Global Week of Action: Time to Act for Peace, Climate and Justice

Own Correspondent

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Action Days are part of the Global Week of Action #Act4SDGs (15-26 September 2022). They are decentralised actions in different countries around the world that will aim to connect activists and decision-makers in dialogue to shift the focus towards the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

The overarching message of this year’s activation is urging people to #FlipTheScript and reclaim this moment to change the narrative and tell a different story as we approach the mid-way point of the SDG Agenda.

Progress on the 2030 agenda is under threat. In 2022, the world is not working for most people and our planet. Human rights are being ignored and millions of people are being left behind, while a few become ever richer and more powerful. 

The war in Ukraine together with other ongoing conflicts has led to a massive increase in the number of people facing acute food insecurity, with rising food prices making life even harder for billions of people. 

At the same time, climate change presents a long-term threat to our shared home on this earth, with temperatures continuing to rise and extreme weather events devastating communities at the frontlines. 

The Covid-19 pandemic pushed humanity’s resilience to the limit and continues to have vast impacts on the lives of people and the wider social, economic, and environmental fabric of our world. Hundreds of millions of people lost their jobs and income and were pushed into poverty.

These events have shone a glaring light on the persistent and underlying injustices and inequalities of our societies. 

We need to transform a system that is no longer fit for purpose, flip the script and re-imagine our planet as our shared home, respecting the rights of all people and the natural world. 

The recovery must leave no one behind… there is still time to deliver sustainable development within the Decade of Action… if leaders in each country act for Peace, Climate & Justice.

Peace

Now is the time to step back from armed conflicts, militarism must be reduced around the world:

The war in Ukraine comes in a human context where armed conflict, violence in all its forms, authoritarianism, corruption, and indiscriminate repression affect the lives of millions of people around the globe and violate the human rights of people – young and old – in countries including Myanmar, Yemen, Palestine, Syria, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Colombia, Brazil, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, and others. All lives affected by conflict are of equal value. Wars and conflicts are one of the major factors leading to increasing poverty in the world.

• We call for an immediate end to the war in Ukraine – a ceasefire and a withdrawal of Russian forces, and the phased removal of all sanctions according to an agreed timeline.  
• We call on third parties to prevent a further military escalation of the conflict and help in facilitating peace negotiations. 
• We call for the same level of support to end all conflicts – and ensure financial support for displaced peoples and refugees. 
• We further call for a global commitment from states to reduce military expenditures and to shift these funds to address the shortfall in financing for the achievement of Agenda 2030 commitments, such as on social protection and clean energy.

Climate

We call for an end to the fossil fuel era – stop the financing of coal by the end of 2022 and shift funding towards clean and green R&D, fully address loss and damages from climate impacts, and solutions that provide quality jobs to power the future ethically and sustainably. 

• Deliver on the Paris Agreement goal to limit mean global temperature rise to 1.5C. 

• Commit to science-based national targets and a net-zero emissions economy by 2050 with ambitious climate action plans in place in each country. 

• Deliver the funding promised with non-debt creating climate finance for adaptation, mitigation and loss and damage, including the unmet $100 billion/year pledge.

• Protect the ecosystems on which all life depends by strengthening international environmental law and reversing biodiversity loss by 2030; and develop ecological strategy policies aligning with poverty alleviation, human rights, and fair economic policies.

Social Justice

Poverty and inequality are once again on the rise in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. In many countries, people are being pushed back into increasingly fragile situations, with the critical gaps in healthcare and loss of livelihoods being compounded by the lack of sufficient support from governments and international partners.

• Put in place a ‘Vaccines for all global roadmap’, donor countries must agree to finalise a temporary waiver of intellectual property protections on all Covid-19 technologies in 2022. 

• • We call on all governments to ensure universal social protection for all including provision of free universal healthcare to ensure everyone on earth has access to free, public, high-quality health care across the life course and to promote wellbeing for all ages. 

• We further call for respect for fundamental rights as set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Stop the persecution of civil society activists and guarantee people’s fundamental freedoms to speak out and assemble.

Economic Justice

We call for an end of austerity and a major economic stimulus that radically reduces inequality, and gender inequalities and lays the foundations for a just, equal and sustainable economy.

• Keep your promises to finance a more just and sustainable future with clear commitments to 0.7% of GDP for development cooperation including at least $50 billion/year for health and social protection

• Deliver extensive debt cancellations and create a sovereign debt workout mechanism at the UN; increase access to capital for low and middle-income countries by re-allocating new Special Drawing Rights.

• Ensure everyone contributes by taxing companies and individuals fairly with progressive tax systems and ending illicit financial flows and tax evasion.

• Target financial support to reach those who most need it, by prioritising funds for women, disadvantaged minorities, young people, persons with disabilities, older persons, migrants and other most affected groups.