Post-2015: «There is a danger of consultation overkill»
As part of the its approaches to define development goals for the future the UN launched an extensive worldwide discussion on the new development agenda that is to succeed the Millennium Development Goals in 2015. Jens Martens, long-time observer of international development and environmental policy, has warned against consultation overkill and calls on NGOs to develop alternatives that go beyond what is currently seen as being politically feasible.
When asked in a recent interview whether the involvement of civil society was a mere formality? He stated that it depends on the individual negotiation processes. “Let us take the discussion on the Post-2015 Development Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In this case civil society groups are extensively involved even at the national level.”
According to Martens the consultations are not misguided and NGOs should participate. However, they should not invest all their energies only in such processes. The influence of civil society groups on the official decision-making process is negligible. NGOs should focus primarily on laying out their own positions, and in so doing not simply pursue pragmatically what is politically feasible at the moment. They should seize the opportunity to launch fundamental social debates both locally and internationally on issues such as the way societies should organize themselves in future in view of the environmental and social problems, the real meaning of prosperity and social advancement, or what a solidarity-based society of the 21st century actually looks like.
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