Post-2015 Update – April 2013

SDGs Open Working Group
The Open Working Group (OWG) on SDGs held its second session (first meeting on substance) from April 17-19 to discuss the SDGs framework and ending poverty. A consensus emerged that irreversible poverty eradication has to be at the core of the SDGs and post-2015, and that poverty is multidimensional. UNF has compiled brief highlights of the meeting, so please contact us if you would like to see them. Many countries said the meeting was a good start, and they agreed on a work plan for the next two sessions:

 

         May 22-24, on food security and nutrition, sustainable agriculture, drought, desertification, land degradation; water and sanitation.

 

         June 17-19, on health and population dynamics; employment and decent work, social protection, youth and education.
The secretariat has asked UNF to identify developing country thought leaders to serve as expert briefers for these sessions.

 

High-Level Panel

 

HLP Advisors met in New York from April 23-24 to begin drafting the panel’s report, and briefed Member States on outcomes from the Bali meeting. The HLP will have its final meeting in New York, May 13-15 to finalize its report, which will be delivered to the Secretary-General on May 30. The report is expected to include an annex of aspirational goals, and will be made public on May 31.

 

Sustainable Development Solutions Network:

The SDSN Leadership Council met in April to formulate its own SDGs and in May will circulate a draft report and goals for public comment on www.unsdsn.org.

Thematic Consultation Outcomes

The final report from the global health consultations, both online and in person recommends an overall health goal of “Maximizing health at all stages of life,” and proposes three health sub-goals: accelerating progress on the health MDGs; reducing the burden of major non-communicable diseases (NCDs); and achieving universal health coverage and access. The report further recommends as a common vision statement for the overall Post-2015 agenda: “Healthy Planet, Healthy People.” Every Woman Every Child was mentioned both as an example of multistakeholder engagement and as an example of an accountability framework. Sexual and reproductive health and rights, as well as youth, featured prominently in the discussions.

A report from the regional and online consultations on energy is available. The water thematic consultation final report has been released. The environmental sustainability co-chairs have posted a summary of the leadership meeting. The High level Consultation on food and nutrition security was hosted in Madrid, Spain on April 4; chairs have released a synthesis report.

 

Development Financing meeting: On April 22, ECOSOC and the International Financial Institutions held a high level meeting on “Coherence, coordination, and cooperation in the context of financing for development and the post-2015 development agenda.” A summary of the meeting is available here.

UNF’s recent Post-2015 meetings:

 

         On April 3, UNF, with the Interaction Task Force on Post-2015, hosted a debriefing on Bali for the Washington NGO community with John Norris, advisor to HLP member John Podesta. The briefing was followed by a lunch discussion for members of the Interaction Taskforce. We have highlights from that meeting available.

 

         On April 5, UNF hosted John Podesta’s policy speech in Washington on the MDGs and Post2015, followed by a Q&A with UNF’s Kathy Calvin and Representative Jim Kolbe.  Live streamed here.

 

         On April 19, UNF hosted the launch of the Global Health report in Washington with UNICEF, Anders Nordstrom of Sweden and Ariel Pablos-Mendez of USAID.

 

         On April 26, UNF, in partnership with the International Peace Institute and Quaker UN Office, co-hosted a workshop on “Conflict, Violence, and Instability in the Post-2015 Development Agenda” for staff and officials of the UN system in New York.

 

Upcoming meetings:

 

CSO teleconference with HLP members – May 2: UNF will co-host an international teleconference with civil society groups on the issue of equality in post-2015. The teleconference will provide an opportunity for CSOs to engage directly with HLP members Minister Gunilla Carlsson and Mrs. Graça Machel.

 

IRF Breakfast roundtable in New York – May 3: UNF will host a breakfast roundtable with Dr. Tom Bigg of IIED on their report on integrating poverty eradication and sustainable development.

 

Next OWG meeting on SDGs – May 22-23: will focus on food security and nutrition, sustainable agriculture, drought, desertification, and land degradation, water and sanitation.

 

World Health Assembly – May 20-28 in Geneva, Switzerland. Will include a session on health in the Post-2015 agenda.

 

Women Deliver – May 28-30 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Post-2015 will be discussed in depth.

 

G8 Summit – June 17-18: The G8 will meet in Northern Ireland, and will discuss issues relating to post-2015 such as aid, tax avoidance and preventing sexual violence in conflict.

 

April Must Reads

 

         Southern Voice, a network of southern development think tanks, published two recent papers with critical perspectives on post-2015.

 

         Interaction’s Op-Ed, argues that” US involvement is key to ending extreme poverty post-2015.”

 

         ODI’s Jonathan Glennie asks: “If we want to change the world, where’s the cash going to come from?

 

         The My World poll of the world’s top priorities for post-2015 currently rates a good education, better healthcare, and an honest and responsive government as top priorities for post-2015.

 

         Mark Suzman of the Gates Foundation argues for Setting Smart Goals to Ensure Success on the MDGs on the World Bank’s blog.

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