The premises on which the EU strategy to implement the UN sustainable development goals (SDGs), presented by the European Commission on Tuesday 22 November, is based are flawed, in the view of European civil society (see EUROPE 11673).
According to the European Coalition for Corporate Justice (ECCJ), the European civil society coalition working on corporate accountability, the Commission plan overlooks the urgent need to address the negative impacts the private sector has on people and the planet. The coalition, which brings together NGOs, trade unions, consumer organisations and academics, calls for a legally binding human rights framework.
“The SDGs propose a vision of a socially and environmentally inclusive, equitable and resilient future. However, they are only as effective as states allow them to be, and the success of their implementation relies strongly on addressing the serious human rights issues created by the complexity of today’s globalised market”, said ECCJ Coordinator Jerome Chaplier in a press release on 23 November.
The ECCJ believes the EU has a vital role to play in creating a more sustainable future, being, by far, the world’s biggest development aid donor and given the large number of companies established in the EU which operate in global value chains. The Commission communication on SDGs, however, does not offer any new, concrete information about implementation as the proposed next steps mainly consist of existing policy plans, the ECCJ says. While mention is made of the positive role of the private sector in achieving the SDGs, there is no reference to the negative impacts businesses can have on people, the environment, and the capacities for development of states and local communities, the coalition regrets.
“Successful implementation of the SDGs will only be possible if we look beyond the positive aspects of private sector engagement, and truly address the negative social and environmental repercussions of business activity”, states Chaplier. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)