High-level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda appointed

The UN Secretary-General has appointed the other 23 members of the High-level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Framework. All members, who will serve in their personal capacities, are representatives of governments, the private sector, academia, civil society and youth, taking into account geographical and gender balance. The three co-chairs had been appointed: President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia; President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia; and Prime Minister David Cameron of the United Kingdom.

Members of the High-level Panel

The other members of the panel are: Fulbert Gero Amoussouga (Benin); Vanessa Petrelli Corrêa (Brazil); Yingfan Wang (China); Maria Angela Holguin (Colombia); Gisela Alonso (Cuba); Jean-Michel Severino (France); Horst Kohler (Germany); Naoto Kan (Japan); H.M. Queen Rania of Jordan (Jordan); Betty Maina (Kenya); Abhijit Banerjee (India); Andris Piebalgs (Latvia); Patricia Espinosa (Mexico); Paul Polman (Netherlands); Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (Nigeria); Elvira Nabiullina (Russian Federation); Graça Machel (South Africa); Sung-Hwan Kim (Republic of Korea); Gunilla Carlsson (Sweden); Emilia Pires (Timor-Leste); Kadir Topbas (Turkey); John Podesta (United States of America); Tawakel Karman (Yemen). Amina J. Mohammed, the Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Post-2015 Development Planning, ex-officio.

For biographical data on Panel members see attached. 

The Panel will hold its first meeting in New York in late September at the time of the annual high-level debate of the UN General Assembly. Its report is expected to be submitted to the Secretary-General in the second quarter of 2013.

Terms of reference of High-level Panel

The Terms of Reference for the High-level Panel have also been announced. It should be noted that the output of the Panel will be a report that will include:

a) Recommendations regarding the vision and shape of a Post-2015 development agenda that will help respond to the global challenges of the 21st century, building on the MDGs and with a view to ending poverty.

b) Key principles for reshaping the global partnership for development and strengthened accountability mechanisms;

c) Recommendations on how to build and sustain broad political consensus on an ambitious yet achievable Post-2015 development agenda around the three dimensions of economic growth, social equality and environmental sustainability; taking into account the particular challenges of countries in conflict and post-conflict situations.

The High-level Panel and the intergovernmental Working Group on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will keep each other informed in order to ensure that both processes are mutually reinforcing. In addition the High-level Panel is tasked with advising the Secretary-General as to how the SDGs relate to the broader Post-2015 development agenda.

In preparing its report the High-level Panel will take into account the following:

a) The Millennium Declaration, The Outcome Document of Rio+20;

b) The findings of the Report of the Secretary-General’s UN Task Team for the preparation of the Post-2015 UN Development Agenda; as well as lessons learned and best practices from the MDGs.

c) The findings of the various national and thematic consultations at regional and national levels, which are coordinated by the UNDG as part of the preparations for the Post-2015 Development Agenda;

d) The need to build momentum for a constructive dialogue on the parameters of the Post-2015 Development Agenda, and propose innovative ways for governments, parliaments, civil society organizations, the business sector, academia, local communities to engage continuously in such a dialogue;

e) The ongoing work of the UN Task Team, the Special Advisor to the SG on Post-2015, the report of the Global Sustainability Panel of the
Secretary-General and the findings of the Global Sustainable Development Network Initiative; as well as

f) Any other relevant inputs it may deem appropriate.

For further information see the press release from the UN Department of Information.