Media release from Alliance Sud – The Federal Council today submitted its Sustainable Development Strategy (SDS) for consultation. The Swiss strategy for implementing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda is limited to fine, but completely non-binding words. It has been more than five years since Switzerland committed itself to the Sustainable Development Goals at the UN in New York. It took the Federal Council two years to formulate the new national sustainability strategy. The previous SDS was valid for four years; the new one will be valid until 2030. For Alliance Sud, one thing is clear: with the new strategy, the mountain has given birth to a mouse.
The Federal Council recognizes how important comprehensive and consistently implemented sustainability is for the future of people and nature on planet Earth. It also identifies three areas in which Switzerland has a lot of catching up to do: “Sustainable consumption and production”, “Climate, energy, biodiversity” and “Equal opportunities”. To this end, it holds out the prospect of adopting an action plan.
However, the means by which the Federal Council intends to achieve the sustainable development goals are completely disappointing. The section on corporate responsibility is fatally reminiscent of the Federal Council’s position on the Responsible Business Initiative: “Responsible corporate governance is intended to reduce the negative social, economic and environmental impact of business activities.” Urgent would be different. When it comes to shaping Swiss trade relations, the Federal Council can do no better than: “Trade agreements that are in line with International Labor Organization conventions and international environmental conventions can help to reduce inequalities.”
There is no reference to sustainability provisions and human rights in Swiss free trade agreements in the draft SDS. Although the Federal Council recognizes the capital importance of the Swiss financial centre for global sustainable development, Alliance Sud also misses a clear position from the Federal Council in this area. Managing Director Mark Herkenrath: “Committing to curbing illegal financial flows is not enough. Especially as the internationally used technical term ‘illicit financial flows’ (IFF) is much broader. Concrete steps are also needed against the tax avoidance practices of multinational corporations. These deprive developing countries of tax revenues that would be enormously important for sustainable development.”
Alliance Sud will analyze the draft SDS in detail and participate in the consultation process. For the development policy think tank, it is already clear that the Federal Council has failed to provide the international framework of the SDGs with a worthy counterpart at national level with its draft.
Alliance Sud press release dated November 4, 2020, terre des hommes schweiz is a partner of Alliance Sud
Sustainable Development Strategy of the Federal Council (PDF)
Further information:
Mark Herkenrath, Managing Director Alliance Sud, +41 78 699 58 66
