Four former heads of state and government have appealed to the Union and SPD to take a leadership role in development policy. According to a report by the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” the open letter states that “from Berlin, a clear signal must go out into the world that Germany, despite the strong headwind, continues to set international cooperation in motion with the clear goal of making the world a more just place.”
The letter is signed by the former Irish President Mary Robinson, the former Prime Ministers of New Zealand and Norway, Helen Clark and Erna Solberg, as well as the former Prime Minister of Sweden, Stefan Löfven. The letter is addressed to the negotiators currently preparing the chapter on development policy for the coalition contract.
The background is announcements from the US, the UK and the Netherlands to scale back their engagement in international cooperation. The four former state and government leaders warn that previous successes around the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals are in danger of being undone. “Now is the time to take the lead” they say.
The four former heads of state and government suggest that the sustainability goals, which the international community set for 2030, should become a “compass” for future government work. “Start in the coalition contract and hold fast when the ink has dried” they write. “The world is counting on you.