WSF

WSF SDG 16 Leader: Emma Bregonje, emma @ worldsustainabilityfund.nl

Regarding this SDG there are many topics mentioned by the United Nations. These topics are:

With accordance to the World Sustainability Fund (WSF), I choose some specific topics to work out further. These topics are:

Alternative development continues to be recognized by Member States as a fundamental pillar of a comprehensive drug control strategy and plays an important role as a development oriented drug control approach. Let us not forget that behind the policies, we have hundreds of thousands of farmers affected by poverty, food insecurity, lack of land, instability who as a result engage in illicit drug cultivation. It is our common responsibility to continue addressing the livelihood of these people, despite the challenges that the international community is faced with today, including the financial constraints.
Corruption is a complex social, political and economic phenomenon that affects all countries. Corruption undermines democratic institutions, slows economic development and contributes to governmental instability. Corruption attacks the foundation of democratic institutions by distorting electoral processes, perverting the rule of law and creating bureaucratic quagmires whose only reason for existing is the soliciting of bribes. Economic development is stunted because foreign direct investment is discouraged and small businesses within the country often find it impossible to overcome the "start-up costs" required because of corruption.
Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice / UNODC and the promotion and protection of Human Rights: The Charter of the United Nations includes an obligation to promote universal respect and observance for human rights. Resolution 51/12 of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs reaffirmed the importance of countering the world drug problem in a multilateral setting with full respect for all human rights and fundamental freedoms, and requested UNODC work closely with the United Nations human rights agencies in this endeavour. In his subsequent Note to the governing bodies of UNODC entitled Drug control, crime prevention and criminal justice: A human rights perspective, the UNODC Executive Director indicated a way forward to further mainstreaming of human rights in the work of the Office. Building on this foundation, the Paper entitled UNODC's perspective on promotion and protection of human rights is intended to articulate UNODC's perspective on promotion and protection of human rights as part of the work of the Office.
Hiv and Aids: UNODC, often in partnership with other organisations, develops guidance and advocacy documents, standards and tools to assist countries with the implementation of comprehensive national responses for people who use drugs, particularly those who inject, and for people in prisons settings. Select a category to access UNODC HIV publications.
Wildlife and forest crime demands a global solution that offers international cooperation founded on joint operations, intelligence sharing and strong and compatible national legislations. We can do nothing less. This is our shared planet; wildlife and forest crime is our shared responsibility.

Source: http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/topics.html?ref=menuside

These five topics are most regarding to the WSF mission; ‘to facilitate, implement and accomplish sustainable development projects in target countries, to reduce poverty and promote social equality, while at the same time protecting the environment’. The other topcis are also important for human welfare, but more towards global crime fighting. These are is not towards WSF’ mission.

It is a fact that always the poorest people become a victim of global issues like corruption, crime, aids etc. This is because they do not have the money or the powers to protect themselves. When societies’ economies grow, poor people generally stay poor. They don’t benefit from the economic growth. That is unfortunate and sad. There should be a standard which gives every person equal rights to human healthcare, benefits of economic growth or powers to less likely become a victim of drug crime institions. This wish is exactly in line with WSF. But how?

First I want to give a brief summary of the history of the topics chosen for our fund:

Alternative Development
Latin America; Peru – San Martin: San Martin is located in the north east of Peru. Between the 50’s and the 70’s it underwent a strong migration of peasant farmer population, from the Highlands and from North Peru. In the decade of the seventies, also the coca bush cultivation was introduced and expanded in the area, with an origin from colombian drug trafficking orgazations. They entered the country without any resistance from the state of Peru. At the same time, also the terrorist organization Movimiento Revolucionario Tupac Amara (MRTA) influenced political control and expanded the entire territorry.

Than followed decade of the 80’s, in which the terrorist movement Sendero Luminose (SL) began to join MRTA. This happened in the southern area of the region. Both these two forces were complemented by frug trafficking and created conditions for the expansion of coca cultivation areas. The highest figure reached 30.000 hectares, which made this area turn into the highest coca production region of Peru! This while, at that time, Peru was already the world’s greatest coca producer. During this time, also the First alternative experiments Started, but these activities, unfortunately, did not have any major impact.

In the 90’s decade, terrorism was defeated at the regional and national level in Peru. Alternative development policies took greater force and methods improved. This with great promotion from international cooperation. Bút from the illicit side, Mexican drug trafficking organization began to appear in the region, this replaced Colombian organizations and introduced different production and commercial systems.

In the beginning of the new nillenium (2000) small regional farmers achieved quantitative and qualitative improvement. This reached good progress in productivity and competion in mainly palm oil and palm heart. Than, alternative development reaches its maturity, within a set of policy instruments and activities.
These events occured in several fields, with a coordination between the multiple economic and social actors. Thanks to a economic growth which has never seen before in Peru’s economic history, Peru has now best recources invested in roads, bridges and social infrastructure as schools. Concluded can be mentioned that San Martin is Peru’s region with the highest reduction of poverty. It went down with 70% from 2001 to 2010.

Source: The Alternative Development Model in San Martin – A case study on local economic development

South East Asia- While trade is common in Cocain in Latin America, South East Asia has to deal with Opium. The use of opium has been almost universally recognised as having so many negative features. Because of this, all those involved in rural development in the Mekong Region agree opium replacement as a priority. Alternative development was issued by the United Nations’ Office on Drugs and Crime. (UNODC) Its predecessor organization was the United Nations’ Fund for Drug Abuse and Control (UNFDAC) and the United Nations’ International Drug Control Program (UNDCP). Since 1971, they have been working with the focus on crops’ replacement. This process has evolved until it has become a comprehensive response tot the illicit crops’ cultivation.

Than, since the start of UNFDAC’s work (1971), the agency has been able to gain cooperation of all stakeholders. By the 1970’s all governments reached the same conclusion that uncontrolled opium cultivation interfered with some national development. Before UNDCP began working (1990) in the WA region, WA leaders proclaimed to ban the substance after a certain amount of development occurred, so that growers would not face serious trouble in living.

The pace and scope of work in the three involved countries; Laos, Myanmar and Thailand did vary considerably. Thailand already reduced poppy cultivation in 1984, while Laos only started to do this in 2006. In Myanmar, although cultivation is much reduced from a decade ago, the amount of opium produced, did increase last years.

Explanation of the UNODC:
UNODC is a global leader in the fight against illicit drugs and international crime. Established in 1997 through a merger between the United Nations Drug Control Programme and the Centre for International Crime Prevention, UNODC operates in all regions of the world through an extensive network of field offices. UNODC relies on voluntary contributions, mainly from Governments, for 90 per cent of its budget and is mandated to assist Member States in their struggle against illicit drugs, crime and terrorism.

The three pillars of the UNODC work programme are:

Field-based technical cooperation projects to enhance the capacity of Member States to counteract illicit drugs, crime and terrorism
Research and analytical work to increase knowledge and understanding of drugs and crime issues and expand the evidence base for policy and operational decisions
Normative work to assist States in the ratification and implementation of the relevant international treaties, the development of domestic legislation on drugs, crime and terrorism, and the provision of secretariat and substantive services to the treaty-based and governing bodies

Source: http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/about-unodc/index.html?ref=menutop

Corruption
Intro
Corruption can be mentioned as a plague that has a wide range of corrosive effects on societies. It undermines democracy and the rule of law, leads to violations of human rights and distorts markets. It also erodes the quality of life and allows organized crime, terrorism and other threats to human security to flourish. Corruption hurts the poor disproportionately by diverting funds intended for development, because it undermines a Government’s ability to provide basic services like feeding equality and justice. It is meanwhile a key element in economic underperformance and a major obstacle to poverty alleviation and development.

Source: http://www.unodc.org/documents/treaties/UNCAC/Publications/Convention/08-50026_E.pdf

History (Corruption in Balkan countries – Albania used as example)
Corruption can be mentioned as a main issue for countries al over the world. Socio economic development and the instutional or political settings are key elements that can shape it in very different manners. Still, corruption is a scourge from which no country is truly exempt and often it is reported as a vulnerable area for several countries, like Afghanistan or the Western Balkans. For example, Albania’s citizens perceive corruption as a major problem of their society.

Awareness of corruption has increased significantly in the last decade in Albania. Yet, it becomes an important priority of the country’s political agenda. Upgrading the legislative framework for the fight against corruption was manifested during the Two council of the Europe Convention against Corruption in Albania (2000). Than, in 2006, Albania became party to the United Nations’ convention against corruption. A consequence of this followed in 2009: ‘the Implementation Review Mechanism’. This mechanism was established to enable all parties to review their implementation of UNCAC, to provide a peer review process.

Source: file:///C:/Users/Gebruiker/Documents/eve/sdg%2016/Albania_corruption_report_2011_web_small.pdf

UNODC and the promotion and the protection of Human Rights

Intro – The United Nations Commission on Human Rights
The United Nations Commission on Human Rights was established in 1946 to weave the international legal fabric that protects our fundamental rights and freedoms. Composed of 53 States members, its brief expanded over time to allow it to respond to the whole range of human rights problems and it set standards to govern the conduct of States. It also acted as a forum where countries large and small, non-governmental groups and human rights defenders from around the world voiced their concerns.

In 2006, this commission was substituted by the Human Rights council. This council is an inter governmental body within the United Nations system responsible for strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights around the globe and for addressing situations of human rights violations and make recommendations on them. The Human Rights Council replaced the former United Nations Commission on Human Rights.

Source: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/Pages/AboutCouncil.aspx

HIV & Aids
The World Health Organization (WHO) is the department working on these health issues. Sub-Saharan Africa, the area hardest hit by the HIV/AIDS pandemic worldwide, is home to nearly 25 million people living with HIV/AIDS. The negative impact of HIV/AIDS is evident as it affects every sphere of life. The HIV/AIDS Programme supports Member States to develop policies and programmes and build the capacity for the delivery of the health sector response to HIV/AIDS.

Source: http://www.afro.who.int/en/clusters-a-programmes/dpc/acquired-immune-deficiency-syndrome/overview.html

Wildlife and Forest crime
UNODC is the guardian of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) and the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), which are highly relevant to addressing to wildlife and forest crime. In May 2014, UNODC launched its 'Global Programme for Combating Wildlife and Forest Crime'. The Global Programme acts as the overarching umbrella programme for UNODC activities on wildlife and forest crime.

All Legal frameworks are strenghtened towards several countries, likewise: 1] UNODC conducted a comprehensive assessment of the criminal justice response to wildlife and forest crime in Lao PDR in May 2014. 2] In response to a request from the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania, UNODC undertook a comprehensive legislative review in both Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar. 3] In Vietnam, UNODC supported the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) to conduct a review of the Penal Code, related to environmental crimes. And 3] as part of the implementation of The International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC) Wildlife and Forest Crime Analytic Toolkit, the legislative response to wildlife and forest crime has been analysed in Bangladesh, Gabon, Nepal and Peru.

Source: http://www.unodc.org/documents/Wildlife/WLFC_Annual_Report_2014.pdf

Conclusion
We now have given a brief summary of the history and the main tasks towards the topics chosen by WSF regarding sdg 16 (Promote just, peaceful and inclusive societies). It is clear that the UN and all it’s included parties al already doing a lot to fight for these justiced. But WSF wants to do more. In this part, we are going to make a concrete proposal which has the main target to integrate these topics in our daily lives. The main question that rises here is:

‘How can SDG solutions be integrated in daily life?’

If this question can be answered, a very big step has been made to reach this goal. This is so important for our World. Mainly because of big projects etc don’t make any sense if people generally continue living the same live.

In the next chapter, some guidelines and already existing topics will be worked out to reach this goal. Also we will confirm this with the abroad offices of WSF. They will do their best to implement our policies in the countries we operate.

Chapter 2 - Guidelines en Project Summaries

Chapter 1 is an Introduction and also a background study on sdg 16 ‘Promote peacefull and inclusive societies’. WSF selects 5 sub categories here which are: alternative development, corruption, Human Rights, HIV & Aids and Wildlife/Forest crime. These categories are on the list for further research and workout, with an eye on WSF’s mission and targets. The main goal here is to achieve tools which people can use in their dauly lives to promote peacefull and inclusive societies. This is usefull all over the World, but will First be implemented in all countries where WSF can set up country develop management (CDM) in the meantime. So actually, this project will be almost equal with CDM. Is succesfull, the tolls can also be rolled out to the other SDG’s and other countries.

In this chapter, I am going to describe the tools which al already used (worldwide) to fulfill a better World. Likewise: ‘what are people already doing to prevent corruption, drug crime victimes, HIV and Aids and Wild/Forest crime?’ To make this all clear, I will particularly make use of literature on the internet. When I know this, I can make a big step by describing what is still missing here. That is the point where I can start to provide our own tools. If a concept of the toolkit is ready, I all conversate this to other WSF members, to ask for feedback.

List of literature and topics

In this chapter, I give a brief summary about the tools and information, which already exists among this topic. I will select a few of them for further work out for the WSF mission. This workout will be concrete advises for integratin SDG solutions in people’s every day life.

Alternative Development:

It is very important to have daily solutions for integrating this SDG in everyday life. Solutions for alternative development are not effective if people all around the World keep growing, buying and selling Opuim and Cocain. Or neither when they keep living in a unsustainable way. Of course, these subjects and businesses are extremely big and it is impossible to completely restrict it. But every step to improvement is usefull is this process.

The concept of sustainable livelihoods has been utilized extensively by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the international community as a basis for their work in the field of alternative development. In an effort to tackle shortcomings relating to drug prevention and treatment, the International Narcotics Control Board started to call for sustainable livelihood interventions bearing in mind that those interventions should also consider vulnerabilities that undermine human development, such as poverty and social marginalization. In order to achieve a sustainable livelihood situation, the target group must receive support that leads to increased income and greater well-being. Typical examples are just and equitable pay for work, decent housing, higher food security and sustainable use of the natural resources base. For a person living in a city, natural capital is less important than it would be for a person living in the countryside and making a living from agriculture.

Prevention interventions carried out by UNODC to date as part of drug demand reduction and harm reduction include services that render individuals more self- reliant and make their lives more sustainable. Access to services providing shelter, food and clothes as well as childcare and employment opportunities, should also be offered as part of the home visitation services that teach basic parenting skills. Street children and homeless youth that cannot be reunited with their families need a complex package of interventions, including social assistance and health care as well as sports and recreational activities. Street children who have not attended school for a long time and cannot immediately be reintegrated into the formal school system need to take part in alternative learning systems.

Source: file:///C:/Users/Gebruiker/Documents/eve/sdg%2016/Broader%20Vision%20of%20Sustainable%20Livelihood.pdf

Other Sample Activities and Solutions (used in Afghanistan) are:

Increase the competitiveness and diversity of regional businesses, both agricultural and nonagricultural. Agribusiness projects had a direct impact on 66 percent of the households in for example the province of Nangarhar.
Ensure participation of- and collaboration with local communities and shuras, provincial governments, businesses, and ministry officials. Training was made available for 118,414 farmers, government representatives, associations, and business owners.
Rehabilitate productive infrastructure. An introduced a mobile phone system where Afghan buyers and sellers obtain daily prices for more than 60 commodities in five markets via email or by sending an SMS from their mobile phone.
Improve access to markets, inputs, and business services. Directly facilitated sales of fruits and vegetables valued at $5.2 million.
Build public and private sector capacity to function in a competitive and transparent economy.
Address the particular needs of populations that are heavily reliant on the poppy economy (mainly women and the landless).

Source: http://dai.com/our-work/projects/afghanistan%E2%80%94alternative-development-programeastern-region-adpe

Corruption

Corruption remains an issue for countries all over the world. Socio-economic development,
the institutional and political setting, or the prevailing social and cultural norms are all elements that can shape it in very different manners. Corruption is still a scourge from which no country is truly exempt. Successive national Governments of the western Balkan countries have committed themselves to fighting corruption and key steps have been taken to address the issue. Western Balkan countries are party to the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), a consequence of which is the Implementation Review Mechanism, established in 2009 to enable all parties to review their implementation of UNCAC provisions through a peer review process.
To fight corruption effectively it is necessary to understand its many facets since there is no simple ‘‘one-size-fits-all’’ solution to the problem. It is believed that the evidence-based information presented in this report will provide the Governments of the western Balkan region with an additional tool for developing well-targeted anti-corruption policies.
A further assessment of public awareness about corruption could be considered and further initiatives might be developed to inform those who do not deem bribery to be on a par with ‘‘real’’ crimes, as well as to increase understanding about the pernicious effect that kickbacks have on the fair delivery of public services.

Source: UNODC (2011) Corruption in the western Balkans

Human Rights

The World Programme for Human Rights Education (2005–ongoing): What is human rights education? Human rights education can be defined as education, training and information aimed at building a universal culture of human rights. Human rights education activities should convey fundamental human rights principles, such as equality and non-discrimination, while affirming their interdependence, indivisibility and universality. Activities should be practical—relating human rights to learners’ real-life experience and enabling them to build on human rights principles found in their own cultural context.
Source: http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Publications/WPHRE_Phase_2_en.pdf

Also companies are becoming aware of the contribution they can make to advancing human rights within their spheres of influence and the benefits such an approach can have for their businesses. While human rights continue to be the primary responsibility of governments, companies can do a lot within the context of their own business to support and respect the observance of human rights. Being proactive on human rights can make good business sense, as well as being the right thing to do.
Source: http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Publications/GuideHRBusinessen.pdf

Hiv and Aids

People that live in poverty are more likely to engage in drug abuse, become criminals and suffer from bad health. Deprivation increases the risk factors and weakens the protective factors, such as strong family and social bonds, positive self-esteem, education, employment and sufficient income.
Source: file:///C:/Users/Gebruiker/Documents/eve/sdg%2016/Broader%20Vision%20of%20Sustainable%20Livelihood.pdf

More than two decades after the advent of the HIV and AIDS epidemic, millions of children and young people still lack access to HIV prevention services and do not have adequate sex education, necessary for protecting oneself against HIV. Many people living with HIV – including those who learn or work in the education sector – are denied their fundamental human rights to adequate health care and treatment, education and other services essential for an effective response to the HIV epidemic. In order to solutions given to this lack of awareness, the following topics are important:

Prevention must be mainstay
Building strong national programmes: nationally developed and coordinated and led in a supportive environment
The education “environment” has to support the taken or proposed measures
Development of a comprehensive approach: overcome stigma and discrimination, respect and support for people living with HIV, prevention, treatment and care
Measurement of progress – assessing results
Addressing the needs of marginalized and vulnerable populations
Adopting a long term perspective

Source: http://www.ibe.unesco.org/fileadmin/user_upload/HIV_and_AIDS/publications/IBE_CurrManual_3v_en.pdf

Wildlife and Forest Crime

The Wildlife and Forest Crime Toolkit (UNODC) provides an inventory of measures that can assist in the analysis of the nature and extent of wildlife and forest offences and in deterring and combating these offences. It is also intended to contribute to an understanding of the various factors that drive wildlife and forest offences to integrate the information and experience gained from such analysis into national, regional and international strategies. A clear wildlife and forestry policy basis facilitates the introduction of procedures and practices to ensure, inter alia:

Coherence and predictability of the legislation;
Transparency of legal rights and obligations;
Consistency, fairness and due process in application of legislation; and
Efficiency of management and ease of implementation.

Source: https://www.unodc.org/documents/Wildlife/Toolkit_e.pdf

Chapter 3, Integration SDG 16 in WSF Mission

In all descriptions, solututions, tools and interventions described for SDG is a great interdepedency. A few factors come forward all the time. These factors will be used by WSF to integrate SDG solutions in daily life.

Awareness

This is the main subject regarding all topics. It is at stake for all levels of countries societies; Governments, citizins, companies, victims etc. People must realize there is a problem and they must be aware about their behaviour towards it. Awareness can be used by victims to state they are in trouble, it can be used by citizens to face their behaviour towards the problem. This sounds very easy, but it is not that way. Because of our globalized economy, people normally don’t even realize the background of suffering for the products they buy, for example. Awareness is something that must grow time by time. To increase people’s awareness, the following topic is applicable for integrating SDG ’s solutions in daily life:

Education

How can you know you do something wrong, if nobody makes you alert on it? Not at all!
Sometimes, bad lifestyles or manners are integrated from the time of birth into people’s life. If no one tells such a person that his situation is not normal, or that his way of life is wrong, he will never know. Education is VERY important for HIV and AIDS topics. It is high at stake for primary and secundairy schools to make children alert about the possible outcomes of their sexual behaviour on their own health. But also for the topic Wildlife and Forest crime. It is much easier to change children’s mindsets than adults. Their behaviour and manners are already so far intergrated in their daily life that it is almost impossible to change it. Even so, they will continue it by raising their children with the same ideas. Children are fresh yough and it is easier to change their way of thinking, as well as their lifestyle and behaviour.

It is the responsibility of the Government and Local communities (also NGO’s) to provide education. In developing countries, it might be a risk that governments restrict it because they don’t want to change the people’s mindsets (indoctrination), or they might not want to invest the money on it. Here comes the role for parties as WSF. We can lobby to convince governments about the importance of education to their citizens. Or Particular Funds and NGO can take their responsibility. They can educate on a voluntary base, WSF can take part in this or we can recruit volunteers to do this. This might be at First in the countries we already operate with CDM.

Availability of daily life essentials

How can you change your lifestyle, or stop your current work, if there is an absence of alternatives? Not al all. Especially for alternative development, this is very important. There must be an alternative for farmers to make them stop growing coca leeves or poppy cultivation. They must be certain of another job or way to have sufficient income to feed their families. They also must be provided from food, water, elektricitiy and health care. This is also the goverment’s reponsibility. If they do not take this reponsibility, NGO’s or Particular Funds can take it. WSF can play a role in this, by their Country Develop Managers (CDM’s). In the country we operate, we can get in touch with these local NGO’s and Funds to inventarise the needs of the society and to help them providing it.

Also for HIV&AIDS this is very at stake. Education on schools can be combinated with providing the youth of condoms and all kind of important information about pregnacy, the options of abortion and so on. Especially girls are a high target Group here. They are very vulnerable and still have a lower status in many countries and culture. It is very difficult to change these cultures in a short time, but they can be made alert on it, to let them know their (human) and personal rights.

Common
All the SDG solutions and integrations are common and have great interdepency. It is also our common responsibility to fight for them. Only when NGO’s, goverments, citizens, victims etc etc recognize and know how to find each other, we can improve it.

WSF can take part in all of this. In all countries we operate CDM, we can help all parties to find their partners and to development and improve solutions and to maintain collaboration. The CDM of the specific country must create those relationships by making contacts, building a networks and maintaining them. This tool can practically applied by the CDM’s in the countries we already operate and later on, be extended in countries we start to operate in the future.