By Prof. (Dr.) Bharat H. Desai
On October 10, 2023, the United Nations Secretary-General (UN SG) Antonio Guterres addressed the Fifth Committee (Admin and Budget) of the General Assembly (GA). “Inequalities are growing wider and the prospects of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals are growing more distant. And climate disasters are becoming more frequent, more deadly, and more costly. One in three countries is at high risk of a fiscal crisis, and almost half of those in extreme poverty live in countries with severe fiscal problems. The role of the United Nations has never been more vital – and we are stepping up our efforts”, the UNSG said.
The above mentioned prognosis of the UNSG corroborates what this author underscored as “world we live in” in three of his 2023 talks: (i) Prof. R. P. Anand Memorial Lecture; Sept. 14, 2023; (ii) India’s G20 Presidency Lectures at SIS, Sept. 05, 2023; and (iii) Indian Society of International Law, Valedictory Address, March 04, 2023, It is this graphic reality that haunts us as the human driven global challenges (along with nature driven processes). Ironically, the latest ferocious Israeli air pounding in civilian areas of Gaza in response to Hamas strikes in Israeli civilian areas (UN News, Oct 9, 2023), as violations of the Fourth Geneva Convention 1949, has vindicated the grave concerns about more than 2 billion people (out of global population of 8 billion) living in conflict zones. With this grim scenario, the chances for realization of 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are practically bleak. It found an explicit echo in the G20 New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration (Sept. 9-10, 2023) noted with “deep concern immense human suffering and the adverse impact of wars and conflicts around the world” (para 7) as well as “adverse impact that conflicts have on the security of civilians thereby exacerbating existing socio-economic fragilities and vulnerabilities and hindering an effective humanitarian response” (para 12). It presents an ideational challenge – as global solution provider – for the potential Indian leadership through the concrete plank flagged by the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for “dialogue and diplomacy” as well as “today’s era must not be of war” (para 14, G20 Declaration).
UNGA: Conductor of a Grand Orchestra
Along with its six committees, the UNGA has played a pivotal role in norm-setting, organizing international law-making processes and institution building on a variety of global problematique. It has resorted to a remarkable engineering skill to engage a host of actors in contentious issues from the past (colonialism, racial discrimination, slavery, apartheid), existing global problems (climate change, SDGs, violence against women, conflicts) and future challenges (artificial intelligence, planetary crisis, future generations). Notwithstanding the legal quibbling due to the limits placed by Article 11 of the UN Charter on the UNGA’s principal instrumentality of resolutions as “recommendations” has never per se come in the way of making the resolutions work or their legitimacy.
As a corollary to the UNGA’s consistent engagements to address some of the global challenges as a “conductor of a grand orchestra” [Bharat H. Desai (2004). Institutionalizing International Environmental Law, Chapter 5, 144. New York: Transnational], the President of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Csaba Kőrösi, invited (program; letter of July 17, 2023) the Heads of State and Government (HoS&G) for the 2023 High-level political forum on sustainable development under the auspices of the UNGA’s 2023 SDG Summit (September 18-19, 2023). It became significant mid-point (2015-2030) event. The 2023 SDG special edition report provides graphic account of the utopian goals in the troubles world we live in. They were adopted vide UNGA resolution 70/1 of September 25, 2015 with a mission for Transforming Our World. The 2023 SDG Summit could be considered as a last-ditch effort to address the “impact of multiple and interlocking crises facing the world”. The SDG Summit coincided with the commencement of the UNGA 78th session (2023-2024). It took place exactly one year ahead of the forthcoming Summit of the Future (September 22-23, 2024) that will provide yet another chance in quick succession for further review and push for realization of the SDGs in the remaining seven years (2023-2030).
The New York SDG Summit: Outcome
The 2023 SDG Summit can be construed as a ‘stitch in time’ as one of the crucial processes to save humankind from the planetary level crisis that has set in. The Summit sought to respond to the consequences of multiple and interlocking crises that the world is facing. The deliberations and the resultant outcome document – Political Declaration – supported by the UNSG’s Stimulus Plan (Feb. 2023), may yield high-level political guidance on transformative and accelerated actions to usher in a new phase for attaining SDGs in the remaining seven years of the current cycle (2015-2030). As the UNSG underscored, the SDG Summit was “to provide a renewed impetus and accelerated action for reaching the SDGs” and was “expected to reignite a sense of hope, optimism, and enthusiasm for the 2030 Agenda.” However, a “great finance divide” threatens the SDG targets since ability of a large number of poorer countries, reeling under mountains of debt, has been sharply curtailed for investment in recovery, climate action, and sustainable development. As a consequence, the Zero Draft of the Political Declaration (June 08, 2023), prepared for adoption at the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), under the auspices of the UNGA mandated 2023 SDG Summit, underscored the ominous ground reality that: “The achievement of the SDGs is in peril. At the midpoint of the 2030 Agenda, we are alarmed that only 12 per cent of the SDGs are on track and 30 per cent remain unchanged or below the 2015 baseline. The progress on most of the SDGs is either moving much too slowly or has regressed”.
Interestingly, the final Political Declaration, adopted as an outcome of the 2023 SDG Summit, chose to eschew the uncomfortable reality of the “world we live in” contained in the in the chilling figures (“12 per cent of the SDGs are on track and 30 per cent remain unchanged”; Zero Draft). As already mentioned, the mounting debt burden due to high borrowing costs is one of the principal factors that cripples fragile economies of most the developing countries. It reflects deep rooted inequitable international financial and monetary system. In the end, the SDG Summit’s Political Declaration vowed that: We will act with urgency to realize its vision as a plan of action for people, planet, prosperity, peace and partnership, leaving no one behind. We will endeavour to reach the furthest behind first. As a result, the Political Declaration chose to give a priority to implementation of the 2030 Agenda and committed to upholding all the principles contained therein.
(i) Shared Commitment
It has been emphasized that eradication of poverty including extreme poverty is the biggest global challenge and one of the indispensable requirements for sustainable development. It was reaffirmed that the 2030 Agenda is universal in nature and comprises three dimensions of sustainable development: economic, social, and environmental (see Figure: three dimensions of sustainable development agenda).
The empowerment of women “to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.” are crucial pillars of the SDGs as it emphasized. It reaffirmed that the 2030 Agenda was guided by the UN Charter including “respect for international law” since it is “grounded in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, international human rights treaties, the Millennium Declaration and the 2005 World Summit Outcome. It is informed by other instruments such as the Declaration on the Right to Development”. Moreover, climate change has been regarded as one of the “triple planetary crisis” (here, here) of our times. As greenhouse gases (GHG) continue to rise globally, and with all countries, the special vulnerability of the developing countries has been addressed. It emphasized that climate change mitigation and adaptation are an immediate priority. Increased inequality due to poverty, hunger and malnutrition have become more prevalent, humanitarian costs are rising (339 million need assistance), and the impacts of climate change, etc. weaken international solidarity and the trust deficit mars collective efforts to overcome these crises. Cumulatively, it appeared clear that an effective and global cooperation is a sine qua non at all levels to realize the 2030 SDGs. It was, in turn, reflected in a political vow that we “will promote a systemic shift towards a more inclusive, just, peaceful, resilient and sustainable world for people and planet, for present and future generation”.
The Declaration has recognized that many countries are facing challenges in pursuing SDGs. It mostly comprises developing countries including African countries, landlocked countries, island countries and least developed countries. Most of these countries are middle-income countries and countries in conflict and post-conflict situations. The gender agenda emerging at the top of the list as women's empowerment, the elimination of violence against women and girls would require concrete policy, legal and institutional responses at global and domestic levels.
Some other strands in the global concerns and discourse include discrimination based on race, hate speech, stigmatization, xenophobia and related intolerance etc. These can be addressed only through cooperation, partnership, inclusion and respect for diversity. There are cross-cutting actions comprising quality education, universal health and related issues like food etc. that would provide long-term cohesion, sustenance and peaceful future. As a corollary to the urgent steps required for planetary level crisis, the SDG Summit sought to address several other pillars to conserve and sustainably use oceans and seas, freshwater resources, as well as forests, mountains and drylands and protect biodiversity, ecosystems and wildlife. It would need concerted commitments through global, regional, national and legal partnerships for sustainable development to achieve the 2030 Agenda.
(ii) Identified Gaps and Challenges
The challenges and gaps identified and reflected in the 2023 SDG Summit and its outcome instrumentality of Political Declaration, are mostly based on the world before and after COVID-19. Climate change, poverty, forced displacement, economic issues like cost-of-living, conflicts, gender inequality, the problems relating to migration, increased SDG financing gap, problems of landlocked countries, etc. have been identified as the most important challenges in the implementation of the 2030 SDGs that especially affecting developing and least developed countries. Thus, they welcomed the UN Development system to implement reforms championed by the UNSG and endorsed by the UNGA to support the countries in realizing the 2030 Agenda. The importance of sustainable funding has given priority to the UN development system and its programmatic activities. Moreover, voluntary national reviews have been regarded as suitable mechanism to monitor progress and integrate the SDGs into national policies and plans.
(iii) Moving Forward to Achieve Agenda 2030
As the SDG Summit and speeches at the 78th UNGA opening high-level segment (late Sept. 2023) showed, most of the States have renewed their commitment for taking an urgent action at all levels to achieve the goals that would be fundamental and transformative for the planetary future. The SDG Summit has identified States that are doing well and to support those who are left behind. The needs of “all children, youth, persons with disabilities, people living with HIV/AIDS, older persons, indigenous peoples, refugees, internally displaced persons, and migrants have been duly reflected in the Agenda. In fact, the need for a concrete global partnership has emerged as one of the important tools to achieve the SDG targets by 2030. In this wake, the Political Declaration has zeroed in on prioritization of digitalization in the developing countries.
There have been serious concerns for global water scarcity and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all as well as identifying gaps for addressing issues like global pandemic and the global health coverage so that no one is left behind. Similarly, implementation of the ‘New Urban Agenda’, global sustainable consumption patterns and zero-waste initiatives would matter most in the saga of realization of 2030 SDGs. Some other important tasks flagged as important targets comprise: renewable energy, full implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015–2030), implementation of all the provisions of the 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), call for ‘climate action’ for the implementation of the 1992 UNFCCC and the 2015 Paris Agreement as well as implementation of the strategic objectives of the 1994 United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).
The Declaration has reiterated “the need to accelerate the transfer of environmentally sound technologies to developing countries on favourable terms, including on concessional and preferential terms, as mutually agreed”. Similarly, the need for funding SDGs related research and innovation and address the emerging challenges of global regulation of artificial intelligence (AI). It pledged to act on international, national, and local data systems efforts that should be based on high quality, timely, relevant, disaggregated and reliable data on SDG. The outcome also sought full implementation of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda and take further actions to scale up financing to sustainable development and provide the means of implementation to the developing countries.
It appears good omen that through the SDG Summit Declaration, the UN member states renewed their commitments to multilateralism to find ways of working together and ensure that multilateral institutions deliver results. Similarly, they swore by peaceful settlement of disputes, respect for international law and the principles and purposes of the UN Charter including the right to self-determination, territorial integrity and political independence of the States. As an icing on the cake, the SDG Summit Declaration finally vowed and as the UNSG has emphasized (Sept. 18, 2023) that: “We pledge to act now, for present and future generations, turning our world towards a sustainable and resilient path by 2030, and leaving no one behind”. This final sentence crystallizes the essence of what will it take for the UN member states to pursue in the remaining seven years of the current SDG cycle (2015-2030). In fact, walking-the-talk would hold the key to the rescue plan for 2030 SDGs.
Audacity of Hope
In the midst of a “planetary level crisis” [see Bharat H. Desai, SIS Blog Special – I and II (March 29, 2023); Green Diplomacy (Feb. 14, 2023)], it is audacious to hope that the resolve of the 2023 New York SDG Summit (September 18-19, 2023) would pay heed to the emergency button pushed by the UNSG (Stockholm+50; June 02, 2022) and ensure that the SDGs do not remain “hot air” and we decisively “end our senseless and suicidal war against nature”.
The 2023 SDG Summit outcome would also impinge upon the prospects for the 2024 New York Summit of the Future (UNGA Reso. 76/307: here, Our Common Agenda, para 125: here) to be held during September 22-23, 2024. Hopefully, notwithstanding the graphic reality and challenges of the “world we live in”, the key mantra for the UN member states will need to be “leaving no one behind”. This solemn declaration of the SDG Summit’s outcome document of Political Declaration provides a beacon of hope for bold, ambitious, accelerated and transformative actions for a sustainable world for people and planet. It is indeed an audacity of hope (and possibly a miracle) to expect realization of all the 2030 SDGs in the coming seven years (2023-2030). If the UN member states can walk-the-talk, it would set the stage for concrete action plan for saving the planet Earth at the 2024 Summit of the Future.
The Article is a sequel to Blog Special -I posted on 12th August 2023 on the SIS Blog.
This Article is an Original Contribution to the SIS Blog.
Prof. (Dr.) Bharat H. Desai is Professor of International Law, Jawaharlal Nehru Chair and Chairperson of the Centre for International Legal Studies (SIS, JNU), who served as a member of the Official Indian Delegations to various multilateral negotiations (2002-2008), coordinated the knowledge initiatives for (i) Making SIS Visible (2008-2013) and the (ii) Inter-University Consortium: JNU; Jammu; Kashmir; Sikkim (2012-2020) as well as contributes as the Editor-in-Chief of Environmental Policy and Law (IOS Press: Amsterdam)