21 October 2014: The UN Regional Commissions NY Office issued a Concept Note for an upcoming dialogue with the UN General Assembly’s Second Committee on ‘The Means of Implementation in Support of the Post-2015 Development Agenda: Regional Perspectives.’ It will address the Regional Commissions’ potential role in catalyzing and mobilizing the means of implementation for achieving the agenda, and the “growing role of regionalism” as a strong driver for development.

According to the Concept Note, Member States have recognized that regional frameworks can help translate sustainable development policies into national-level action. However, the outcome document of the Open Working Group (OWG) on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) does not reflect the full potential of the regional dimension, particularly regarding “facilitating and mobilizing the means of implementation and towards helping to consolidate a global partnership for development.”

The dialogue between the Second Committee and the Executive Secretaries of the Regional Commissions will convene on 5 November 2014, in New York, US, with the participation of: Alicia Barcena, Executive Secretary, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), and Coordinator of the Regional Commissions; Rima Khalaf, Executive Secretary, Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA); Abdalla Hamdok, Deputy Executive Secretary, Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA); Andrey Vasilyev, Deputy Executive Secretary, Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE); and Shun-Ichi Murata, Deputy Executive Secretary, Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). [Concept Note] [Regional Commissions Website]