ECOSOC takes action on draft decision of Statistical Commission on indicator framework

The UN Economic and Social Council (“ECOSOC”) met in early June to consider and adopt the report of the Statistical Commission’s meetings in March 2016, which included the its agreement on SDG indicators. 

Ms. Wasmália Bivar, Chairperson of the Statistical Commission updated the ECOSOC by video, summarizing the most recent outcomes...

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General Assembly High-Level Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance, 21 September 2016 – update

A note has been circulated by Juan José Gómez Camacho, Permanent Representative of Mexico to the United Nations, as the Facilitator on the modalities resolution for the High Level Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance  (AMR) of the plenary of the UN General Assembly to be held on 21 September. The silence was not broken on the resolution, on which a slight-additional editorial amendment was made at the request of the European Union, with the agreement of all countries...

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Report of the round table on Young People and the SDGs

We have received the following from Rutgers:

MANY thanks for joining us at the side-event/round table on young people and the SDGs, last week during the HLPF!!

Your contributions to the discussions were very valuable. Attached you can find the narrative report of the event. On our website, we have really nice pictures, the action agenda and all the endorsements, as well as blog posts that were written during the HLPF. 

We hope to work with you in the future to ensure a real focus on and participation of young people in the implementation and follow up of the SDGs.

Note that this side-event was organized by the...

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28 July Meeting with Co-Facilitators of UN Summit for Refugees & Migrants at UNHQ: Register to Speak or Attend / Submit Video Comments

We have received the following from UN-NGLS and UN DESA 

Dear Colleagues,

At the request of the Co-Facilitators of the UN Summit for Refugees and Migrants (Jordan and Ireland), UN-NGLS and UN DESA invite stakeholders to register to participate in a one-hour meeting with them on 28 July at 10:00am at UN Headquarters (room TBC), or to submit short video comments that will be considered for inclusion in the meeting...

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HLPF Ministerial Declaration adopted

The High-level Political Forum Ministerial Declaration was adopted after a vote on paragraph 19 on language on Paris Agreement was called for by Nicaragua. It stated that Nicaragua refuses to sign the Paris Agreement because it will not ensure remaining below 1.5 degrees. Its requests for flexible language in the Ministerial Declaration had not even been heard by "powerful countries", and did not find any understanding from the co-facilitators. Hence it called for a vote on paragraph 19.

The result of the vote was 141 in favour of keeping paragraph 19; 1 against; and 3 abstentions (Russia, Myanmar, Egypt)...

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Ministerial Declaration – Silence broken

We have been informed that the silence on the HLPF Ministerial Declaration has been broken by two countries. Apparently Morocco as broken the silence over foreign occupation and Nicaragua over the Paris climate change language.  

We will now wait to see the final language for adoption.

Ensuring that no-one is left behind: Lifting people out of poverty and addressing basic needs No 2

The following statement was delivered by Marianne Haslegrave, Commonwealth Medical Trust, as a member of the NGO Major Group:

Following the comments of our presenters, to ensure no one is left behind, we need to start on a strong foundation where peoples’ basic needs are being addressed. In looking at concrete steps that can be taken, and in ensuring long-term access to basic needs, we agree on the importance of capacity-building, particularly skills-building at all levels, from the grass-roots but would also include the full involvement of civil society...

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Ensuring that no-one is left behind: Lifting people out of poverty and addressing basic needs No 1

The following statement was delivered by Sai Jyothirmai Racherla, Asian-Pacific Resource & Research Centre for Women (ARROW) on behalf of the Women’s Major Group:

INTERVENTION: Ensuring that no one is left behind- Lifting people out of poverty and addressing basic needs

July 11, 2016, 3.00 PM

Sai Jyothirmai Racherla

ARROW, WMG, RCEM

Sai in her intervention asks the panel some critical questions that needs to be integrated within the SDG agenda to ensure no one is left behind  and lifting women and young girls out of poverty...

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HLPF Ministerial Declaration — Final declaration for silence procedure

The final version of the HLPF Ministerial Declaration has been issued under silence procedure. It will be under silence until 6 pm today, 18 July, after which it will be adopted as is, unless any Member State objects.

 Health care is included in paragraph 6, together with social protection in the context of “where physical, mental and social well-being are assured...” The enjoyment of health care services for women and girls are also referred to in paragraph 10.

Report on Science, Technology and Innovation Forum, 6-7 June 2016 by Ambassador Macharia Kamau

Ambassador Macharia Kamau of Kenya, Co-chair of the Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Forum briefed the high-level and political forum (HLPF) on its first meeting, at the UN in New York, on 6-7 June 2016.

Double-edged sword

In introducing his report of the meeting, Ambassador Kamau noted that the meeting room was full of familiar faces who had been involved over the past three years and would now be involved in the “business of implementing the 2030 Agenda.” He made a “caveat statement” about the STI Forum, however, noting that all are in agreement that STI is important and that it is fair to say that what has transpired in the world has been characterized by...

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