Report of International Conference on Human Rights

In conformity with General Assembly resolution 65/234 and the related concept note for the ICPD beyond 2014 review, the ICPD Beyond 2014 International Conference on Human Rights was held in Noordwijk, the Netherlands, from 7 to 10 July 2013. 

Organized by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights (OHCHR) and the Government of the Netherlands, the conference brought together over 300 participants from 127 UN Member States, civil society organizations, academia, parliamentarians, human rights defenders, young people, and service providers, as well as United Nations agencies. 

Click to read more ...

Next steps for the work of the OWG in developing the Sustainable Development Goals

During the meeting with civil society organizations on Wednesday 18 June, Ambassador Kamau, OWG Co-Chair, gave an explanation of his expectations of the process going forward. 

He stressed that the document would need to be shrunk without losing any of the “good suggestions.” These suggestions, even if they are not included in the limited number of targets, will be available when we move into intergovernmental negotiations in the General Assembly setting. They would also be useful when member states plan their national development strategies. The issue now was to work to strategize and “squeeze them down.”

Looking at interlinkages, it was absolutely important to understand that we have an integrated agenda for what are often “three-dimensional goals.” The next iteration will include what has come from the informal process, after which it will then be necessary to go through the same exercise again, looking for concise language.

Click to read more ...

Summary of 12th Session of the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals (OWG-12) as it relates to sexual and reproductive health and rights

Informal consultations: The 12^th session of the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals (OWG-12) was preceded by “informal-informal” consultations on 9-11 June 2014, at UN Headquarters in New York, as previously announced by the Co-Chairs. They focused on options for merging goal areas; views on the 17 goal headings contained in the zero draft; and the targets proposed under goal areas 1-6.

Sexual and reproductive health and rights were discussed under Proposed Goal 3: Attain healthy life for all at all ages as part of health in general and under Goal 5:  Attain gender equality, empower women and girls everywhere under gender equality and the empowerment of women.

Click to read more ...

Civil society cluster statement on Proposed Goal 3 of the OWG: Attain healthy life for all at all ages at OWG-12

A presentation on behalf of the Women’s Major Group, the Major Group on Children and Youth and others was given during the civil society session of OWG-12 on 18 June 2014.

In the statement a number of proposals were made including  the inclusion of the right to health in the chapeau and a revision for target 3.1 to “by 2030 eliminate preventable maternal mortality and reduce morbidity.”

Click to read more ...

Next steps for the work of the OWG in developing the Sustainable Development Goals

During the meeting with civil society organizations on Wednesday 18 June, Ambassador Kamau, OWG Co-Chair, gave an explanation of his expectations of the process going forward. 

He stressed that the document would need to be shrunk without losing any of the “good suggestions.” These suggestions, even if they are not included in the limited number of targets, will be available when we move into intergovernmental negotiations in the General Assembly setting. They would also be useful when member states plan their national development strategies. The issue now was to work to strategize and “squeeze them down.”

Click to read more ...

Cross regional statement for annual full-day discussion on women’s rights during the 26th Human Rights Council

This statement was delivered by the Netherlands on behalf of Belgium, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Slovenia, Iceland, Italy, Finland, France, Norway, Switzerland, United Kingdom and Uruguay at the annual full-day discussion on women’s rights during the 26th Human Rights Council:

Click to read more ...

Briefing from Co-chairs for Civil Society at beginning of 12th session of the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals (OWG-12)

Ambassador Kamau at the beginning of  Co-Chairs meeting with civil society organizations at the12^th session of the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals (OWG-12) on Monday 16 June, said that the informal informals had been “amazingly interesting and dynamic.” Grand-standing was now over and this had allowed for significant progress. There had been positive responses from Member States, which had given the Co-Chairs “a lot of comfort”.

The full session of OWG-12 beginning at 10.00 would pick up from where they had left off last time. It was important to get a sense of how Member States felt as to where they now were. There were only 10 days left for the work of the OWG and even if there are continued informal sessions, they only had until 19 July to complete it. 

Click to read more ...

European SRHR Community calls upon European Member States to take leadership on the following key points for the OWG ‘zero-draft’ on SDGs

This week, from Monday 16 June to Friday 20 June, the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals will convene for its 12th session (OWG-12) and formal negotiations around the goals and targets will begin. 

European organizations, particularly those working on sexual and reproductive health and rights and gender issues have therefore, contacted their national governments to urge them to ensure that sexual and reproductive health and rights are addressed both under both goal 3 on Health and 5 on Gender.

Click to read more ...

Beyond 2015 Reaction to Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals Zero Draft

Beyond 2015 has submitted its reaction to the 'zero draft' of post-2015 sustainable development goals and targets, issued by the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals (OWG) Co-Chairs on June 2, in the form of a two page letter, setting out Beyond 2015's overall reaction to the document, and an annex detailing textual suggestions on the focus areas and targets. The PDF is available here.

Click to read more ...

Letter to Open Working Group on behalf of a coalition of civil society organisations delivering programmes and advocacy on health priorities, including HIV, sexual and reproductive health, and youth living with and vulnerable to HIV

Organizations are invited to sign on to the attached letter (available in English and French) to the Open Working Group on issues related to health, particularly under Goal 3 Attain healthy life for all at all ages by sending their endorsement to Post2015MDG@Icaso.org by 12 noon (EST) Monday 16 June.