VNR 2025 Joint contribution by Forum Umwelt und Entwicklung, BAGSO, GenderCC and WECF Deutschland

Participation is a basic tenet of human rights. The German government, as a duty bearer for the observation of human rights, must also ensure participation in its development cooperation. This means shaping policies and strategies with and not just for rights holders. Whether it is a matter of protecting the environment and nature, reducing hunger and poverty, or creating decent work: identifying and including rights holders like Indigenous Peoples, small farmers or factory workers is both a key basis and a challenge when it comes to making headway on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. The rights of women, elderly people and other discriminated groups are also to be strengthened.

The partner approach, which dominates in German and in international development cooperation, is often not sufficient to ensure mutual learning and the participation of rights holders. Because of that, the German government needs to draw up a strategy for international cooperation, setting out how it identifies rights holders and how it secures their effective participation. The German Institute for Human Rights could provide advisory support in this regard. The UN Committee on World Food Security (CFS) is also regularly cited as a positive example in multilateral cooperation. This is because it is a forum where those most threatened and affected by hunger can participate in policy processes as self-organised groups. Systematic application in German development cooperation of the policy recommendations made by the CFS is needed. Deepening the feminist approach in foreign and development policy also contributes to this, along with the implementation of guidelines and strategies developed for this purpose, and efforts to strengthen local human rights groups. Feminist foreign policy worldwide builds on the Women, Peace and Security Agenda (Resolution 1325 and follow-up resolutions). Women and marginalised groups experience wars and conflicts in a different way because of the roles assigned to them by society and can contribute to peace processes in a different way. Feminist foreign policy thus places people at the centre of political decision-making.

Contributors:

• German NGO Forum on Environment and Development
• German National Association of Senior Citizens’ Organisations (BAGSO)
• GenderCC - Women for Climate Justice
• Women Engage for a Common Future (WECF) Deutschland