Asia Pacific Regional CSO Engagement Mechanism Statement

MGoS Session: CSOs Perspectives

Delivered by Jyotsna Mohan of Asia Development Alliance on behalf of Asia Pacific Regional CSO Engagement Mechanism 

The SDGs repeatedly use language related to transformation, empowerment, and inclusion. But these concepts are illusory if people are unable to exercise their human rights. Despite almost 20 mentions of human rights in the text of the SDGs, there is not a single reference to any specific civil and political right, and human rights in general remain marginal and often invisible in the overall SDG context

Now, more worryingly, during the time of COVID-19 the situation has only worsened as governments have opportunistically used the pandemic as a justification to further clamp down on the forms of civil society engagement that are indispensable if the SDGs are to be promoted effectively.

Authorities in many countries are taking advantage of the COVID Pandemic crisis to tighten their political grip by weakening checks and balances, imposing censorship, and expanding state surveillance—all at a time when civil society groups are less able to fight back. In many countries, restrictive laws already had been squeezing civil society before the crisis hit. The pandemic has  provided a convenient cover for governments to further tilt the balance of power in their favor.

The crisis is also catalyzing new forms of civic mobilization.. The Civil Society actors are filling in gaps left by governments to provide essential services, spread information about the virus, and protect marginalized groups and providing relief to the local communities. They are also forging new coalitions to hold stumbling or recalcitrant governments to account.”

With the  setback of engagement  in this era of COVID-19 and online engagement  when the issue of wide digital divide hinders the meaningful participation of the poor and the most marginalised constituencies, and our collective efforts to bring out grounded realities can be easily hindered by  unfriendly time zone for those in the global south, technological glitches, or bypassed when the engagement takes place online.