Young people are active at the High Level Task Force for ICPD and Commission on Population and Development

At the launch of the Policy Recommendations for ICPD Beyond 2014: Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights for All in New York, Ishita Chaudhry, Task Force member and Founder of The YP Foundation in India, gave a graphic account of the beatings that a young Muslim Peer Educator received from her own brother for spending time with non-Muslims until she had the courage to tell him to stop. 

Young people made an oral statement to the 46th Session of the Commission on Population and Development and also found time to make a video (below) explaining why they were taking time to participate a meeting on the subject of migration.

Click to read more ...

Special high-level meeting of ECOSOC with the Bretton Woods institutions, the World Trade Organization and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development

A Special high-level meeting of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) with the Bretton Woods institutions (The World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF)), the World Trade Organization and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) was held at the UN Headquarters, New York on 22 April 2013.

In line with ECOSOC resolutions 2012/31, 2011/38, 2010/26 and 2009/30, the overall theme of the meeting was Coherence, coordination and cooperation in the context of financing for sustainable development and the post-2015 development agenda.

Click to read more ...

Global Panel of Experts Calls for Bolder Action From Governments and International Community to Meet Commitments Made at International Conference On Population And Development (ICPD)

The High-Level Task Force for ICPD (HLTF) launched its position paper Policy Recommendations for ICPD Beyond 2014: Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights for All in New York on 25 April 2013. It proposes specific steps that should  be taken to ensure that sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), gender equality and the empowerment of women, adolescents and youth become central components of ICPD Beyond 2014, as well as of the post-2015 and SDGs agendas.

Key recommendations for action include:

1. Respecting, protecting and fulfilling sexual and reproductive rights for all through public education and 
legal and policy reforms.
2. Achieving universal access to quality, comprehensive and integrated sexual and reproductive health 
information, education and services.
3. Ensuring universal access to comprehensive sexuality education for all young people.
4. Eliminating violence against women and girls and securing universal access to critical services for all.

Click to read more ...

Women’s Major Group Statement on Poverty Eradication at Second Session of the Open Working Group

Following the strong statemement by Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era (DAWN) on behalf of the Women’s Major Group (WMG) at the first session on the Open Working Group (OWG), Shannon Kowalski of the International Women's Health Coalition (IWHC) spoke on behalf of the WMG at the second session.

In her presentation she emphasized that the SDGs must be grounded in the protection and promotion of the human rights of all, with specific attention to the human rights of women and girls.

Click to read more ...

Open Working Group on Sustainable Development – Second Session

As reported in the Earth Negotiations Bulletin, the Second Session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) Open Working Group (OWG) on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) took place on 17-19 April 2013 at the UN Headquarters in New York.

In addition to the OWG members, other member states, observers, representatives from the UN system and of Major Groups participated in the meeting that was devoted to conceptualizing the SDGs and the SDG process, and to poverty eradication.

Click to read more ...

Leading towards 2015

The President of the General Assembly at the end of the Briefing on the work of the High Level Panel (see below) outlined the streams leading towards 2015, stressing the need for them to converge as soon as possible.

Leading towards 2015...

Click to read more ...

Briefing for Governments on work of the High Level Panel

On Monday 22 April the General Assembly was briefed on the work of the Secretary General’s High Level Panel (HLP) following the two previous briefings that had been given on the New York and London sessions of the HLP. The focus of this meeting was the 3^rd (Monrovia) and 4^th (Bali) sessions.

The Special Envoy of H E Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, President of Indonesia, spoke on the HLP meeting in Bali. It was the fourth HLP meeting and part of the process moving forward from NY, London and Monrovia. The topic for discussion in Bali discussed focused on global partnerships and means of implementation for the development agenda. He drew attention to the opportunities for consultation and outreach on the first day of their meeting to CSOs, youth, women, parliamentarians etc, followed by the meeting of the HLP on the 2^nd day and the meeting with the co-chairs on the 3^rd day and the Bali Communiqué.

Click to read more ...

Next round of discussions on Environmental Sustainability in the Post-2015 Agenda, 15 - 28 April 2013

The next round of discussions on Environmental Sustainability in the Post-2015 Agenda has begun and will continue until 28 April 2015.

There are three new topics:

• Environmental sustainability and poverty;
• Environmental sustainability and equality; and
• Environmental sustainability, human rights, peace and security

As included on the World We Want 2015 website:

Click to read more ...

Building Youth Leadership: MENA Regional Training for Sexual and Reproductive Rights Advocates

Deadline to Apply: April 30, 2013

The Youth Coalition for Sexual and Reproductive Rights (YCSRR) has announced that  it is holding a Regional Training Session for Building Youth Leadership in the MENA Region, following its successful trainings in the Asia-Pacific, Latin America and Caribbean and Africa regions.

Click to read more ...

Second session of the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals

The second session of the Open Working Group (OWG) on Sustainable Development Goals will take place in New York, 17 -19 April 2013.

As stated on the UN Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform, the meeting will be broadcast through UN webcast.

According to the Draft Programme of Work, the Overarching framework for the work of the OWG is poverty eradication and sustainable development. The following cross-cutting issues have been identified that will underpin all discussions, namely: governance, inequality and equity, gender equality and women’s empowerment, human rights and rights-based approaches and means of implementation and its deliberations will be guided: by the principles affirmed in the Rio+20 outcome document, the need to balance the economic, social and environmental dimensions, ensuring coherence, implementation and assessing progress.

Click to read more ...