29 October 2014
SD Knowledge Platform Adds Post-2015 Portal
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The Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) has added a portal on the Post-2015 Process, with the slogan: ‘2015: Time for global action for people and planet.'

Post 2015 ProcessOctober 2014: The Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) has added a portal on the Post-2015 Process, with the slogan: ‘2015: Time for global action for people and planet.’

A description page outlines the origins of the process to arrive at the post-2015 development agenda, including the 2012 UN Conference on Sustainable Development’s (UNCSD, or Rio+20) establishment of the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals, and the OWG’s resulting proposal for 17 goals and 169 targets. In addition to the goals, it notes, the post-2015 development agenda is expected to address the need for a monitoring and accountability framework, and for “fleshing out a revitalized global partnership for sustainable development.”

It also notes that, following the outcome of the 2013 Special Event to follow up efforts made towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the UNGA President recently appointed two co-facilitators to “lead consultations on the post-2015 development agenda, including the organization and modalities for the intergovernmental negotiations and remaining issues related to the Summit for the adoption of the post-2015 development agenda.”

Also as a response to the Special Event, the UN Secretary-General will prepare a report synthesizing inputs to the intergovernmental negotiations.

The description also notes the Member-State-led nature of the process to arrive at the post-2015 agenda, “with broad participation from external stakeholders such as civil society organizations, the private sector and businesses, academia and scientists.” It describes the UN’s role as supporting Member States with evidence-based inputs, analytical thinking and field experience. The UN’s Secretary-General provides overall leadership to the process with support from the Deputy Secretary-General and the Special Advisor on Post-2015 Development Planning, it notes.

A “work streams” page highlights contributions from: the OWG; the High-level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda (HLP); the UN System Task Team on the Post-2015 UN Development Agenda (UNTT); the national, global and thematic consultations; the regional consultations; the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN); and the UN Global Compact. A ‘One Secretariat’ facilitated the coordination and coherence across work streams, each of which were ‘substantively independent.’

An inter-agency technical support team (TST) was established to support the OWG, under the umbrella of UNTT, and consisted of over 40 entities.

The portal makes available a compilation of TST inputs, titled ‘Tentative list of review and coordination platforms.’ The document is organized as a chart of the proposed SDGs 1-16 and UN system contributions regarding existing initiatives and related accountability frameworks, among other features. [Post-2015 Process Webpage]