A stand alone goal on Achieving Gender Equality, Women’s Rights and Women’s Empowerment

There are less than two days to go to the release of the report of the UN Secretary General’s High Level Panel which will make specific recommendations for the Post-2015 Development Agenda. Meanwhile, UN Women has circulated a a note entitled, Stand-Alone Goal on Achieving Gender Equality, Women’s Rights and Women’s Empowerment: Imperatives and Key Components in the context of the Post-2015 Framework and Sustainable Development Goals.

In a recent International Center for Research on Women blog entry, Adolescent Girls are Critical to post-2015 Agenda, Suzanne Petroni argues that it does not go far enough and that sexual health and rights have been ‘left off the table altogether’.

WLP at Women Deliver 2013, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

On May 28 – 30, Women’s Learning Partnership will join thousands of leaders and advocates from 160 countries in Kuala Lumpur for Women Deliver 2013, a conference on girls’ and women’s health and rights. Follow the conversation via webcast on WLP’s Women Deliver website which will showcase talks by some of the leading voices on girls’ and women’s issues, including Melinda Gates, Graça Machel, Cecile Richards, Tewodros Melesse, and three UN agency heads, among many others. 

Over the course of the conference, sessions will address progress and ongoing challenges in maternal health, family planning, equality, education, and violence against women, with an overarching focus on why investments in girls and women must remain a global priority in the lead-up to the 2015 Millennium Development Goal deadline and beyond.

A full listing of WLP events at Women Deliver 2013 is available on the WLP's Women Deliver Webpage. 

Launch of the report of the High Level Panel and discussion, 31 May 2013

The report of the High-Level Panel (HLP) will be handed over to the UN Secretary General on the 30 May, and will be made public on the 31st May.  The following information is provided on the High-Level Panel website.

Discussion of the High Level Panel’s Report on the Post 2015 Agenda 

31st May 2013 (10am to 12pm) United Nations Headquarters, ECOSOC Chamber

What is being discussed?

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BEYOND 2015: Opportunity to engage online dialogue!!!

Beyond 2015 has been working with others to develop a shared, civil society position on the Vision, Purpose, Values, and Criteria for a post-2015 framework through national deliberations, specific events and the Beyond 2015’s website.

A second workshop will take place in Nairobi in mid-June to compile all the inputs gathered. 

You are invited to look at the latest drafts on the Vision, Purpose, Values, and Criteria   and submit your comments by 3rd June 2013! 

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Global Compact Board Prepares for Leaders Summit

As stated on its website the UN Global Compact is “a strategic policy initiative for businesses that are committed to aligning their operations and strategies with ten universally accepted principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption.” It is a practical framework for the development, implementation, and disclosure of sustainability policies and practices, offering participants a wide spectrum of work streams, management tools and resources — all designed to help advance sustainable business models and markets with two complementary objectives:

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Third Session of the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals, 22 – 24 May 2013

The Third Session of the Open Working Group (OWG) will be held in New York from 22 – 24 May 2013. The main items on the agenda will be food security and nutrition, sustainable agriculture, desertification, and land degradation (2 days).

The keynote address on Food security and nutrition, sustainable agriculture, desertification, land degradation and drought will be given by Director-General José Graziano da Silva, Food and Agriculture Organization. In addition the Secretary General, World Meteorological Organization and Chair of UN-Water will give a keynote address by videolink on Water and sanitation. Panel sessions will be held on both these areas together with interactive exchanges of OWG members.

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WHO statistics for 2013 show narrowing of the health gap between countries with best and worst health status

The World Health Organization has just published the World Health Statistics 2013. It shows that the world has made dramatic progress in improving health in the poorest countries and narrowing the gaps between countries with the best and worst health status in the past two decades. In particular it highlights how efforts to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) have reduced health gaps between the most-advantaged and least-advantaged countries.

Progress towards Millennium Development Goals measured

As the 2015 deadline for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) approaches,  the World Health Statistics shows the considerable progress made in reducing child and maternal deaths, improving nutrition and reducing deaths and illness from HIV infection, tuberculosis and malaria. It compares progress made by countries with the best health status and those with least-favourable health status at the MDG baseline year of 1990 and again two decades later.

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Prime Minister David Cameron, Co-chair of the High Level Panel, emphasizes ending extreme poverty in press conference at end of panel meeting

In a press conference on 15 May 2013 British Prime Minister and Co-chair High Level Panel (HLP) on the Post-2015 Global Development Agenda, said that the meeting had wrapped up with consensus emerging on how to make a more equitable world.

Addressing journalists at the UN Headquarters in New York, Mr. Cameron said: “[We] nailed our colours to the mast with one clear overarching aim – end extreme poverty in our world.”

According to Mr Cameron, the HLP aims to create a development agenda that will also focus on protection of the rule of law, good governance and holding Governments to account, which comprise what Mr. Cameron called “the golden thread of development.”

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Updated information on the release of the Report of the High Level Panel

The Beyond 2015 Campaign has provided information on the arrangements for the release of the report of the High Level Panel (HLP) of Experts on the Post 2015 Development Agenda. The Panel is expected to submit its report to the Secretary-General on 30 May, and it will then be made publicly available on 31 May. 

Several initiatives, including national and regional launch events across the world, are planned to ensure that the recommendations of the Panel are carried back to the wide-reaching groups who have contributed to shaping its debate and conclusions on the new global development agenda.

Meanwhile a teleconference will be hosted by UNMC will provide an opportunity to discuss and shape the plans for:

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An Action Agenda for Sustainable Development – Report of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network open for consultation until 22 May 2013

The Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) Leadership Council has posted on its website the draft of its report to the Secretary General, entitled An Action Agenda for Sustainable Development. It draws on the work of the SDSN Thematic Groups.

This draft has been prepared for public consultation from 7 to 22 May 2013. Comments, corrections, and suggestions are invited up to 22 May 2013, using the attached form. They should be sent via email to info@unsdsn.org. In preparing comments, the decision of the Leadership Council should be noted to be concise by limiting the number of “sustainable development challenges” to ten, with three targets each.

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