Diplomacy & Defense Think Tank News

130 pays et juridictions se sont accordés le 1er juillet sur une réforme sur la fiscalité mondiale, dans le but de limiter les possibilités d'optimisation et d'évasion fiscales des grandes multinationales. Cette réforme repose sur deux piliers: un impôt minimum mondial sur les sociétés de 15% et une répartition des droits d'imposition des multinationales, dont celles du numérique, en réattribuant une partie des droits d'imposition de ces entreprises dans leur pays d'origine. Trois États membres de l'UE ne se sont pas joints à l'accord : l'Estonie, la Hongrie et l'Irlande. La réforme, dont l'entrée en vigueur est prévue début 2023, devra être finalisée à l'automne.

Du 30 juin au 2 juillet s'est tenu à Paris le Forum Génération égalité, organisé par ONU Femmes, la France et le Mexique. Le Forum a annoncé une série d'investissements, de programmes et de politiques inédits en matière d'égalité des sexes. Il marque le début d'un plan d'action sur cinq ans et un Pacte sur les femmes, la paix, la sécurité et l'action humanitaire.

Le Fonds monétaire international a publié, le 29 juin, son rapport d'évaluation sur la situation économique en Belgique. Il estime que la réaction rapide de la Belgique à la pandémie de Covid-19 a permis d'en atténuer les répercussions sociales et économiques. Il estime que la croissance belge devrait atteindre 5 % en 2021 et 3,5 % en 2022, mais recommande au gouvernement de renforcer son plan d'ajustement pour reconstituer des réserves face aux pressions futures et aux nouveaux chocs.

Le Fonds monétaire international a publié le 29 juin les conclusions sur la réponse économique de la Hongrie à la crise de Covid-19. Il constate que la réponse des autorités hongroises a été particulièrement forte, mais souligne que la politique budgétaire hongroise doit équilibrer de manière plus flexible le soutien à l'économie et la préservation de la viabilité budgétaire à moyen terme. Le FMI prévoit pour 2021 une croissance du PIB de 6,2 %, un taux de chômage de 4,1% et une inflation de 4,1 %.

Les ministres des Affaires étrangères du G20, réunis à Matera le 29 juin, ont discuté de la gouvernance mondiale et du développement durable du continent africain. Ils ont appelé la communauté internationale à "construire des chaînes alimentaires inclusives et résilientes et à assurer une nutrition adéquate pour tous" conformément à l'objectif "Faim Zéro" fixé pour 2030, ainsi qu'atteindre la neutralité climatique d'ici à 2050.

Le 74ème Festival de Cannes se tient du 6 au 17 juillet. 24 films sont en compétition et le jury est présidé par le réalisateur américain Spike Lee. L'actrice et réalisatrice Jodie Foster est l'invitée spéciale de la cérémonie d'ouverture et recevra une Palme d'or spéciale.

La bibliothèque nationale d'Espagne présente jusqu'au 2 octobre une exposition consacrée à La Divine Comédie de Dante Alighieri, à l'occasion du 700ème anniversaire de la mort du poète. À travers 10 manuscrits, l'exposition évoque les trois parties de ce texte de référence dans la pensée du Moyen Age et de la Renaissance : l'Enfer, le Purgatoire et le Paradis.

Le musée Guggenheim de Bilbao présente jusqu'au 16 janvier 2022 "La ligne du génie", une exposition abordant la nature expérimentale de l'art contemporaine à travers des pièces datant des années 1950 à nos jours. L'exposition rassemble des artistes de plusieurs générations témoignant de la diversité des pratiques artistiques.

Avignon accueille jusqu'au 25 juillet la 75ème édition de son festival de théâtre, sans limitation de spectateurs mais avec des mesures sanitaires. Plus de 100 spectacles sont proposés dans le cadre du festival off, et la programmation officielle inclut une variation de Hamlet par le metteur en scène et directeur du festival Olivier Py.

Le château du Bon-Conseil à Trente présente jusqu'au 24 octobre la première exposition monographique consacrée à la peintre milanaise Fede Galizia (1578-1630).

Jusqu'au 10 octobre, la peintre polonaise Anna Bilinska (1854–1893) est à l'honneur au Musée national de Varsovie. L'exposition rassemble un grand nombre de peintures et de dessins, y compris des œuvres inédites, provenant de musées et de collections privées.

La Bundeskunsthalle de Bonn accueil jusqu'au 1er novembre une exposition consacrée aux sculpteurs et dessinateurs Joseph Beuys et Wilhelm Lehmbruck. L'exposition aborde leur vision progressiste de réorganisation sociale et politique exprimées dans leur art.

Le festival de musique des Francofolies de La Rochelle se tient du 10 au 14 juillet. De nombreux artistes et musiciens français se produiront sur les 9 scènes du festival, dont Jane Birrkin,, Alain Souchon, Jeanne Cherhal, Jean-Louis Aubert, les Rita Mitsouko et Grand Corps Malade.

L'Île d'Elbe, premier lieu d'exil de l'Empereur, organise une série d'événements à Portoferraio. Jusqu'au 10 octobre, une exposition à la pinacothèque Foresiana se tient en lien avec la galerie des Offices de Florence. Un itinéraire photographique retrace la vie de Napoléon sur l'île. Des projections de films et des rencontres avec des historiens sont également organisés en juillet et août.

Du 7 juillet au 26 août, l'hôtel des Invalides organise la 9e édition de la Nuit aux Invalides qui célèbre cette année les 200 ans de la mort de Napoléon avec son nouveau spectacle intitulé "Napoléon - L'envol de l'Aigle". Cette représentation propose de redécouvrir la vie de l'Empereur mais aussi son héritage civil et militaire. Ȧ l'issue du spectacle, il est possible de prolonger la soirée par une promenade nocturne dans l'église du Dôme.

Du 9 juillet au 5 septembre, un parcours thématique créé en partenariat avec Paris Match au cœur d'Ajaccio présente des photos de tournages de films consacrés à Napoléon, avec notamment les acteurs qui ont incarné l'empereur.

Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda will require strong, accountable institutions. Since no global compliance mechanisms are in place, member states need to establish or use their own institutions and mechanisms to be held accountable for SDG implementation. In July 2021, governments, civil society and the private sector will gather at the annual UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) to take stock of progress on the 17 SDGs. The event provides an opportunity to assess progress made in the establishment of national-level accountability frameworks for the SDGs.
Given their legal mandates, national human rights institutions (NHRIs) can play a key role in the implementation and follow-up of the SDGs. However, so far, this role has been scarcely acknowledged by governments in their Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.International practice shows that NHRIs play a more active role in providing information for SDG implementation than indicated in the VNRs. For instance, they collect and provide data and build capacities of national institutions. However, NHRIs are rarely represented in national bodies established to oversee SDG implementation. Yet, their ability to support the SDG process increases when they collaborate with the government, get information about SDG policy planning and receive the opportunity to demand explanations about “why” certain policies are adopted and “how” they shall contribute to successful SDG implementation. It is important to note, though, that preconditions for NHRI engagement vary considerably according to country contexts. To strengthen national horizontal accountability in general, and to ensure a human-rights-based approach in implementing the SDGs across all sectors of development, it will be important to:
- Establish NHRIs that are compliant with the Paris Principles. The pace of progress for establishing NHRIs is too slow. Currently, only half of all countries will achieve SDG indicator 16.a.1 (Existence of independent NHRIs in compliance with the Paris Principles) by 2030. The UN and other international organisations should assist gov-ernments in establishing institutions to be in conformity with the Paris Principles and to enable their effective and independent operation.
- Ensure an independent voice for NHRIs. Amidst current autocratisation trends worldwide, fundamental freedoms need to be protected. This allows non-state actors and independent state oversight agencies such as NHRIs to criticise government action and demand human rights in SDG implementation. This will also contribute to the direct implementation of SDG target 16.10 on the protection of fundamental freedoms.
- Enable the participation of NHRIs in national SDG oversight bodies. As a first step, it is necessary that NHRIs themselves raise awareness of their relevant role for better accountability of governments’ SDG implementation among national stakeholders. National governments should include NHRIs in the national SDG infrastructure by ensuring their representation in national SDG oversight bodies or government advisory committees.
- Improve VNR reporting. Governments should make sure to adequately reflect in VNR reporting the role played by NHRIs and assess what they can contribute to national SDG implementation and monitoring.

Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda will require strong, accountable institutions. Since no global compliance mechanisms are in place, member states need to establish or use their own institutions and mechanisms to be held accountable for SDG implementation. In July 2021, governments, civil society and the private sector will gather at the annual UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) to take stock of progress on the 17 SDGs. The event provides an opportunity to assess progress made in the establishment of national-level accountability frameworks for the SDGs.
Given their legal mandates, national human rights institutions (NHRIs) can play a key role in the implementation and follow-up of the SDGs. However, so far, this role has been scarcely acknowledged by governments in their Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.International practice shows that NHRIs play a more active role in providing information for SDG implementation than indicated in the VNRs. For instance, they collect and provide data and build capacities of national institutions. However, NHRIs are rarely represented in national bodies established to oversee SDG implementation. Yet, their ability to support the SDG process increases when they collaborate with the government, get information about SDG policy planning and receive the opportunity to demand explanations about “why” certain policies are adopted and “how” they shall contribute to successful SDG implementation. It is important to note, though, that preconditions for NHRI engagement vary considerably according to country contexts. To strengthen national horizontal accountability in general, and to ensure a human-rights-based approach in implementing the SDGs across all sectors of development, it will be important to:
- Establish NHRIs that are compliant with the Paris Principles. The pace of progress for establishing NHRIs is too slow. Currently, only half of all countries will achieve SDG indicator 16.a.1 (Existence of independent NHRIs in compliance with the Paris Principles) by 2030. The UN and other international organisations should assist gov-ernments in establishing institutions to be in conformity with the Paris Principles and to enable their effective and independent operation.
- Ensure an independent voice for NHRIs. Amidst current autocratisation trends worldwide, fundamental freedoms need to be protected. This allows non-state actors and independent state oversight agencies such as NHRIs to criticise government action and demand human rights in SDG implementation. This will also contribute to the direct implementation of SDG target 16.10 on the protection of fundamental freedoms.
- Enable the participation of NHRIs in national SDG oversight bodies. As a first step, it is necessary that NHRIs themselves raise awareness of their relevant role for better accountability of governments’ SDG implementation among national stakeholders. National governments should include NHRIs in the national SDG infrastructure by ensuring their representation in national SDG oversight bodies or government advisory committees.
- Improve VNR reporting. Governments should make sure to adequately reflect in VNR reporting the role played by NHRIs and assess what they can contribute to national SDG implementation and monitoring.

Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda will require strong, accountable institutions. Since no global compliance mechanisms are in place, member states need to establish or use their own institutions and mechanisms to be held accountable for SDG implementation. In July 2021, governments, civil society and the private sector will gather at the annual UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) to take stock of progress on the 17 SDGs. The event provides an opportunity to assess progress made in the establishment of national-level accountability frameworks for the SDGs.
Given their legal mandates, national human rights institutions (NHRIs) can play a key role in the implementation and follow-up of the SDGs. However, so far, this role has been scarcely acknowledged by governments in their Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.International practice shows that NHRIs play a more active role in providing information for SDG implementation than indicated in the VNRs. For instance, they collect and provide data and build capacities of national institutions. However, NHRIs are rarely represented in national bodies established to oversee SDG implementation. Yet, their ability to support the SDG process increases when they collaborate with the government, get information about SDG policy planning and receive the opportunity to demand explanations about “why” certain policies are adopted and “how” they shall contribute to successful SDG implementation. It is important to note, though, that preconditions for NHRI engagement vary considerably according to country contexts. To strengthen national horizontal accountability in general, and to ensure a human-rights-based approach in implementing the SDGs across all sectors of development, it will be important to:
- Establish NHRIs that are compliant with the Paris Principles. The pace of progress for establishing NHRIs is too slow. Currently, only half of all countries will achieve SDG indicator 16.a.1 (Existence of independent NHRIs in compliance with the Paris Principles) by 2030. The UN and other international organisations should assist gov-ernments in establishing institutions to be in conformity with the Paris Principles and to enable their effective and independent operation.
- Ensure an independent voice for NHRIs. Amidst current autocratisation trends worldwide, fundamental freedoms need to be protected. This allows non-state actors and independent state oversight agencies such as NHRIs to criticise government action and demand human rights in SDG implementation. This will also contribute to the direct implementation of SDG target 16.10 on the protection of fundamental freedoms.
- Enable the participation of NHRIs in national SDG oversight bodies. As a first step, it is necessary that NHRIs themselves raise awareness of their relevant role for better accountability of governments’ SDG implementation among national stakeholders. National governments should include NHRIs in the national SDG infrastructure by ensuring their representation in national SDG oversight bodies or government advisory committees.
- Improve VNR reporting. Governments should make sure to adequately reflect in VNR reporting the role played by NHRIs and assess what they can contribute to national SDG implementation and monitoring.

Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda will require strong accountable institutions. Since no global compliance mechanisms are in place, member states need to establish or use their own institutions to be held accountable for SDG implementation. In July 2021, governments, civil society and the private sector will gather at the annual UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) to take stock of progress on the 17 SDGs. The event provides an opportunity to assess progress made in the establishment of national-level accountability frameworks for the SDGs.
As representatives of the people, parliaments should play a key role in localising the 2030 Agenda and holding governments accountable to their commitments. Over recent years, some progress has been made in enabling parliaments around the world to fulfil their accountability functions. Most notably, almost half of the countries that presented Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) between 2016 and 2019 reported that capacity-building events took place to inform members of parliament about the SDGs, and parliaments are being increasingly consulted by governments in the process of preparing the VNRs.
However, in addition to a lack of awareness about the 2030 Agenda, several factors constrain parliaments’ SDG accountability function. In many countries, parliamentarians lack access to the data needed to assess governments’ SDG performance, and only a few governments have committed to regularly report on SDG progress beyond the VNRs. Furthermore, only in a third of countries has responsibility
for the SDGs been clearly assigned within the structures of parliament itself. In addition, thus far, parliaments have only been weakly involved in processes of localising the SDGs through the adoption of national SDG implementation strategies and the development of national priority goals and indicators. In general, legislatures’ ability to hold governments accountable has decreased amidst recent autocratisation trends.
Good practices to overcome these obstacles include the use of digital tools to increase the transparency of governments’ fiscal behaviour vis-à-vis parliament and the creation of discursive formats to foster parliament–government dialogues about sustainability transformation. Peer learning will play an important role in disseminating information about such empowering practices among parliamentarians worldwide.
More importantly, however, national governments need to recognise parliaments as critical actors in the SDG process. Amidst current autocratisation trends worldwide, peer pressure by the international community, pressure by independent media and NGOs, and the support of UN agencies will be necessary to strengthen the role of parliaments in promoting SDG accountability.
Parliaments themselves should seek to establish dedicated SDG committees with formal powers to undertake in-depth examinations of government action as well as legislation. This will also contribute to the continuity of parliamentary SDG activities beyond electoral cycles.