2 June 2014: The European Commission (EC) has adopted a Communication to contribute to the EU position at the UN General Assembly’s (UNGA) Open Working Group (OWG) on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The document, titled ‘A Decent Life for All: From Vision to Collective Action,’ proposes priority areas on: poverty; inequality; food security and nutrition and sustainable agriculture; health; education; gender equality and women’s empowerment; water and sanitation; sustainable energy; full and productive employment and decent work for all; inclusive and sustainable growth; sustainable cities and human settlements; sustainable consumption and production (SCP); oceans and seas; biodiversity and forests; land degradation, including desertification and drought; human rights, the rule of law, good governance and effective institutions; and peaceful societies. An Annex to the Communication elaborates on potential targets for each area.

The Communication suggests that priority areas should be clustered according to “strong interlinkages between priority areas and their related target topics, while keeping in mind their contribution to the eradication of poverty and sustainable development.” It proposes combining biodiversity and forests with desertification, land degradation and drought (DLDD); combining employment and sustainable growth; and mainstreaming sustainable cities throughout the framework.

“While goal and target setting should be for all…implementation should take into account differing national relevance and circumstances and respect national policies and priorities,” the Communication declares in its visions and principles. It notes there are various ways to realize such differentiation, including through differentiated indicators to monitor progress or different approaches to reaching targets. The Communication also addresses principles on integrating the three dimensions of sustainable development while addressing new challenges and accountability.

Finally, the Communication stresses the EU’s commitment to a strengthened global partnership, including the EU’s role as a one of “the driving forces behind mobilizing action internally and worldwide.” The Communication recommends: an enabling policy environment; mobilizing necessary financial resources; and monitoring progress and accountability.

Following discussion of the Communication by the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament, the Communication will guide the EU’s position in the negotiations at the OWG. [EU Press Release] [Publication: A Decent Life for All: From Vision to Collective Action] [Publication: Annex to the Communication]