4th post-2015 negotiating session, 20-24 April: Apply for stakeholder Steering Committee and speaking roles

We have received the following information about registration for the 4th session of the post-2015 development agenda negotiations in March:

20-24 April negotiating session for the Post-2015 Development Agenda: Apply for stakeholder steering committee and speaking roles

The UN DESA Division for Sustainable Development (DESA-DSD) Major Groups Programme and UN-NGLS are facilitating stakeholder Steering Committees to ensure broad and inclusive participation of stakeholders in the negotiating sessions on the post-2015 development agenda at UN Headquarters in New York. DESA-DSD and UN-NGLS are also conducting open and transparent nomination processes for these Committees to select speakers for the post-2015 negotiating sessions, in accordance with the modalities that are defined for the negotiations. 

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Roadmap for post-2015 indicators – Update 2

The 46th session of the UN Statistical Commission (UNSC), held from 3-6 March, addressed data in support of the post-2015 development agenda; considered proposals contained in the report from the Group of Friends of the Chair, (see: Indicators for sustainable development goals and targets – Update 1); and made suggestions for developing a SDG indicator framework.

During the opening of the Session John Pullinger, UK National Statistician and Chair, said the Commission must “step up" by showing leadership in thinking through the world's next priorities; “step forward” toward political colleagues to “make common cause” with them; and “step on the gas” in order to embrace the opportunities of the data revolution. 

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Roundtable discussions in post-2015 development agenda hearings, 26-27 May 2015, opportunity for feedback on themes

We have received the following email from Susan Alzner, United Nations Non-Governmental Liaison Service (NGLS):

Dear Colleagues, 

As part of the preparatory process for the September 2015 UN General Assembly Summit for the adoption of the Post-2015 Development Agenda, two full days of stakeholder hearings will be conducted on 26-27 May at UN Headquarters. These hearings will be hosted by the President of the General Assembly and the Co-Facilitators of the post-2015 development agenda negotiations, Ambassador David Donoghue, Permanent Representative of Ireland to the UN, and Ambassador Macharia Kamau, Permanent Representative of Kenya to the UN.

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Indicators for sustainable development goals and targets – Update 1

As referred to in the previous posting, the first two days of the next session of the intergovernmental negotiations will focus on indicators for goals and targets. Given the importance of the indicators for monitoring progress in the implementation of the goals and targets, it is important to understand the process of their development. This is therefore the first of a series of updates on the indicators to be posted on the website.

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Inter-governmental negotiations on the post-2015 development agenda, 23 to 27 March session – programme of work now available

The programme of work has now been posted on the Post-2015 Inter-governmental Negotiations website.

The first two days of the meeting will be taken up with open discussions on indicators for goals and targets, after which an interactive dialogue with Major Groups and other Stakeholders will be held, followed by open discussions on the sustainable development goals and targets. During the final afternoon there will be a discussion on the April session on Means of implementation and global partnerships for sustainable development and coordination with the Financing for Development process. 

Youth Leadership Working Group (YLWG) writes to Post-2015 facilitators and others about human rights and needs of children and young people

The Youth Leadership Working Group has written to Ban Ki-Moon, the UN Secretary-General; to Sam Kutesa, the President of the General Assembly; and to David Donoghue and Macharia Kamau, the Co-Facilitators; copied to Ahmad Alhedawi, UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth and Amina Mohammed, Special Adviser on Post-2015 Development Planning. 

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Suggestions for text for the Declaration component of the Post-2015 Development Agenda

The following information has been received from the UN-NGLS and DESA DSD on NGO stakeholder suggestions for inspirational and aspirational text / language for the Declaration section of the Post-2015 Development Agenda:

On 19 February 2015, a discussion document for the Declaration section of the Post-2015 Development Agenda was released by the co-facilitators of the post-2015 intergovernmental negotiations, Ambassador David Donoghue, Permanent Representative of Ireland to the UN, and Ambassador Macharia Kamau, Permanent Representative of Kenya to the UN. The document is available here: http://bit.ly/p2015-declaration-discussion-document

It is composed of 15 paragraphs which outline ideas to be included in the Declaration.

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2015 Declaration: Meeting great expectations (maybe)

We are pleased to post the Global Policy Watch article by Barbara Adams and Gretchen Luchsinger on The 2015 Declaration: Meeting great expectations (maybe)

The most recent step in the post-2015 negotiations was the 17-20 February debate in New York on the Declaration, meant to be the framework political statement. Despite strong emphasis on transformation and high aspiration, traditional lines were drawn between (mostly) Northern and Southern positions. 

At the same time, the debate was rich and nuanced, reflecting the increasing diversity of developing country concerns and their willingness to engage substantively on issues that will be critical to transformation. The process continues to suggest there is historic potential for redressing some of the longstanding imbalances driving deep social and economic disparities, and the impending collision with planetary boundaries. The notion that post-2015 is supposed to universally apply to every country and person in the world is unprecedented—never before has there been a development agenda this broad in scope. 

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Post-2015: Conference call with major groups and other stakeholders

On Friday 27 February, representatives of civil society participated in a conference call involving Major Groups and other stakeholders to foster collaboration and cooperation in the process.

During the call, Nikhil Seth, Director of DESA DSD gave a short briefing. He said that the interaction with the Major Groups and other stakeholders during the second session of the intergovernmental negotiations had been the best to date. It was an important opportunity for civil society to reflect on the views of Member States and to “bring substance” to the deliberations.  

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Global Movement for Children of Latin America and Caribbean: Child-friendly version of sustainable development goals and targets

The Global Movement for Children of Latin America and Caribbean (MMI-LAC) has produced a child-friendly version of the 17 sustainable development goals and targets. The publication was referred to in his presentation by Peter van der Vliet of the Mission of the Netherlands to the United Nations during his statement during the recent General Assembly second negotiating session, when he said his 13-year old daughter had used it at school. 

Editor’s note: If the 17 goals and 169 targets can be made comprehensible to a 13-year old , is the argument really valid that there are too many goals and targets?