11 December 2014: The UN General Assembly’s (UNGA) Second Committee (Economic and Financial) formally concluded its work for the 69th session on 11 December 2014. Texts passed on to the UNGA for final action cover topics including: sustainable development; the post-2015 development agenda; meetings of the High-level Political Forum on sustainable development (HLPF); sustainable consumption and production (SCP); financing for development (FfD); and UN operational activities.

The Committee agreed to draft resolution A/C.2/69/L.64, titled ‘Implementation of Agenda 21, the Programme for Further Implementation of Agenda 21 and the Outcomes of the World Summit on Sustainable Development and the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development,’ and withdrew draft resolution A/C.2/69/L.31 on the same topic. The resolution takes note of conferences and meetings held in 2014 pertaining to sustainable development, including the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS), and the meeting of the HLPF under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

By the draft resolution, the Assembly would decide that the 2015 meeting of the HLPF under the auspices of ECOSOC in the 70th session will focus on ways to implement its functions for following up on and reviewing the implementation of the post-2015 development agenda. The text also welcomes the reports of the Open Working Group (OWG) on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Intergovernmental Committee of Experts on Sustainable Development Financing (ICESDF).

The Committee approved, by a vote of 114 in favor, 7 against, and 44 abstentions, draft resolution A/C.2/69/L.39/Rev.1 on ‘Operational activities for development of the United Nations system.’ The draft resolution “underlines the need to better reflect the multidimensional nature of development and poverty” and recognizes the importance of results-focused operational activities. It calls on UN system organizations to recognize poverty eradication as an overriding priority, notes with concern that core resources for overall funding of operational activities has declined, and calls for accelerated progress on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Voting against the draft resolution were Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, Norway, Republic of Korea, and the US.

Draft resolution A/C.2/69/L.65 on ‘Follow up to the International Conference on Financing for Development’ invites UN Member States and other potential donors to contribute to the Trust Fund for Follow-up to the FfD Conference to support the preparations for FfD 3, and travel and participation of developing countries.

The Committee took note of document A/69/379 on the ‘Note by the Secretary-General on the term of the board of the 10-year framework of programmes on sustainable consumption and production (SCP) patterns.’

Other draft resolutions approved by the Committee include A/C.2/69/L.40/Rev.1 on ‘South-South Cooperation,’ A/C.2/69/L.15 and A/C.2/69/L.62 on ‘Implementation of the outcome of the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) and strengthening of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme,’ and resolutions on the development of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Land-Locked Developing Countries (LLDCs).

Wu Hongbo, UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, said the Second Committee’s work took place “at the cusp of a number of transformative, high-level events next year,” per a 11 December letter. Wu applauded the “careful balance” struck by Member States to set ambitious targets for the post-2015 era, while not preempting future negotiations. [UN Press Release] [Wu Statement] [Status of Second Committee Documents] [Document A/C.2/69/L.64]