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SPECIAL IPS COLUMNIST SERVICE COVERAGE WORLD SOCIAL FORUM PORTO ALEGRE JANUARY 26-31, 2005: HUMAN RIGHTS IS BEST STRATEGY TO END POVERTY

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NEW YORK, Jan 1 2005 (IPS) - Will 2005 be a year of breakthrough which moves us closer to realizing the World Social Forum\’s conviction that another world is possible? Or will it be yet another year in which the divides in our world continue to grow? The answer, of course, depends on the choices we make and the values we uphold, writes Mary Robinson, Executive Director of The Ethical Globalisation Initiative and Honorary President of Oxfam International. In this article, the author writes that commitments that should be front and center during 2005 are those that governments made at the start of the 21st century. Five years after the largest gathering ever of heads of state and government solemnly vowed in the 2000 UN Millennium Declaration to spare no effort to free our fellow men, women and children from the abject and dehumanizing conditions of extreme poverty, it is clear that many countries in the world are falling desperately short of the progress needed to reach the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015. In our search for a more ethical globalization, the time has come to return to the values and principles reflected in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The universality of human rights, their focus on human dignity, and their concern for accountability, make them uniquely appropriate for re-shaping development cooperation, fostering good governance, and combating discrimination, disease, and despair.

Will 2005 be a year of breakthrough which moves us closer to realizing the World Social Forum’s conviction that another world is possible? Or will it be yet another year in which the divides in our world continue to grow? The answer, of course, depends on the choices we make and the values we uphold.

The year ahead certainly provides key opportunities for leaders to make principled policy choices on some of our most pressing global challenges. From the G8 Summit to the WTO Ministerial meeting in Hong Kong, government leaders will make decisions on trade rules, on aid, and on the unsustainable debt of developing countries decisions that are critical to the futures of millions of the world s people.

As always, it is up to global civil society to help ensure that these decisions are fair and geared to help those most in need. Civil society organizations have a key role to play in ensuring that governments live up to the commitments they have already made.

Commitments that should be front and center during 2005 are those that governments made at the start of the 21st century. Five years after the largest gathering ever of heads of state and government solemnly vowed in the 2000 UN Millennium Declaration to spare no effort to free our fellow men, women and children from the abject and dehumanizing conditions of extreme poverty, it is clear that many countries in the world are falling desperately short of the progress needed to reach the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015.

To date, large parts of civil society have not been actively engaged in promoting the MDGs and in mobilizing to pressure their governments to take effective action. Some have expressed concern that the Millennium Goals sideline more pressing issues or ignore previous commitments such as the women’s rights platform of the 1990s, including violence against women and reproductive rights. Another criticism is that the MDG process is top-down.

Civil society was not involved in formulating the MDGs, which are seen by some as an attempt at a one-size-fits-all approach.

While I recognize that these are legitimate concerns, we should not forget that the MDGs were placed within the context of commitments that governments reaffirmed in the Millennium Declaration to promote human rights, democracy and good governance. These commitments — to respect and fully uphold the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;

– to strengthen the capacity of all countries to implement the practices of democracy and human rights;

– to implement the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW);

– to ensure respect and protection for the rights of migrant workers and their families;

– to work collectively for a more inclusive political process, allowing genuine participation by all citizens in all countries; and

– to ensure the freedom of the media and public access to information —

are all vitally important to achieving the development goals and should be given greater prominence.

One initiative I am currently involved with – The Helsinki Process on Globalisation and Democracy – seeks to bring together stakeholders from the global North and South to shape an alternative vision for globalization that can collectively influence governments and the wider public. An action plan will be launched at the Helsinki Conference which will take place in September 2005. I would encourage participants in The World Social Forum to engage with the Helsinki Process during 2005 and beyond.

Any reform agenda must include not only a huge increase on the part of the richest nations in development aid, but a commitment to greater global equity. The rules of the road for globalization, including the rules of international trade, investment and finance, must be fair and reflect the needs of the poorest countries. At the same time, developing countries must redouble their efforts to build more democratic forms of governance, combat corruption and ensure that development assistance is properly spent.

In our search for a more ethical globalization, the time has come to return to the values and principles reflected in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The universality of human rights, their focus on human dignity, and their concern for accountability, make them uniquely appropriate for re-shaping development cooperation, fostering good governance, and combating discrimination, disease, and despair.

Over 50 years ago, the architects of the international system understood the importance of human rights –both civil and political rights, such as freedom of speech, fair trial, and an equal voice in society, and economic and social rights, such as the right to health, food, housing, and education– to achieving a just and peaceful world.

Another world is possible. 2005 should be the year in which the world comes together around the conviction that realizing human rights is our best strategy for ending poverty and ensuring a life of dignity for all. (END/COPYRIGHT IPS)

 
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