By Esmee Russell | Inter Press Service
LONDON—In September the United Nations will agree on new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which will set development priorities for the next 15 years. The draft goals that have been developed are ambitious—they seek to end poverty and ensure no one is left behind.
Until now, civil society has been engaged in discussions over goals and targets; through national consultations and UN hearings. As End Water Poverty (EWP), a global civil-society coalition of over 280 organizations worldwide, we campaigned for a post-2015 world where we see the end of inherent systemic inequalities and the full realization of the human right to water and sanitation.
Through these opportunities, member-states heard our call; that water and sanitation is a fundamental aspect of all development and a key priority to address in order to improve our future. Together as a united civil society, we achieved securing a dedicated water and sanitation goal—goal 6—and welcome this progressive advancement.
However, there is still much work to be done. The only way to make this goal an achievable global reality is to have effective, inclusive indicators that can be monitored. This critical need has not been met.
To date, the discussions around indicators have been led by technical experts behind closed doors, without input from other stakeholders. The voice of civil society has not been heard.
This is despite the UN stating the setting of the post-2015 agenda will be fully inclusive of all stakeholders. The time to act is now. Civil society has to stand united to call for a positive future; one that prioritizes improving the lives of those most in need.
EWP is calling to ensure that space is created for civil society to be an important contributor in these processes, particularly in the critical stage of developing indicators.
A participatory approach is essential, as it leads to effective and sustainable interventions based on the real needs of communities.
We must hold the UN accountable to fulfill its promise that the next development framework will be fully inclusive, as so far, the indicator process is reneging on that promise. Being asked to meetings is not enough; civil society’s participation cannot be tokenistic inclusion.
We are also calling for specific and necessary changes to the draft indicators, to ensure that they are sufficient to truly measure governments’ delivery on their commitments.
Civil society has serious concerns about the current drafts tabled, as they are insufficient to truly measure whether people have access to safe, affordable and equitable water and sanitation.
These draft indicators do not go far enough to ensure the full implementation of the human right to water and sanitation.
This is why EWP member Freshwater Action Network- Mexico (FAN-Mex) will be attending the upcoming informal interactive hearings on the post-2015 development framework held by the UN General Assembly on May 26 and 27.
We need to ensure that these processes are fully inclusive of civil society’s voice and that our future agenda is based on a human rights approach; that no one is left behind, and that ending poverty and tacking inherent systemic inequalities are of fundamental priority for our future.
The global crisis of water and sanitation is not caused by scarcity or population size. It is a political crisis, of unequal and unfair distribution determined by money, power and influence. This needs to change.
The two-day hearings ahead will see representatives from civil society, the major groups and from the private sector offering a critical opportunity for deeper engagement in the post-2015 development agenda.
We have to use this opportunity to call for the change we need, to reprioritize the importance of improved access to water and sanitation.
We feel that, particularly for goal 6, additional indicators are required which will monitor access to safe and equitable water and sanitation in schools and health centers, and that civil society is involved in the monitoring of the indicators.
For us, it is most critical that indicators will need to be disaggregated. This is to ensure that disparities and inequalities in progress are made visible, to prevent the poorest and most marginalized from being left behind.
EWP will be highlighting that the current draft indicators will not direct government action toward those who need it the most, the vulnerable and marginalized. Therefore, if left as is, they will simply replicate some of the failures of the Millennium Development Goals.
To reinforce this call and amplify our voice, simultaneously next week EWP members, alongside other civil-society representatives, will be attending AfricaSan 4 in Senegal, a cross-continental meeting to assess levels of access to sanitation.
“Governments must work harder to meet their obligations on water and sanitation and improve people’s lives. Africa, in particular, has a very poor track record in ensuring sufficient access to sanitation; this needs to change to address major inequalities,” Samson Shivaji, CEO at Kenya Water and Sanitation CSOs Network, an EWP member, stated.
Civil society must have a voice in setting our future and call to prioritize sustainable water, sanitation and hygiene. We must ensure the human right to water and sanitation is realized for all. There is an urgency to prioritize improving people’s lives, with no one left behind, and the time is now.