Ireland – SDG

Section 1

International context and domestic consultative process

Other international initiatives [page 10]

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (“the 2030 agenda”) adopted at a special UN summit in September 2015 sets a global framework for action for poverty eradication and sustainable development and will determine priorities and help guide allocation of resources world-wide over the coming 15 years. The 2030 agenda is universal and all countries will need to implement it, both internally and in their external action. The 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) and 169 associated targets at the heart of the agenda provide an integrated framework to achieve sustainable development globally. The SDGs of most relevance to the issue of Business and Human Rights are:

SDG 1 end poverty in all its forms everywhere

SDG 5 achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

SDG 8 Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.

The Addis Ababa action agenda forms an integral part of the 2030 Agenda. Together with the means of implementation under each SDG and goal 17 (means of implementation and global Partnership), it sets out the full range of means of implementation – financial and non-financial, public and private, domestic and international, actions and enabling policies – to be mobilised in the context of the global Partnership to achieve the agenda. In March 2016, the Council of Europe3 adopted a Recommendation to assist member states in preventing and remedying human rights violations by business enterprises. The Recommendation elaborates on access to judicial remedy, drawing on Council of Europe expertise and legal standards and puts special emphasis on the additional protection needs of workers, children, Indigenous People and human rights defenders. It also recommends a review of implementation of the Recommendation by the member states within five years of its adoption, with the participation of relevant stakeholders.

Annex 1 – list of additional and ongoing actions to be carried out across government

EU and Multilateral Efforts [page 20]

4. Promote business and human rights issues in global policy processes within the framework of the 2030 agenda for sustainable development, in particular through sustainable development goals 8, 1 and 5.