Did austerity create a “lost decade” for sustainable development and human rights? That was the main question during the side event that ENNHRI co-organised on 19 July in the context of the High Level Political Forum in New York. Evidence and proposals from the national level should now guide participants to possible answers.

Rights-based, progressive economic policies are critical for the realization of all SDGs – in mobilizing resources for the transformations the Agenda 2030 requires. This event analysed the prevailing trend of fiscal austerity in economic policies around the globe, with case studies from several countries (Spain, Greece, Ireland), following up on the 2013 ENNHRI events on human rights impacts of austerity measures in those states.

Human Rights-based Approach within SDGs

Are these policies compatible with countries’ commitments under the 2030 Agenda? The event also proposed alternative, human rights-based solutions for financing sustainable development.

“As NHRIs monitor and report on the human rights situation, advise state bodies and promote a culture of rights, they are already collecting data relevant to SDGs, bringing a human rights-based approach, and providing a system of accountability, which has been recognised as crucial to Agenda 2030”
ENNHRI Chair Lora Vidovic

Partners

The HLPF 2018 side-event was organised by the Center for Economic and Social Rights, Public Services International, the European Network of National Human Rights Institutions (ENNHRI) and Egypt Social Progress Indicators.