Latin American reviews in Agenda Post 2015

Definitions to Sustainable Development Goals

Latin American CSO positions in Agenda Post 2015

We are facing a historical moment, and the United Nations countries have formalized the union of two fundamental efforts to build a better world; the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the Objectives of Sustainability enrolled at Rio + 20. Both efforts are linked elements to the logic elements of sustainable development and impossible to divide. Nevertheless, under recent history were distinct processes, with different agendas and different support. Now, the UN and its agencies under the direction of the United Nations Program for Development (UNDP) and ECLAC, propose the creation of Sustainable Development Goals (ODS) after the discussion that will take place in 2015; deadline that nations set to evaluate the MDGs, since its design in 2000.

This paper will focus on the biggest discussions that have the Latin American Civil Society about development, based on discussions that occurred under the Consultation Forum "Towards a Development Agenda Post 2015 " held in the city of Guadalajara, Mexico, from April 17th  until the 19th, 2013.

There are important discussions taking place among civil society organizations, especially in South America. Then, I will explain how the positions from my point of view are relevant, and the characteristics that make up Latin America brings the concept of development:

- The concept of “Good Life”: this concept seems to be deeply rooted among the civil society organizations (CSOs) working with indigenous people, and is fundamentally about the idea that do not necessarily  “development” it has to be understood from a western perspective, based on the "needs" that the neoliberal cliché has proposed. Good living can also refer, as in the case of the Aymara (indigenous people) in South America, or the Tojolabals in Chiapas, to have good conditions to live in a harmonious environment with “Mother Earth” which gives precisely a key ingredient to good living. It seems that while there is an argument "scientifically addressed”, it is a fundamental criteria of the debate around the development that occurs in South America.

Another central element of the discussion is given on the Development Paradigm, and it is broken down different elements:

- There is a false dilemma in the MDGs, as these appeared to mitigate the consequences of inequality, and not to eradicate the causes of poverty. Therefore, the Agenda Post 15 will be directed to the eradication of poverty and the gap diminution inequality.
- Another substantial element is the cultural and turns on contradictory dilemma where everybody use technology and comfort in our way of life. We hear a lot of pressure on the multinationals that are behind consumption patterns, but we do not hear so often about the consumer culture to which everyone belongs to. This is called the Cultural Challenge of Development.

The third basic element in the discussion took on the role of the private sector and its role in the consultation forums Post Agenda 2015, this in fact was the topic that generated discussion, since we had representatives from the sector, specifically with business representatives.
Some NGO´s representatives from Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay and Chile questioned the role of the sector, in particular the responsibilities that cannot escape, which are:

- First; we noticed that private sector plays a treatment similar between large and small companies (SMEs), however, in the discussion, the Chilean representative Viviane Castro said that "clear and direct responsibility concerns to  Transnational Corporations, and we are not referring to SMEs ".

- Environmental and social responsibility of large corporations on indigenous territories plundering of their natural resources. It is a constant that is being seen in different countries in the region, among other issues, because they are mostly indigenous lands where strategic resources for industrial production are.
- The false dilemma on business and job creation, as he said the Executive Secretary of ECLAC, Alicia Barcena: transnational corporations even when generate 60% of GDP being generated only 8% of the jobs in our Latin countries. Instead SMEs generate 80% of jobs and producing only reach 12% of GDP. [1]
- There was much discussion on corporate responsibilities in the redistribution of wealth. And even though some felt that this is an incomplete and false argument, Ms. Alicia Barcena said the fiscal pact is a real proposal and involves fund raising and promoting the progressiveness of the tax structure, with the design of taxes on wealth (which pay the most, have more). It was also noted that fiscal responsibilities versus evasion, is a pending of latin american entrepreneurs.

Finally, and on topic for International Cooperation (item 11, Coherence and coordination among international organizations, agencies and funds) is the subject of "middle income trap". This term was mentioned by Barcena referring to the trap that international funders fall as GDP to raise some of our economies, these appear in the range of people with middle-class level, thereby falling outside sources financing of major official agencies for Development Cooperation.


Proposals

- Alicia Barcena stated that an essential element that is required to close the inequality gap is invest 4% of GDP in Latin American states, in reviewing the data table appear bright presented, for example, that Mexico and Brazil are the countries with greater inequalities and thus have the highest poverty rates. Thus, we observed that both nations require more than 4,000 million dollars to close the gap.
- It requires the ongoing participation of civil society in the design, implementation and evaluation of public policies for development: Civic participation can help improve the quality of the policies of people living in extreme poverty and help reduce social inequality. [2]
- The Challenge representing the States: It is essential that the speech not stop there, the Civil Society proposes mechanisms to evaluate compliance among UN agencies, governments and civil society. Since the real challenge is in countries like Brazil and Mexico, so that social policies do not become political spoils of government, and that contrary to alleviate poverty and reduce inequality, deepen the conditions of exclusion, discrimination, inequality and therefore social violence. Many states tend to be "light on the street, darkness of the house," said Argentinean representative, compared to the challenge of this.

- In Mexico we have a double challenge, because recently was reported the use electoral politics to social programs, that we deviate much more for meeting Goal 1 of the MDGs "Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger".

Finally it was noted that although the International Networks lobbying is occurring, for example with the International Platform Beyond 2015, where international civil society is contributing and discussing UN platform, the most important lobbying within countries with our governments and in this long insisted "we must commit our governments to make our contributions to the discussions that are taking place" and all that will come later and in which there are present civil society organizations ". [3]