NEW DELHI: UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon suffered a loss of face at the Rio Summitwith the G77 bloc of developing countries challenging the neutrality of the UNSG in deciding what global sustainable development targets should be imposed on the world.
They instead asked for an inter-governmental process with representatives of various country blocs being party to the decision.
The European Union had demanded that the UNSG be empowered to take the decision on what sustainable development goals should be set up for all countries to follow.
This is not the first time that the UNSG's office has come under indirect criticism for playing a partisan role in environmental negotiations but the lack of trust of developing countries in Ban Ki-moon's leadership was out in the open despite the diplomatic niceties practiced at such negotiations.
The developing world has been wary from the start that the rich countries, especially the EU, wanted to impose one-size-fits-all green standards for all countries without the firewall of common but differentiated responsibility. They argued that sustainable development goals should not focus purely on 'green issues' but should be balanced against the social and economic requirements for development.
The EU initially demanded that the entire process of SDGs be placed with the UNSG to decide. But the G77 group, including India, objected to the move. The developing countries (that make for more than 130 countries out of 180 plus UN member nations) said they would not accept the UNSG and his office leading and setting the development of SDGs.
The bloc, in the driving seat at the Rio Summit, demanded that the UN General Assemblyoversee the process where all member states have equal say. It asked for a working group to be set up drawing members from all the country blocs.
After serious critiques of the partial agendas of earlier reports emanating from the UNSG's leadership on climate change related issues, the G77 argued that the meetings on SDGs should be open to public scrutiny and not be a closed door process of hand-picked experts as has happened before.
At the end of the day, the G77 won the argument and an inter-governmental process was set up which will have 30 people from various country blocs. This working group will report to the UN General Assembly and not to the UNSG. The UNSG has been tasked to provide initial inputs to the working group in consultation with national governments. The UNSG's office will also set up the back-end of experts to help the inter-governmental panel reach its recommendations for the General Assembly.
