December 2022 - You are accessing an archived version of our website. This website is no longer maintained or updated. The Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform has been migrated here: https://sdgs.un.org/
December 2022 - You are accessing an archived version of our website. This website is no longer maintained or updated. The Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform has been migrated here: https://sdgs.un.org/
The UN General Assembly's Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals forwarded to the Assembly its proposal for a set of Goals that consider economic, social and environmental dimensions to improve people’s lives and protect the planet for future generations at the conclusion of the Group’s thirteenth and final session at UN Headquarters on Saturday, 19 July. With most targets of the Millennium Development Goals concluding at the end of 2015, proposed new goals set the stage for an ambitious future development agenda.
The proposal contains 17 goals with 169 targets covering a broad range of sustainable development issues, including ending poverty and hunger, improving health and education, making cities more sustainable, combating climate change, and protecting oceans and forests.
As stated by UN Under-Secretary-General Wu Hongbo, “The proposal of the Open Working Group brings together a breadth of economic, social and environmental issues in a single set of goals like never before. All those involved in crafting these 17 goals can be proud of themselves. Member States have shown a determination and willingness to work together for people and planet that bodes well for the General Assembly's negotiations on the post-2015 development agenda.”
In commenting on the outcome, UN DESA’s Assistant Secretary-General Thomas Gass hailed it as a milestone, highlighting the key role played by the Co-Chairs Ambassador Csaba Kőrösi of Hungary and Ambassador Macharia Kamau of Kenya, the high-level engagement of Member States and the
The proposed sustainable development goals are:
Goal 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere
The meeting of the High-level political forum (HLPF) 2014 on sustainable development was successfully held from 30 June to 9 July at UN Headquarters in New York. It was the Forum’s first substantive meeting under the auspices of ECOSOC. More than 30 ministers and high level officials from governments, UN agencies and other international organizations, major groups, the private sector, parliamentarians, and other stakeholders attended the meeting.
Though the discussions at the Forum highlighted how much work still needs to be done on a large number of issues, there was also optimism. “There is unprecedented awareness of the need to change our development models and a possibility to end extreme poverty by 2030,” said ECOSOC President Martin Sajdik, who chaired this year’s Forum. He also noted that there is “a broad acceptance that consumption and production must become more sustainable.” The dialogues had shown that many countries are already putting in place innovative policies to pursue sustainable development, and that the business sector and other stakeholders are committed to playing their part.
The Forum adopted both a Ministerial Declaration and its theme for 2015: "Strengthening integration, implementation and review - the HLPF after 2015”.
The meeting comprised a series of dialogues around four tracks of themes “From Rio+20 to post-2015”, “Regional dimensions and countries in special situations”, “Science policy interface”, and “Shaping the forum beyond 2015”.
Participants highlighted the importance of implementation, integration of the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development, political will and concrete actions in achieving sustainable development. They also provided valuable thoughts on the sustainable development goals, the post-2015 development agenda, and the role of the HLPF in implementation, monitoring and review of the future g¬¬¬oals and targets.
Science-policy interface was also acknowledged as an important factor, including by the presentation of the Prototype Global Sustainable Development Report. The report brings together existing sustainable development assessments and provides governments with an idea of how future Global Sustainable Development Reports could be shaped. Member States discussed scope and methodology of the report based on the synthesis of their views done in the Secretary-General’s report and most of them favoured a wide multistakeholder approach.
More than 30 side events sponsored by Governments, UN system and other international organizations as well as major groups were held during the HLPF.
“The meeting we are closing today has already demonstrated the great potential of the Forum. I believe that its outcome and discussions will contribute to the negotiations on the post 2015 development agenda that will start very soon” said ECOSOC President Martin Sajdik at the closing session of this year’s Forum.
The Intergovernmental Committee of Experts on Sustainable Development Financing (ICESDF), established a year ago in follow-up to Rio+20, will hold its fifth and final session in New York from 4 to 8 August 2014. During the session, the Committee will finalize its report proposing options on an effective sustainable development financing strategy. A multi-stakeholder dialogue will be held during the session.
The Intergovernmental Committee of Experts on Sustainable Development Financing (ICESDF), established a year ago in follow-up to Rio+20, will hold its fifth and final session in New York from 4 to 8 August 2014. During the session, the Committee will finalize its report proposing options on an effective sustainable development financing strategy. A multi-stakeholder dialogue will be held during the session.
The Committee had an informal retreat in Glen Cove, Long Island, from 15-17 July 2014. During the retreat, Committee members had a discussion on the current draft report and made significant progress to strengthen its final version. Following the retreat, the Co-Chairs of the Committee held an open briefing on the progress of work of the Committee to Member States and non-state actors on Friday, 18 July (Financing for Development Office).
As part of the preparations for the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to take place in Apia, Samoa on 1-4 September 2014, the Pre-Conference Major Groups and Other Stakeholders Forum will be held on the evening of the 28 and all day on 29 August 2014.
The Forum will focus on identifying durable partnerships through which the sustainable development of SIDS can be promoted. The outcome of the Forum will help to inform the Conference plenary discussions and Multi-Stakeholder Partnership Dialogues.
The aim of the Forum is to provide a space for Major Groups, civil society and other stakeholders to receive final briefings on the upcoming conference, its relation to Rio+20, Post 2015, UNFCCC, Beijing+20 review and other upcoming regional and global multilateral follow-up processes, and to participate in joint advocacy and partnerships to support implementation of the Conference outcome.
Registration to the Forum closed on July 31st.
