Montreal, 11/09/2011. A new global vision which is radical, ambitious and universal is needed to tackle the critical issues faced by people and the planet, and frame the post-2015 global agenda, outlined civil society organisations in a Montreal communiqué at the CIVICUS World Assembly on September in Montreal, Canada.
Ingrid Srinath, Secretary General of CIVICUS pointed out that the gap between the Millennium Declaration and the technocratic formulation of the MDGs is far too wide. “It is shocking that despite all the industrial progress on the planet, millions of people continue to live in poverty and destitution. Social and economic development cannot be delinked from civil and political freedoms. This reality must be taken cognizance of by policy makers in the future.”Speaking at the CIVICUS assembly, Beyond 2015 international coordinator Leo Williams outlined that “There are a number of options for a post-2015 agenda: an extension of the MDG deadline, a revised version of the MDGs, a totally different framework, or no framework at all. Whatever is decided, we must ensure that the process of developing the future framework is participatory, inclusive and responsive to voices of those directly affected by poverty and injustice.”
Lysa John, Campaign Director of Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP), said “Between now and the end of 2015, we will work together to develop a unifying, coherent global agenda and take action to influence the positions of governments and the United Nations. Moreover, we call on the UN Secretary General to provide personal leadership on the post-2015 agenda.”
Key points of the communiqué include:
- It is rooted in and uses international human rights instruments as the basis for accountability
- The vision must be universal in its application
- The vision must be holistic and address the issues of human rights, inequality, gender justice, social justice and environmental sustainability
- That empowers communities on the ground to claim their entitlements
Read the full Montreal Declaration at http://www.beyond2015.org/sites/default/files/Beyond%202015%20Montreal%20Communique_0.pdf