0

Author: Lukas Goltermann

ON BEHALF OF THE JAPANISCH-DEUTSCHES ZENTRUM BERLIN

CONFERENCE REPORT

“LEAVE NO ONE BEHIND” – German and Japanese Contributions toward Agenda 2030 for

Sustainable Development Wednesday, 16 March 2016

Japanisch-Deutsches Zentrum Berlin

1

Inhalt Introduction

Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 1

Key Note: Thomas Silberhorn, Parliamentary State Secretary in the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development .................................................................................. 2

Key Note: Dômichi Hideaki, JICA ..................................................................................................... 4

Key Note: Dr. David Nabarro, UN Secretary General’s Special Representative ......................... 6

Session 1: /Expert Discussion on SDG 7 (Energy) ........................................................................... 7

Session 1: Prof. Miranda Schreurs, Free University Berlin .................................................................. 8

Session 1: Prof. Kanie Norichika, Keiô University ............................................................................... 9

Session 1: Goal 7 Discussion .............................................................................................................. 11

Session 2: Expert Discussions on SDG 3 (Health) .......................................................................... 12

Session 2: Dr. Christoph Benn, The Global Fund .............................................................................. 13

Session 2: Prof. Katsuma Yasushi, Waseda University ..................................................................... 14

Session 2: Closing Discussion Goal 3 ................................................................................................. 14

Panel Discussion: Financing SDGs and the Global Partnership .................................................. 15

Imprint ................................................................................................................................................ 19

1

Introduction

The international conference "Leave no one behind" - German and Japanese Contributions toward Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Devel-opment” took place on Wednesday, 16 March 2016, at the Japanisch-Deutsches Zentrum Ber-lin. More than 80 participants came together to discuss German and Japanese involvement in the implementation of Agenda 2030. Discus-sions particularly focused on the topics of health and energy. In her welcoming address, Secretary General of the Japanisch-Deutsches Zentrum Berlin, Dr. Friederike BOSSE, out-lined the main motivation of the conference. BOSSE made it clear that Agenda 2030 for Sus-tainable Development, adopted last September by the Heads of State and Government as a global framework for global development, is a major challenge. The agenda is universally valid for all countries and thus, for the first time, outlines a common development path. At the same time, the contents of the Agenda - despite numerous intersections with the crises of our time – are still not very well known by the public.

BOSSE justified the focus on Germany and Japan on the basis of them being two strong players within an international context who were ready to assume special responsibility for international development.

The following key questions were raised with regard to the implementation of Agenda 2030: How should the ambitious goals be imple-mented? What are the two areas that the two nations want to contribute toward implement-ing? What are their respective strengths and how can common strategies and concrete measures be developed? According to BOSSE, the areas of energy (SDG 7) and health (SDG 3) are of particular interest to the two countries. In order to be able to discuss the SDG imple-mentation in full, speakers were invited not

only from Germany and Japan, but also from international organizations.

The talks and discussions of the conference are reproduced in the following report according to the understanding of a conference observer and the central arguments are outlined. We therefore ask you to refrain from quoting the report and any statements contained therein. Due to the different order of names in German and Japanese, the surnames of the speakers are written in capital letters in this report.

2

Key Note: Thomas Silber-horn, Parliamentary State Secretary in the German Federal Ministry for Eco-nomic Cooperation and De-velopment The full-day event was opened with three key note presentations given on the topic Agenda 2030 and German and Japanese Participation in the Implementation of Sustainable Devel-opment Goals (SDG). Speakers were Mr Thomas SILBERHORN, Parliamentary State Secretary in the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and Deputy Chairman of the German-Japanese Parliamentary Group, Mr DÔMICHI Hideaki, Vice-President of the Japan Interna-tional Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Dr. David NABARRO, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Agenda 2030.

Thomas SILBERHORN emphasized in his talk the special importance of the G7 and the G20 for the implementation of Agenda 2030. The German G7 Presidency had placed a num-ber of issues of development cooperation on the agenda. A series of new initiatives were launched through the G7 Summit in Elmau. After the adoption of Agenda 2030, he hopes this positive momentum will continue with the Japanese Presidency throughout this year. With regard to the G20 Presidency of Germany

in 2017, SILBERHORN said that the develop-ment issues “must be continued to make pro-gress.”

SILBERHORN drew attention to the unique-ness of Agenda 2030 which was adopted in 2015. This agenda, says SILBERHORN, “is about a different approach, a paradigm shift.” The holistic approach requires that everyone must contribute to ensuring the planet’s limits of endurance are not crossed. Social, economic and cultural dimensions should also be ade-quately taken into account in the interest of sustainable development.

The current refugee crisis clearly demonstrates how important this holistic approach is. “Peo-ple seek refuge or migrate when they do not see any future prospects in where they come from.” By allowing refugees into Germany we can alleviate their suffering, but we do not alter the underlying problems.

Even if the estimated 600 million people who are currently fleeing around the world, if 90 percent find refugee status in developing countries, Germany would still have to “con-tribute to ensuring that all those who remain see a future.” This plan requires a forward-looking development policy that especially takes into account the needs of the most vul-nerable. Agenda 2030 had committed itself to this central goal under the appeal “Leave no one behind”. “We will be measured by how we support the most vulnerable”, said SIL-BERHORN.

3

To do this we need to examine fundamental topics and find new answers. These include climate protection, fair access to markets, sup-ply chains, production conditions, social and environmental minimum standards. Some of these areas have already been addressed at the G7 summit in Elmau: 400 million people should be lifted out of absolute poverty and a carbon-free economy should be reached by the end of the century.

SILBERHORN reaffirmed that these and other challenges could not be met by nations alone. We need alliances with the private sector and civil society. It is only through their inclusion that the citizens’ potential could be used to achieve sustainable development goals and develop them further.

At the same time, the responsibility of devel-oping countries must be strengthened. The implementation of Agenda 2030 could not be funded solely by tax from the donor countries. It needs more resources from developing coun-tries as well.

The German Federal Government, according to SILBERHORN, is currently in the process of adapting all policies to implement Agenda 2030. For this process, many different policy fields are required including, for example, economic, health and agricultural policies. Despite the complexity, this is a great oppor-tunity to garner support for development co-operation. Ultimately, all ministries should consider the different sustainability dimen-sions of Agenda 2030 in their work.

As concrete examples of alternative approach-es to increasing capacity in partner countries, SILBERHORN referred to the tax initiative adopted in Addis Ababa at the Conference on Financing for Development to increase tax revenue in developing countries. To include the private sector, the German Federal Gov-ernment also launched a textile alliance to increase transparency in supply chains. In the meantime, 75 percent of the German textile

market is covered by this alliance. By using new systems in water and energy manage-ment, the German Federal Ministry for Eco-nomic Cooperation and Development is also working to improve social and economic standards and increase productivity.

4

Key Note: Dômichi Hideaki, JICA DÔMICHI Hideaki, Senior Vice President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), outlined in his presentation the Japa-nese government's approach to implementing Agenda 2030 and identified specific areas for possible German-Japanese cooperation. Ac-cording to DÔMICHI, Agenda 2030 will change our world considerably in the next 15 years. Developing countries would achieve a greater share of global prosperity and continue to gain universal human rights. While growth in particular would contribute to reducing poverty, we would need to work against grow-ing inequalities within societies more than ever before.

In order to work towards achieving the Sus-tainable Development Goals, Japan is aligning its development cooperation with the concept of human security, thereby following three guiding principles: inclusiveness, resilience and ecological sustainability. According to DÔMICHI, this approach focuses on the needs of individual people and aims to strengthen everyone.

Public-private partnerships will play a growing role in the construction of important infra-structure. He expressed concerns that too many developing countries would prefer to continue to take out loans and endanger long-term debt sustainability through lack of due diligence. Germany and Japan could counter-act this development, but first they would have to develop a common understanding of due diligence.

DÔMICHI also referred to the overlapping multi-sector Nexus approach (water, energy, food), which was established by Germany in development cooperation and has now been integrated by JICA into many projects.

Historically, DÔMICHI also sees many struc-tural similarities between Germany and Japan: both countries were shaped by the experience of emerging as defeated countries from the Second World War and then experiencing sub-sequent rapid economic growth. In their for-eign policy, both countries are committed to promoting democracy, working through inter-national partnerships and institutions, eco-nomic growth and peacekeeping. As im-portant, manufacturing-oriented players in international trade, they also share many in-dustrial similarities. Politically, both countries advocated reform of the UN Security Council, and both countries are determined to make a significant and exemplary contribution to the implementation of the Sustainable Develop-ment Goals. The development policies of the two countries have been strongly converging over the past decades as well. Thus, develop-ment cooperation in both countries is based on a balance between humanitarianism, solidari-ty, self-help and national self-interest. In con-trast to Japan's close cooperation with the

5

World Bank, the United Nations, Regional Development Banks, the UK Department for International Development (DFID), and the United States Agency for International Devel-opment (USAID), there has been little coopera-tion between Germany and Japan in this area of policy. DÔMICHI therefore hopes that dis-cussions between the two countries could be further developed for their respective future visions. Germany and Japan not only have a similar development policy approach, they have similar technologies that would be need-ed in developing countries.

DÔMICHI also made it clear that there are numerous fields for German-Japanese coopera-tion that would have to be used, so that the agreed development goals did not turn out to be too ambitious. There are three areas of par-ticular relevance to both countries. First, is the area of “capacity building” through technical cooperation. At the 2011 Busan Summit, Japan outlined its ability to offer logistical, organiza-tional and system-wide capacity building. JICA aims primarily at governmental institu-tions in partner countries, but is increasingly cooperating with the private sector. Secondly, DÔMICHI mentioned the involvement of vari-ous stakeholder groups, including the private sector and civil society. An interesting example was the development of the Zukunftscharta (Future Charter) in Germany. Moreover, the two countries could be role models for many developing countries in the area of demo-graphic change as well. Thirdly, DÔMICHI introduced the south-south and triangle coop-eration. Japan and Germany are recognized as leading players in these two fields. Both coun-tries have also been active in the area of alter-native development finance.

For DÔMICHI these intersections provide numerous opportunities for cooperation in the following areas:

1. Health Sector: Both countries support the development and strengthening of health

systems and universal health care and are involved in the field of infectious diseases.

2. Promoting economic growth: it is becoming increasingly important to deal with poverty and inequality at the same time.

3. Technology export: both countries are seek-ing to use their technologies to promote de-velopment and to expand the presence of their companies.

4. Good governance and infrastructure: Ger-many and Japan are both production-oriented states. From this common ground, many possibilities for cooperation could be derived, for example in industrial policy dialogue, vocational training and the sup-port of small and medium-sized enterpris-es. The latter often have the technologies needed in developing countries, but they have little experience in international pro-jects.

5. Migration: Germany is a leading player in dealing with the refugee crisis and the rea-sons for fleeing. Together, more could be done for the employment of Syrian refugees in the neighboring countries of Syria. There are already very promising projects by Great Britain and the World Bank in Jordan.

6. Development of Africa: Although Africa is becoming increasingly important as a growth factor for the global economy, there are numerous challenges. The disparities in income should be reduced, appropriate employment conditions should be created, infrastructure should be expanded and re-gional integration should be promoted. The sixth Tokyo International Conference on Afri-can Development (TICAD VI) will take place this year for the first time in Africa and pre-sents an ideal platform for Japan and Ger-many to present their experiences and suc-cesses in the region.

7. The G7 Presidency of Japan this year and the G20 Presidency of Germany in 2017: the

6

leadership of these forums represents an ideal opportunity to promote partnership between the two countries.

Key Note: Dr. David Nabar-ro, UN Secretary General’s Special Representative Following the two presentations, the confer-ence guests listened to a video message from Dr. David NABARRO, the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Agenda 2030. In his speech, he emphasized the special role Germany and Japan play individually and jointly in the implementation of Agenda 2030. For NABARRO, the year 2015 is a unique op-portunity to achieve global change. In view of increasing polarization and numerous interna-tional crises, Agenda 2030 is a sign of hope for multilateralism and collective action. Both states have played a key role in the develop-ment of this agenda, which would now oblige all the Member States of the United Nations to change our world over the next 15 years, re-duce poverty and inequality, support the most vulnerable, empower women, promote resili-ence and prevent the worst consequences of climate change. The objectives of Agenda 2030 are indivisible and interrelated and must be viewed and managed in their entirety.

According to NABARRO, we simply cannot carry on as before, rather we must create new development models and innovative methods for implementation. In order to realize the grand vision, the goals would have to be im-plemented primarily within the countries. Germany has an institutional framework to develop together this implementation strategy for sustainable development goals with all the stakeholders involved. Germany will also launch the peer review system and thus take a leading role.

Germany and Japan, according to NABARRO, could help developing countries develop their own implementation strategies and foster the implementation of key south-south partner-ships. We would have to rely on existing pro-cesses and new multi-stakeholder partnerships and platforms to provide mutual accountabil-ity to implement the goals. All stakeholders and all levels should be involved, national, regional and global reviews should take place, and new financial instruments should be de-veloped. The whole United Nations system is now redirecting itself to assist Member States in the task of implementing Agenda 2030.

7

Session 1: /Expert Discus-sion on SDG 7 (Energy)

Session 1 addressed the SDG Goal 7: Ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and up-to-date energy for all.

The first expert talk, conducted by Andreas KRAEMER, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies, dealt with the question of how to achieve this ambitious goal. KRAEMER made it clear from the beginning that both countries share a lot of similarities, particularly in the energy sector. As examples, he cited the importance of Japanese photovol-taic technology for German energy transition, the leading role of Japanese research institutes in smart grid technology, and the opportuni-ties and challenges of a nuclear phase-out for the energy industry, which are much discussed in both countries. At the same time, said KRA-EMER, we should not forget that the existing technological foundations in both the German and Japanese energy sectors are leading the way for technological developments in many other countries.

8

Session 1: Prof. Miranda Schreurs, Free University Berlin

Prof. Miranda SCHREURS, Director of the Research Center for Environmental Policy at the Free University Berlin, presented as the first panelist some of her theories and research results. She also emphasized the important similarities between the two countries in the energy sector. Both countries had similar sec-tor structures through their high dependency on imported energy sources, and they face similar technological and economic challenges with their wish to say goodbye to nuclear power in the medium term. These factors, in turn, would have an analogous effect on the implementation of Agenda 2030 in both coun-tries. Both societies would have to deal with, for example, the effects of energy sector reform on regional development, social justice and energy scarcity.

Perhaps the most striking difference, according to SCHREURS, is in the historical and political development of each country’s energy policies. While she sees the origin of the German energy transition as a civil social movement that was increasingly politicized by nuclear policy plans in the Cold War, Japan’s attempts to free itself from its dependence on nuclear energy are especially linked to the nuclear meltdown in the Fukushima nuclear power plant. Due to its historical beginnings and the founding of the Greens, Germany's energy transition as an anti-nuclear party is historically rooted more strongly in the population and among com-munities than in other countries. Among other things, this is not only a protest against the use of nuclear power in Germany, but also a call for a shift toward renewable energies.

In the course of the Greens participation in government, the Renewable Energy Sources Act was passed in the year 2000 and a guaran-teed feed-in tariff for electricity from renewa-ble sources was adopted. This marks a turning point in the German energy market. Over the

past 25 years, the share of renewable energies in the power supply has increased from 3 per-cent to more than 30 percent. After the melt-down in Fukushima, this trend has intensified once again. In the meantime, more than 370,000 jobs have been created in this sector and a further 800,000 in the field of energy efficiency. Some even expect that by 2030 the number of employees would be higher than in the automobile sector.

Numerous cities and municipalities in Germa-ny have committed themselves to very ambi-tious climate goals in recent years. Some even wanted to cover their electricity needs in the long term with 100 percent renewable ener-gies. Examples include Schönau, Siebenlinden and Bad Schussenried. In total, some 23 mil-lion people in Germany live in so-called cli-mate protection communities. As a result of the feed-in tariff and the strong interest in the

9

energy transition among the population, the ownership structure in the energy market has also changed significantly in recent years. About 35 percent of regenerative energy sources are in the hands of private households. The support for the energy policy among the population remains high despite subsidies and increased electricity prices. More than 93 per-cent supported the further expansion of re-newable energies in Germany. According to SCHREURS, studies show that the German population is not only hoping for climate pro-tection, but also for reduced dependency on energy imports, higher security of supply, employment advantages and economic inno-vations. As a next step, “intelligent” consump-tion systems would have to be created and the transport sector would need to be adapted. In these areas, Japan is already ahead of Germa-ny, said SCHREURS.

However, there is still room for further im-provements in the area of energy efficiency. To illustrate the opportunities, SCHREURS points to Japan. After Fukushima, all nuclear power plants in Japan were shut down for two years. During this time, Tokyo succeeded in reducing its electricity demand by a further 15 percent despite comparatively high energy efficiencies already. There are still many construction sites and much to learn to successfully implement the transition to renewable energies.

Session 1: Prof. Kanie Norichika, Keiô University

As the second expert on energy issues, Prof. KANIE Norichika from Keiô University then presented the political factors in Japan for the implementation of Agenda 2030. In his presen-tation, KANIE outlined the scope of the neces-sary reforms. The SDGs posed a special chal-

lenge to politics because primarily they de-fined goals, but how they are attained is left completely to the nation States. This requires national procedures for the implementation and coordination with other countries. Since the goals are the same for all countries, but the implementation can be done in different ways, it is particularly important to have discussions about the possibilities, strategies and methods. KANIE is involved in a three-year research project, which is designed to investigate the political possibilities to implement the SDGs, taking into account the environment, society and the political system. The results of the research project are to be published later this year. KANIE explained that, among other things, different dimensions of inequality to achieve SDGs must be taken into account. In addition to economic inequality between coun-tries, there would of course be inequalities within countries, but also between the sexes and between different groups within popula-tions. In coping with these inequalities, the planetary limitations would have to be consid-ered at the same time. As a result, the SDGs need to incorporate economic, social and eco-logical elements. To this end, existing patterns of thought in politics and society would have to be fundamentally changed. This means, above all, overcoming boundaries within polit-ical responsibilities, but also stronger interdis-ciplinary work in science and academe. KANIE therefore sees a great opportunity in the G7 presidency of Japan to launch necessary processes since it is the first G7 meeting since the climate conference in Paris.

According to KANIE, the detailed discussions on the SDGs have shown how important it is to implement the goals in an interconnected manner, i.e., beyond ministerial portfolios. In addition to the political decision-makers, pri-vate companies would also have to recognize

10

contexts more closely and take them into ac-count in their decisions. KANIE observed that some private companies had already consid-ered elements of the SDGs. For example, some companies would already be revising their annual reports on the basis of the SDGs. In a sense, the SDGs can even function as a check-list for corporate responsibility.

According to KANIE, it is particularly striking that, in the implementation of the SDGs, politi-cal planning horizons should be widened. Although many of the goals of Agenda 2030 have already been implemented in Japan, tar-gets are mostly for the year 2020 and not for the year 2030. Moreover, many ministries have not yet adequately made the connection with their existing work to the SDGs. But strategic adjustments would also have to be made. For example, the speed of the reconstruction of the Japanese energy system should be doubled with respect to the SDG 7 sub-goals. In particu-lar, the share of renewable energies would have to be significantly increased. To this end, according to KANIE, they would first have to assess the share of renewable energies they want to achieve in Japan, but also what pro-portion these will have in global development. Particularly with regard to renewable energies and consumer awareness, Japan can, according to KANIE, learn a lot from Germany. As a general rule, areas where good policy or good solutions already exist, Japan could export its knowledge. In other areas, Japan could learn from other countries. In this sense, the global framework of SDGs is an important mecha-nism for exchange and mutual learning.

11

Session 1: Goal 7 Discussion

Following the presentations, the experts an-swered questions from the audience. Many questions were directed toward the implemen-tation of Agenda 2030 at the local level. SCHREURS emphasized in her response that the involvement of local communities was very important in achieving the political objec-tives and that this inclusion naturally needs local knowledge as well, which may have to be communicated first. Particularly since Fuku-shima, the interest in German experiences at the local level has increased enormously. This increased interest in transnational learning should be used to develop local implementa-tion strategies that are supported by the Japa-nese population. Germany, in contrast, is cur-rently struggling to create positive incentives for greater energy efficiency. Japan is certainly a pioneer in this area from which Germany can learn much, said SCHREURS.

KANIE rounded off by emphasizing once again the importance of recognizing the con-nection of the 17 goals and the 169 subordinate goals. Since the roots of the local challenges are different, the solutions should also be different for each context. This is why it is so important to expand the interface between research and politics. In the past, there was no established mechanism for this.

Ultimately, according to SCHREURS, the search for solutions must always take into account that in the end we should be using less energy, less natural resources and less waste. At the moment, the political focus in energy policy is on shutting down nuclear power plants in Germany, which means that more coal and gas would be consumed. The type of biogas we use is also very important. Innova-tion, SCHREURS believes, could come from the grassroots, that is to say from the consum-ers, and be expanded with the aid of experts.

At the end of this round of discussions, KRA-EMER stressed once again the central im-portance of local communities and local gov-ernments, and reminded the participants of the goal of Agenda 2030 to leave no one behind - not only in Japan or Germany, but also from a global perspective.

12

Session 2: Expert Discussions on SDG 3 (Health) Session 2 was concerned with the SDG Goal 3: To ensure a healthy life for all people of all ages and to promote their well-being. Moder-ated by Prof. Ilona KICKBUSCH, Director of the Global Health Program of the Graduate Insti-tute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, discussions were held with Dr. Chris-toph BENN and Prof. KATSUMA Yasushi.

At the start of the presentations KICKBUSCH referred to the connection between the health of humans and the planet. Only when our planet and our environment are healthy can human health be realized. In this sense the SDGs are pursuing a transformational ap-proach. Although many experts in the field were initially disappointed by the fact that, contrary to the MDGs, there is only one explic-it goal on health (SDG 3) on the agenda, the prevailing view now would be that health plays a very important role in all the other goals - either as an input or as an outcome. As a result, KICKBUSCH asked the important question about which effects SDGs will have on global governance in the health sector. While in the year 2000 there was only one im-portant global health organization, the institu-tional structure has changed considerably in recent years - even under the influence of Germany and Japan. This poses new challeng-es for the global community and raises the question of what influence Agenda 2030 will have on these. For example, said KICKBUSCH, we would have to consider with regard to the ambitious SDG 3, whether we will need larger funds than the existing Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria and to achieve universal access to health services.

At the same time, we could already see that global ideas are slowly aligning. While in the 1980s the provision of global healthcare still seemed to be a long way off, KICKBUSCH is

now observing a gradual convergence of the various development goals towards a model of national funding of health systems.

13

Session 2: Dr. Christoph Benn, The Global Fund

Christoph BENN, Director for External Rela-tions of the Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculo-sis and Malaria, was the first expert to present his assessment of the impact of Agenda 2030 on the global developments in the healthcare sector. First, BENN reminded conference par-ticipants of the progress achieved over the past hundred years. Life expectancy has almost doubled in Germany and Japan, but also in Kenya and South Africa. At the same time, the rate of infant mortality has declined signifi-cantly and the rate of difference between in-dustrialized nations and developing countries has moved markedly closer as well.

Although not all MDG targets have been achieved, BENN drew a positive balance. Even if only 75 percent of the infant mortality rate had been reduced by 50 percent, this was a great and important success and not a failure of the MDGs.

BENN stressed the important role played by Japan and Germany over the past years in this area. Both nations had campaigned for global health, particularly in the G7/G8. By Japan placing the issue of infectious diseases high on the agenda of the G8 summit in Okinawa in the year 2000 led indirectly to the establish-ment of the Global Fund two years later. Ger-many also allocated the topic of global health an important role when the country held the G8 presidency in 2007.

So what could be achieved in the MDG peri-od? The infant mortality rate could be reduced by 50 percent. The maternal death rate has declined by about 40 percent and there has also been a decline in the transmission of HIV, malaria and tuberculosis. The establishment of the Global Fund to Support Developing Coun-

tries has made an important contribution to this. By focusing on these three diseases, the burden on existing health care systems could be generally reduced, according to BENN.

Now, SDG 3 wants to reach universal health care by 2030, leaving no one behind. The community of nations has therefore set itself a very ambitious goal. Germany and Japan have already launched several initiatives to meet this goal. Germany initiated, for example, the high-ranking UN Panel on Global Response to Health Crises and the Healthy Systems - Healthy Lives Initiative. Japan focused on implementing the Human Security Approach and building universal health care. In addition, Japan hosted the first Replenishment Conference of the Global Fund in Tokyo.

Through these and similar initiatives, there has been an enormous increase in financial re-sources for global health. After the growth reached its peak in the last two years, said BENN, it is now increasingly a matter of mobi-lizing more domestic resources and using them effectively, so no one is actually left be-hind.

In this way, the “great convergence” of the most important health indicators (infant mor-tality, deaths per year of HIV/AIDS and deaths per year of tuberculosis) could be achieved by 2035, according to BENN.

Germany and Japan have already made a ma-jor contribution to this through their universal health care systems and have thus become models.

The establishment of the Global Fund was an experiment of global solidarity to support health systems in developing countries. It can now serve as a model to support a profound change in health care systems and to provide

14

access to universal health services.

BENN sees the community of nations moving closer than ever before toward the vision of enabling a healthy life around the world.

Session 2: Prof. Katsuma Yasushi, Waseda University

As the second expert, Prof. KATSUMA Ya-sushi, Dean of the International Studies Program of the Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies (GSAPS) and Director of the Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies at Waseda University, presented the question of how we could achieve together the health goals of Agenda 2030.

KATSUMA is monitoring the development of a new global health landscape. The Ebola epi-demic reminded the world of what would be required to support the countries where healthcare systems need further expansion and development. In particular, local resilience must be increased to be able to react as effec-tively as possible to crisis situations. The inter-national community would have to respond better to the new situation. KATSUMA stressed four special challenges in his talk:

1. There are now many new donors active in the global health sector and their actions are not always aligned with the OECD DAC criteria. In addition, new private-sector and other non-governmental actors have also become active and have changed the field noticeably. This change raises the question of how can we better improve the coordination of activities.

2. Another challenge for KATSUMA is the implementation of existing international regulations within the framework of global health governance. Efforts still need to be made to implement the exist-ing health regulations at a national level. However, a mechanism to achieve this is still not available.

3. Moreover, we would need to build ca-pacity for the international financing of emergency aid in the health sector. So far international reactions to crises have been based too heavily on donations.

4. Coordination between the WHO and the UN should also be improved in order to coordinate activities at a global and local level more effectively.

KATSUMA therefore recommended the adop-tion of internationally valid health legislation with informal implementation rules as well as an incentive-based implementation mechanism coupled with a monitoring system. Moreover, in the case of situation assessments and risk analyses, independent bodies and civil society could also be involved.

For development cooperation, this means building minimal national capacity for emer-gency situations. At the moment, according to KATSUMA, many developing countries are of the opinion that the WHO is responsible for health emergencies. However, they have no capacity to take on this responsibility.

Overall, coordination between the WHO, the UN system and local governments should also be improved.

Session 2: Closing Discussion Goal 3

In the closing public discussion, BENN agreed with KATSUMA’s statements that it would be necessary to establish organizations and local structures to be able to reduce risks and react in the event of a crisis.

Moreover, according to BENN, in addition to a functioning health care system countries need a functioning finance system to reach the SDGs. Germany and Japan could be good ex-amples in this area and share relevant knowledge with emerging and developing countries.

15

Ultimately, according to KATSUMA, this would also make an important contribution to alleviating poverty, because in a functioning transfer system the individual does not have to spend extra resources on his or her personal health during illness.

At the same time, KATSUMA again empha-sized on further inquiry the central role of the non-governmental sector. It would be a lesson he’s learned from the past 15 years that NGOs are very important to improving health care. In crisis situations MSF (Doctors without Bor-ders) is, to some extent, more professional and efficient than governmental bodies or interna-tional organizations. In addition, many NGOs would be important to reach marginalized groups. For KATSUMA, therefore, it is clear that without civil society the SDGs cannot be achieved.

With regard to the role of the G7/G20 meet-ings, KATSUMA emphasized that the deci-sions made here now no longer carry the same weight as they did 15 years ago. It was there-fore all the more important that Japan’s G7 presidency will be used to find a strategic posi-tion in the G7 for the implementation of the health goals, which can then be introduced as a common G7 position in the G20 process.

BENN, in contrast, sees the importance of the G20 rather skeptically. Since non-G7 states in the G20 format have to date refused to place health on the agenda and there is no accounta-bility mechanism in the G20 format, he has little confidence that progress on this issue will be made in the G20 format.

At the conclusion of the expert discussion, KICKBUSCH once again reminded the partici-pants of the important role of alternative fi-nancing mechanisms beyond the ODA for the implementation of Agenda 2030. These could be bonds, taxes or other levies that could be used to finance global goods. At the same time, incentives for private investment should also be created. In many countries, the willingness

to raise their own taxes for health care should also be increased. On a global scale, health governance should be changed in a way that meets the ambitions of Agenda 2030.

Securing the provision of health care is ulti-mately nothing less than building good public infrastructure in each country. According to KICKBUSCH, the challenge is to promote these systemic interventions and to convince decision-makers and the general public of their necessity.

Panel Discussion: Financing SDGs and the Global Part-nership The last expert discussion delved deeper into the question of financing Agenda 2030. Again, Prof. Ilona KICKBUSCH moderated the panel discussion. Other panelists included Debra KERTZMANN, the representative of the Euro-pean Office of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Dr. Maya SCHMALJOHANN from the German Association for International Coopera-tion (GIZ), Prof. Ulrich VOLZ from SOAS (University of London) and the German Institute for Development Policy (DIE) and Prof. KANIE Norichika from Keiô University.

KICKBUSCH commenced by outlining the central questions of the panel discussion: How can Germany and Japan support multilateral-ism? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the G7 and G20, often referred to at the confer-ence as the “diplomatic club”? What does “global partnership” mean and what impact can be expected in partner countries? How can the enormous sums be mobilized that are needed to implement Agenda 2030? What role will the private sector be able to play in this regard, and which approaches are supported in Germany as well as in Japan?

16

Debra KERTZMAN from the Asian Develop-ment Bank highlighted the important role of regional development banks for the generation of funds. At the same time, the ADB would like to carry out consultations with all stake-holders to offer participation and coordination in the implementation of the Sustainable De-velopment Goals. By the same token, KERTZ-MANN sees Germany and Japan as leading industrialized nations as responsible to ensur-ing the coordination, coherence and effective-

ness of implementation within the framework of the G7 and the G20, but also in multilateral organizations. In the relationship between public ODA funds and the private sector, KERTZMMAN outlined a clear division of duties. The ODA needs to be strategically im-plemented in developing countries to generate long-term benefits, particularly in the area of public goods. This would require close cooper-ation with local stakeholders and often a re-form of local financing and tax systems. The private sector would also be an important partner to make investments for example in infrastructure projects.

Dr. Maya SCHMALJOHANN from GIZ high-lighted in her talk the role of “Global Partner-ships” for the implementation of Agenda 2030. This is not a new structure that needs to be created; rather it was already specified in Agenda 2030 and in the Addis Ababa Action Agenda. The Global Partnership refers to the shared responsibility that all stakeholders have for the universal implementation of the entire agenda. SCHMALJOHANN thinks the posi-

tive momentum of Agenda 2030 needs to be maintained, both in national and global frameworks. After all, many of the current crises are associated with developmental prob-lems. She sees the newly created review pro-cess as especially suited for fostering imple-mentation. It would also be important to con-tinue the agenda in other forums such as the G7 and G20. SCHMALJOHANN gave three concrete examples for funding opportunities

which now need to be worked on:

1. Incentives for investment in infrastruc-ture: there is a large funding shortfall in this area. The problem is not the capital, and there are also enough potential inves-tors. However, projects have not been de-signed that are of interest to investors.

2. National revenues through taxation: in many partner countries existing opportu-nities in this area have not been sufficient-ly utilized. In the end, it is a matter for the administration, and thus capacity devel-opment, to address this problem. Among other things, Germany co-founded the “Addis Tax Initiative” to counteract this area through investing in tax systems.

3. Trade: since Monterrey, the international community has undertaken to create a transparent and fair trading system. Re-forms in the trading system could have a positive effect on the achievement of the goals of Agenda 2030.

17

Overall, non-financial measures could mobi-lize resources that are needed to implement the Agenda.

KICKBUSCH agreed with SCHMALJOHANN. It is not just about extra money, but also about the right institutions, controls and incentives. It became increasingly clear how important reliable governing institutions are. The money was already available in some cases, but the right institutions were still missing.

Prof. Ulrich VOLZ of SOAS / University of Lon-don and the German Institute for Development Policy, outlined in his talk the required re-thinking of politics and society to achieve the objectives of Agenda 2030. A major socio-political task in Germany and Japan was the need to rethink economic and consumer pat-terns. At the same time, global and multilateral structures for implementation should be rede-signed. Under the topic of financing, VOLZ sees a strong need for reform in the financial markets sector. The problem here would be short-term thinking with limited investment horizons. However, the implementation of SDGs would require long-term investments. The Bank of England speaks here about the “tragedy of horizons”. The question is, “How can we ensure that the financial systems are brought together with sustainable develop-ment?” In this context, he referred to the study “The Financial System We Need” from the Unit-ed Nations Environment Program (UNEP). Investments, for example, should be channeled into sustainable infrastructure such as renewa-ble energies. It is very important that countries like Germany and Japan promote the imple-mentation of Agenda 2030 in this field. Na-tional financial institutions could, for example, be obliged to evaluate climate and environ-mental risks as well. VOLZ cited as an exam-ple France forcing financial investors to dis-close their environmental impact statements. This market-based instrument of accountabil-ity and disclosure regulations could directly

help consumers and investors make better informed decisions. Influence could also be exerted by state banks such as KfW. KfW had been very influential in the energy transition and developed a number of important and innovative financial instruments. China, which currently holds the presidency of the G20, has put “green finance” on the finance ministers’ agenda. This is a topic that Germany could continue with in the coming year as well. Fi-nancial regulation is also a topic for the G7 in which further progress could be made. Both countries, VOLZ said, could still do a lot to take advantage of the importance of develop-ing new financial instruments. He listed a car-bon tax and the financial transaction tax as concrete examples.

Prof. KANIE Norichika from Keiô University again emphasized the special procedural chal-lenges for the Global Partnership, which are a result of the nature of SDGs. Since the SDGs merely set the targets, but not the instruments for achieving them, global indicators would have to be developed and raised first - some in cross-country comparisons, others at a global level. KANIE sees the responsibility as devel-oping implementation mechanisms within the existing multilateral networks and organiza-tions. He gave the Forestry Stewardship Council as an example of such a mechanism. This was built as a multi-player partnership in order to achieve a common goal for the sustainable management of timber resources with new methods. The same could also be created for water, production, oceans and other global goods.

Within this context, KICKBUSCH referred to “Governance by Aspiration”: In many areas, we do not yet know which institutions and mechanisms we would still have to develop in light of forthcoming implementation challeng-es. In this context, the stewardship approach is certainly a promising instrument, which is based on shared responsibility and shared

18

accountability mechanisms for the manage-ment of shared resources.

A member of the audience questioned whether there would be any hope that multinational companies would participate in the implemen-tation of Agenda 2030.

In his response, VOLZ pointed out the duty of governments to set minimum standards for corporate actions. At the same time, more pub-lic pressure is needed to push companies to-wards improvements. VOLZ did not want to rely on hope alone that the private sector would implement the SDGs on its own voli-tion.

In contrast, KERTZMAN drew attention to the increasing consultations and discussions with the private sector to identify needs and find out where there are difficulties in generating more sustainable investment.

Within this context, KANIE recalled that the SDGs could also serve to increase the legitima-cy and reputation of companies.

Responding to a question from the audience about the role of ODA for the implementation of Agenda 2030, VOLZ expressed the view that no sustainable transformation can be achieved by ODA alone. However, ODA funds could trigger change processes and generate private investment. However, important systemic challenges would have to be overcome, such as the short-sightedness of financial markets or the establishment of fair trade structures. Na-tional policies would, of course, play an im-portant role here.

When he was asked how German-Japanese cooperation could contribute toward imple-mentation, KANIE added that the energy sec-tor has great potential for cooperation. Both countries could also make a major contribution to knowledge generation and knowledge transfer.

VOLZ sees the comparative strengths of both countries particularly in the areas of health, energy, demographic change and financial markets. Both countries could share technolo-gies and knowledge in all these areas.

In this context, KANIE referred to the use of already existing structures of knowledge ex-change. For example, the Future Earth Science Committee is a global network in which both countries are very active. And the Sustainable Development Solution Network could also be used to exchange knowledge, data and policy recommendations. Ultimately, we need to im-prove the interconnectedness of society, sci-ence and politics in this way. It is also im-portant to overcome silo thinking in order to develop coherent policies. This is the only way to achieve the goals in their entirety.

The moderator of the panel, KICKBUSCH, concluded the discussion by stating that Ger-many and Japan should use their opportunities through “leading by example”, i.e., utilize their function as role models. Both countries would also have the opportunity to place relevant issues and challenges on the agenda of the G7 and G20. They could thus initiate discussions in order to develop and use new financing mechanisms. She also reminded them that a new Secretary-General of the United Nations would need to be found this year. This is, after all, a political process in which Germany and Japan could engage individually and collec-tively to advance the democratization of the global governance architecture.

At the end of the conference BOSSE bid the participants farewell. They would all now have to do some homework and keep reflect-ing on the contribution Germany and Japan could make to implement Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development.

19

Imprint Publisher:

Japanisch-Deutsches Zentrum Berlin (JDZB) Saargemünder Str. 2, 14195 Berlin

Text: Lukas Goltermann

Editor: Tatjana Wonneberg

Image Rights: Lukas Goltermann