Rey Asis’ Interpellation at the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development
On July 12, 2024, during the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, a panel that focused on the theme “Reinforcing the 2030 Agenda and Eradicating Poverty in Times of Multiple Crises: The Effective Delivery of Sustainable, Resilient, and Innovative Solutions” took place. This event provided a platform for various stakeholders, including representatives from Major Groups and other Stakeholders (MGoS), to discuss the challenges and opportunities associated with achieving the 2030 Agenda.
Among the key speakers was Rey Asis from the Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants (APMM) and the Asia Pacific Regional CSO Engagement Mechanism (APRCEM), who shared insights on the critical role of stakeholders in implementing sustainable development goals (SDGs).
The Role of APRCEM in Advancing the 2030 Agenda
Rey Asis highlighted the crucial contributions of the Asia Pacific Regional CSO Engagement Mechanism (APRCEM), a civil society platform that facilitates cross-constituency coordination across the Asia Pacific region. APRCEM empowers civil society organizations (CSOs) to engage with UN agencies and member states, ensuring that diverse voices, particularly those from marginalized and grassroots communities, are heard in regional and global intergovernmental processes.
APRCEM emerged from a pressing need for an alternative space for CSOs and grassroots organizations facing human rights violations and shrinking advocacy spaces at the national level. It serves as a platform to shed light on systemic barriers, such as authoritarian rule, patriarchy, religious fundamentalism, corporate capture, and oppressive neoliberal policies. Additionally, APRCEM advocates for an alternative development framework that prioritizes social and economic justice.
Achievements of APRCEM in Sustainable Development
Since its inception, APRCEM has been recognized as a valuable partner of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP). It has played a crucial role in several areas:
1. Alternative Reporting: APRCEM has presented spotlight reports to member states that reflects the actual realities of communities on the ground. These reports emphasize the need for localized implementation of SDGs, grounded in principles of development justice and the empowerment of grassroots organizations.
2. Highlighting People’s Actions: It has showcased various grassroots initiatives that contribute to the acceleration of Agenda 2030, such as collective bargaining for higher wages, indigenous environmental conservation practices, social and community enterprises, and grassroots organizing.
3. Policy Influence: Through advocacy for development justice, APRCEM has sought to dismantle systemic barriers to development and address inequalities in wealth, power, and resources between countries, as well as between socio-economic and gender groups.
Challenges to Stakeholder Participation
Rey also addressed the challenges faced by stakeholders in participating in sustainable development processes. These include language barriers, digital divides, shrinking advocacy spaces, and insufficient political will to uphold human rights and freedoms. Migrants, in particular, remain marginalized despite being primary stakeholders and experts in migration discourse.
Finally, Rey Asis reminds that APRCEM is about meaningful participation and better outcomes of development processes. Participation is both an end and a means. It is an expression of democracy that does not start and end with one’s casting a vote during elections.
It is a right and a task we do every day of the year, 24/7.
