The Senator representing Ondo South Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Jimoh Ibrahim, has informed the United Nations that proposing a global tax to fund the Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs is inappropriate and unacceptable, saying the international system is anarchic and lacks the authority to comply.
Addressing the interparliamentary opening session of the world body in New York onThursday, he added that there is no comprehensive international system in place.
According to Senator Ibrahim, in a statement released to journalists in Nigeria on Friday, global taxes would further exacerbate inequality within the geocentric system and could also increase poverty, undermining the United Nations’ efforts to eradicate poverty by 2030.
As an alternative, he suggested that environmental polluters compensate Africa to alleviate the debt burden.
“It is time for African legislators to act decisively and compel the rest of the world to pay compensation for climate impacts so that we can finance our SDGs,” he said.
Senator Ibrahim identified that, among other issues, the SDGs struggle to achieve the goal of poverty eradication, saying many who are invested in meaningful outcomes are being excluded.
He said: “Furthermore, there is a lack of transparency, a deficit of trust, a significant failure of multilateralism, and insufficient support from non-state actors for the SDGs.”
He informed the United Nations that the year 2030 is approaching rapidly, emphasising a major shortfall in achieving the primary goal of poverty eradication. He advises that a review is becoming increasingly necessary.
The lawmaker openly praised President Bola Tinubu for upholding his commitment to the SDGs in his budget proposal at the United Nations Interparliamentary, and therefore, urged the world body to reflect inward, as time is critical for the success of the SDGs.
