September Post-2015 Update

Overview: What’s Next?

As the opening of the 68^th session of the General Assembly approaches, several key events are taking place to rally support for MDG acceleration and clarify the road ahead for negotiations and agreement on a post-2015 development agenda.  The September 25^th Special Event on the MDGs, hosted by the President of the General Assembly, is expected to result in an outcome document agreed by member states that will outline the roadmap for the process through the end of 2015.

The outcome document for the Special Event on September 25^th is not yet agreed. Because negotiations could not reach a compromise in August, negotiations will resume in early September. Member states continue to disagree on two issues: whether the post-2015 framework should be referred to as a “single” framework or a “coherent and integrated framework,” and whether to include reference to the principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities.” Those pushing for a ‘coherent and integrated framework’ remain reluctant to accept that poverty and sustainable development should be covered within a single post-2015 framework. South Africa and Ireland are chairing the negotiations.

The long-awaited SG’s report, “A Life of Dignity For All,” has been released, calling for acceleration of the MDGs by 2015. It also includes recommendations on key areas of sustainable development to be addressed within the post-2015 agenda. The report draws on the various contributions submitted to the SG this summer, including reports of the High-Level Panel, Sustainable Development Solutions Network, Global Compact, regional commissions, and the many consultations with civil society and academia held around the world. It also suggests that member states may ask the SG to draft another report at the end of 2014 that would draw on the intergovernmental processes underway:  the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals, the Committee of Experts on Sustainable Development Financing, and the High-Level Political Forum.

The release of the SG’s report in August marks the transition from a mostly UN System-led process to a member state-driven process. It is expected that civil society, the research community and other stakeholders will remain engaged by channeling their inputs through the intergovernmental mechanisms (more below).

Intergovernmental Processes:

The Open Working Group (OWG) has been on a hiatus since its last session in June and will resume meetings in November 2013.  In the meantime, its co-chairs have issued a Progress report that outlines key takeaways from the first four substantive sessions. The report is not a negotiated document, which has raised some concern over whether it accurately reflects the points of convergence and divergence among member states, particularly on controversial areas like sexual and reproductive health and rights. It is unclear how this report and other documents produced by the co-chairs will feed into the final report of the OWG, which will be negotiated and drafted between February and September of 2014. The upcoming November OWG meeting will focus on sustained and inclusive economic growth, macroeconomic policy (international trade, international financial system and external debt sustainability), infrastructure development and industrialization; and energy – and is therefore expected to be somewhat more controversial than previous OWG meetings. The OWG agenda beyond November can be found here.

The Committee of Experts on Sustainable Development Financing, mandated in Rio+20, held its first meeting from August 28 – 30 to review its program of work which will include: financing needs for sustainable development; improving effectiveness of public, private, and blended finance; resource mobilization; and institutional arrangements. The Committee is comprised of 30 experts from capitals of the member states that were nominated based on regional groupings.

The High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) will hold its first meeting on September 24. The HLPF is the successor to the Commission on Sustainable development mandated by the Rio +20 outcome. The forum will conduct regular reviews on the follow-up and implementation of sustainable development commitments and objectives, including those related to the means of implementation (financing, partnerships, accountability), within the context of the post-2015 development agenda. It will meet annually under the auspices of ECOSOC and every four years under the auspices of the GA.  Public participation for the inaugural event on September 24 will be very limited due to heighted security for the opening of UNGA, but our team will be tracking its outcomes.

It is not yet clear how civil society and other stakeholders will be able to engage with the Committee of Experts on Financing and the HLPF, although it is expected to be through the Major Groups mechanism, which has been the entry point for civil society throughout the OWG process thus far.

Recent UNF events:

         Roundtables on Gender and Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights in Post-2015. – July 24, Washington DC.
Hosted by UNF, two panel discussions featured a mix of speakers from the UN and the US Government on:

o   Gender in the High-Level Panel report: Addressing the Rights and Needs of Women and Girls and

o   Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights in the Post-2015 Framework.

          The Post-2015 Inter Action Task Force met to discuss strategy, messaging, and the need for development and environmental groups to work together toward one integrated agenda. – July 30, Washington DC.

         Civil Society discussion on Advancing the Building Stable Societies Agenda within the Post-2015 Framework: 

UNF co-hosted with NYU’s CIC an informal discussion on the peace and stable societies agenda within the post-2015 context.  John Norris (CAP) and Karina Gerlach (HLP Secretariat) provided civil society participants with advice and perspectives from the HLP. – August 28, New York and Washington DC.

 

UNGA events related to post-2015:

         September 20 and 22: Major Groups and other Stakeholders’ two briefing days, co-organized by UN DESA, the Stakeholder Forum, and CIVICUS to review progress and discuss entry points for stakeholders in the post-2015 process. Individuals can register here for Day 1 and here for Day 2.

         September 22-24: 2013 Social Good Summit at the 92^nd Street Y. This year’s theme is #2030NOW.

         September 22, 2-5pm: Dialogue on Advancing Regional Recommendations on Post-2015 – an NGLS consultation in partnership with the SG’s office. Remarks by the PGA, DSG, and ministers from Ireland and South Africa. The deadline for CSOs toregister is September 10.

         September 23: NCD Alliance event on integrating health and NCDs in post-2015.

         September 23: Civil Society Voices on Post-2015. Organized by Colombia, Sweden, and Beyond 2015.

         September 24: International Youth Voices on Post-2015. Hosted by the German Ministry and UNICEF.

         September 25: General Assembly Special Event on MDGs. Ireland and South Africa will co-facilitate

*See here for a more detailed list of information on UNGA events with opportunities for civil society.

Must-Reads:

         Secretary-General’s report: A life of dignity for all: accelerating progress towards the MDGs and advancing the UN development agenda beyond 2015.

         Draft outcome document for the September 25^th Special Event on MDGs and Post-2015.

         NGLS first primer issue: Overview of UN Intergovernmental Processes to Define the Post-2015 Development Agenda.

         OWG co-chairs’ Progress report on the work of the General Assembly OWG on SDGs at its first four sessions.

         A blog post by Charles Kenny from the Center for Global Development: The Post-2015 Bandwagon: The Wheels Are Still On, and the Band Is Playing in Tune.

         ODI’s report on, Consulting the evidence: How conflict and violence can best be included in the post-2015 development agenda.

 

1,645 total views, 2 views today