Post-2015: Elements paper on the Declaration available / Draft Programme of Work for the Feburary 17-20 session

We would like to draw your attention to the letter from the co-facilitators transmitting the programme of work for the 17-20 February intergovernmental negotiations on the post-2015 development agenda, as well as a draft elements paper to stimulate the discussion on the declaration component of the post-2015 development agenda.

DESA DSD and NGLS have created a google doc where major groups and other stakeholders can provide their comments and views on the draft elements paper for the declaration. The submissions will be summarized by the February Stakeholder Steering Committee for presentation at the February negotiating session.

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Reminder: PGA High Level Thematic Debate on Means of Implementation 9-10 February.. and UNCTAD side event

You are reminded that the High-Level Thematic Debate on Means of Implementation for a Transformative Post-2015 Development Agenda, convened by the President of the UN General Assembly, will take place today and tomorrow, 9-10 February, 2015, beginning at 10.00 (New York time). It will be webcast here. 

The debate will focus on how to mobilize resources to turn aspirations for the post-2015 development agenda into realities and will consist of an opening plenary, two interactive multi-stakeholder panel discussions and a closing plenary. Please consult the following website for further details.

Immediately following the Debate a UNCTAD Side Event on Making the Sustainable Development Goals Work will be held on 10 February in Conference Room 12 of the UN Headquarters. The event will take advantage of the presence of experts on Means of Implementation, member States, sister agencies and other stakeholders, to exchange ideas on how to make the SDGs work.

The President of the 69th  session of the General Assembly, Ambassador Sam  Kutesa, will open the event.

For the full programme please visit the UNCTAD website.

UN Statistical Commission confirms support on post-2015 indicator development

As reported by the IISD, the UN Statistical Commission (UNSC) has confirmed that it will provide statistical support for the elaboration of the post-2015 development agenda and its measurement, in a letter responding to a request for assistance from the Co-Facilitators for intergovernmental negotiations on the post-2015 development agenda, David Donoghue and Macharia Kamau.

In their letter of 19 December 2014 to Gabriella Vukovich, Acting Chair of UNSC, the Co-Facilitators note that, in the course of the intergovernmental consultations, some Member States underlined the need for an effective framework of targets and indicators that are specific and measurable, and which do not lower the level of ambition as expressed in existing international commitments, standards and agreements.

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Beyond 2015 Position on the Post-2015 Declaration

Beyond 2015 has issued its position paper on the post-2015 Declaration. In the section on Human Rights it calls for the full recognition of sexual and reproductive health and rights. 

The Declaration will be discussed at the next session of the intergovernmental negotiations on the post-2015 development agenda, to be held from 17-20 February. The Co-facilitators will be circulating a note on the Declaration in advance of the opening of the session.

The Declaration is availalbe in English, French, and Spanish.

Background Note and Programme for President of the General Assembly’s High-Level Event on Means of Implementation

The President of the UN General Assembly, HE Sam Kutesa has released a background note and provisional programme for the high-level debate on Means of Implementation (MOI) for a Transformative Post-2015 Development Agenda that will be held on 9-10 February 2015. It is the first in a series of high-level events on the post-2015 development agenda.

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Joint Statement of the Chairpersons of the United Nations Human Rights Treaty Bodies on the Post-2015 Development Agenda

As Chairpersons of the ten UN Human Rights Treaty Bodies (1), we recognize the fundamental importance of the current discussions on the post-2015 development agenda. We recall that the 2005 World Summit acknowledged that peace and security, development, and human rights are the three pillars of the United Nations system and recognised that “development, peace and security and human rights are interlinked and mutually reinforcing.” We believe that the human rights treaty bodies have an important role to play in contributing to both the finalization and implementation of the post-2015 development agenda.

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Summary of the Concluding remarks by the Co-facilitators for the Stocktaking session of the negotiations on the post 2015 development agenda

Below is a summary of key points made by the Co-facilitators at the conclusion of the Stocktaking session of the negotiations on the post 2015 development agenda. From these it is clear that there is general agreement that the Open Working Group (OWG) Proposal should not be reopened. There are divergences on the ‘technical proofing’. On indicators the Statistical Commission will present a draft set of indicative global indicators in advance of the March Session, although this work is unlikely to be completed before the Summit in September. Suggestions were made as to what should be included in the Declaration and the Co-facilitators will circulate suggested elements before the February session. Higher ambition is needed in the Means of Implementation and Global Partnership for Sustainable Development and multiple stakeholders should be involved in the Follow-up and Review. The Co-facilitators welcome the contribution from civil society and their contribution in raising public awareness about the sustainable development goals. 

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Second session of Post-2015 inter-governmental negotiations: apply to speak during February 20 interactive dialogue with Major Groups and other stakeholders

The following message has been received from UN-NGLS and DESA-DSD

Dear Colleagues, 

The 17-20 February session of the post-2015 development agenda intergovernmental negotiations will include a 2 hour interactive dialogue with Major Groups and other stakeholders, planned for the afternoon of 20 February.

The February negotiating session will focus on the Declaration section of the outcome document to be adopted at the UN Summit on the post-2015 development agenda in September. 

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Intergovernmental Negotiations Consider Four Elements of Post-2015 Agenda

As reported by the IISD, the first session of intergovernmental negotiations on the post-2015 development agenda addressed the four elements expected to comprise the new agenda:  

• Declaration  
• Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and targets, along with eventual indicators 
• Means of implementation (MOI) and new Global Partnership for Development 
• Follow-up and review of implementation.

Macharia Kamau, Permanent Representative of Kenya, and David Donoghue, Permanent Representative of Ireland, co-facilitated the session on 19-21 January 2015 and in their summary of discussions, presented at the end of the three-day meeting Donoghue made the following comments:

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UNDG Releases Draft Consultation Report on Participatory Monitoring and Accountability

The following is reported by the IISD Reporting Services:

 “Marginalized persons and/or people living in poverty should be at the center and the owners of their own development processes with all other relevant actors accountable to them regarding progress on said development outcomes,” according to the draft report from the UN Development Group's (UNDG) Participatory Monitoring and Accountability Consultation. The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), UN Development Programme (UNDP) and UN Women, the co-facilitators of the post-2015 consultation, have released the draft report for comments.

‘Participatory Monitoring for Accountability: Critical Enablers for the Successful Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)' provides a rationale for a participatory monitoring and accountability approach as a central component of the post-2015 development agenda. It calls for a paradigm shift toward viewing people living in poverty, and the organizations that serve them, as “active, collaborating policy stakeholders rather than as aid recipients.” A participatory monitoring for accountability process is one that encompasses inclusive, transparent practices to monitor the effectiveness and useful of international, national, regional and local policies with people working together in an organized way to identify and track priority issues, with the aim of addressing and solving barriers to development and poverty eradication, according to the report.

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