I see the U.N. moving toward a global government without any elected leaders and a lack of representation of the people.
“I feel excitement and energy coming from the floor,” said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at the beginning of the intergovernmental negotiations for the post-2015 development agenda on Jan. 19.
He noted that all the member states were present for the development of this new agenda. The co-facilitators for the next eight intergovernmental negotiations are Macharia Kamau, permanent representative of Kenya, and David Donoghue, permanent representative of Ireland.
The final document, which will be presented to heads of state at the U.N. in September, will include four parts: (1) a declaration, (2) the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with their targets and indicators, (3) the means of implementation (MOI), which includes a new Global Partnership for Development and (4) a framework for follow-up and review of implementation.
In many respects, all of this is very worrisome for me. I see the U.N. moving toward a global government without any elected leaders and a lack of representation of the people. Every so often you hear discussions of a global tax to help accomplish the U.N. goals. I believe the sovereignty of the individual nations should be respected and honored. Of course, it is easy for poor developing nations to see the value in “sharing the wealth” of developed nations. In this regard, the U.N. could be the solution to all their problems.
The first session, Jan. 19-21, was considered the “stocktaking session,” with many countries, and groups of countries, presenting their preferred outcomes for the post-2015 agenda. Each country had an opportunity to present its goals and aspirations for the future, with suggested topics for consideration in the declaration and the final outcome document.
The delegates of several member countries referred to the need to raise more money, and share more money, in the effort to solve the problems of the world. This was in line with the statement by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that, “To secure a future of dignity for all, we must radically reform our economies.”
Ambassador Kingsley Mamabolo, representing South Africa and the Group of 77 (134 developing countries and China), called for the “provision of new and additional financing resources.”
Several delegates referred to the upcoming Third International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD3) which will be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in July. The co-chairman of the negotiations, Ambassador David Donoghue of Ireland, noted that it would be impossible to deliver the ambitious goals of the SDGs without a recognition of the interconnections between the FfD3 and the post-2015 process.
Again, from a personal view, I worry about a U.N. conference that intends to “radically reform our economies.” That usually means that the U.S. will be expected to give more. I wonder how they plan to reform the economy of the United States, to provide more resources to the U.N.? Is the U.S. capable of redistributing the wealth to solve all the problems of the developing world? Will the sovereignty of the U.S. be protected?
On a positive note, the importance of the family unit was introduced into the process by the country of Belarus. Speaking for 17 countries in “Friends of the Family” group, Valentin Rybakov stated that, “genuine and sustainable development may not be achieved without the family,” and called for “systematic mainstreaming of the family across the post-2015 development agenda.”
“We believe that the documents and the decisions of the SDG Summit of 2015, that will define key elements of the new development framework, should include, as a matter of priority, promotion of the family as a contributor and beneficiary of the development process,” said Rybakov. “By highlighting this important linkage of the family and sustainable development in the documents and decisions of the SDG Summit of 2015, we can gain an invaluable tool to ensure the strengthening and proliferation of the family friendly and family supportive environment, both at the national level and globally.”
Marcia Barlow, director of U.N. Affairs for United Families International, responded: “I am so grateful that such a powerful statement in support of the family was made. It gave me chills to read it and think about the 17 countries that spoke with one voice.”
Commenting on the post-2015 “Road Ahead,” the Earth Negotiations Bulletin stated, “The first meeting of the post-2015 agenda negotiations reinforced the sense that the UN is wading into uncharted waters. Outside the meeting room, some participants described the proceedings as ‘a mess’ and ‘painful.’ But even if delegates were not sure how to focus the discussion, it did not detract from the important ideas and debates that emerged.”
Susan Roylance is the international policy and social development coordinator for the Howard Center for Family, Religion and Society.