 Global Integration UpdatesCommon Ground for the Common Good Build the world we need--Be the people we need
Special News--February 2020Wellbeing for Who?
Reports from Seven Sectors
Staying Current with Our Global Goals Image from Global Peace Index, Institute for Economics and Peace
We resolve, between now and 2030, to end poverty and hunger everywhere; to combat inequalities within and among countries; to build peaceful, just and inclusive societies; to protect human rights and promote gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls; and to ensure the lasting protection of the planet and its natural resources. We resolve also to create conditions for sustainable, inclusive and sustained economic growth, shared prosperity and decent work for all, taking into account different levels of national development and capacities. Transforming Our World, The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, paragraph 3 (2015)
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In this Update we feature recent global reports from seven overlapping sectors. The purpose? To help us all track with the ongoing issues, progress, and challenges in the global efforts on behalf of the wellbeing of all people and the planet.
Who is benefiting? Who is being left behind?
We also orient you to these reports so that you can overview them easily and then decide if you want to probe them more deeply. See the Summary/link at the end of each report.
We suggest that when you can: a) look over the descriptions below; b) go deeper by taking 30 minutes to review the summaries for all seven items (possibly longer if English is not your first language); and c) choose one or more of the reports of interest and probe it further.
Stay current. Stay the course.
Build the world we need. Be the people we need.
Warm greetings from Geneva,
Kelly and Michèle
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Featured ResourcesReports from Seven Sectors
Staying Current with Our Global Goals Image courtesy and ©2019 ENODTo say, "Your side of the global boat is sinking," is crazy.
We are all on the same precarious, perilous, precious global boat.
1. Global Action Plan for Healthy Lives and Wellbeing for All (2019) World Health Organization. "Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 – ensuring health and well-being for all at all ages – is critical to achieving progress on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Because health is an integral part of human capital and a precondition, driver and outcome of sustainable development, SDG 3 is linked to around 50 health-related targets across the SDGs and the pledge to leave no one behind. The overall objective of the Global Action Plan is to enhance collaboration among 12 global organizations engaged in health, development and humanitarian responses to accelerate country progress on the health-related SDG targets. The Plan presents a new approach to strengthening collaboration among and joint action by the organizations, building on an initial joint commitment made in October 2018. The Plan is primarily intended to be strategic but provides some operational detail to guide implementation while also allowing flexibility for adjustment based on regular reviews of progress and learning from experience. Although the purpose of the Global Action Plan is not to provide or seek additional resources, the Plan will enable better use of existing resources as a result of improved collaboration, recognizing that each agency has its own unique mandate and area of expertise." (excerpt from WHO website)Summary: See the Executive Summary (xiv-xxv).See also: WHO Updates for the Global Action Plan and other health updates on the WHO website.
2. Global Humanitarian Overview 2020, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). “We began 2019 expecting humanitarian needs to be similar to those of 2018. We were wrong. Climatic shocks, the unexpected spread of infectious disease, and the impact of protracted and often intensifying conflicts have combined to drive needs to unprecedented levels this year. Over the course of the year, I met people suffering through these crises in more than 10 countries, among them Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Somalia, Sudan, Venezuela and Zimbabwe. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, I heard from families whose lives had been changed forever by the Ebola virus outbreak, with loved ones lost – a situation only made worse by decades of insecurity, conflict and chronic poverty. In the Bahamas, I saw firsthand the devastating impact a severe hurricane – made more intense by climate change – can have on homes and livelihoods across nearly an entire country. I continue to be amazed by people’s determination to rebuild, and encouraged by their hope for a better future. I am humbled by the tireless dedication and professionalism of humanitarian staff working on the front lines of human suffering, often at significant personal risk.” (excerpted from the Foreword)Summary: See the Overview (pages 4-5)See also: Agenda for Humanity website for references and research related to humanitarian assistance as well as the Executive Summary of the 2019 Synthesis Report (Sustaining the Ambition, Delivering Change). See also humanitarian updates and reports from The New Humanitarian.
3. World Development Report 2020: Trading for Development in the Age of Global Value Chains, The Word Bank Group. “Global value chains (GVCs) powered the surge of international trade after 1990 and now account for almost half of all trade. This shift enabled an unprecedented economic convergence: poor countries grew rapidly and began to catch up with richer countries. Since the 2008 global financial crisis, however, the growth of trade has been sluggish and the expansion of GVCs has stalled. Meanwhile, serious threats have emerged to the model of trade-led growth. New technologies could draw production closer to the consumer and reduce the demand for labor. And conflicts among large countries could lead to a retrenchment or a segmentation of GVCs. [This Report] examines whether there is still a path to development through GVCs and trade. It concludes that technological change is at this stage more a boon than a curse. GVCs can continue to boost growth, create better jobs, and reduce poverty provided that developing countries implement deeper reforms to promote GVC participation, industrial countries pursue open, predictable policies, and all countries revive multilateral cooperation.” (description from website)Summary: See Overview (pages 1-9)
Note: What is a GVC? A global value chain breaks up the production process across countries. Firms specialize in a specific task and do not produce the whole product. How do GVCs work? Interactions between firms typically involve durable relationships. Economic fundamentals drive countries’ participation in GVCs. But policies matter—to enhance participation and broaden benefits.” (excerpt from thee Overview and summary diagram)
4. Human Development Report 2019: Beyond Income, Beyond Averages, Beyond Today--Inequalities in Human Development in the 21st Century, UN Development Program. “The wave of demonstrations sweeping across countries is a clear sign that, for all our progress, something in our globalized society is not working. Different triggers are bringing people onto the streets: the cost of a train ticket, the price of petrol, political demands for independence. A connecting thread, though, is deep and rising frustration with inequalities. Understanding how to address today’s disquiet requires looking “Beyond Income, Beyond Averages and Beyond Today,” as this Human Development Report sets out to do. Too often, inequality is framed around economics, fed and measured by the notion that making money is the most important thing in life. But societies are creaking under the strain of this assumption, and while people may protest to keep pennies in their pockets, power is the protagonist of this story: the power of the few; the powerlessness of many; and collective power of the people to demand change.” (excerpt from the Foreword)Summary: See Overview (pages 1-4)
Note: The entire Overview is from pages 1-20.
5. Corruption Perceptions Index 2019, Transparency International. (access Report at bottom of home page via download) “[This year's Index] reveals a staggering number of countries are showing little to no improvement in tackling corruption. Our analysis also suggests that reducing big money in politics and promoting inclusive political decision-making are essential to curb corruption. In the last year, anti-corruption movements across the globe gained momentum as millions of people joined together to speak out against corruption in their governments. Protests from Latin America, North Africa and Eastern Europe to the Middle East and Central Asia made headlines as citizens marched in Santiago, Prague, Beirut, and a host of other cities to voice their frustrations in the streets. From fraud that occurs at the highest levels of government to petty bribery that blocks access to basic public services like health care and education, citizens are fed up with corrupt leaders and institutions. This frustration fuels a growing lack of trust in government and further erodes public confidence in political leaders, elected officials and democracy. The current state of corruption speaks to a need for greater political integrity in many countries. To have any chance of curbing corruption, governments must strengthen checks and balances, limit the influence of big money in politics and ensure broad input in political decision-making. Public policies and resources should not be determined by economic power or political influence, but by fair consultation and impartial budget allocation.” (excerpt from the Executive Summary)Summary: Executive Summary (pages 4-5)
See also: The overview video (1.5 minutes) of the Report and the overviews/info graphics on the Transparency International website main page.
6. Positive Peace Report 2019: Analyzing the Factors that Sustain Peace. Institute for Economics and Peace. “Positive Peace is a transformational concept. Empirically based, it shifts the focus away from the negative to the positive aspects that create the conditions for a society to flourish. Due to its systemic nature, improvements in Positive Peace are associated with many desirable outcomes for society, such as higher GDP growth, better measures of wellbeing, higher levels of resilience and more peaceful societies. More importantly, it provides a theory of social change, and explains how societies change and evolve. Humanity is nearing a tipping point and facing challenges unparalleled in its short history. Many of these problems are global in nature, such as climate change, ever-decreasing biodiversity, depletion of the earth’s freshwater, and overpopulation. Such global challenges call for global solutions and require cooperation on a scale unprecedented in human history. In a hyper-connected world, the sources of many of these challenges are multidimensional, increasingly complex and span national borders. For this reason, finding solutions requires fundamentally new ways of thinking.” (page 10)Summary: See Executive Summary and Key Findings (pages 12-14)See also: The opening overview of why Positive Peace is transformational (pages 3-11) as well as the Institute for Economics and Peace's Global Terrorism Index 2019.
7. Report of the Secretary-General on the 2019 Climate Action Summit and the Way Forward in 2020. United Nations. "The Climate Action Summit reinforced 1.5°C as the socially, economically, politically and scientifically safe limit to global warming by the end of this century, and net zero emissions by 2050 as the global long-term climate objective for all. Countries need to urgently accelerate work to define what this entails for the short-term (2020) and mid-term (2030) commitments that will be captured in their Nationally Determined Contributions and ensure the alignment of strategies to meet those commitments.
The Summit demonstrated that the full participation of governments, business leaders, subnational actors, indigenous peoples, youth and other civil society stakeholders was critical to raising ambition for climate mitigation and adaptation. Together, they launched transformative initiatives in twelve critical areas that will provide the foundation for action going forward to reduce emissions and strengthen adaptation and resilience.results are achieved.
Strong action was particularly evident from the private sector and youth. Many businesses showcased ambitious commitment compatible with a 1.50C pathway, in many cases going beyond current national policy frameworks, even in sectors heavily reliant on fossil fuels. The voices of youth and the “climate strikers” were brought into the global discussion, both at the Youth Climate Summit and the Climate Action Summit.
Political leadership was also demonstrated during the Summit with the commitments of 70 countries to deliver more ambitious NDCs in 2020 in line with net zero emissions by 2050 strategies. While these countries represent a significant portion of the world’s population, they account for less than 10 percent of the world’s GHG emissions. If none of the major emitters formally committed to more ambitious NDCs, some of them “committed to commit” by the end of 2020. Finally, 75 countries committed to deliver 2050 net zero emissions strategies by 2020.
Through concrete examples, the Summit highlighted how climate action can have tangible impacts on people’s lives, including on their jobs and health, and therefore the need to align policies and systems to accelerate the implementation of both the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).” (excerpt page 5) Summary: Call to Action (page 3)
See also: The entire Report (pages 1-11) and the UN Climate Action website.
Member Care Associates Inc. (MCA) is a non-profit, Christian organization working internationally from Geneva and the USA. MCA's involvement in Global Integration focuses on the wellbeing and effectiveness of personnel and their organizations in the mission, humanitarian, and development sectors as well as global mental health, all with a view towards supporting sustainable development for all people and the planet. Our services include consultation, training, research, developing resources, and publications.
Global Integration (GI) is a framework for actively and responsibly engaging in our world--locally to globally. It emphasizes connecting relationally and contributing relevantly on behalf of human wellbeing and the issues facing humanity, in light of our integrity, commitments, and core values (e.g., ethical, humanitarian, human rights, faith-based). GI encourages a variety of people to be at the “global tables” and in the "global trenches"--and everything in-between--in order to help research, shape, and monitor agendas, policies, and action for all people and the planet. It intentionally links building the world we need with being the people we need.
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