UN Sustainable Development Goals: Non-state actors on Agenda 20301
Youth, business, science and civil society jointly support the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals in Switzerland and the related Agenda 2030. Next week, Federal Councillor Doris Leuthard will present the Swiss country report in New York. From the point of view of the non-governmental actors in the Federal Accompanying Group to the 2030 Agenda, it is central that the jointly defined fields of action are also recognized and addressed in Switzerland in particular.
In order to take the UN's Sustainable Development Goals into account globally, it is necessary that the individual fields of action do not take place in isolation, but are integrated into political business.
Top positions
The UN Sustainable Development Agenda (2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals SDGs) has succeeded in outlining a common framework worldwide for all actors to work together in partnership. Switzerland is committed to implementing and reporting on this agenda at the national level. The Federal Council's country report to the UN's High Level Political Forum (HLPF) makes it clear that Switzerland is well on its way in this regard. In many areas, companies and the state or companies and NGOs are already cooperating successfully and have thus established solutions with model character; these include the dual education system, the social partnership or the comparatively stably financed pension system.
Switzerland does not need to shy away from international comparison and occupies top positions in important areas such as technical environmental protection, social cohesion, quality of life and sustainable business.
Need for action
However, there is still a need for action, especially in Switzerland. The non-governmental stakeholders in the advisory group have jointly identified challenges in eight thematic areas, which are to be addressed as a priority in the implementation:
(1) Solidary society
(2) Sustainable production and consumption
(3) Protecting natural resources
(4) Ensure health care for all
(5) Strengthen work and workplace
(6) Shaping urbanization sustainably
(7) Strengthen sustainable management
(8) Strengthen education
These challenges are specified in chapter 10 of the detailed baseline report for the official country report, which the DFA published separately in June 2018 - see annex.
A partnership approach is needed to address this need for action. The fact that the most diverse circles were able to agree on the topic areas and the approach shows that this is possible. However, what is also needed is a clearer institutional anchoring in Swiss politics, instead of diverse parallel activities of individual offices, and an integration of the implementation of the SDGs into ordinary political processes. Otherwise, Switzerland will not exploit the potential and will waste resources in parallel processes. For example, instead of parallel sustainability planning, legislative planning should be aligned with the SDGs.
It is imperative that the 2030 Agenda be anchored at a high institutional level and given strategic priority, that the necessary resources be made available and pooled, and that political decisions be more coherent. This makes it possible to understand the SDGs as a global orientation framework, not as a regulatory corset.
1The lead agencies ARE and SDC have set up an advisory group to accompany the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The members of this group represent their personal views and consult with the circles they represent on an ongoing basis. The members are (as of July 2018): Antonio Hautle, Global Compact Network Switzerland, öbu; Mark Herkenrath, Alliance Sud; Marianne Hochuli, Caritas Switzerland; Peter Messerli, Academies of Science, University of Bern; Sophie Neuhaus, SNYC; Thomas Pletscher, ICC Switzerland/economiesuisse; Friedrich Wulf, Environmental Alliance (ProNatura); Renate Schubert, Academies of Science, ETHZ.
