PHM-Exch> Fwd: SouthNews: UN Development Summit to be held in 2015

[Claudio Schuftan]

From: South Centre <south at southcentre.int>

UN Development Summit in Sept 2015,  Post-2015 Development Agenda
negotiations to start Sept 2014 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.
    *By Martin Khor*         excerpts

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 69th 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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.
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