The UN Secretary-General has released a new report, titled “The contribution of the Economic and Social Council to the elaboration of the post-2015 development agenda as a principal body for policy review, policy dialogue and recommendations on issues of economic and social development and for the follow-up to the Millennium Development Goals.” The report is intended to inform the thematic debate of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) High-Level Segment, to take place in July 2013 in Geneva, Switzerland.
May 2013: The UN Secretary-General has released a report, titled “The contribution of the Economic and Social Council to the elaboration of the post-2015 development agenda as a principal body for policy review, policy dialogue and recommendations on issues of economic and social development and for the follow-up to the Millennium Development Goals.” The report is intended to inform the thematic debate of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) High-Level Segment on the same subject, to take place in July 2013 in Geneva, Switzerland.
After outlining successes and failures of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the evolution of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the emerging principles of the post-2015 development agenda, the report identifies possible contributions of ECOSOC to follow-up on commitments made for sustainable development and the post-2015 development agenda. It describes potential activities around the following cross-cutting issues: poverty and sustainability; equality and inclusion; employment; education, health, and food security and nutrition; urbanization and infrastructure; science, technology, and innovation; and environmental sustainability. The report also analyzes ECOSOC’s institutional framework for the integration of sustainable development’s three dimensions, and its role in monitoring, accountability, coordination, and coherence across the UN system.
The report concludes with the following suggestions for the Council: strengthen implementation of the outcomes of major UN summits and conferences; create more coherent issue-based work programme; build on the support of the Annual Ministerial Review (AMR) function; further develop its role of providing coordination and coherence across the entire UN system; and further engage a wide-range of stakeholders through increased partnerships. [Publication: The Contribution of the Economic and Social Council to the Elaboration of the Post-2015 Development Agenda as a Principal Body for Policy Review, Policy Dialogue and Recommendations on Issues of Economic and Social Development and for the Follow-up to the Millennium Development Goals] [ECOSOC High-Level Segment 2013] [Concept Note: ECOSOC 2013 Thematic Debate]