Post-2015 parliamentarians meeting

Sixty parliamentarians from 32 countries met at the Houses of Parliament in London from 26-28 November 2013. The purposes of the meeting were to:

• Express their commitment as parliamentarians from across the world to accelerate the process towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs);
• Exchange information, knowledge and examples of good practice with peers and international development experts;
• Build their capacity to ensure that good governance is at the core of the post-2015 development agenda; and
• Commit to holding governments to account to ensure that international commitments to development are implemented at local, national and regional levels

Communiqué

In the Communiqué agreed at the end of the meeting, they affirmed their commitment to “a set of targets with poverty eradication and sustainable development at its core.” They also welcomed the progress that had been achieved in “meeting several important targets, despite the impact of the global economic and financial crisis” and recognized the challenges and needs of those living in the least developed countries, small island developing states, landlocked developing countries and people living in conflict and conflict countries and in areas affected by “complex humanitarian emergencies and natural disasters.”

They called on governments to deliver a single set of goals, which are universal and achievable but take into account differing national circumstances while respecting national policies and priorities. 

In their Communiqué they strongly supported placing “gender equality at the heart of the post-2015 development framework with a standalone goal”, as proposed at the Commission on the Status of Women in March 2013. They said, furthermore that “without gender equality other goals on access to education and development of appropriate curricula, poverty eradication, and maternal health will never be achieved.” 

Post-2015 Action Plan for Parliamentarians

They also agreed a common Post-2015 Action Plan for Parliamentarians

(For full text of Communiqué and Post-2015 Action Plan for Parliamentarians)

Recommendations to OWG-8

In addition the meeting made three recommendations to go to the eighth session of the Open Working Group (OWG-8) that call for the involvement of and consultation with parliamentarians in the formulation of the new development goals; and their involvement in assessing the progress of this new framework. In addition they recommend that the OWG “provides a statement that reflects the engagement of parliaments.”