Opportunity for civil society to make their views known on the focus areas document

A page has been created on the World We Want 2015 website to for civil society to make their thoughts heard on the focus areas. You are encouraged to submit your comments answering the following questions:

1. Regarding the 'focus areas document' overall: What do you agree with and what is missing? (400 word max)
2. Per specific focus area, what do you agree with and how would you improve it? (400 word max per area that you choose to respond to)

This open consultation will run from Monday 24 February to Friday 14 March 2014. It is your chance to make your voice heard in advance of the next OWG session starting 3 March where UN member states will move into a process of identifying SDGs and accompanying targets.

Open Working Group Co-Chairs send focus areas to UN Permanent Representatives

In a letter dated 21 February, the Co-Chairs for the UN General Assembly Open Working Group (OWG) on Sustainable Development Goals, sent to the UN Permanent Representatives (Ambassadors) a document listing 19 focus areas. The focus areas are listed below.

In their letter the Co-Chairs said that the document did not “constitute a zero draft of the report that the Group has been mandated to submit to the General Assembly at its sixty-eighth session.” The focus areas are also not exhaustive and do not preclude inclusion of other issues discussed within the context of the thematic clusters but that may not have been captured here. Based on this document, Member States are however asked to begin “the serious business of identifying SDGs and accompanying targets at the ninth session of the Open Working Group in early March.” They will also “at an appropriate time, and in light of discussions in the Group, provide a more concise document”.

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Forthcoming meetings in connection with post-2015 and sustainable development goals (SDGs) process

Sessions of UN General Assembly Open Working Group (OWG) on Sustainable Development Goals, March to July 2014

Sessions of the OWG will be held on the following dates:

• Ninth session: 3–5 March
• Tenth session: 31March–4 Apr
• Eleventh session: 5–9 May
• Twelfth session: 16–20 June
• Thirteenth session: 14–18 July

OWG ninth session

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ICPD Small Grants 2014: Call for proposals: Taking the ICPD beyond 2014, to position SRHR and the priorities of the ICPD in the next development framework

The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) has announced its call for proposals to influence the outcomes of the ICPD and Post 2015 development framework processes.

2014 marks the twentieth anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD). 2015 is the year the successor to the Millennium Development Goals will be negotiated and adopted. The outcome of these processes will greatly impact future Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) policy, funding and programming priorities at global level and at national level.

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Gender, Economic, Social and Ecological Justice for Sustainable Development: A Feminist Declaration for Post 2015

Following the Eighth Session of the UN General Assembly Open Working Group (OWG) on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a Feminist Strategy Meeting was held in Tarrytown, near New York City, bringing together 60 representatives of feminist and women organizations from different policy processes, including the UN Commission on Population and Development (CPD), the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), the SDGs and Post-2015 etc. The meeting agreed the Feminist Declaration on Post 2015 (Esp).

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Progress report of the Open Working Group of the General Assembly on Sustainable Development Goals

The Co-Chairs of the Open Working Group (OWG) of the General Assembly on Sustainable Development Goals have completed their summary report on the work of the Group during its ‘stock-taking phase’. This document will serve as a basis for its work going forward. They will, however, also provide a further document that will act as a framework for the beginning of the negotiating phase.

It is important to review this summary of the work of the Group to date in working to ensure the inclusion of issues of major interest. Some CSOs have already expressed concern at the lack of inclusion of references to gender equality and women’s empowerment, although it does refer to the support of a stand-alone goal on gender equality. Others are concerned at the limitations included on sexual and reproductive health and rights. It is, however, included.

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Progress report of the Open Working Group of the General Assembly on Sustainable Development Goals (shortened version)

Chapter I

Introduction

The introduction refers specifically to The Future We Want, the outcome document of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development, particularly paragraph 248, setting up the open working group (OWG) to report to the 68^th session of the General Assembly with a proposal for sustainable development goals. The outcome document of the September 2013 special event, urged that the OWG complete its work by September 2014. This report focuses on the progress made in the deliberations during the first eight meetings of the OWG. 

Chapter II

Organizational matters

Chapter II lists the OWG sessions already held, the elected officers, HE Csaba Kőrösi (Hungary) and HE Macharia Kamau (Kenya) as its Co-Chairs, and details of its methods of work. The issues considered during its sessions are listed. (paras 9-11)

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Post-2015 Outreach Group Meeting/Call, 20 February, 14.30 hours GMT

A meeting/teleconference of the Post-2015 Strategic Outreach Planning Group will be held on Thursday 20 February 2014 at 2:30pm GMT (09:30 hours in New York / 14:30 hours in London / 15:30 hours in Geneva / 20:30 hours in Bangkok. For other cities and time zones click here.

The meeting will be chaired by Ms. Namhla Mniki-Mangaliso, Director African Monitor. Please see attached draft agenda. See below the venue and dial in information.

This discussion will present a unique opportunity to hear the views of African stakeholders in relation to the post-2015 agenda, including: a review of the Africa Common Position on the Post-2015 Agenda, an overview of the results and findings from the Voice Africa’s Future and MY World initiatives in Africa, and a closer look at critical issues such as inequality and governance from an African perspective.

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Update on President of General Assembly’s High Level Events, including CSO briefing, Thursday 6 February No 2

High Level Event of the General Assembly “Contributions of Human Rights and the Rule of Law in the Post-2015 Development Agenda” 17 – 18 June, 2014

The High-Level Event on Human Rights and Rule of Law will examine how human rights, including the right to development and rule of law at national and international levels, can support an inclusive people-centred governance agenda. Governance, human rights and the rule of law are pivotal to sustainability and the development agenda. See https://www.un.org/en/ga/president/68/settingthestage/5hrrol.shtml

Stock taking event in early September 

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Update on President of General Assembly’s High Level Events, including CSO briefing, Thursday 6 February No 1 -- The Contributions of Women, the Young and Civil Society to the Post-2015 Development Agenda

The President of the General Assembly John Ashe hosted a briefing on Thursday 6 February for CSOs on the three high level events and the three thematic debates that he will convene in 2014 as a contribution to the elaboration of the post-2015 development agenda.

The list of events (with dates) is available along with the concept papers.

No 1 High-Level Event of the General Assembly The Contributions of Women, the Young and Civil Society to the Post-2015 Development Agenda, 6-7 of March, 2014

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