Recovery and Sustainable Development from the Margins: MGoS perspectives and demands at the midpoint of the 2030 Agenda

The event featured the participation of prominent representatives from civil society, governments, private sector, academia, UN agencies, and other key actors. It provided a critical analysis of the contributions of marginalized communities to sustainable development and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as actions and recommendations that can be supported to strengthen multilateral global governance and the inclusion of a human rights perspective, specifically the economy.

The session was moderated by Mabel Bianco, co-chair of MGOS CM. Opening remarks were made by ECOSOC Vice President Ms. Paula Narvaez from Chile.

Presentations

The first speaker was Lucie Morillon, about France Volontaires, a French platform for international exchange and solidarity volunteering on behalf of other volunteer actors. She presented the V-Forêts program as a concrete example of how volunteering can approach the preservation of forest ecosystems in the Congo Basin region.

She highlighted some specific issues related to the role of volunteerism in Agenda 2030 and sustainable development:

• Volunteers play a key role in implementing projects in various fields, contributing to the achievement of the SDGs. However, the need for increased civic engagement and volunteerism to accelerate progress was emphasized, as currently only 12% of the SDG targets are on track.
• The importance of volunteerism in giving voice to marginalized groups and building multi-stakeholder partnerships. Also, volunteers act as links between institutions, local authorities and communities, ensuring that the latter are involved in the formulation of public policies and projects. During crises and emergencies, volunteers also play a crucial role in providing aid and first assitance.

She also made recomendations to member states to recognize and support the contribution of volunteerism in the implementation of the SDGs. States were urged to formally recognize the work of volunteerism in their National Voluntary Reviews, support and recognize volunteer groups in national plans and strategies, and facilitate the participation of non-governmental actors in SDG monitoring and review processes. She also emphasized how crucial it is to collect data on the contribution of volunteers in achieving the SDGs.

In her presentation, Simona Torotcoi, representative of the Communities Discriminated by Work and Descent (CDTD), underlined the importance of addressing the discrimination and exclusion faced by these communities in the 2030 Agenda and in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

She highlighted that the CDTDs, such as Dalits, Roma, Haratin, Buraku and Quilombolas, seek to be represented in sustainable development and face significant social exclusion due to discrimination. He further called on member states to review anti-discrimination legislation, close existing gaps and collect disaggregated data to assess progress in implementing the SDGs. She also highlighted the necessity to ensure access to essential services and social protection for the most vulnerable and to encourage the meaningful participation of civil society, especially marginalized groups, in decision and policy making.

The third was Alessandra Nilo, from GESTOS, from the Women’s Major Group, who highlighted the importance of organized civil society in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

She mentioned the concern for the insufficient progress achieved up to the midpoint of the global sustainable development agendas and called for a stronger focus within the United Nations in the negotiation processes for the reform of the international financial architecture.

Also she called for a redistribution of wealth and an adequate allocation of capital for sustainable development, and stressed that civil society organizations have been economic agents responsible for innovation and social and environmental transformations. However, it underlined that CSOs, especially those in the Global South, face financial challenges and called for adequate mechanisms to finance their work beyond limited philanthropy. He also criticized the reduction of flows to civil society while the private sector accesses official development assistance resources. Finally, he remarked: «When we, civil society, talk of finance, we are are not talking only about Money, but about LIFE, about RIGHTS, about how to preserve LIFE in planet in all its biodiversity.»

The fourth and final presentation was given by Wanun Permpibul who discussed the experience of working with different vulnerable groups in Thailand, such as women’s communities, farmers and fishermen representing Asia Pacific.

These groups contributed to sustainable development without necessarily being aware of the SDGs. Their livelihoods involve farming traditional crops, such as rice, mangoes and plums, as well as traditional fishing for consumption and sale in the local market. These communities also care for community forests, obtaining natural services and non-timber forest products for their livelihoods.

However, they face challenges due to extreme weather factors, such as high heat and unpredictable rainfall, which negatively affect crop production and household food security. To cope with these problems, some farmers resort to government loans through the Bank of Agriculture, but find themselves trapped in a cycle of indebtedness, as they are required to change their traditional farming practices to meet loan requirements.

For example, the government and the Bank of Agriculture implemented false solutions under the name of «climate-smart agriculture», which benefit large corporations and do not take into account the specific needs of local farming communities.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the financial situation of farmers, leading to increased reliance on loans and unsustainable solutions. In response to these challenges, farming communities have come together as local movements and cooperatives to advocate for agricultural funds instead of loans, and have developed sustainable local initiatives, such as the use of solar energy for agriculture, women-led water banks, and seed saving.

The presentation emphasized the importance of recognizing and amplifying these local and grassroots initiatives by documenting their stories and innovations. It also encouraged the sharing of these experiences at the community, local and national levels, and through regional networks to achieve greater visibility and support for sustainable solutions implemented by communities.

This was followed by the reaction of the representative of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Savitri Bisnath, High Commissioner, works within OHCHR developing projects under the concept of the human rights-based economy. She stated: «We need a radical transformation: to put human rights at the heart of our economies and state policies».
He argued that a human rights-based economy seeks to incorporate all people, the planet and human rights into economic decisions and policies, recognizing the indivisibility of civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights.This approach seeks to enhance respect, protection and fulfillment of human rights, facilitating social dialogue and promoting transparency and accountability. It also involves macroeconomic and trade policies that seek to maximize resources, reduce corruption and improve investment in economic, social and cultural rights. This approach is considered fundamental to address inequalities, poverty, the climate crisis and other global challenges, and requires specific policies and tools, as well as a budget with a focus on the fulfillment of human rights and public participation.

Finally, the meeting was opened to questions and answers, and a rich dialogue developed between the participants and the panelists. In conclusion, Mabel Bianco pointed out the importance of understanding that the right to economic development is not opposed to the achievement of basic and universal rights.

That is why we need to clarify that only by respecting an economic development model that prioritizes the welfare of all citizens and promotes equality of distribution can the 2030 Agenda and its slogan «Leave no one behind» be fulfilled, for this the voice of the most marginalized populations is fundamental and also to understand the link between human rights and economic development, which are not opposed but complementary. The inequality of the distribution of benefits that exists between the rich and the others between countries and within countries cannot continue and must be modified, this is fundamental so that in the next seven years the SDGs and the 2030 Agenda are fulfilled to the maximum extent possible.