Leaving no-one behind: can the Sustainable Development Goals succeed where the Millennium Development Goals lacked?

Abstract

In September 2015 the United Nations (UN) adopted 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) offering an internationally agreed blueprint for economic, environmental and social development. However those most in need and specifically targeted by the SDGs face significant barriers in accessing information and knowledge about the goals and sustainability in a language or medium that can be understood. Drawing on previous research on the UN's language policy and practice (McEntee-Atalianis, 2006, 2015, 2016) and analyses of recent UN reports and resolutions on multilingualism, information policy and practice and the SDGs, this paper examines the current status of multilingualism and information transfer within the Organisation. Significant linguistic and digital barriers are identified. It is argued that the UN must plan in more linguistically plural and inclusive ways by developing a tri-sectoral communication network strategy involving civil society, public and private sectors in order to facilitate knowledge transfer and participation, thereby ensuring that 'no one is left behind'. En septembre 2015 les Nations Unies (ONU) ont adopté 17 objectifs de développement durables pour le développement économique, environnemental et social. Cependant, ceux dont le besoin est le plus grand et qui sont directement visés par le programme font face à des barrières considérables pour avoir accès à l'information et au savoir concernant les objectifs et la durabilité dans un médium et un langage compréhensible. La présente contribution est basée sur de recherches antérieures sur la politique et les pratiques linguistiques de l'ONU (McEntee-Atalianis 2006, 2015, 2016) ainsi que sur des analyses de rapports et de résolutions récentes sur le multilinguisme, la politique d'information et les pratiques pour les objectifs de développement durables. Elle se penche plus spécifiquement sur le statut actuel du multilinguisme et du transfert d'information au sein de l'ONU. Des barrières linguistiques et digitales significatives sont identifiées. Il ressort de l'étude que l'ONU doit développer une stratégie de réseau de communication tri-sectorielle qui est linguistiquement plurielle et 2 | P a g e inclusive. En réunissant la société civile, publique et les secteurs privés afin de faciliter la transmission de savoir et la participation, il est possible de s'assurer que nul n'est abandonné.

Marxist Perspectives on the Global Enclosures of Social Reproduction

“…Although the implementation process is viewed with scepticism due to insufficient financing 1 , the SDGs are acclaimed for their transformative potential and designated as a "new global governance approach" (Stevens and Kanie 2016). The 'Leave Noone behind' Agenda was a direct consequence of the critique on the omission of social and economic inequalities in the 'Minor Development Goals' (Stuart and Woodroffe 2016). This new focus on vulnerable and marginalised groups supposedly follows an intersectional approach and includes the categories of sex, age, disability, race, ethnicity, religion, economic or other 'status' and thus links economic inequalities with 'group based' discrimination (SDG 10).…”

Marx @ 200: Debating Capitalism & Perspectives for the Future of Radical Theory (combined PDF of all articles)

“…Although the implementation process is viewed with scepticism due to insufficient financing 1 , the SDGs are acclaimed for their transformative potential and designated as a "new global governance approach" (Stevens and Kanie 2016). The 'Leave Noone behind' Agenda was a direct consequence of the critique on the omission of social and economic inequalities in the 'Minor Development Goals' (Stuart and Woodroffe 2016). This new focus on vulnerable and marginalised groups supposedly follows an intersectional approach and includes the categories of sex, age, disability, race,…”

“…In contrast to the focus of the SDGs on global partnerships, important details are determined by donor countries alone without much civil society involvement (Stuart and Woodroffe 2016). ethnicity, religion, economic or other 'status' and thus links economic inequalities with 'group based' discrimination (SDG 10). The paradigmatic shift in policies was triggered by reflections about human capital and the realisation that growing inequalities have a negative effect on development and economic growth as promoted by European states and the OECD (Razavi 2007).…”

Trade Liberalization and Gender Inequality in Emerging Economies - from the Perspective of Sustainable Development Goals

“…gender concerns become one of the crucial issues in achieving sustainable development and the gender inequality is one of the major challenges for SDGs (Stuart and Woodroffe, 2016).…”