Statement by Mr. Ivan Šimonović, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights at the UNICEF “United for Dignity” meeting

New York, 12 May 2016

Your Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Let me first congratulate the organizers – the European Union, the World Council of Churches, UNICEF, and the People’s Movement for Human Rights Learning. This event is very timely indeed ahead of the discussion of the zero draft. Linking the SDGs, dignity and human rights learning is hugely important. The 2030 Agenda has the potential to provide dignity for people all over the world. However, this potential can only be realised if people know their human rights and about the 2030 Agenda, and of the obligations that Heads of States and Governments have undertaken in committing themselves to implement this ambitious vision.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Civil society pressure is essential to hold Governments to account. We need to ensure that local communities, civil society organisations and ordinary people are aware of their entitlements under the SDGs, and that they actively engage to call for delivery. To put it simple: if the SDGs are not a part of human rights learning, the promise of dignity contained in them will not be fulfilled.

We cannot afford that the SDGs remain unfulfilled - global challenges to social and economic rights are simply too big. It is not only a matter of perception; quantifiable data indicate disturbing trends. According to Oxfam, for the first time in history, 1% of the richest possess more than the remaining 99% citizens of the world. Briefly: the gaps between haves and have-nots is widening nationally and internationally, with negative impact on social cohesion and political stability. GDP per capita in Monaco is more than one thousand times higher than in Somalia. Life expectancy in Monaco is double than life expectancy in Sierra Leone.

Indicators on inequalities, such as the Gini coefficient, demonstrate that income differences have been growing in most societies. It is telling that the latest available data indicates that it is the highest in Namibia, and lowest in Sweden.

The close relationship between peace and development is beyond any doubt. Isn’t it telling that the five countries considered the most peaceful in the world – Iceland, Denmark, Austria, New Zealand and Switzerland - are all among the most developed, while the five least developed - Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, South Sudan and the Central African Republic – all face serious peace and security challenges?

As we face multiple challenges of inequalities and conflict, does the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development provide the answers?

As you know, the Agenda calls for an integrated vision and actions across the peace and security, development and human rights pillars of the UN Charter.  Unlike the MDGs, the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs offer important opportunities to realize freedoms from fear and want for all people without discrimination.

The 2030 Agenda is an “Agenda of the people, by the people, and for the people.” In view of its universal nature, the Agenda applies to all countries and all people.

The new Sustainable Development Agenda is grounded in civil, cultural, economic, political, social rights and the right to development. In addition to two equality goals (SDGs 5 and 10), human rights, equality and non-discrimination permeate all goals and targets in a cross-cutting manner. The 2030 Agenda commits to “leaving no one behind” and to “reaching those furthest behind first.”

So what does this important principle of “leaving no one behind” mean? The new Agenda includes an expansive list of groups to be given special focus, including women and girls, children and youth, persons with disabilities, people living with HIV/AIDS, older persons, indigenous peoples, refugees and internally displaced persons and migrants. We must deliver on this promise to everyone, including those not mentioned in the list, such as minorities and LGBT.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

None of the above will be achieved without equal access to justice, inclusive and participatory decision-making, access to information and protection of fundamental freedoms. All of these elements are set out in Goal 16, on peaceful, just and inclusive societies, covering many dimensions of civil and political rights.

The SDGs will simply not be achieved, if progress is not monitored fully and transparently, and if nobody feels the sting of failure. Accountability mechanisms at all levels are of vital importance. What steps can we take to keep the momentum and to effectively monitor the implementation of the 2030 Agenda? How can we make sure that the promise of the SDGs is translated into reality, in particular for those furthest behind?

The process that led to the adoption of this Agenda in September last year was perhaps the most inclusive in the history of the UN. It is critical that we keep people engaged as we move into to implementation.

So how to achieve such mobilisation?

•   Firstly, we need to ensure that all stakeholders, including civil society, are able to participate freely, actively and meaningfully. People are agents of change, and not mere recipients.

•   Secondly, we must fully explore the massive untapped potential of social accountability. There are ample examples of grass-roots organizations effectively monitoring budget allocations - for example through social audit campaigns, expenditure tracking and score cards, and citizens’ budget initiatives. These are the kinds of initiatives - outside the formal accountability mechanisms - which we will need to scale up and replicate.

•  Thirdly, let us use the mechanisms we already have. The Universal Periodic Review, the treaty bodies and the special procedures monitor progress regarding the realisation of human rights. The SDG review processes should draw on this wealth of information.
As the 2030 Agenda is grounded on human rights, this must be reflected in the Follow-up and Review of the 2030 Agenda, and we urge you to raise this when discussing the Zero Draft later today.

•   Fourth, we need to focus our efforts on the reduction of inequalities between different population groups, and in particular with regard to the most marginalized and excluded.  This will require greater use of disaggregated data. Only then will we know if we are delivering on the promise of ‘leaving no one behind’, reducing inequalities and eliminating discrimination.

•   Finally, human rights education is essential for success. Beyond its reference as a specific target in the context of Goal 4 on quality education, human rights learning provides a major contribution to the realization of the whole 2030 Agenda. There should be broad dissemination of the SDGs to educational institutions, civil society, media and others. We need to empower rights-holders so that they know of their rights and entitlements, and can hold their governments accountable. This is not a matter of just teaching people words on paper – it is a matter of conveying the very substance of the rights, so that people feel their entitlements. This allows communities to actively engage with Governments and to work jointly for progress.

•   In this sense, human rights learning is crucial in promoting greater participation of all people in the implementation of 2030 Agenda, and to leave no one behind.