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161. Security and Sustainable Development in Bogotá, Colombia

Author:
Juan Felipe Godoy, Claudia Rodríguez, and Hernando Zuleta
Publication Date:
10-2018
Content Type:
Case Study
Institution:
Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance (DCAF)
Abstract:
SSR for Safer Cities - Supporting States to Achieve SDG 11 Safety and security has already become an urban experience for more than half of the world’s population. Against this backdrop, SDG 11 seeks to bring sustainable and peaceful development to the people who live in cities by calling on states to “Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable”. Yet high rates of urban violence reflect a failure to address the challenges of urbanization in national and donor-supported strategies for security and development. Urban violence exacerbates state fragility and human suffering, endangers local and regional peace, and drives uncontrolled migration. This fact demonstrates the urgency of linking SDG 11 with SDG 5 on women’s empowerment and SDG 16 on peaceful, just and inclusive societies. Within this larger priority there is now a pressing need to address the immediate challenges of SSR in urban contexts, manifests in the purpose of DCAF’s Policy and Research Division project “SSR for Safer Cities” supported by the Human Security Division of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. As part of the project, three case studies on security in cities conducted by local experts over the course of 2018 examine SSR within the urban realm; the selected cities are Bogotá, Cape Town and General Santos City.
Topic:
Crime, Governance, Law Enforcement, Urbanization, Sustainable Development Goals, and Gender Based Violence
Political Geography:
Geneva, Colombia, South America, and United Nations

162. Promoting Sustainable Connectivity in the Balkans and Black Sea Region

Author:
Maaike Okano-Heijmans
Publication Date:
08-2018
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Clingendael Netherlands Institute of International Relations
Abstract:
The risk of a connectivity conflict becoming the next Great Game in the Balkans and Black Sea region is real. If, instead, countries in the region are to capitalize on their geography and history as a trading hub, all stakeholders need to invest in furthering political will, money, cooperation and trust. The Balkans and Black Sea Cooperation Forum (BBSF), convened in Athens in May 2018, is a noteworthy building block in this process.
Topic:
International Relations and Sustainable Development Goals
Political Geography:
Balkans

163. Greening Uganda's Economy as the Sustainable Pathway to Middle Income Status

Author:
Ronald Kaggwa and Bernard Namanya
Publication Date:
03-2018
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment (ACODE)
Abstract:
While the concept of a green economy is new to Uganda, the practice and principles of a green economy are not new. The core principles of a green economy are mainstreamed in a number of government policies, laws, plans and programmes. Uganda has several on-going and planned green growth projects and initiatives by both Government and non-State actors including the following -- the Switch Africa Green project; Uganda Green Incubation Programme; various renewable energy projects; sustainable transport initiatives; cities and urban development initiatives; and climate change measures and actions on mitigation, adaptation and residence. Generally, the policy environment is conducive for the implementation of SDGs, including political commitment to sustainable and inclusive development. However, most of the policies, plans and laws that seek to meet SDGs including through green growth initiatives, have largely remained on paper and are not implemented. Non-state actors, including the civil society and the private sector, are proactively engaged in implementation of green growth initiatives and programmes but only to a certain degree. It is widely acknowledged that huge financial investments are required if the transition to a green economy is to be achieved. Considering that public revenues alone will not be sufficient in financing green growth initiatives in the short to medium term, there is need for mobilising private sector financial investments and development partner support to address the funding gaps. Consequently, there is an urgent need for a concerted engagement of both the public and private sector as well as development partners, to mobilise the required financial resources for funding the transition to a green economy.
Topic:
Climate Change, Economy, Sustainable Development Goals, Economic Growth, Investment, and Green Transition
Political Geography:
Uganda and Africa

164. Making it Count: a feasibility study on collective indicators to monitor progress in the Agenda for Humanity - Summary

Author:
Alice Obrecht, Tim Harcourt-Powell, and Amelie Sundberg
Publication Date:
12-2018
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
ALNAP: Active Learning Network for Accountability and Performance
Abstract:
This feasibility study undertaken by ALNAP seeks to identify a set of potential indicators for monitoring the Agenda for Humanity and assess how practicable it is to use these indicators, given current consensus on method and the availability of data. To assess the feasibility of using shared indicators to track progress in the Agenda for Humanity, ALNAP developed 71 indicators for 10 Transformations (two for each Core Responsibility). Each indicator was ranked using the ranking system in table 1 below, adapted from the ranking system used for the SDG indicators. The study concludes that better collective monitoring of progress in the Agenda for Humanity is possible – if the sector considers it to be a priority.
Topic:
Sustainable Development Goals, Accountability, Performance Evaluation, and Feasibility
Political Geography:
Global Focus

165. Impact of BRAC’s Coordinated Approach in Addressing Violence against Women and Children

Author:
Samir Ranjan Nath, Ruman Ali, Sharin Shajahan Naomi, and Raihana Azim Upoma
Publication Date:
07-2018
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD), Brac University
Abstract:
Violence against Women and Children (VAWC) is a significant obstacle to reduce poverty, and achieve gender equality that is closely associated with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). BRAC’s five years strategic plan (2016-2020) includes reducing violence, which indicates BRAC’s priority and concern to continue and develop its interventions for addressing violence against women and children. Part of this endeavour includes understanding existing gaps in the interventions and envisioning stronger interventions. Although BRAC’s six programs viz., CEP, HRLS, GJ&D, BEP, MF and HNPP have huge outreach across Bangladesh for creating awareness and taking action against VAWC, these programs have worked separately to combat the issue. The VAWC project intends to work on a comprehensive VAWC model that would bring coordination among the existing components or platforms functional in four programs to address the violence in three areas: protection, prevention and rehabilitation. This intervention of the coordinated approach is currently being piloted in Cumilla and Gazipur district of Bangladesh. After completion of the intervention, RED has conducted this study to see the impact of the intervention as well as the effectiveness of the coordinated approach that the program applied. The end line survey was focused on intimate partner violence as well as violence against children, and the qualitative part explored how the coordinated approach is working in the field through combining different program’s interventions. The quantitative survey found limited success of the program’s impact on intimate partner violence and violence against children that are deeply rooted in patriarchal ideology. However, the qualitative study found effectiveness and promising aspects of the coordinated approach in the areas of reporting, legal justice, preventing early marriage, linkage with local government, journalists and community leaders, and reintegration. Taking insights from both of the studies, the research recommends exploring new means for creating awareness on patriarchal ideology, scaling up the interventions on a long-term basis as well as more advocacy with government and local leaders.
Topic:
Women, Sustainable Development Goals, Gender Based Violence, and Intimate Partner Violence
Political Geography:
Bangladesh and South Asia

166. Drug Policy and the Sustainable Development Agenda

Author:
Global Commission On Drug Policy
Publication Date:
10-2018
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Global Commission On Drug Policy
Abstract:
The Sustainable Development Goals and Agenda 2030 are meant to be a transformational agenda to eradicate poverty, achieve gender equity or save the planet through their implementation. This implementation, based on coherent public policies, is still lacking at the national, regional and international levels. This is most visible in drug policy, where voices from health, human rights and science call for reform, while most countries continue to privilege ideology through law-enforcement and militarization. The members of the Global Commission on Drug Policy draw from their experience at the highest policy and political levels to provide an analysis of how - beyond powerful words and slogans - sustainable development is impeded by drug control while providing a single, forceful recommendation to address this situation.
Topic:
Reform, Sustainable Development Goals, Public Policy, and Drugs
Political Geography:
Global Focus

167. The Role of Business Elites in Sustainable Development

Author:
Julián Cárdenas
Publication Date:
01-2018
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Postgraduate Program on Sustainable Development and Social Inequalities in the Andean Region (trAndeS)
Abstract:
Research on the conjunction of business elites and sustainable development fascinates practitioners and international organizations but faces methodological and data collection challenges within academia. Firstly, studies on corporate sustainability have promptly increased but have been extremely focused on an organizational level of analysis, which inhibits figuring out whether business decisions have an impact at the macro or societal level. Secondly, major policy recommendations on sustainable development point to the creation of networks and partnerships among business elites, governments and civil organizations but it is largely ignored which specific type of network configuration goes along with sustainable development. Thirdly, the literature on sustainable development often considered business elites as homogenous and concentrated, even though conflicting views exist regarding aspects of sustainable development. Finally, the influence of business elites on environmental, social and economic policies has been more supposed than empirically demonstrated. Past research has been unable to overcome these challenges in part due to insufficient data clarifying the full breadth of business elite connections with political and civil organizations nationally and transnationally, and the lack of a combination of analytical tools for analyzing multilevel characteristics and actions. The present paper proposes a research agenda to comprehend the role of business elites in sustainable development. Future studies should use network analysis as leverage, uncover the networks among business and political elites, focus on Latin American economies and regions, bypass case studies and develop cross-national and transnational analysis, and turn to a combination of causal methods.
Topic:
Sustainable Development Goals, Research, Business, Elites, and Network Analysis
Political Geography:
Latin America

168. No Money, No NAP: Manual for Costing and Budgeting National Action Plans on UNSCR 1325

Author:
Mavic Cabrera-Balleza and Agnieszka Fal Dutra Santos
Publication Date:
01-2017
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Global Network of Women Peacebuilders (GNWP)
Abstract:
The United Nations Security Council resolution (UNSCR) 1325 was adopted in the year 2000, thanks to sustained women’s rights and peace activism from around the world. At its core lies women’s meaningful participation in peace negotiations, post-conflict peacebuilding, conflict-prevention, peacekeeping operations and humanitarian planning. We know that women’s contributions to effective implementation of resolution 1325 and its supporting resolutions - UNSCR 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009), 1889 (2009), 1960 (2010), 2106 (2103), and 2242 (2015) - are essential for a more peaceful and equal world and the achievement of all of the Sustainable Development Goals. These collective ambitions are more important than ever, as we mark the 17th anniversary of resolution 1325 amidst continuing conflict and insecurity in many countries around the world. Yet, translating these resolutions into practical action on the ground remains challenging, with a persistent gap between commitments and actual political and financial support. Sixty-eight countries have so far adopted National Action Plans (NAPs) to implement UNSCR 1325 and supporting resolutions, but only 16 out of 68 NAPs have a dedicated budget. NAP implementation will only be possible when the funding is provided. Political will must be supported by targeted financial and other resources.
Topic:
Gender Issues, United Nations, Women, Sustainable Development Goals, Peace, and UN Security Council
Political Geography:
Global Focus

169. Ambitious SDG Goal Confronts Challenging Realities: Access to Justice is still Elusive for Many Africans

Author:
Carolyn Logan
Publication Date:
03-2017
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Afrobarometer
Abstract:
Access to justice for all citizens has long been recognized as a cornerstone of democracy, good governance, and effective and equitable development. Its centrality has recently been highlighted in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 16 (SDG16), which calls for all societies to “promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels” (United Nations, 2016). The United Nations Development Programme (2004) has even described access to justice as a basic human right. Access to justice is described broadly as the ability of citizens to “seek and obtain remedies” (American Bar Association, 2012, i) and to “prevent the abuse of their rights and obtain remedies when such rights are abused” (United States Agency for International Development, 2010, 12). Providing access to justice requires meeting several conditions. It requires a legal framework that protects citizens’ rights and that is known and comprehensible to ordinary people. It requires that court costs are reasonable and that legal counsel is both available and affordable. And it requires that citizens are confident that laws will be fairly and effectively applied. In short, it requires the existence of a remedy, citizens with the legal empowerment and capacity to seek a remedy, and a court system with the capacity and will to provide an effective remedy (International Commission of Jurists, 2009). These conditions are often evaluated through expert assessments. However, the perspectives of ordinary citizens – including both the public at large and actual users of the legal system – can shed critical light on the extent to which people enjoy access to justice. Do ordinary citizens use the legal system to resolve disputes, or do they avoid it? Do they have confidence in court decisions, and in their own ability to secure just outcomes? Can they obtain the legal advice they need, and afford to pursue a case? And when they do go to court, what are their experiences? Are women, the poor, or marginalized groups treated differently than men or wealthy elites?
Topic:
Development, Inequality, Sustainable Development Goals, Justice, and Sustainability
Political Geography:
Africa

170. Reflections on Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy

Author:
Brian Tomlinson
Publication Date:
07-2017
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Centre for the Study of Security and Development, Dalhousie University
Abstract:
The government has set out a unique and ambitious vision for Canada’s international assistance for the next five years, one that is firmly rooted in its commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment through the active promotion of the rights of women and girls. Most donors, including Canada, have had long-standing gender policies to guide their assistance priorities. But with this Ministerial directive for an exclusive focus on women’s rights in international assistance, Canada is unique among its donor peers in the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee. It sends a critically important global signal that the achievement of Agenda 2030 will not be possible without meaningful and substantial progress on SDG Goal Five – Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. Canada is prepared to step up its leadership for this Goal.
Topic:
Gender Issues, Foreign Aid, Women, and Sustainable Development Goals
Political Geography:
Canada and North America