Briefing from Co-chairs for Civil Society at beginning of 12th session of the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals (OWG-12)

Ambassador Kamau at the beginning of  Co-Chairs meeting with civil society organizations at the12^th session of the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals (OWG-12) on Monday 16 June, said that the informal informals had been “amazingly interesting and dynamic.” Grand-standing was now over and this had allowed for significant progress. There had been positive responses from Member States, which had given the Co-Chairs “a lot of comfort”.

The full session of OWG-12 beginning at 10.00 would pick up from where they had left off last time. It was important to get a sense of how Member States felt as to where they now were. There were only 10 days left for the work of the OWG and even if there are continued informal sessions, they only had until 19 July to complete it. 

The Co-Chairs would like to avoid further statements and expositions and long campaigns from civil society to try to convince Member States and themselves. This process had pretty much happened. Now they were at the “sharp end of the business.” What was needed was “clear and concise language as to what should be sharpened or re-iterated.” However civil society was urged to point out missing issues and the Co-Chairs would try to take them up.

The goals and targets will have a multi-dimensional character and cannot be strictly time-bound and value-based. Some may continue to be aspirational and ambition-based, as the document will be used to motivate society and peoples. It will be read by lay-persons and they appreciated the impact of this and were OK with it. They will call on civil society as and when it’s possible, including intervening in formal sessions. However, this hour each morning will be the “most powerful opportunity to get the message across.”  There would be a “rolling calendar” with more interventions tomorrow and on following days.

Ambassador Korosi reiterated the importance of “really zeroing in” on the final objective for a “crispy report with goals and targets.” Member states had started shifting their minds to look at the impacts and the Co-chairs will be sharing a long list of impact studies – set of proposed MDGs.

Some issues may appear to have disappeared, but in reality they haven’t. He went on to say that: 

• human rights has been mainstreamed into at least seven to eight goals;
• gender equality has 12 goals that speak about it;
• children are included in seven to eight goals and 13 targets; 
• indigenous people are included in five goals and five targets; 
• migrants are in three goals and five targets; 
• persons with disabilities are included in six goals and 10 targets; 
• youth are included in  four goals and seven targets directly and four goals and three targets indirectly; 
• the family can be found in six goals and 10 targets; 
• climate is included in one goal at the moment and is mainstreamed into nine goals; 
• disaster preparedness  and resilience is included in nine SDGs; 
• culture can be found in eight goals: 
• financial inclusion is in five goals and five targets; 
• least developed countries are in 5 goals and 14 targets. 

Ambassador Kamau pointed out that we cannot have a goal for everything nor could the targets include every conceivable idea. They are global and not specifically for any one country or region. As such they have to be designed so all countries can see themselves in them. What they wanted to avoid is a conflictual “them and us” type of debate.