Where we are with the inter-governmental negotiations at the beginning of May 2015

Following the joint FfD3 and post-2015 session, now is probably a good time to reflect on the inter-governmental negotiations (IGN) so far and some of the key issues will need to be resolved when the negotiations proper take place in June and July.  

First three IGN sessions

The Stock-take session in January, followed by the IGN on the Declaration in February; the March session on goals, targets and indicators; and the joint session in April have raised a number of issues that are crucially important for the success of the post-2015 development agenda. Arising out of the discussions in February, it is unclear what sort of document the Declaration will be...

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Nominate civil society speakers for the United Nations Secretary-General's Second Annual Sustainable Energy for All Forum: 18-21 May 2015

We have received the following from UN-NGLS:

At the request of the United Nations Executive Office of the Secretary-General, UN-NGLS is facilitating a nomination process to identify two civil society speakers for the UN Secretary-General's Second Annual Sustainable Energy for All Forum. The event will take place on 18-21 May 2015 at UN Headquarters in New York. This nomination process seeks candidates for one civil society speaking role in each of two High-level Panel Discussions: 

20 May - Strengthening Global Cooperation on Energy > From Sustainable Development Goals to COP21 and beyond

21 May - Special Panel: Monitoring, Tracking And Accountability...

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Post-2015 development agenda session on follow-up and review, 18-22 May – No 1: regional and other opportunities for engagement

As we move towards the next session of the intergovernmental negotiations on follow-up and review, which will be the final one before the ‘negotiations proper’ take place in June and July, it is important to highlight related regional meetings scheduled for the next two months. These are all included on the calendar of events that we are regularly updating on the website.

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Financing for Development (FfD3): Additional negotiating sessions

There will be additional inter-sessional negotiating sessions for the Addis Ababa Conference on Financing for Development (FfD3) which will consider the next draft of the Addis Ababa Accord, to be made available shortly, on 11-15 May; 26-29 May; and 1-5 June. (Further information will be posted on the website as it becomes available.)

Hearings of the General Assembly with NGOs, civil society organizations, major groups and the private sector in preparation for the United Nations summit for the adoption of the post-2015 development agenda, 26-27 May 2015

Please see the message below from the DESA NGO Branch. Registration is required to attend the 26-27 May post-2015 hearings.

The deadline for completing the questionnaire for non-accredited organizations is extended to 5:00 p.m. EST on 06 May 2015. Please click here to fill out the questionnaire.

Once you have completed the questionnaire you can  register click here.

As a reminder, all organizations in the three categories below are encouraged to register by the deadline of 5:00 p.m. EST on 12 May 2015 by clicking here. (They do not need to fill out the

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Post-2015 joint FfD and post-2015 session, 21-24 April — No 6: Technology facilitation mechanism and other science, technology and innovation issues

The agenda item on the technology facilitation mechanism (TFM) and other science, technology and innovation issues was introduced by the Co-Chairs of the UN General Assembly structured dialogues on possible arrangements for a technology facilitation mechanism (TFM), Ambassador Guilherme de Aguiar Patriota of Brazil and Ambassador Paul Seger of Switzerland. (For background see Post-2015 joint FfD and post-2015 session, 21-24 April – No 2: Opening statements) 

Ambassador Patriota outlined the process to date, saying that the structured dialogues were intended to pursue focused deliberations on the TFM to find areas of convergence and possible deliverables that have the broad consensus of Member States. Agreement is possible and would be beneficial. The recommendations of the dialogues include the establishment of an online platform that maps existing TFMs, initiatives and processes; the analysis of technology needs and gaps in addressing them; and ensure UN system coordination and coherence on the issue. He welcomed the engagement of the UN system with the dialogues’ recommendations through the establishment of an Interagency Working Group...

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Apply to speak or serve on the civil society Selection Committee for the President of the UN General Assembly's 29 June 2015 High-level Event on Climate Change

On 29 June 2015, the President of the United Nations General Assembly (PGA), H.E. Mr. Sam Kahamba Kutesa, will host a High-level Event on Climate Change at UN Headquarters in New York to highlight the world's leading initiatives on tackling this global challenge. Government, private sector, and civil society leaders will show that momentum is building toward an ambitious global agreement at the climate change negotiations in December 2015 in Paris.  

At the request of the Office of the President of the General Assembly, UN-NGLS is leading a process to find three speakers from civil society for the 29 June High-level Event. We invite you to share your story of successful local climate action to help inspire the world to achieve a more sustainable path, enabling economic opportunity, equality, and a healthy environment for all. 

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Post-2015 joint FfD and post-2015 session, 21-24 April -- No5: Discussion with International Financial Institutions

As reported in the Earth Negotiations Bulletin, the intergovernmental negotiations included a discussion with the International Financial Institutions. 

Mohamed Mohieldin, of the World Bank Group, discussed the paper jointly authored by the World Bank Group, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and all of the regional development banks, on moving resources “from billions to trillions.”

As reported previously (See: World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings Address Climate Change, FfD and Post-2015 Development Agenda), at the World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings it was stressed that achieving the new development agenda will require huge financial resources in the trillions of dollars. , and that the private sector must play a role in financing.  Mohieldin said the needed trillions for implementing the SDGs must comprise “more than money,” that will be found in investments, public and private, national and global, and capital and capacity...

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Post-2015 joint FfD and post-2015 session, 21-24 April — No 4: Regional positions on issues from FfD negotiating session

(based on reports from Alexandra Johns, Ida Klockmann and Jennifer Vinas-Forcade)  

Following the opening statements from the Co-facilitators of both the post-2015 negotiating and Financing for Development process (See: Next steps on Indicators, based on briefing for NGOs by Stephan Schweinfest, Director of UN Statistics Division) a number of statements were made on behalf of Regional Groups:

South Africa, on behalf of G77 and China, said that the session allowed Member States to look at the linkages between the FfD process and the post-2015 agenda. They support the holistic scope of the Monterrey Consensus and the Doha Declaration and the importance of the maintaining their balance. The Open Working Group (OWG) report would be the main basis of the Addis outcome document as it integrates means of implementation (MOIs) both as a stand-alone goal and in specific targets. He called for stronger synergies between FfD and inter-governmental negotiations (IGN) and said that the group looks forward to constructive discussions on a technology mandate...

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Post-2015 joint FfD and post-2015 session, 21-24 April — No 3: Interactive dialogue with civil society (Continued)

Nabila Nasir, on behalf of ARROW and 16 organizations under the Youth Leadership Working Group

Thank you Your Excellency and all distinguished delegates here today for giving me this opportunity to speak at this platform. My name is Nabila Nasir and I representing Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women, and 16 other organizations under the Youth Leadership Working Group. I also align with the Children and Youth Major Group. 

When I was first selected as a speaker, I thought long and hard about what I would like to convey so that as a young person living in a continent where people under 30 is the largest population in the world – I could be the mouthpiece for them. I could ask that the youth community in all of its spectrum be included in participatory and gender budgeting as well as capacity building in the policymaking cycle, in fostering global partnerships and in the process of warranting technology transfer and application. 

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