OHCHR call for submissions on child, early and forced marriage — deadline 15 December 2013

The High-Level Panel in its illustrative goal 2 called for a target to end child marriage. The UNFPA proposals for the post-2015 development framework also call for prevention and elimination of sexual coercion and violence against women, including child marriage.

Last month the UN Human Rights Council adopted Resolution 24/23 on the subject of child, early and forced marriage.  It requests the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to prepare a report on “preventing and eliminating child, early and forced marriage, with a particular focus on challenges, achievements, best practices and implementation gaps” to be presented to the Council at its 26th session in June 2014.  This report will also inform the panel discussion that will be held at that session on the same subject. This report can contribute to the inclusion of child, early and forced marriage into the post-2015 development agenda.

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UNFPA announces its proposals for the post-2015 development framework

Dr Babatunde Osotimehin, Executive Director, introduced the UNFPA proposals for the post-2015 development framework at the EuroNGOs conference Next Steps: Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights on the Post-2015 Agenda. Fulfilling rights, achieving universal access to SRHR, empowering women, investing in youth, through a coherent post-2015 development framework.

As Dr Osotimehin noted there are about 800 days are left for MDGs.  ICPD has been about 20 years and the MDGs 15 years. At that time we could not get a goal for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), and Target 5B was not introduced until 2007. The next 18 months will be most critical. As far as the ICPD Beyond 2014 review process is concerned, the regional conferences and thematic meetings have been held and it is very clear that the world wants to realize gender equality and women’s empowerment. There is, moreover, from the regions for a strong call for advancing SRHR.

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Inaugural session of the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, 24 September 2013

The inaugural session of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) was held on 24 September 2013, immediately before the UN General Assembly High-Level Event. The HLPF was created, as proposed in the Rio + 20 outcome document The Future We Want, to replace the UN Commission on Sustainable Development. Its role is to “follow up on the implementation of sustainable development and avoid overlap with existing structures, bodies and entities in a cost effective manner.”

Working modalities for the HLPF, including civil society participation

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Commat calls on Commonwealth Heads of Government to promote the Post 2015 development agenda ‘social pillar’ in upcoming meeting

In the meeting of the Committee of the Whole, held today in preparation for the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting (CHOGM), Commat (the Commonwealth Medical Trust) called on Heads of Government to promote the full inclusion of the ‘social pillar’ for the post-2015 development agenda. In particular Commat urged them to support a stand-alone goal on gender and women’s empowerment; address the needs of young people; and to ensure that the mistakes of the MDGs are not again repeated, by fully including sexual and reproductive health and rights.

CSOs in Commonwealth countries are urged to write to their Heads of Government and relevant Ministries to urge them to ensure that these ‘asks’ are included in the CHOGM Communiqué.

Outcome document from the Ministerial Meeting: The Addis Ababa Declaration on Population and Development in Africa Beyond 2014

Governments from 53 African countries met in Addis Ababa on 30 September- 4 October to review the implementation of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action (PoA). The week was divided into an Experts meeting and a Ministerial meeting. The outcome of the Ministers meeting was The Addis Ababa Declaration on Population and Development in Africa Beyond 2014. All countries, except Chad, adopted the declaration. 16 countries adopted the declaration with reservations on three commitments (17, 18 and 35). (See Official Transmition Note) The 16 countries are:

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Regional Consultation on the Post-2015 Agenda in Istanbul, Turkey on 6-8 November

The Ministry for Development in Turkey together with UNECE and UNDP will host a regional (Europe and Central Asia) consultation in Istanbul, Turkey, 7-8 November 2013. It will be a multi-stakeholder event, bringing together representatives from governments, international organizations, civil society, the private sector, academia and media. The meeting will feature a series of thematic panel discussions and conclude with an open forum that will identify regional priorities for the post-2015 agenda and formulate the regional contributions to the global debate. For the proposed agenda click here. 

The Conference background document is a report entitled “Building more inclusive, sustainable and prosperous societies in Europe and Central Asia – A common United Nations vision for a post-2015 development agenda”.

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A Million Voices: The World We Want – A sustainable future with dignity for all

A Million Voices: The World We Want was produced by the UNDG Millennium Development Goals Task Force, just before the UN General Assembly Special Event. It synthesizes the results of the global consultation that, according to the UN Secretary-General, gave a clear message that “while the post-2015 agenda should and will be determined by governments, people across the world are demanding a say in the decisions that affect their lives.”

Achieving full gender equality and improving health services are among the foremost people’s priorities that should be directly addressed in the future agenda.

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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

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UN General Assembly Special Event, 25 September, key issues

The long-awaited UN General Assembly Special Event took place on 25 September, with the Opening session, chaired by HE John Ashe, President of General Assembly. During the Opening session, there were a number of speakers representing the different groups of countries. Before they spoke, however, there were statements from the UN Secretary-General and the President of ECOSOC and the outcome document was endorsed, to be submittd for adoption by the General Assembly as a President’s text.

A summary of the speeches in the Opening session and the key issuess raised in the Roundtables that followed is below.

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High-Level Task Force for ICPD calls on African leaders to accelerate gender equality, empowerment of women and young people and sexual and reproductive health and rights

At a press conference held during the African Regional Conference on Population and Development, the High-Level Task Force for ICPD has issued a press release in which it calls on  top decision-makers in the Africa Region to step up political will and investments for advancing gender equality, the  empowerment of women and young people, and sexual and reproductive health and rights – fundamental human rights issues and also critical for the sustainable development of the region.

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