Democratic regression, human rights and SDGs

The piece came in Down To Earth blogspot on February 5, 2019

Web link: https://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/governance/democratic-regression-human-rights-and-sdgs-63118

Pradeep Baisakh 

Credit: Ritika Bohra/CSE

There is a new trend of “democratic regression” and the rise of strong-arm leaders with a sturdy pitch for polarising politics across the world, suggests a recent report by Civicus, a global civil society alliance. The irony is that many of them have risen to power in established democracies through free and fair elections. In such a situation, what will be the state of human rights while implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)? 

The framework of Agenda 2030, popularly known as the SDGs, which was adopted by the United Nations in 2015, has brought in several provisions of human rights as enshrined in various international human rights instruments. For example, Goal 1 of Agenda 2030, which aims at ending extreme poverty by 2030, relates to the right to an adequate standard of living cherished in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) of the United Nations. Goal 10, which aims at reducing inequality, relates to the right to equality and non-discrimination of UDHR.

Such correlation can be found in all the 17 SDGs, with other instruments like the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Convention on the Rights of the Child, Declaration of Elimination of Violence against Women, Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the like. One can also find ample congruence between the SDGs and the Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles of State Policy of the Indian Constitution.

While the SDG framework has encompassed socio-economic, cultural and environmental rights, it somehow misses out on the core political rights of people. For example, it only faintly mentions about the need for democracy and fundamental freedoms, and does not discuss civil liberties, free expression and the free press.

The fear that countries could well claim to implement the SDGs while ignoring human rights is very real now. Democracies like the United States, Brazil, and India have witnessed the election of leaders with radical views, which has had debilitating consequences on human rights. The situation in several authoritarian regimes in the world can well be imagined. 

On an average, four land and environmental defenders were killed in a week in 2017, reveals Global Witness, a global alliance on the protection of environment and human rights.  In countries like Denmark and Italy, political parties are fueling division against minorities. Democracy is suppressed in the name of security in Egypt and Ethiopia. We regularly hear about different forms of human rights violations from countries like the Philippines, Thailand and Cambodia. The crises of the Rohingya in Myanmar and Syrians in West Asia and Europe hit headlines regularly despite the promise of international cooperation for the safety of refugees in SDGs.

The situation in India is no better. The ongoing religious intolerance is an antithesis to SDG 16, which promises a peaceful society and provision of access to justice for all. The constant obstruction of some fringe groups and workers of a particular political party to the implementation of the Supreme Court order permitting entry of women to the Sabarimala temple in Kerala is in contrast to the promise of gender equality made under Goal 5. It goes without saying that the government is primarily responsible to work towards achieving the SDGs no matter who violates it. And the reported hunger-related deaths of people in states like Jharkhand and Odisha counters the promises made in Goal 2 to end hunger and ensure food security.

Private sector and SDGs

SDG implementation might need $5-$7 trillion annually and developing countries are facing a shortfall of $2.5 trillion, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The private sector is therefore being encouraged to play a greater role in SDG implementation to bridge the resource gap. At the 73rd UN General Assembly in September 2018 in New York City, The United Nations Development Programme launched “SDG Impact”, an initiative to promote private sector investment in SDGs.

While this is well-placed in the spirit of multi-stakeholder involvement in the SDGs, doubts remain about the colour of private investors, given the records of rights violation and environmental damage caused by them. The transparency of such investments is a pre-condition to ensure that they are truly for sustainable development. The governments should mandatorily report about it in the UN High Level Political Forum and in the Parliaments or Legislatures.  

While the governments ought do a lot more to synchronise human rights with sustainable development goals, civil society has a strong role in pushing for it by creating popular pressure through media and mass actions and advocating with the governments.

The author is the Asia Coordinator of GCAP, a global campaign fighting against inequality and poverty

Recipe for sustainable development in Odisha

The piece came in Countercurrents on September 18, 2018

Web link: https://countercurrents.org/2018/09/18/recipe-for-sustainable-development-inodisha/ 

Pradeep Baisakh 

“Social exclusion, malnutrition and degradation in quality education are the major challenges and break the speed of development process. Grassroots level development needs inclusion of all the stakeholders like civil society organizations, policy makers, government officials, academia and community based organizations, said Dr. Rajiv Kumar, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog, Government of India during the OdishaVikash Conclave 2018 held in Bhubaneswar in August 27 – 29. The conclave discussed several issues relating to sustainable development agenda of the state.

Participating in the conclave Odishavikash conclave Union Petroleum & Natural Gas and Skill Development Minister Dharamendra Pradhan said that the conclave is a unique opportunity for all the stakeholders like academia, policy maker, civil society organizations and community based organisations to build up inclusive development for the state.

Working and making partnership among government and nongovernment actors holds good taste in sustainable development agenda. Social organization has a vital role in achieving Sustainable Development Goals and it can be possible only through synergy building and joint collaboration among all the development actors, opined some participants.

Four out of 10 children in the state are under nourished. The major cause of this situation is lack of adequate nutrition and balanced diet, unhealthy environment and unhygienic practices. This creates an alarming situation for the state and need to be addressed immediately.  Now the central government is focusing on education to all and quality learning process. The center is planning to come out with output-based accountability in basic education to ensure the quality learning.

The conclave came up with suggestions for development of the state. Some of them are discussed here.

Kalahandi, Kandhamaal, Sundargarh, Koraput, Malkangir, and many other tribal districts in the state are suffering from unpredictable condition in human life style. Development agenda can be accelerated in these unreachable pockets through sensitizing people and ensuring participation in grassroot planning process.

It is necessary to enhance transparency and accountability in the local self-governance system through proper bottoms-up participatory planning, monitoring and implementation of welfare schemes and programs.

It is recommended to double the budget of MGNREGA and reach out at least 50% job card holders and ensure 100 days employment to 25% job card holders. Increase public spending on health to 2% of GSDP by next 3 years and regulate price, quality and access to health care in private sector; closely monitor the implementation of health insurance schemes. Invest on building human capital, through higher levels of resource commitment for social sectors, especially education. Promote rain-fed farming systems including livestock and fishery in aspirational districts and develop Farmers Resource Centres that can act as convergence points for rain-fed areas in all the districts.

Formulate Odisha Migrant Workers Welfare board (OMWWB) and corpus fund for the welfare of vulnerable migrant workers in the state; strengthen interstate coordination and facilitation centres at both source and destination locations. While dealing with nutrition, follow a life cycle approach with a focus on first 1000 days, promote lactational management units, crèche services for pre-school children and home visits at critical life stages. Activate Area Sabhas and Slum Improvement/Welfare Boards in urban areas.

State ought to ensure 100% RTE compliance in schools by next Academic Year. Ask for adequate budgetary allocations for proper curricular and co-curricular activities through well-defined School Development Plans (SDPs).

It is urged to re-activate the regional imbalance commission to address inequality; take block as the lowest possible unit; bring the State Finance Commission around to prioritising the backward rural and urban local bodies that are plagued with gross inequality.

Universalize social security pension and fix it at a minimum of the half of minimum wages per month; go for 5% reservation of PwDs in the local self-governance system.

Include the third gender in all facilities, rights and entitlements. Prepare and empower communities to undertake local Hazard-Risk-Vulnerability (HRV) analysis; factor the risks and remedial measures in GP plans and allocate resources accordingly. Restrict the transfer of patta land of tribals to non-tribals.

Enforce regulation on conservation of water and promote decentralized water supply systems rather than mega piped water supply systems. . Formulate and implement an Inclusive River Policy and set-up a River Science Institute to promote research, advocacy and model for effective management of river basins.

Citizens in Asia throng the streets demanding implementation of SDGs

The piece came in Delhi Post on November 22, 2018

Web link: https://delhipostnews.com/citizens-in-asia-throng-the-streets-demanding-implementation-of-sdgs/

Pradeep Baisakh

With three objectives of generating awareness, enforcing accountability and creating impact, the global citizens called to #Act4SDGs and held various forms of mass actions across the world.

Agenda 2030 was adopted by 193 member-nations of United Nations in 2015 to pave the way for a sustainable world, which would adequately meet the needs of the current generation without endangering the lives, livelihood and liberty of the future generations.

A cluster of 17 ambitious goals and 169 targets were formulated to mark a departure from the ongoing development course, which has led to excessive use of natural resources resulting in climate change.

However, successful implementation of the ambitious agenda holds the key to its achievement. Governments alone cannot take them to the desired end. Other actors of the society like the civil society, the private entities and the citizen at large have a role to play.

“The civil society has a vital role in spreading awareness and monitoring the implementation of the goals.”

With these responsibilities in mind, we at Action for Sustainable Development (A4SD), Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP), UN SDG Action Campaign celebrated the “Global Day of Action” this year to mark the third anniversaryof the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on September 25.

With three objectives of generating awareness, enforcing accountability and creating impact, the global citizens called to #Act4SDGs and held various forms of mass actions across the world. The campaign started last year itself.

In Asia, the civil society network, Asia Civil Society Partnership for Sustainable Development (APSD) also joined the campaign. Citizens in eight countries of Asia demanded actions from the governments.

Actions on awareness and advocacy in Nepal and Pakistan: Ageing Nepal, a NGO working for the old people in Nepal organised rallies and sports competition among the elderly in Nepal. They also participated in games like musical chairs, apple eating competition, spoon race and pot-breaking competition etc to draw the attention of the policy makers to the needs of the elderly in the framework of SDGs.

In Pakistan, the members of Pakistan Development Alliance submitted a memorandum to the newly elected Prime Minister Imran Khan to implement SDGs in Pakistan.

Inequalities in India: In India, Wada Na Todo Abhiyan, a strong network consisting of 4,000 NGOs engaged the youth to spread awareness on the SDGs and key communication material were prepared on inequality of the Dalits – the group facing discrimination owing to their work and dissent.

The following video highlights the unsavory experience a manual scavenger (A Dalit) has to go through to make ends meet.

The social workers of Gopal Kiran Samaj Sevi Sanstha from Madhya Pradesh province of India took out a candle march as part of their awareness campaign. They also held discussion sessions with children; self help group women and jail inmates on SDGs.

“Coastal cleanup and conservation in Philippines and Sri Lanka: In Philippines, the Philippines Rural Reconstruction Movement undertook coastal cleanup programme with participation of the citizens on the occasion.”

In Sri Lanka, SUNFO Lanka organised a 1,200 meters long (collection of) banner on the coast in Sri Lanka with messages on SDGs and climate change.

Seminars in Japan, stand-up campaign in Bangladesh and social media actions in Afghanistan: Japan Civil Society Network on SDGs organised seminars on SDGs and disaster.

The civil society members in Bangladesh did a “Stand Up for SDGs Programme” in front of Bangladesh National Parliament in its capital Dhaka. The citizens in Afghanistan led by Sanayee Development Organisation undertook social media actions demanding peace in the country.

“These actions by the citizens are likely to have spiraling effect in spreading information on SDGs so that more and more people can demand actions.”

In turn, the government authorities are likely to put policies in place owing to the demands of the citizens and pressure from the civil society for realising various goals under Agenda 2030.

“Odisha has well intended polices, but implementation is poor: Rajkishor Mishra

The interview figured in Governance Now on October 1, 2018

Web link:https://www.governancenow.com/views/interview/odisha-has-well-intended-polices-but-implementation-is-poor

It also came in Orissa Diary: http://orissadiary.com/positive-discrimination-needed-address-exclusion-food-scheme-rajkishor-mishra/

Pradeep Baisakh 

Rajkishor Mishra, former advisor of supreme court on right to food, talks about food governance in Odisha.

With high economic growth and many welfare schemes in place the state, has the situation on food and nutrition of people of Odisha improved over the decades? Rajkishor Mishra, former advisor of supreme court on right to food brings out key discussion of food governance in Odisha. 

 

 

Recently CM Naveen Patnaik announced to launch Odisha’s own food security scheme, which will cover more than 34.44 lakh families that have been left out of the National Food Security Scheme (NFSA). Will it be able to bridge the gap in food security or is it a parallel scheme, like Odisha’s Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana is parallel to the centre’s Ayushman Bharat Yojana, launched due to political rivalry with the BJP? 

I on behalf lakhs of left out poor shall congratulate the state government for taking this decision, though incomplete and late. More than 40 lakh eligible poor who have been waiting for years after application to get benefit under PDS – NFSA, got the assurance that sooner or later they would be getting their entitlement under state food security scheme (25 lakh persons to be included in the first phase). 

 

Right to food and nutrition security has become a political issue. It has become possible due to the intervention of the supreme court and the consistent pursuit by the National Right to Food Campaign. This was well reflected in the last panchayat election in Odisha where the real voter – poor in western and south Odisha -- rejected the ruling party. This was due to the mis-governance in food, nutrition and social security.

 

Development priorities of both the ruling party (at centre and state) have been different; one focuses on infrastructure, connectivity, gas connection and hygiene, whereas the party ruling the state has been focusing on food, nutrition and social security. But at this time both lack consistency and convergence. In both the cases improper implementation along with lack of transparency, accountability and robust grievance redressal is lacking, which has pushed the poor to further vulnerability.  

 

There are families in Odisha which are excluded from the NFSA. Do other states face a similar situation? Does this point at the failure of NFSA? 

Governments have to understand that basic entitlements like food, health, education and water cannot be targeted. As long as we lack this understanding, for one reason or other, exclusion would persist. Stringent targeting and improper selection and identification of beneficiaries have been major causes of exclusion and inclusion error in social security schemes across India. Recently technology based harassment and exclusion has been reported from neighboring states like Jharkhand, where due to Aadhaar some people allegedly died of starvation. 

 

We need a paradigm shift in our governance model. Governments have to understand that food and nutrition governance is not about saving revenue, but it is all about making the system efficient so that the needy and poor are not deprived of their entitlements. If the system created for nutrition governance is itself excluding the most deserving then we have to question the system. Extreme poor not getting five kilo of cereals for [lack of] Aadhaar, bank linkages, biometrics or PoS machine is not acceptable. Preliminary reports from the field in Odisha also indicate exclusion pension and ration due to Aadhaar. 

 

It is not failure of the NFSA, but failure of governance. 

 

Is the coverage of the poor families complete with the new state food scheme or there will be still some left out families? 

The well intended state food scheme would still keep the poorest outside the food security net. From the recent field visits and interaction with officials, I could say, the implementing officials have not come out from their exclusion mindset and more importantly the process that is followed to include (making Aadhaar mandatory and population based target for districts) is going to create both exclusion and inclusion error across the state at the same time. 

 

State is yet to specify its stand on intra-household exclusion and including the most vulnerable into the AAY. With confusion over these issues, it is feared that most marginalised and poor would be deprived of the food scheme. 

 

After the hunger deaths of Jhintu Bariha and family members in Balangir district in 2009 the pressure was built up and the government launched several food related schemes, which staved off starvation deaths in KBK (Bolangir-Kalahandi- Koraput) region. But they have again resurfaced in last two years. What is the reason? 

Both the state and society are responsible for the hunger-related deaths. Now we are at a stage of societal transition where timely identifying a vulnerable, who has slipped into hunger, is a major challenge. Need of the hour is for the government to initiate a dialogue to timely identify and come to the rescue of such vulnerable people and household. Sensitising the administration, political leadership especially PRI and society and their coordination and convergence would stop the cases of starvation and hunger in Odisha. 

 

On the other hand, the government has to admit that exclusion of most vulnerable is a governance issue and need fixing of accountability, and more importantly downward accountability.  

 

Odisha has witnessed poverty, hunger deaths, and child sale. Does the new Odisha you live in still carry the same image as it was thirty/forty years before when there was forced child sale in Kalahandi in mid-80s? 

 

During the last decade we have seen dramatic improvement in governance especially in food, nutrition and social security schemes. Keeping the pulses scam behind we smoothly moved towards decentralised procurement in ICDS and MDM. Despite meagre amount as pension the coverage and distribution of pension has been exemplary in Odisha. The PDS reform and streamlining MDM in last decade is remarkable. As indicated earlier with improper implementation and lack of consistency we are at a stage best described as four steps forward and two steps backward. 

 

With stable bureaucracy, specific role of PRI in food and nutrition governance and with robust accountability and grievance redressal mechanism we can further change the image. 

 

The sustainable development goal number two aims to end hunger, achieve food security and improve nutrition by 2030. Do you think the state has adequate policies and schemes in place to achieve this? 

The recent policy decisions of expanding and near universalising pension scheme, providing 5 and 12 eggs to children and women in Anganwadi, including the left out through State food security scheme, revamping maternity entitlement – Mamata scheme and many more -- indicates that the state has the intention to achieve the SDG-2. But when we see the inconsistency, improper implementation, absence of accountability, no specific policy for ensuring participation and lack of role of PRI, bureaucratic instability creates doubt over the intention. 

 

The state government has to understand that well intended policy decision without clear rollout policy is a failure. Clear rollout policy is as important as well intended policy decision.    

 

Sustainable Development Goals: No More Complacency, Urgency Needed!

The piece came in Counterpunch on September 7, 2018

Web link: https://www.counterpunch.org/2018/09/07/sustainable-development-goals-no-more-complacency-urgency-needed/

Pradeep Baisakh 

“We face mounting challenges in the form of growing numbers of conflicts, rising inequality, erosion of human rights, unprecedented global humanitarian crisis….climatechange is moving faster than we are; yet we see insufficient political will to meet commitments.” Remarked UN Secretary General António Guterresin the closing of the High Level Political Forum (HLPF).

“We are ashamed of our indicators on gender equality, continuing domestic violence…we are not doing enough” lamented the Minister from Dominican Republic, an island nation in the Caribbean, in his country context at the HLPF.

These are some alarming admissions by the world leaders who met during the HLPF at the UN headquarters in New York from 9 – 18 July 2018. It is the major review point for the 2030 Agenda and this year 46 nations presented their voluntary national reviews (VNR) in a packed schedule that included participation by governments, UN, civil society, private companies and others.

The Agenda 2030 and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted in September 2015, is into its third year of implementation. There have been some achievements in basic education, maternal and child mortality situations etc. These are encouraging signs, but the inequality of benefit distribution paints a shoddy picture i.e. three quarters of children affected by stunting live in Southern Asia and sub- Saharan Africa.Meanwhile, access to energy has also increased over the last years.

It is worthwhile to discuss countries’ progress on the SDGs as reported at the HLPF. Senegal reported on its social protection mechanisms, which cover health, education etc for street children, women and people in informal sectors. While Switzerland has a well-established social protection system and mechanism to protect environment and forest, it is facing challenges on rising inequality and groups like women and persons with disabilities are being left behind. Laos is growing fast with 7% GDP growth and 84% rural electrification – while it has a green growth strategy, it admits to the widening inequality between rural and urban areas.

Andorra, a small European nation highlighted its success in banning the single use of plastics. Bhutan, a landlocked and least developed country, achieved in terms of minimizing inequality, keeping unemployment rate less than 2.5%, near universal coverage of water and sanitation, rural electrification and primary education. Bhutan exemplifies that with political will and right policies in place, the SDGs are achievable. Albania impressively has 47 percent women in Parliament and 50 percent in the government.

Several countries aired concerns on the impact of climate change on food security, especially in Africa e.g. Niger. Nonetheless, it’s noteworthy that by 2017, 147 countries have policies on renewable energy compared to 48 in 2004. “Bhutan for Life” programme protects forests, Swiss clean-tech start-ups promote investment in research and use of innovative technology and Lativia has a system of green public procurement.

The alternative reports have however challenged some government claims – e.g. Sri Lanka claimed that access to sanitation is 87%, but the Voluntary People’s Report prepared by civil society noted the issues around sanitation – girls face difficulties as many school toilets are unusable and many marginalized people have difficulties accessing sanitation facilities.

The world is becoming more unequal and the challenges around climate change; conflicts and migrant issues are huge. In 2017, the number of international migrants was 258 million worldwide, an increase of 50 percent since 2000. World hunger is on the rise again. These warrant urgent and serious actions by global leaders. The commitment from the developed countries is discouraging. Official development assistance (ODA) dipped by 0.6% in real terms between 2016 and 2017. The top 8 people have the wealth equivalent to the bottom 50% of the population in World. Transformative steps for redistribution of resources and political power to the masses is clearly needed, but there was no such commitment or clear roadmap to balance wealth except some patchy interventions. The presentations by member nations were characterized by complacency – “we are doing great, just a little bit more needs to be done!”

The Ministerial Declaration adopted by member-nations at the end of the forum meeting is full of rhetoric – “We reaffirm” “We reinstate” “We commit” without any clear guidelines.

The disgruntled CSOs at the HLPF presented a joint statement  “Urgent action and accountability for the 2030 Agenda: now or never” pressing for transformative actions by countries.

If this is how countries perform on SDGs – cherry-picking easier goals while sidelining crucial ones – they will not be achieved, which will lead to continuing conflicts, social unrest, climate change effects and depletion of natural resources. The HLPF as a key body for monitoring the Agenda 2030 has not yet delivered its potential. It needs to be reformed to provide direction to the world towards intergenerational justice.

What does Sustainable Development mean in an unequal world?

The piece came in Down To Earth Blogspot on May 18, 2018

Web link: https://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/forests/what-does-sustainable-development-mean-in-an-unequal-world--60571

Pradeep Baisakh 

Reflections from the Asia Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development 

Thirty-three-year old Mark Zuckerberg, the owner of Facebook has more than double the wealth of Nepal, a country of 29 million people! Shocked? Zuckerburg’s wealth was US $73 billion in 2017 as against Nepal’s GDP of US $29 billion (estimation) the same year. His current wealth stands at US $64 billion and he is the fifth-richest person in the world. This is the unequal world we live in today. In this context, what does sustainable development mean?

The fifth Asia Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD), a regional preparatory event organized by UNESCAP (United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific) for the HLPF (High Level Political Forum) was held from March 28–30 in Bangkok, attended by representatives from about 47 governments in the region, UN agencies, the private sector, civil society and other institutions to discuss the regional perspective of the implementation of Agenda 2030 (Sustainable Development Goals) and review the performance of the cluster of goals.

The countries from the region who will present their Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) of Agenda 2030 this year in the HLPF to be held in New York City  from July 9–18 are Bhutan, Lao PDR, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Australia and  Kiribati. The theme of this year’s APFSD and HLPF is “Transformation towards sustainable and resilient societies” and the goals under review are 6 (water and sanitation), 7 (energy), 11 (sustainable cities), 12 (sustainable production and consumption), 15 (life on land) and 17 (means of implementation).

The Forum appreciated the adoption of policies on energy efficiency and renewable energy towards fighting climate change. The civil society highlighted the rising violations of human rights across the region, particularly that of the poor and marginalised groups and the fast depletion of forests. For example, in the Philippines, the current President Rodrigo Duterte has begun an onslaught on the poor urban dwellers and children under the garb of a “War on Drugs”. This has claimed an estimated 12,000 lives, claims non-profit rights organisation, Human Rights Watch.

As for forest depletion, South East and South Asian countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and China are witnessing a massive depletion of forests. The Asia-Pacific region is the least-forested region if per capita availability of forest is considered which stands at about 0.2-hectare per-capita. Of late though, countries like China, India, Thailand and Vietnam are taking reforestation measures and increasing their forest cover.

The Forum raised concerns over the social and environmental fallout of the rising inequality and destructive industrial practices, which may retard the regional progress in achieving the goals. Various stakeholders emphasised the need to strengthen social infrastructure like social enterprises to address poverty and build resilience. Special attention is needed to be given “to the grass-roots and marginalised constituencies including populations living in urban slums and unliveable areas.”

The region faces serious water scarcity with the lowest per capita availability of water in the world. Therefore, incentivising water management, harvesting various sources such as rainwater and policies towards eliminating water pollution have been stressed upon.

The proceedings at APFSD seemed fairly inclusive, with enough space for discussion and inputs from civil society. There was emerging regional solidarity for the Asia-Pacific region from the Forum meeting. However, the national governments apparently have developed a sense of complacency. They presented a picture of “all is well” and that they are doing great! Realities, however, contrast their claims. The recently-released Asia-Pacific SDG Progress Report 2017 prepared by UNESCAP brings out the fact that the region is moving backward on reducing inequalities, on promoting peaceful societies and accessing justice.

There is no effective mechanism within the APFSD or even in the HLPF for cross-verification of the claims made by the governments. For example, Rajiv Kumar, the vice-chairman of NITI Aayog from India narrated the efficacy of the Aadhaar initiative in successful delivery of welfare schemes and minimising leakage. However, in reality, the failure of the biometric-linked UID system has reportedly led to the occurrence of hunger-related deaths in states like Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka.

It is necessary to link the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism with the VNR to integrate human rights into the review of Agenda 2030. Mindless mining and displacement of poor communities should be drastically reduced. There is need to take special measures to reverse wealth accumulation at the top. As many participating members rightly stressed, “Responsible consumption and production policies should be integrated into core economic agendas and sectorial plans”.

(The author works as the Asia Coordinator of GCAP, a global campaign working on issues of poverty and inequality. He can be reached through e mail: 2006pradeep@gmail.com)

Food security breached for the most left-behind groups?

The piece came in Governance Now on May 14, 2018

Web link: https://www.governancenow.com/news/regular-story/food-security-breached-for-the-most-left-behind-groups

Pradeep Baisakh 

Aadhaar is no guarantee to get a ration card: study

It took four years for Rahila Khan, a Muslim woman from Himachal Pradesh, to get a ration card after her husband passed away. She is a single woman who is entitled to the benefits of Antodoya Anna Yojana (35 kg of subsidised rice per household per month) under the National Food Security Act (NFSA). She had to make rounds in many offices and approached many people to get a card. 

Saudamini from West Bengal (name changed) was married ten years ago and had a baby after two years of her marriage. The husband eventually sold her to someone in Delhi, but somehow she managed to go back to Kolkata. With no easy option of livelihood available for her, she ended up becoming a sex-worker. She has not got a ration card, as she is demanded to produce documentary proof of her residence and identity. But she has none. 

During the recent release of the “Micro study on hunger and poverty among marginalized groups in India”, carried out by Wada Na Todo Abhiyan, a national campaign on governance and accountability, people from several vulnerable groups like the Muslim, women from urban slums, Musahars (Mahadalits in Bihar), sex-workers, migrants, Tribals etc. testified their plight of exclusion from the food security net. The study is done in context of the Leave No One Behind slogan under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) or Agenda 2030. 

NFSA provides for distribution of subsidised ration covering 75 percent population in rural areas and 50 percent in urban areas. It also includes the provisions of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), Mid-Day Meal (MDM) and at least Rs 6,000 for the pregnant and lactating women under the maternity benefit scheme. 

In Manipur the situation is so different and alarming. Manipur is under the APFSPA (Armed Forces Special Power Act), which provides special powers to the army to prohibit large gathering and arrest without warrants etc. If there is any information of presence of any insurgents in a village, the army cordons the village and stops entry of ration to the area creating difficulties for the villagers. On the other, sometimes the insurgents come in large numbers, park in villages and demand cooked food from the villagers, which also drain their food stocks leaving in hunger. 

Under the Loktak hydropower project in Manipur, Ithai barrage has been constructed on the Manipur river with Loktak lake being used as a reservoir. About 500 families living in around the lake have been denied any ration cards.  Attempts are being made by the government to displace them form the area to develop it as a tourist place. 

In Delhi slums, there are several cases of fingerprints not matching during Aadhaar authentication leading to denial of ration. This is very common for the labourers as they are involved in manual work impacting on their fingerprints. 

Musahar communities in Bihar are categorized as Mahadalits (dalits among dalits). They are also present in eastern UP. The knowledge about their precarious situation is widely known. Most of them stay as bonded agricultural labour in some local landlord’s house and are paid meagre wages for their work. They actually are forced to a state of perennial indebtedness by an extortive system and are often denied adequate food leading to malnutrition. 

Suleman from the Munda tribal community in Jharkhand does not have a ration card. He sells wood collected from the forest to fetch rice from the market. MGNREGA could have been a lifesaver in his case, which has been marred due to long delays in payment. 

In Mumbai, there are some unauthorized colonies, like Mulauniambujwadi near Malad, where the inhabitants have no electricity or water bills, therefore no Aadhaar or ration card for them! 

Out of 653 households of most left behind groups studied, 600 have Aadhaar cards, but 300 do not have a ration card. This also shows that Aadhaar is also not a guarantee for getting a ration card as claimed by government.  

Three broad suggestions are made to bridge the gaps in implementation of NFSA. One, the requirement of documentary evidence providing a ration card should be made flexible. Two, Aadhaar should not be mandatorily linked to the ration entitlements. And three, the universalisation of food scheme is the need of the hours to remedy the exclusion of such marginalized groups from the food safety net

Hits and misses

The piece came in The Hindu, Op-ED on October 31, 2017

Web Link: https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/hits-and-misses/article19951311.ece

Pradeep Baisakh 

Tracking the progress of nations on sustainable development goals 

The meeting of the UN high-level political forum on sustainable development (HLPF) took place in New York from July 10-19 to discuss the progress made on the sustainable development goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda. Forty-three member nations presented their report cards in the form of voluntary national reviews (VNRs). Around 5,000 people participated — half of them from civil society and private entities. Eighty ministers from various countries, holding diverse portfolios such as external affairs, planning and budget, also attended. Before the meeting, the governments undertook long consultations to prepare their reports. Was the exercise worth it?

The reviews show that countries have taken steps to incorporate SDGs in their national plans and policies and identified polices which already include some of the goals. Governments have created new institutions, or have used existing institutions, to facilitate execution of the SDGs. On this count, the HLPF/VNR exercise has yielded results.

However, there was significant apathy or antipathy among governments to consult and include suggestions from civil society actors in the VNRs. Except in Europe, and some other countries like Brazil and Japan where governments incorporated the inputs of civil society, the process remained largely non-inclusive or superficial. In India, too, the process was patchy. There was also a visible lack of awareness among civil society actors across the world about the mechanism and processes of VNR. The secretariat for HLPF of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs has no place for carrying the shadow reports on SDGs of civil society organisations.

In the VNRs, countries generally outlined how well they have performed. Barring some countries in Latin America and Europe and possibly a few in other regions, stress on critical areas and ways to address them was missing. A survey done in 20 VNR nations by Action for Sustainable Development, a global civil society organisations’ platform on SDGs, suggests: “In many cases, although there is a sense that the SDGs are included in existing national plans, the ‘transformational’ aspect of the agenda has been significantly diluted or lost.”

The shadow reports prepared by civil society on SDGs find that the scale of inequality is constantly rising while governments’ ‘austerity’ measures of cutting public investment in the social sectors is continuing. There is simultaneously reduction in the corporate taxation. This is worrying as the UN Secretary General’s report finds that in 2016, only 45% of the world’s population was protected by some social protection system.

A multidimensional poverty index ought to be adopted to analyse domestic poverty conditions as suggested by some nations. A clear road map needed to address pressing challenges of refugee crisis, terrorism, fundamentalism, increasing hunger, inequality and climate change. The HLPF process needs to be strengthened by formalising multi-stakeholder consultations, discussing critical challenges, and making the ministerial declaration mandatory for nations to fulfil.

Pradeep Baisakh works with GCAP, a global campaign on poverty and inequality

Action sought on sustainable goals

The piece came in Governance Now on October 9, 2017

Web link: https://www.governancenow.com/news/regular-story/action-sought-on-sustainable-goals

Pradeep Baisakh 

More than 3 million people across 110 countries, including India, observed the Global Day of Action and asked their governments “what have you done on the SDGs?”

On September 25, 2015 the leaders from 193 countries adopted Agenda 2030” and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in the UN General Assembly. 

 

Various forms of mass mobilizations were organized by the Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP) and the UN SDG Action Campaign on the second anniversary of SDGs, people took action to spread awareness on sustainable development and climate change and seek accountability from the governments on their international commitments. 

 

“Increasing conflict and inequality, unprecedented levels of migration and displacement, and the devastating effects of climate change are some of the issues that define our age. Extremism and disenfranchisement fuel reactive political movements with chaotic and dangerous outcomes. These are issues, which go beyond country borders, require concerted efforts at regional and global levels,” says Beckie Malay, the chairperson of GCAP. 

 

Actions in Asia

In India, Wada Na Todo Abhiyan, a civil society alliance working on SDGs released its assessment on the progress made on Agenda 2030 in India in 10 states like the Rajasthan and Jharkhand. It undertook photo stunts in front of India Gate, Red Fort, Qutub Minar, Parliament house and other such important places in New Delhi to assert people’s power and demand actions from government to end discrimination against the marginalized communities. 

 

In Japan, the civil society held an interface with the parliamentarians to discuss on sustainable development and handover a charter of demands. In Nepal, the elderly women and men undertook a rally organized by Ageing Nepal, a NGO to demand social security cover to the elderly. The NGO federation of Nepal submitted a memorandum to the
National Planning Commission to expedite implementation of SDGs. 

 

In Philippines, the students in the Polytechnic University of the Philippines were oriented on the SDGs. In Pakistan, mobilisations were done across the country with different stakeholders including women, men, boys, girls, person with disabilities, civil servants, policy makers, researchers, media etc. In Sri Lanka, a SGD walk was carried out in Colombo. 

 

Mobilisation in Africa

In Togo, the civil society along with the youth group discussed the SDGs and the strategies needed to achieve the sustainable goals and significantly reduce inequalities. 

 

In Ghana, the campaign was done in a high school compound where the students helped remind the government to speed up action for the respective goals that matter to them. 

 

 In Zimbabwe, public gatherings were held with the youth to discuss on what has been done so far on SDGs. In Malawi, a press conference and a photo shoot session were organized to reach out to Malawian leaders with assorted messages on SDGs and to raise awareness of the public. In Uganda, photo stunts were organized. In Mali, a press conference was organized on SDGs leading to massive coverage in media. 

 

 Actions in Latin America

In El Salvador, civil society organized an open forum with the UNDP and the National University to discuss on Agenda 2030. It held a human rights and SDGs fair with more than 600 people participating. 

 

 In Argentina, dances and street actions in the middle of Buenos Aires and audiovisual activities were organized. 

 

Every year the High Level Political Forum (HLPF) of the United Nations is held in the month of July to take stock of the progress made on SDGs by the member nations. In 2016 and 2017, 22 and 43 countries respectively presented a voluntary national review (VNR) of their progress on Agenda 2030. Civil society has expressed concerns over the VNR process, which feels that only rosy pictures are presented by the member nations sans the discussion critical gaps and learning. 

 

“Without concerted advocacy and mass pressure, achieving the SDGs will remain a distant dream,” said Malay of GCAP while explaining the circumstances where GCAP felt it necessary to organize the mass actions.  

 

 (Baisakh works with GCAP as the Asia Coordinator.)