Post-2015 Development Agenda negotiations to start Sept 2014

UN Development Summit in Sept 2015

Martin Khor

02/10/2013

Opinión

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The UN will hold a Development Summit in September 2015 to adopt a Post-2015 Development Agenda. Negotiations among governments will start in September 2014 towards an outcome for the Summit. This was decided at a special event on the MDGs held at under the General Assembly in New York on 25 September.

A Summit of political leaders will be held in September 2015 to adopt the United Nations’ Post-2015 Development Agenda.

This was decided on 25 September at a special event to review the Millennium Development Goals held at the UN in New York, as part of the General Assembly events.

To prepare for the Summit and its outcome, an inter-governmental process will be launched in September 2014, at the beginning of the 69^th session of the UN General Assembly.

“The final phase of the intergovernmental work will culminate in a Summit at heads of states and governments level in September 2015 for the adoption of the post-2015 development agenda,” states an “outcome document” adopted during the special MDG event on 25 September.

“We request the President of the General Assembly to convene, in a timely manner, intergovernmental consultations to achieve agreement on organisational modalities for the Summit.”

The special event on the follow up on efforts to achieve the MDGs was convened by the President of the General assembly, Ambassador John Ashe, as part of the General Assembly events taking place in New York.

The 25 September event included speeches by political leaders of governments and states at the opening session and in four subsequent roundtables. Other speakers included ministers, business leaders and civil society representatives. The participants adopted the outcome document at the end of the event.

The timing of the start of the inter-governmental negotiations for the Development Agenda (i.e. only in September 2014, rather than straightaway) seems to have been decided on to take into account the present work of three other processes in the follow-up to the Rio+20 Summit of 2012.

The outcome document acknowledged the Rio+20 follow-up processes now underway at the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals, the inter-governmental committee of experts on Sustainable Development Financing, as well as the process to develop options for a technology facilitation mechanism.

“We urge that these processes should complete their work in a comprehensive, balanced and expeditious manner by September 2014,” states the outcome document.

The sequencing implied is that these three processes (SDGs, financing and technology) complete their work in September 2014, and that the negotiations for the post-2015 Development Agenda would then begin its work also in September 2014.

The intention seems to be to avoid the overlap of the two processes (i.e. the post Rio+20 and the Development Agenda) in the coming year of October 2013 to September 2014.

Of course there is nothing to prevent governments and their groupings to hold their own preparatory and informal meetings on the Development Agenda already in the coming 12 months. However the formal negotiating process for the Development Agenda is mandated to begin only in or after September 2014.

Several government delegates have voiced concern (and impatience) that whilst the UN secretariat and UN agencies, as well as many NGOs and research institutions have already embarked on a lot of work on the Post 2015 Development Agenda, the governments have yet to begin work or negotiations on this at the multilateral UN level.

It seems they have to wait for another year, until September 2014, for the formal negotiating process to start.

A decision on even this did not come easily. According to diplomatic sources, the developing countries under the umbrella of the Group of 77 and China had to fight hard to have a negotiated and agreed outcome for the MDGs Special Event of 25 September. Many developed countries reportedly only wanted a “Chairman’s summary” which would carry much less weight in the UN and may not have mandated an inter-governmental process for the Development Agenda, nor a Summit.

Because an “outcome document” was agreed to for the 25 September event, the developing countries could then put forward their view that the post-2015 Development Agenda should have an inter-governmental negotiating process, which means there would be an outcome document to be agreed to by all UN member states.

Additionally and importantly a Summit will now be convened in September 2015 for political leaders to discuss and adopt the outcome document of the post-2015 Development Agenda.

This of course gives a high profile and a high political weight to the Development Agenda and the negotiating process leading to its adoption.

In terms of the substantive terms of reference or framework for the Post 2015 Development Agenda and its negotiations, the following elements were agreed to in the 25 September outcome document:

· It will be in parallel with intensification of efforts to accelerate achievement of the MDGs.

· It will build on the foundations laid by the MDGs, complete the unfinished business and respond to new challenges.

· Reaffirmation of commitment to the Millennium Declaration, the outcome document of Rio+20, the Monterrey Consensus, the Doha Declaration on Financing for Development and the outcomes of all the major UN conferences and summits in the economic, social, and environmental fields. “We will continue to be guided by the values and principles enshrined in these texts,” says the outcome document.

· Reaffirmation of all the principles of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, including, inter alia, the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, as set out in principle 7 thereof.

· It should reinforce the international community’s commitment to poverty eradication and sustainable development.

· The central imperative of poverty eradication, commitment to freeing humanity from poverty and hunger as a matter of urgency.

· It recognises the intrinsic inter-linkage between poverty eradication and promotion of sustainable development, and stresses the need for a coherent approach which integrates in a balanced manner the three dimensions of sustainable development.

· This involves working towards a single framework and set of Goals, universal in nature and applicable to all countries, while taking account of differing national circumstances and respecting national policies and priorities.

· It should also promote peace and security, democratic governance, the rule of law, gender equality and human rights for all.

In terms of the process towards the Post 2015 Development Agenda, the outcome document of 25 September contains these elements:

· Acknowledging the Rio+20 processes, especially the SDGs working group, the sustainable development financing experts committee and the options for technology facilitation mechanism.

· An inclusive and people-centred post-2015 development agenda, through a transparent intergovernmental process which will include inputs from all stakeholders including civil society, scientific and knowledge institutions, parliaments, local authorities, and the private sector.

· Over the coming year, the President of the General Assembly will convene events under the theme “The Post-2015 Development Agenda – Setting the Stage”

· The support of the UN system and the Secretary General to synthesise the full range of inputs then available and to present a synthesis report before the end of 2014.

· The President of the General Assembly to convene intergovernmental consultations to achieve agreement on organisational modalities for the Summit.

· The process will culminate in a Summit at Heads of State and Government level in September 2015 for the adoption of the post-2015 development agenda.

The following is the full Outcome Document of the MDG Special Event, which has four sections: General introduction; Accelerating progress in the MDGs; Global Partnership for Development; and the Post-2015 Development Agenda.

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Special Event 25 September on MDGs: Outcome Document

We, the Heads of State and Government and heads of delegation, have gathered at the United Nations Headquarters in New York at the Special Event convened by the President of the General Assembly, to review progress made towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and to chart the way forward. Our deliberations have taken account of the voices of people worldwide, and the concerns and priorities they conveyed.

We gather with a sense of urgency and determination, with less than 850 days remaining for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. We renew our commitment to the Goals and resolve to intensify all efforts for their achievement by 2015.

We welcome what has been achieved so far. The Millennium Development Goals have provided a common vision and contributed to remarkable progress. Significant and substantial advances have been made in meeting several of the targets.

However, we are concerned at the unevenness and gaps in achievement and at the immense challenges that remain. The MDGs are critical for meeting the basic needs of people in developing countries; as we approach the 2015 deadline, unrelenting efforts are required to accelerate progress across all the Goals.

Among and within developing countries, those who have been left furthest behind require our most urgent attention and support. We are conscious of the special challenges and needs of the least-developed countries; the fact that, despite some impressive progress, most African countries remain off-track in meeting the Goals; and that conflict and post conflict countries are the most challenged in achieving any of the Goals by 2015.

We also recognise the special challenges and needs of SIDS and the LLDCs, many of which are not on track to achieve the MDGs by 2015. We recognise the special challenges to meeting the MDGs faced by people living under foreign occupation. We acknowledge also the challenges to meeting the MDGs for people living in areas affected by complex humanitarian emergencies and in areas affected by terrorism. We also recognise the specific challenges which many middle-income countries face.

Accelerating Progress

We reaffirm our commitment to the outcome document of the High Level Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly on the MDGs held in 2010.The annual Millennium Development Goals reports provide updated assessments of where our efforts are most needed, and will assist us in framing our approach and priorities.

We resolve to particularly target the most off-track MDGs and those where progress has stalled: including those relating to poverty and hunger, universal access to primary education, child mortality, universal access to reproductive health, including maternal health, environmental sustainability and access to water and sanitation. In each of these areas, we are determined to take the purposeful and coordinated action required. We will scale up proven interventions, fulfil the pledges we have made; and strengthen our support for the range of valuable initiatives under way, including international support for the implementation of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development.

Across all our acceleration efforts, we will emphasise inclusivity and accessibility for all, and will place a particular focus on those who are most vulnerable and disadvantaged. We will, for example, seek to build the resilience of the poorest in combating hunger, to improve support for women giving birth in areas of greatest deprivation, and to improve educational opportunity and learning outcomes for the most vulnerable children.

Where efforts are broadly on track, and a momentum exists, we will do everything possible to sustain and reinforce it: for example, in combating HIV/AIDS, we will step up efforts to meet the goal of universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services by 2015.We will sustain and build on the remarkable gains in the fight against malaria and tuberculosis.

We will place a strong emphasis on all approaches that have a cross-cutting and multiplier effect. In particular, we recognise that promoting gender equality, and empowering women and girls, underpins and advances progress across all the Goals. We will resolutely promote gender equality and eliminate the range of barriers to women’s and girls’ empowerment in our societies.

Global Partnership for Development

We underline the central role of a strengthened global partnership for development. We recognise the importance of national ownership, and emphasise that if the MDGs are to be achieved by 2015, national efforts need to be assisted by international support and an enabling international environment. The mobilisation and effective use of all resources, public and private, domestic and international, will be vital.

We reaffirm the importance of promoting human rights, good governance, the rule of law, transparency and accountability at all levels.

We call for the urgent implementation of all commitments under the global partnership for development so as to overcome the gaps identified in the MDG Gap Taskforce Reports. We emphasise the need to accelerate progress towards the target of 0.7% of GNI as ODA by 2015, including 0.15% to 0.20% for least developed countries. We call on developed countries to urgently fulfil the ODA commitments they have made, individually and collectively.

We underline the need for the business sector to engage in responsible business practices.

Post-2015 Development Agenda

In parallel with intensification of efforts to accelerate achievement of the MDGs, we are determined to craft a strong post-2015 development agenda, which will build on the foundations laid by the MDGs, complete the unfinished business and respond to new challenges.

As we take the work forward, we reaffirm our commitment to the Millennium Declaration, the outcome document of Rio+20, the Monterrey Consensus, the Doha Declaration on Financing for Development and the outcomes of all the major UN conferences and summits in the economic, social, and environmental fields. We will continue to be guided by the values and principles enshrined in these texts.

We reaffirm all the principles of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, including, inter alia, the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, as set out in principle 7 thereof.

We are resolved that the post-2015 development agenda should reinforce the international community’s commitment to poverty eradication and sustainable development. We underscore the central imperative of poverty eradication and are committed to freeing humanity from poverty and hunger as a matter of urgency. Recognising the intrinsic interlinkage between poverty eradication and promotion of sustainable development, we underline the need for a coherent approach which integrates in a balanced manner the three dimensions of sustainable development. This coherent approach involves working towards a single framework and set of Goals –universal in nature and applicable to all countries, while taking account of differing national circumstances and respecting national policies and priorities. It should also promote peace and security, democratic governance, the rule of law, gender equality and human rights for all.

We decide today to launch a process of intergovernmental negotiations at the beginning of the 69^th session of UNGA which will lead to the adoption of the post-2015 development agenda.

We acknowledge with appreciation the processes mandated in the Rio + 20 outcome document that are now underway, in particular the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals and the inter-governmental committee of experts on Sustainable Development Financing, as well as the process to develop options for a technology facilitation mechanism. We urge that these processes should complete their work in a comprehensive, balanced and expeditious manner by September 2014.

The report submitted by the Secretary General in advance of today’s meeting, which draws on inputs from the High Level Panel of Eminent Persons, United Nations Development Group consultations, the United Nations Global Compact, and the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, is a useful input to our deliberations.

Over the coming year, preparation of the post-2015 development agenda will benefit from the General Assembly events to be convened by the President of the General Assembly under the theme “The Post-2015 Development Agenda – Setting the Stage”.

In arriving at an inclusive and people-centred post-2015 development agenda, we look forward to a transparent intergovernmental process which will include inputs from all stakeholders including civil society, scientific and knowledge institutions, parliaments, local authorities, and the private sector.

We count on the strong support of the UN system throughout all our work. As an input to the intergovernmental negotiations to be launched at the beginning of the 69^th session of UNGA, we call on the Secretary General to synthesise the full range of inputs then available and to present a synthesis report before the end of 2014.

The final phase of the intergovernmental work will culminate in a Summit at HoSG level in September 2015 for the adoption of the post-2015 development agenda. We request the President of the General Assembly to convene, in a timely manner, intergovernmental consultations to achieve agreement on organisational modalities for the Summit.

- Martin Khor is the Executive Director of the South Centre. Contact: director@southcentre.org.

Source: Southnews, No. 42, 1 October 2013

South Centre: www.southcentre.org.

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