Principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and the SDGs

As pointed out in a posting on the Post 2015 Development Agenda digest written by Alvin Leong (LLM, JD), Fellow at Pace Center for Environmental Legal Studies, the Group of 77 and China (G-77 & China) have advocated for the inclusion of common but differentiated responsibilities (CBDR) as an “overarching principle” of the SDGs.

However, many developed countries object to such inclusion and take the position that CBDR is a principle that is limited to the field of environmental protection, and thus cannot be an “overarching principle” for goals that seek to integrate the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development. This will, undoubtedly, continue to be a contentious area moving forward in the process.