18 February 2015: The Office of the President of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) has released a summary of the key messages and proposals from the high-level thematic debate on ‘Means of Implementation for a Transformative Post-2015 Development Agenda.’

The summary notes that the debate emphasized the need to mobilize scaled-up resources from all sources, and use them effectively to implement an ambitious, transformative, universal and people-centered agenda. It reports that additional financing for poverty eradication is estimated to be US$66 billion annually while critical infrastructure investments, including energy, water and sanitation and transport will cost up to US$70 trillion by 2030.

On the plenary session titled ‘A renewed global partnership for development,’ the President’s summary reports that participants stressed the need for coherence and synergy between the Third International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD 3), the post-2015 agenda and negotiations on a universal agreement on climate change, including the need for actionable commitments and concrete deliverables from FfD 3. On domestic resource mobilization, participants recognized the role of good governance and public administration reform in ensuring effective, efficient use of public resources and the importance of broadening the tax base, combating corruption and addressing tax avoidance and illicit financial flows.

Proposals included: considering recommendations in the report on a technology facilitation mechanism in post-2015 development agenda negotiations; establishing an online platform on technology and knowledge sharing; creating a technology bank for the Least Developed Countries (LDCs); and promoting multi-stakeholder partnerships for technology development and transfer.

The panel on infrastructure development and partnerships recognized, inter alia: infrastructure development as a prerequisite for economic growth and poverty eradication; and a “huge financing gap for infrastructure.” Participants suggested: increasing access to long-term international financing and devising instruments to tap into resources held by banks, capital markets, insurance funds, pension funds and sovereign wealth funds; and promoting public-private partnerships in infrastructure.

On partnerships, participants suggested identifying areas in which partnerships are already in place and areas that will require building partnerships, such as employment creation, infrastructure and peaceful and inclusive societies.

The summary also highlights proposals from the panel on the role of parliaments, cities and local authorities, including: an initiative by a global group of parliaments to set up an international online platform to exchange good practices on legislation that is conducive to promoting sustainable development; increased technical assistance and capacity building to local authorities, especially on debt management and project development; and further development and promotion of local taxation and access to credit.

The debate convened from 9-10 February 2015, at UN Headquarters in New York, US. It was the first in a series of high-level debates and events that 69th UNGA President Sam Kutesa is organizing on the post-2015 development agenda. [President’s Summary] [UN Press Release, 9 February] [UN Press Release, 10 February] [UNGA President’s Website on Post-2015 Development Agenda and Related Events] [IISD RS Story on MOI Event]