NGOs Beyond 2014 - Articles

The Co-Chairs have released the revised working document on goals and targets for the SDGs, in preparation for the May session of the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals (OWG-11). There will also be an annex compiling proposals on the goals and targets as elaborated during OWG-10, which is intended to serve as a comprehensive reference document. Together the two documents will serve as a solid basis for advancing our work.

The number of focus areas has now been reduced from 19 to 16, with some being merged with others eg employment and infrastructure has been merged with economic growth; and equality among nations has been included under industrialization. Promoting equality has been mainstreamed into other areas. It can also be seen that there is a move towards some goal formulation under each focus area and it should be noted that the focus areas reflect the origins of the work of the OWG, namely the outcome of the Rio+20 Conference -- The Future We Want -- with a stronger emphasis on environmental concerns than on the sustainable development and social pillars.

The number of targets under each focus area has been streamlined, with some targets being made more quantifiable.

OWG working document and issues related to sexual and reproductive health and rights

Focus area 3 Health and population dynamics – Healthy life at all ages for all

In line with the general agreement that the ‘off-track’ MDGs should be included, reduction of maternal mortality and morbidity has been retained, as have HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases;

Universal health coverage has been retained with an emphasis on financial risk and most marginalized populations;

Universal access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health for all, including modern methods of family planning is also included. The Co-Chairs, however, have not adopted the formulation of ‘sexual and reproductive health and rights’ as suggested by the TST and UNFPA.

Focus area 5. Gender equality and women’s empowerment – Attain gender equality and women’s empowerment everywhere

Violence against women in all its forms is included, but there is no specific reference to harmful traditional practices such as female mutilation/cutting;

Equal access to education is included;

Ending child, early and forced marriages, has been retained;

Universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights has been retained, but there is no reference to sexual rights;

Promoting the availability of gender disaggregated data and gender sensitive budgeting are also included

Focus area 4. Education and life-long learning – Provide quality education and life-long learning for all

There is no specific reference to comprehensive sexuality education, although (despite calls to the contrary from some members of the OWG), integration of the education curricula is included as is safe and healthy learning environments for all students. These could provide possible entry points for comprehensive sexuality education.

Other areas

Young people: There are fewer references in comparison with the previous document, where they were included under the focus area on Equality. Youth employment is in focus areas 1 and 8; human trafficking of young people in focus area 16; and youth vocational training in focus area 4 on Education. Focus area 16 covers their participation in decision-making and specifies the interest of future generations, as well as discrimination against young people under target (b). Adolescents, per se, are not specifically mentioned.

Migrants: The rights of migrants have been recognized in focus area 8 on economic growth and migration policies under focus area 16 - Peaceful and inclusive societies

Urbanization: The target on urban planning has been retained under focus area 10 on Sustainable cities and human settlements

Data collection: A target on enhancing capacities for data collection and analysis has been concentrated under focus area 15 - Means of Implementation under section dealing with Capacity Development

Older people: There is no mention of older people. It can be construed included under target (b) FA 16 which deals with discrimination against marginalized groups in social, political and economic fields where migrants, indigenous women and youth are mentioned. This is, however, a serious omission that needs rectifying.

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