CONCORD Red Lines: Proposal for a new European Consensus on Development

Overall, the new European Consensus on Development provides an opportunity to define the shared objectives, values and principles to which the EU and its Member States have committed in their adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and constitutes a strong foundation for a joint approach to sustainable development in the next decade. Within the proposed new Consensus, CONCORD supports:

• The commitment to poverty eradication.
• The commitment to Policy Coherence for Development as a Treaty of European Union obligation.
• The contribution to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda through EU external action.
• The mainstreaming of the 4 dimensions of sustainable development -social, economic environmental and governance.
• The underlying principle of leaving no one behind (LNOB) and the attention to inequality but would stress that LNOB requires that the poorest and hard to reach people will need to be reached first.
• The commitment to the achievement of human rights for all including women’s rights and the achievement of gender equality.
• The importance given to the protection of the planet and implementation of the Paris Agreement.

However, the proposed new Consensus struggles to articulate a visionary development policy that will overcome the structural obstacles to sustainable development, and that is able to demonstrate how it will implement some of the core principles such as policy coherence for sustainable development, democratic ownership, and leaving no one behind. We are concerned that the current draft Consensus:

• does not provide direction and sufficient mechanisms that guarantee for other European policies to support sustainable development as envisaged in the Treaty of the EU but rather sees development at the service of other European interests / policy goals.
• encourages and supports an increasing role for the private sector/large corporations without sufficient evidence of the development benefits of their engagement nor sufficient analysis of the associated risks; without sufficient transparency over partnerships with the private sector or monitoring and binding accountability and redress mechanisms in cases of human rights violations or environmental damage; and without identifying which type of private sector should besupported.
• sees the current model of economic growth and job creation as the primary solution to inequality, instability, irregular migration and forced displacement; and does not acknowledge that economic growth and employment could actually accelerate migration Also, whilst many developing countries are in need of economic development, this should be sustainable and at the same time contribute to the well- being for all people and the planet.
• whilst recognising the major impacts on people and planet and sustainable development of EU demand for, and consumption of, resources from elsewhere, does not adequately recognise the urgency of this issue, nor does it recognise the inherent tensions between economic growth, unsustainable consumption and production patterns and climate change.
• only minimally acknowledges the unique, comprehensive and diverse role of local, national and international civil society in development, democracy and the rule of law, and does so without reference to the Council Conclusions of May 2012.
• fails to adequately pursue development partnerships based on Partner countries’ leadership on their development processes, rooted in the mutual benefit that derives from the full realization of the sustainable development goals.
• does not consistently integrate the development effectiveness principles, including national ownership of development processes, inclusive partnerships, focus on results and transparency & mutual accountability.
• whilst giving more attention to gender equality than its predecessor, does not clarify how it will address the underlying reasons and structures that keep women and girls from accessing equal rights and thus fails to be gender transformative. Also, does not commit to increased funding for gender equality or acknowledge the need for increased attention to gender responsive budgeting and gender transformative strategies and programmes throughout the development cooperation.

Importantly, CONCORD is concerned that the principles reflected in the proposed new Consensus are not being translated effectively into other European development policies and practices. For example, many of the core principles are insufficiently reflected in the recent Communication on A renewed partnership with the African-Caribbean-Pacific countries that put forward EU’s interests and priorities.

Similarly, a number of bilateral agreements or deals (e.g.: deal with Turkey or Afghanistan) do not reflect the obligation to protect migrants’ rights as outlined in the proposed new Consensus. The External Investment Plan, and in particular the European Sustainable Development Fund, is supposed to serve the implementation of the Agenda 2030 and the proposed new Consensus. However, in practice this Plan is curtailed by a narrow focus on migration control and large multinational companies, rather than having a much wider and longer term view and a multi-stakeholder approach which can truly serve the 4 dimensions of the Sustainable Development Goals.