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58 THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS: THE ROLE OF ETHICS
Jerome Amir Singh
Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research
in South Aica (CAPRISA), University of
KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Aica and
Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of
Toronto, Toronto, Canada
The Suainable
Development Goals
“ For the SDGs to elicit public u
and condence, ethics mu be
cenal to their realizaon”
The nature of the SDGs
The SDGs represent collective aspirational goals of the interna-
tional community and are intended to be integrated and indi-
visible, global in nature, and universally applicable. Although
the SDGs are grounded in human rights norms and are intended
to be universally applicable, they are not a negotiated treaty.
Therefore, at best, the SDGs will nction as a form of “so law”.
To this end, the UN is developing a global reporting mechanism
that will call on countries to voluntarily submit data to track pro-
gress in light of the SDGs indicators. The UN’s high-level political
forum under the auspices of the General Assembly and the Eco-
nomic and Social Council will have the central role in overseeing
follow-up and country review at the global level. The eective
implementation of the SDGs will thus depend on a mutually sup-
portive relationship between the SDGs and international law.
Despite the need for such symbiosis, only three conventions are
explicitly included in the SDGs:
. The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (Goal 13);
. The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (Target 3.a);
and
. The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (Target 14.c).
Neither the UN Charter – which speaks about, among other is-
sues, promoting “higher standards of living” (UN Charter Article
55a), solutions to health and related problems (UN Charter arti-
cle 55b) – nor human rights instruments (including the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights) have been included in the SDGs.
The SGDs allude to “World Trade Organization agreements” (Tar-
get 10.a) but only in relation to special and dierential treatment
for developing countries. None of the 31 targets of the “justice”
and “implementation” goals (Goals 16 & 17) make any reference
to international law.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted by
global leaders at the United Nations (UN) headquarters in Sep-
tember 2015. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals and 169
targets represent a bold transformational economic, social and
environmental agenda relating to ture international develop-
ment. The SDGs set priorities and benchmarks for, among other
issues, ending poverty and improving nutrition globally by 2030.
Seeking to build on their predecessors, the Millennium Develop-
ment Goals – which expired at the end of 2015 – the SDGs apply
universally to all UN member states. However, while movement
towards sustainable development, global eradication of poverty,
and improved global nutrition is to be welcomed, the SDGs lack
legal status and explicit enforcement mechanisms. They also
add to an array of existing international nutrition-centered ini-
tiatives which, to date, have had mixed results in pursuit of their
respective agendas. For the SDGs to elicit public trust and con-
dence, ethics must be central to their realization.
The role of ethics
59SIGHT AN D L IFE | VOL . |
60
targets. This will be challenging, given that the international
nutrition arena is already a crowded space with a bewildering
array of UN agencies and bodies involved in nutrition-related
initiatives. These include the activities of the ve UN agencies
with a mandate in nutrition (FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO),
as well as intra-UN initiatives, such as REACH (Renewed Eorts
Against Child Hunger and Undernutrition), which collectively
work toward realizing the UN Global Nutrition Agenda. The UN
Global Nutrition Agenda describes the vision and guiding prin-
ciples for UN work on nutrition and outlines the broad aims that
these ve UN agencies will pursue collectively over the next ve
years. The activities of the above ve agencies occur in addi-
tion to the activities of several other UN bodies, including IAEA,
UNEP, UNHCR, UN Women, UNFPA, and the World Bank, which
also address nutrition at the global level to some degree. The
work of all these players occurs in addition to the work of the
UN Standing Committee on Nutrition (UNSCN), whose mandate
includes monitoring and promoting cooperation among UN agen-
cies and partner organizations in support of community, national,
regional, and international eorts to end malnutrition in all of its
forms in this generation. This mandate is carried out by UNSCN
Task Forces and Working Groups. Adding to the crowded inter-
national nutrition arena are the activities of the Committee on
World Food Security and the World Health Assembly (WHA), the
latter of which, in 2012, endorsed the comprehensive implemen-
tation plan on maternal, infant and young child nutrition, which
included six global targets focusing on stunting, anemia, low
birth weight, childhood overweight, breastfeeding, and wasting
to be achieved by 2025, and ve corresponding actions (spelt
out in resolution WHA65.6). Furthermore, a Global Monitor-
ing Framework on Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition,
which comprises 14 core indicators, was adopted by the WHA in
May 2015. While these indicators have been aligned with cor-
responding SDG indicators, they will require adjustment. Simi-
larly, to avoid duplication and redundancy, the SDG monitoring
system in relation to health and nutrition must synergize with the
WHA Global Monitoring Framework, as well similar monitoring
initiatives, such as the UNICEF – WHO – World Bank Group joint
child malnutrition estimates, the Global Nutrition Report (GNR),
the Global database on the Implementation of Nutrition Action
(GINA), the International Food Aid Information System (INTER-
FAIS), the Food Security Information Network (FSIN), and the
United Nations Statistics Division’s Global Indicator Database
and Statistical Yearbook, which includes collated data on, among
other indicators, health and nutrition. Several regional initiatives
(such as the Aican Union’s Aican Regional Nutrition Strategy
for the period 2016–2025) and global health initiatives (such as
those under the auspices of the International Food Policy Re-
search Institute [IFPRI], Coverage Monitoring Network [CMN],
Save the Children, the Scaling Up Nutrition [SUN] Movement and
Outside the actual SDGs, the preceding SDGs Agenda’s dec-
laration makes reference to international instruments. This
includes the UN Charter, the Convention on the Rights of the
Child, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and “other in-
ternational instruments relating to human rights.” Neither the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights nor the In-
ternational Covenant on Cultural, Social and Economic Rights
are referred to explicitly in any part of the Agenda. The Agenda
makes only vague reference to “ll respect for” and “commit-
ment to” international law. This governance gap has led com-
mentators to note that the SDGs “will represent a rhetorical tool
that every government ocial and international aid worker will
have to pay homage to while failing to hold accountable the ap-
propriate actors in international development.” The lack of rm
accountability and enforcement mechanisms in the SDGs raises
questions about the distinction between the SDGs and similar
nutrition-related aspirational ameworks which have had lim-
ited impact, to date.
“ The la of rm accountabili
and enforcement meanisms in
the SDGs raises queions”
Crowded space: SDGs and existing
global nutritional initiatives
While all the SDGs are intended to be integrated and indivis-
ible, the following SDGs are of particular relevance to health and
nutrition:
End poverty in all its forms everywhere (Goal 1);
End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition,
and promote sustainable agriculture (Goal 2);
Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all
ages (Goal 3); and
Ensure availability and sustainable management of water
and sanitation for all (Goal 6).
“ Compliance with the SDGs will
depend on rong moral leaderip
om naonal authories
and suained pressure om the
internaonal communi”
To achieve these goals, it will be essential to unite the global
nutrition community around a common set of values, goals, and
THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS: THE ROLE OF ETHICS
Box : Proposed set of ethics principles
to guide decision-making in relation to achieving
the Sustainable Development Goals
. Stewardship and responsibility
Authorities, nanciers, the private sector, civil society,
and the public at large have a responsibility to protect and
develop limited resources, and to ensure ecological integrity
and human well-being. Initiatives should be implemented
in a manner that most impacts on poverty reduction, ending
hunger, achieving food security, improving nutrition, promot-
ing sustainable agriculture, and improving human health.
. Respect for persons
Authorities, nanciers, the private sector, civil society,
and the public at large have a duty to act responsibly and
prudently towards each other, and towards future genera-
tions, in relation to resources and in respect of initiatives that
most impact on poverty reduction, ending hunger, achieving
food security, improving nutrition, promoting sustainable
agriculture, and improving human health.
. Non-malecence
Authorities, nanciers, the private sector, civil society, and the
public at large have a moral obligation not to harm, facilitate
harm, or be complicit in the harm of others in relation to
initiatives that could have an impact on poverty reduction and
human health.
. Risk-benet analysis and burden identication
The implications of initiatives that have an impact on poverty
and human health must be identied in a timely manner,
preferably prospectively.
. Reasonableness and relevance
The rationale that underpins initiatives which impact, or could
impact, poverty and human health must appeal to relevant
evidence, values, and principles.
. Collaboration
Authorities, the private sector, the international community,
civil society, and the public at large should engage in col-
laborations to mitigate the impact of initiatives that could
exacerbate poverty and the adverse human health outcomes
associated therewith.
. Least harm
If an existing or proposed project or policy that actually or
potentially detrimentally impacts on poverty and human
health can be realized by feasible alternatives that are less
adverse to poverty and human health, these alternatives
ought to be pursued as a rst resort.
. Solidarity, duty of rescue, justice, and reciprocity
Humans have a moral responsibility to ensure the common
welfare of humankind, particularly that of the poor and
marginalized, who are experiencing or could experience det-
rimental health outcomes related to poverty. This necessitates
providing aid and support to these individuals.
. Transparency, publicity, and engagement
The rationales and potential health implications of existing or
proposed initiatives that have an impact on, or could have an
impact on, poverty and human health must be publicly dis-
closed and made accessible to aected stakeholders by means
of meaningful engagement processes.
. Accountability, appeal, and enforcement
Stakeholders who are being, or who stand to be, aected by
initiatives that are impacting, or could impact, poverty and hu-
man health, must be given a fair opportunity to appeal against
such initiatives, and to have their appeal upheld.
SIGHT AN D L IFE | VOL . 29(2) | 2015 61THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS: THE ROLE OF ETHICS
the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition [GAIN]) – are also in-
volved in nutrition-related strategies and monitoring activities.
While synergy with concurrent health and nutrition initia-
tives will be key to realizing the SDGs, because of the fact that
the SDGs lack an enforcement mechanism if countries fail to
reach their goals or to submit data for review, compliance will
largely depend on strong moral leadership on the part of nation-
al authorities and sustained pressure on the part of the interna-
tional community. The failure of existing so-law instruments to
inspire nutrition-related policy reform in many settings globally
– despite the open endorsement of several WHA Resolutions on
nutrition on the part of national health authorities serving on
the WHA – highlight the fact that political rhetoric alone will be
inadequate to realize the SDGs, and they underpin why the eld
of ethics must be central to realizing the SDGs.
How the eld of ethics can facilitate
the realization of the SDGs
Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, involves systematiz-
ing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong
behavior. Ethics has been described as the branch of philoso-
phy that denes what is good for the individual and for society,
62 THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS: THE ROLE OF ETHICS
and establishes the nature of obligations, or duties, that people
owe themselves and one another. It may be said that ethics of-
fers a normative guidance amework on what should be done
to ensure good for the individual and society, regardless of the
absence or applicability of a legal obligation. Put dierently,
an ethical/moral duty is a duty which one owes and ought to
perform, but which one is not legally bound to ll. Seen in
this context, the omission of key international law instruments
and enforcement mechanisms in the SDGs will necessitate a
problem-solving mindset based on ethics to deliver on SDG
promises. To this end, adherence to ethics norms (see B ox )
could facilitate the realization of the SDGs.
Conclusion
In the absence of legally binding compliance and accountability
mechanisms, realizing the SDGs will require a mindset shi on
the part of authorities – om empty political rhetoric that has
generally characterized the realization of other so-law interna-
tional instruments, to a problem-solving mindset based on ad-
herence to explicit ethical benchmarks. Such an approach could
help engender public trust and condence in national authori-
ties, transnational organizations, and so-law instruments, and
could facilitate the realization of the SDGs.
Correspondence: Jerome Amir Singh,
Head of Ethics and Law, Center for the AIDS Programme
of Research in South Aica (CPRISA), University of
KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Aica
Email: singhj9@ukzn.ac.za
Funding: The author is supported by the Centre for the AIDS
Programme of Research in South Aica (CAPRISA), Durban, South
Aica, which forms part of the Comprehensive International
Program on AIDS, nded by the US National Institute of Allergy
and Infectious Diseases. The author is also supported by the HIV
Prevention Trial Network. No specic nding was received for
writing this article. The nders had no role in study design, data
collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the
The panel who discussed the theme "Dening obligations and taking responsibility for stakeholder actions" at the Micronutrient Forum
2014 (le to right): Jerome Singh (UKZN), Thiago Luchesi (WVI), Purnima Mennon (IFPRI), Rachel Toku-Appiah (GMT), Martin Bloem (WFP).
SIGHT AN D L IFE | VOL . 29(2) | 2015 63THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS: THE ROLE OF ETHICS
manuscript. The views of the writer do not necessarily reect the
views of his nders or employers.
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