UNGA President releases concept note on gender equality and women’s empowerment

The President of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) has released a concept note for the high-level thematic debate on ‘Advancing Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women and Girls for a Transformative Post-2015 Development Agenda,' that will take place on 6 March 2015. 

The main objective is to provide an opportunity for participants to address challenges related to promoting gender equality and empowerment of women and girls as well as to share good practices and experiences focusing on:

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Health in Post-2015 NGO Advocacy Group statement to the second intergovernmental session: The Political Declaration for the Post-2015 Development Agenda

A collective vision of the road to 2030 must be anchored in a human rights-based approach and recognize the importance of health and wellbeing for people of all ages and diversities. Achieving the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health and wellbeing is an essential prerequisite for the eradication of poverty and the achievement of sustainable human development. Without the realization of the right to health, people of all ages and diversities will not be able to benefit from poverty eradication, the key objective of the post-2015 development agenda, nor the achievement of other goals and targets in the document which are inextricably linked to health, namely: sustainable agriculture, education, gender equality and women’s and girls’ empowerment, disaster resilience, peaceful societies, and decent work. 

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Intergovernmental negotiations on the post-2015 development agenda, second session

The second session of the intergovernmental negotiations on the post-2015 development agenda will be held in New York, 17-20 February 2015. During the opening, the Co-facilitators will introduce the elements document (See: Co-facilitators share ‘elements document’ for Declaration component of post-2015 intergovernmental negotiations), after which there will be an open discussion on it. Member States will then consider the preparation of the draft Declaration, following which on the morning of Thursday 19 February there will be an interactive dialogue with Major Groups and other stakeholders. The remaining meetings will then be devoted to open discussion on the draft Declaration.

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Co-facilitators share ‘elements document’ for Declaration component of post-2015 intergovernmental negotiations

The Co-facilitators have shared an elements document to stimulate discussions on the Declaration component of the post-2015 development agenda, in advance of the second session of the intergovernmental negotiations. 

While the document is not prescriptive in terms of the shape or content of the future Declaration, it merely reflects some views expressed on this subject during the recent Stocktake meeting. They hope that Member States will use the forthcoming meeting “to amplify their initial views and interact with each other on what might be the shape and content o f the Declaration.” 

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Post-2015: Elements paper on the Declaration available / Draft Programme of Work for the Feburary 17-20 session

We would like to draw your attention to the letter from the co-facilitators transmitting the programme of work for the 17-20 February intergovernmental negotiations on the post-2015 development agenda, as well as a draft elements paper to stimulate the discussion on the declaration component of the post-2015 development agenda.

DESA DSD and NGLS have created a google doc where major groups and other stakeholders can provide their comments and views on the draft elements paper for the declaration. The submissions will be summarized by the February Stakeholder Steering Committee for presentation at the February negotiating session.

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Reminder: PGA High Level Thematic Debate on Means of Implementation 9-10 February.. and UNCTAD side event

You are reminded that the High-Level Thematic Debate on Means of Implementation for a Transformative Post-2015 Development Agenda, convened by the President of the UN General Assembly, will take place today and tomorrow, 9-10 February, 2015, beginning at 10.00 (New York time). It will be webcast here. 

The debate will focus on how to mobilize resources to turn aspirations for the post-2015 development agenda into realities and will consist of an opening plenary, two interactive multi-stakeholder panel discussions and a closing plenary. Please consult the following website for further details.

Immediately following the Debate a UNCTAD Side Event on Making the Sustainable Development Goals Work will be held on 10 February in Conference Room 12 of the UN Headquarters. The event will take advantage of the presence of experts on Means of Implementation, member States, sister agencies and other stakeholders, to exchange ideas on how to make the SDGs work.

The President of the 69th  session of the General Assembly, Ambassador Sam  Kutesa, will open the event.

For the full programme please visit the UNCTAD website.

UN Statistical Commission confirms support on post-2015 indicator development

As reported by the IISD, the UN Statistical Commission (UNSC) has confirmed that it will provide statistical support for the elaboration of the post-2015 development agenda and its measurement, in a letter responding to a request for assistance from the Co-Facilitators for intergovernmental negotiations on the post-2015 development agenda, David Donoghue and Macharia Kamau.

In their letter of 19 December 2014 to Gabriella Vukovich, Acting Chair of UNSC, the Co-Facilitators note that, in the course of the intergovernmental consultations, some Member States underlined the need for an effective framework of targets and indicators that are specific and measurable, and which do not lower the level of ambition as expressed in existing international commitments, standards and agreements.

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Beyond 2015 Position on the Post-2015 Declaration

Beyond 2015 has issued its position paper on the post-2015 Declaration. In the section on Human Rights it calls for the full recognition of sexual and reproductive health and rights. 

The Declaration will be discussed at the next session of the intergovernmental negotiations on the post-2015 development agenda, to be held from 17-20 February. The Co-facilitators will be circulating a note on the Declaration in advance of the opening of the session.

The Declaration is availalbe in English, French, and Spanish.

Background Note and Programme for President of the General Assembly’s High-Level Event on Means of Implementation

The President of the UN General Assembly, HE Sam Kutesa has released a background note and provisional programme for the high-level debate on Means of Implementation (MOI) for a Transformative Post-2015 Development Agenda that will be held on 9-10 February 2015. It is the first in a series of high-level events on the post-2015 development agenda.

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Joint Statement of the Chairpersons of the United Nations Human Rights Treaty Bodies on the Post-2015 Development Agenda

As Chairpersons of the ten UN Human Rights Treaty Bodies (1), we recognize the fundamental importance of the current discussions on the post-2015 development agenda. We recall that the 2005 World Summit acknowledged that peace and security, development, and human rights are the three pillars of the United Nations system and recognised that “development, peace and security and human rights are interlinked and mutually reinforcing.” We believe that the human rights treaty bodies have an important role to play in contributing to both the finalization and implementation of the post-2015 development agenda.

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