You are invited to join chat on global development agenda beyond 2015

There will be a  livechat on the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) Facebook page on the post-2015 development agenda on 20 November from 9:00 to 11:00 am to share opinions, questions and concerns about the post-2015 process. 

The following email has been received from UN DESA: 

With only three years left to 2015, it is time to discuss what will happen after the final target date for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Outlining a new development agenda requires an open and inclusive process – one that involves all stakeholders from across the globe and all spheres of life.

“Only a truly global conversation can help to keep the momentum of the MDGs beyond 2015 and to ensure that the agenda really addresses the concerns of the people. Let your voice be heard in the process of formulating a new development agenda beyond 2015,” said Mr. Selim Jahan, Director of the Poverty Division, Bureau of Development Policy at the United Nations Development Programme.

Organized by the UN System Task Team on the Post-2015 UN Development Agenda, the event will feature the core team behind the report “Realizing the Future We Want for All”, offering civil society organizations, NGOs and other stakeholders as well as the online community, a unique opportunity to discuss some of the key recommendations made in the report.

It stresses among other things the important role of the MDGs in advancing the development agenda and in improving the lives of people around the globe. Any post-2015 development agenda must therefore build on the lessons learned from the MDGs. At the same time, the new agenda also needs to respond to emerging and pressing challenges while keeping a focus on human development. As outlined in the report, these include issues such as deepening inequalities, shifting demographics, the knowledge gap, peace and security issues, governance and accountability deficits at the global, regional and an increasing environmental footprint.

“Business as usual is not an option. These challenges cannot be properly addressed if we would continue along trodden development pathways. We need deep transformative changes if we want to realize a future that can truly be shared by all and is sustainable for next generations. We do need a bold vision for the global post-2015 development agenda. It will be challenging, but without it there may be no future for most of us” explains Mr. Rob Vos, Director of the Division of Development Policy Analysis at the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, one of the key messages of the report.

Moving forward, the report recommends that any new development agenda beyond 2015 should build on the values and principles outlined in the Millennium Declaration, which is as relevant today as it was in 2000. It should also build on the three fundamental principles: respect for human rights, equality and sustainability.

Join Rob Vos and Selim Jahan and other members of the UN System Task Team on 20 November from 9:00 to 11:00 am on DESA’s Facebook page. Let your voice be heard and take part in the conversation on the global development agenda beyond 2015!

For further information make sure to check DESA’s Facebook page or DESA’s website.

For background information, have a look at the UN System Task Team website and their report with recommendations on the post-2015 development agenda.