Brussels, 27/02/2013 (Agence Europe) - Against a backdrop of austerity measures being imposed at a rapid rate and with the EU slashing aid to the poorest, the European Commission has made itself the advocate of sustainable development and decent living conditions for all by 2030, everywhere in the world. This is the credo it has proposed that the EU adopt, in its communication entitled “A Decent Life for All: Ending Poverty and Giving the World a Sustainable Future”. This document, a joint initiative of Commissioners Andris Piebalgs, European Commissioner for Development, and Janez Potocnik, Commissioner for the Environment, which was adopted by the College of Commissions, lays the foundations for an integrated political framework to use a joint EU approach to meet the post-2015 development goals and the sustainable development goals the UN Rio +20 conference started to put together last June, and to try to bring the two reflection processes, which are currently separate, closer to each other within the United Nations.
The Commission takes the view that fighting the extreme poverty which still affects nearly 1.3 billion people in the world, and bringing about sustainable development, are two closely-linked challenges, which could and should be tackled together.
In order to do this, it recommends that the political framework contain a small number of clear objectives, not just quantitative in nature, but also qualitative, such as standards for education, nutrition, clean water and air, to define decent living conditions, or in other words, a threshold living standard below which nobody should be living by 2030.
Speaking to the press on Wednesday, Andris Piebalgs said that “winning this bet in a generation is within reach”. The framework proposed by the Commission is based on five pillars: basic standards of living constituting clear human development objectives; inclusive and sustainable growth, involving access to education, in particular; the sustainable management of natural resources, allowing the developing countries to benefit from their potential; - equality, fairness and justice, on the basis of democratic governance and human rights ; and peace and security.
A consensus is now emerging on the post-2015 framework - concentration is needed on putting it into practice, the development objectives must be applied to every country and to every citizen. With many countries - like China, Brazil and India - no longer being LDCs now that they have become middle income countries, funding must develop in order to turn its back on development aid to the advantage of international cooperation. Trade and investment must become more powerful, explained the commissioner, who is a member of the high level group created by Ban Ki-moon to give post-2015 guidance. Yet it is also necessary to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Piebalgs underlined that there is still work to do to reduce infant mortality, and to improve maternal health and people's access to basic sanitation facilities. He also called on the member states to respect their commitment to collectively allocate 0.7% of GNI to public development aid. He said that 0.7% is the strict minimum and that today the EU stands at 0.42%. The EU must keep its promise, Piebalgs said, and he added that the reduction of aid resources in the draft 2014-2020 budget will have the effect that the member states will have to increase their own development budgets.
Janez Potocnik sees the Commission's communication as an initiative favouring a political framework for moving on from poverty to prosperity and well-being, within the limits imposed by the planet, in peace and security. He said the post-2015 framework is currently being examined and that they want to formulate a common response for the two sections of the discussion in New York. He added that they want to develop a single universal framework for post-2015 with global objectives and national targets to increase countries' involvement. He said that this was to be a global framework based on a partnership between all countries.
The communication will be discussed at the European Council and the European Parliament in the spring, and the common approach is due to be ready for mid-2013, the commissioner stated. And if the political framework is intended to be universal, it will bring progress in the EU because it will favour good integration of development, environment and sustainability policies, and will be a model for our international partners, the commissioner said. A report on the sustainable development objectives is due to be presented to the United Nations General Assembly by September 2014. The EU is preparing its position with this communication. (AN/transl.fl)