UNGA Special Event outcome document – the road map for moving forward

The UN General Assembly Special Event outcome document was adopted during the opening session and immediately became the President’s text. It provides the road map for moving forward.

In commenting on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) it notes that most African countries remain ‘off-track in meeting the Goals’ as well as conflict and post conflict countries that “are the most challenged in achieving any of the Goals by 2015.” People living under foreign occupation and those living in areas affected by complex humanitarian emergencies and by terrorism face challenges. 

Accelerating progress

Heads of State and Government (HoSG) reaffirm their commitment to the outcome document of the High Level Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly on the MDGs held in 2010 (Keeping the Promise).  They will particularly target the most off-track MDGs and those where progress has stalled such as universal access to reproductive health, including maternal health (note this is a different formulation from that which is usually used). They will also improve support for women giving birth in areas of greatest deprivation and will step up efforts to meet the goal of universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services by 2015, while building on the gains in the fight against malaria and tuberculosis. They recognise that promoting gender equality, and empowering women and girls, underpins and advances progress across all the Goals and will “resolutely promote gender equality and eliminate the range of barriers to women’s and girls’ empowerment in our societies.”

Global Partnership for Development

The importance of national ownership is stressed, while emphasising that international support is necessary if the MDGs are to be achieved by 2015. The importance of promoting human rights, good governance, rule of law, transparency and accountability at all levels is reaffirmed. Progress towards the target of 0.7% of GNI as ODA by 2015, including 0.15% to 0.20% for least developed countries, should be accelerated.

Post-2015 Development Agenda

Governments are “determined to craft a strong post-2015 development agenda, which will build on the foundations laid by the MDGs, complete the unfinished business and respond to new challenges.” In doing so they reaffirm their commitments to  the Millennium Declaration, the outcome document of Rio+20, the Monterrey Consensus, the Doha Declaration on Financing for Development as well as to the outcomes of all the major UN conferences and summits in the economic, social, and environmental fields and they” will continue to be guided by the values and principles enshrined in these texts.” In particular they “reaffirm all the principles of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, including, inter alia, the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, as set out in principle 7 thereof.”

The post-2015 development agenda should reinforce the international community’s commitment to poverty eradication and sustainable development. There should be a coherent approach, integrating “in a balanced manner” the three dimensions of sustainable development. There should be a single framework and set of Goals that is “universal in nature and applicable to all countries, while taking account of differing national circumstances and respecting national policies and priorities.  It should also promote peace and security, democratic governance, the rule of law, gender equality and human rights for all.”

The outcome document sets the process moving forward to adoption of the post-2015 development agenda, with intergovernmental negotiations starting at the beginning of the 69^th session of UNGA in 2014. Until then the processes already underway, as mandated in the Rio + 20 outcome document, namely the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals and the inter-governmental committee of experts on Sustainable Development Financing will continue, as well as “the process to develop options for a technology facilitation mechanism.” They should complete their work in a comprehensive, balanced and expeditious manner by September 2014, when the intergovernmental negotiations will begin.

Recognition is given to the report of the Secretary General as a “useful input” to their deliberations. In the coming year the President of the General Assembly will convene General Assembly events under the theme “The Post-2015 Development Agenda – Setting the Stage”. Inputs into the process will include those from all stakeholders -- ”civil society, scientific and knowledge institutions, parliaments, local authorities, and the private sector.” The Secretary General is called on to synthesise the full range of inputs then available and to present a synthesis report before the end of 2014.

A Summit at HoSG level will be held in September 2015 to adopt the post-2015 development agenda, in preparation for which the President of the General Assembly should convene, intergovernmental consultations on organisational modalities for the Summit.

Comments

[Charles Banda]

Wonderful work