* Any views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation.
Focus on the most marginalised is key for ensuring global success in reaching universal development goals by 2030
After 5 years as United Nations Special Rapporteur I have a repeated “déjà vu” feeling. Whenever I go on country missions for the UN Human Rights Council – I constantly come across the same groups of people not benefitting from the “success stories” and development achieved over the past decade. The girls who miss school because there are no sex segregated toilets or because their families simply do not have the money to buy sanitary pads. The women who cannot work because they have to walk long distances to fetch water. The slum dwellers who lack access to a proper toilet in conditions of dignity or the poor who are paying more for their drinking water than you and me.
Whilst the world’s most marginalized continue to miss out, in international processes and debates I am hearing repeated calls for universal access to concrete development outcomes by 2030 – including to sanitation, water, food or education. The UN Secretary General’s High Level Panel called for “no one left behind” and national consultations have prioritized the elimination of inequalities. These are hugely welcome interventions – but they sit with an uncomfortable silence on whether and how to address inequalities.
Are governments responsible for agreeing a post 2015 global development agenda taking the elimination of inequalities seriously? Do they know ambitious global universal goals will only become more than a mirage if we become serious about ending inequalities?
As a matter of fact, in the area of sanitation, water and hygiene, research has demonstrated that universal access by 2030 will only be possible if we ensure, starting now, faster rates of progress among those who have traditionally been left behind. Focus on the most marginalized is the key for ensuring global success in reaching universal development goals by 2030. Hence, universal goals which do not entail a commitment to progressively end inequalities are doomed to fail.
If we don’t adopt this approach, groups of people who suffer from multiple and mutually reinforcing dimensions of inequality are likely to be disproportionately represented in the final few percent that have not been reached by improvements by 2030. If we do not commit now to lift them up, if they are not the central priority of the post 2015 global development commitments, global goals will simply fail.
With 750 days to go until the Post 2015 agenda is set intergovernmental debates on the future development agenda must do much more than resign themselves with persisting inequalities or repeating that these are inevitable circumstances. They must rather ensure that a future agreement integrates a policy shift and clear commitments to progressively end inequalities. Not only because inequalities are unfair, but also because while they persist we will not be able to accelerate improvements, we will not be able to avoid social unrest and dissatisfaction and ultimately progress will stall.
Governments need to commit now to accelerate progress among the most marginalized and vulnerable. They must measure inequalities and development gaps nationally and disaggregate this data and measure their current rates of progress. Efforts need to be made now to get the most off-track, back on-track.
A world where some people get richer, and stronger, and safer, while others don’t is not the sort of world we want neither for ourselves nor for our children. We must now put elimination of inequalities at the heart of the debate, and sign up to measuring and eliminating disparities so that when we say no one will be left behind, we can actually achieve it.
Catarina de Albuquerque is the first UN Special Rapporteur on the right to safe drinking water and sanitation.
