GENERAL ASSEMBLY and ECOSOC JOINT THEMATIC DEBATE/FORUM ON PARTNERSHIPS
“The role of partnerships in the implementation of the Post-2015 Development Agenda”
Trusteeship Council Chamber, 9 April 2014
Statement by Nicole Bidegain Ponte, Development Alternatives with Women for a New era (DAWN) for panel 3: Towards a more effective framework for monitoring the implementation of global development goals
Thank you chair for organizing this interesting debate and the panelists for your inputs.
For feminist and women’s organizations, United Nations has been a critical space for recognizing and advancing progressive policy frameworks towards the realization of women’s human rights. However, many international agreed development commitments, including those around addressing systemic issues in areas such as trade, investment, technology and finance have not been fully implemented due to the unequal power relations between the different multilateral organizations of the global governance, between transnational corporations and the States, and between the States of the North and the States of the South.
So, today more than ever, we need to address this accountability gap and this governance deficit.
In terms of governance, we can’t allow the UN to shift from the “1 country – 1 vote” type of governance, to a “1 dollar – 1 vote”. Even worse, the dollar doesn’t come from official resources but rather from the corporate sector. We call for the Global Partnership, a partnership driven by governments. As we discussed this morning, this so called “transformative shift” steeped in a neoliberal macroeconomic policy frame could have severe implications for the organization, not only in terms of diminishing the role of states but also in terms of imposing agendas that can strengthen “development silos” and the instrumentalization of women’s rights.
So rather than new partnerships, we should focus on a new accountability framework. In this sense I would like to strengthen two proposals:
First, governments should complement the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and develop a binding multilateral instrument for transnational corporations that prevent and protect people against human rights abuses perpetrated by private actors, and where people and communities affected have a right to effective remedy.
Secondly, to establish an open, transparent and participatory intergovernmental space for oversight, monitoring and review any partnership developed in the name of the UN on sustainable development. It should include a reporting mechanism that:
(a) must be ex ante and not just ex post,
(b) should set criteria for eligibility as well as dismissal for any partnership relationship,
(c) should be supported by public disclosure and conflict of interest policies.
(d) these requirements should also applies for extra-budgetary resources
(e) finally, as some of you said the High Level Political Forum could become the body that take on this mandate.
Thank you very much.
Nicole Bidegain’s Statement