b'Soroptimist InternationalReport for the High-Level Political Forum Using Law to Support Sustainable DevelopmentAchieving the Sustainable Development Goals andfromtheIstanbulConventionisextremely gender equality is deeply interwoven with humanconcerning.WithdrawalfromtheConvention rights. All people have a right to development, todemonstratesalackofpoliticalwilltoprevent, health,toshelter,topeace,toequality,amonginvestigateandprosecutegender-basedviolence others, all relevant to the Sustainable Developmentwhichisafundamentalbarriertosustainable Goals under review this year. States already have adevelopment. While theIstanbulConvention isa varietyoflegalobligationsthatfacilitatetheEuropean instrument, the Convention is still open to achievementoftheSustainableDevelopmentaccession fromotherstates and all states should Goals. Multiple human rights treaties, including theoffertheirsupporttotheIstanbulConvention. InternationalCovenantonEconomic,SocialandLabourlawsmustbeadopted,implementedand Cultural Rights are legally binding to States Parties.improved to ensure all workers are safe, paid a living These treaties require States to act progressively towage,andaretreatedwithdignityandrespect. realisetherighttosocialprotectionwithoutStatesshouldalsosupportandimplementthe discrimination or retrogression. All new initiativesdevelopingareaofenvironmentallaw,especially must comply with responsibilities of governmentsinternationalenvironmentallaw,recognisingthat to secure the rights and governance of Indigenousall environmental policies have regional and global Peoples and local communities, including to theirimpactsthatgobeyondnationalborders. land and marine territories, and value and recognizeInternationaleconomiclaw,highlyrelevantto the important role of women providing conditionssustainable development and made up of bilateral for them to have decent work and social protection.andmultilateralagreements,oftende-prioritises peopleandtheenvironment.Itisvitalthat Tosupportsustainabledevelopmentandgenderinternationaleconomiclawbereformedto equalityallstatesmustsign,ratifyandremoverecognise that economies are there to serve people reservations from CEDAW as well as other humanand the planet, not the other way round.rightsinstruments.Thatstatesarewithdrawing Capacity BuildingSincetheSustainableDevelopmentGoalswereandmustsupportcapacitybuilding.Mutually created in 2015, it has been clear that many state,respectful training, knowledge-exchange, and other agencies and other stakeholders lack capacity forformofsupportindatacollectionandanalysis, the full and effective implementation of the goals.policydevelopmentandimplementation,justice To ensure all benefit equally from the 2030 Agendaprovision and others can all be enhanced through andtheSustainableDevelopmentGoalsitiscapacity building efforts. It is essential that more essentialthatthereisgreatersupportandinstitutional support is provided between states and cooperationforcapacitybuilding.Theoverseasby UN agencies, especially for building capacity for developmentassistancetargetof0.7%ofgrossgender-equalityeffortsandenvironmental national income must be met by donors as a matterprotections. of urgency. This assistance must not be conditional, 40'