing, Stop AIDS, Sustainable Development Organization Pakistan, The Global Alliance for Surgical, Obstetric, Trauma, and Anaesthesia Care (The G4 Alliance), The South Asian Forum for Education Development, Universal Rights Group, VSO, Women for Women's Human Rights - New Ways Association, World Vision International, and my own organization, Save the Children.
2. Inequalities are not an inevitable outcome of development. We know that progress under the MDGs often masked growing inequalities between different groups, including widening gaps in income and wealth. Indeed, the MDGs left millions of people – including children – behind. The pledge that ‘no one will be left behind’ provides us with hope that we will not allow history to repeat itself. To put the principle into practice, we make the following recommendations.
3. First, given the pervasive nature of gender inequality and its consequences for half of the world’s population, achieving gender equality must be strengthened throughout the Zero Draft.
4. Second, the Declaration must prioritize action and end poverty, in all its forms, for the most marginalized people. We recommend that para. 4 include a reference to ‘reaching the furthest behind first’ as called for by Canada, Palau and Benin on behalf of the LDCs on Monday.
5. Third, we urge you to strengthen the language on meeting goals and targets in para. 4 to state: ‘We affirm that goals and targets will only be fully achieved when they are met for all economic and social groupings.’ All progress should be recognized and commended, but success should be measured not just by what we achieve for some, but by what we achieve for all.
6. Fourth, the agenda must ensure human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without discrimination on any ground. We note with concern that ‘age’ is missing from both paras. 17 and 22 as a fundamental ground, as recognized by Japan, Sweden and El Salvador among others. This must be corrected in the revised Zero Draft.
7. Fifth, economic growth does not, by itself, eradicate poverty and reduce inequalities. In para. 24, we recommend after ‘Sustained and inclusive economic growth is essential for prosperity’ adding ‘but only if wealth is shared through progressive policies aimed at redistribution.’
8. Sixth, at the end of para. 2 under the Goals and Targets chapter, we propose adding: ‘We encourage Member States to set national interim or mid-term targets across all goals, in order to accelerate progress for disadvantaged groups, and to ensure that all goals are on track to be achieved by 2030.’ Let’s not leave the hardest work for last.
9. Finally, an agenda that seeks to leave no one behind must monitor progress for those that are the furthest behind. We strongly recommend adding the following key principle in para. 3 of the Follow-up and Review chapter: ‘They will focus on the progress of the social and economic groups that are the furthest behind, and monitor inequalities within and between countries.’
10. Leaving no one behind can be the legacy of the post-2015 development agenda. Let’s ensure it is.
