February 2015: Numerous think tanks and civil society groups have published inputs on the Third International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD) and the post-2015 development agenda. On financing, groups have analyzed issues related to the FfD negotiations, including financing sources, illicit financial flows and accountability. Groups have also published articles examining specific issues related to the negotiation of the post-2015 development agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Overseas Development Institute (ODI) has published a report by Homi Kharas, Annalisa Prizzon and Andrew Rogerson, ‘Financing the post-2015 SDGs: A rough roadmap.’ The report analyzes how different sources of global development finance can be used, their global outlooks and their interdependence. The authors also discuss two alternative options for development financing: making public finance a complement to private finance everywhere; or focusing public funds only where private finance is not present.

Publish What You Fund has released its reflections on the first drafting session, which call for more emphasis on transparency and accountability of development flows as systemic issues. Transparency, the organization says, will be an important aspect of a sustainable development policy framework to deliver on international commitments.

Global Policy Watch has issued a policy brief comparing the post-2015 and financing processes, ‘Post-2015 and FfD3: Debates Begin, Political Lines Emerge.’ The brief takes stock of recent negotiations in both processes and the elements of both future agreements, and analyzes Member States’ positions in the debates.

The Brookings Institute has published a paper, ‘Nine Priority Commitments to be Made at the UN’s July 2015 FfD Conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia,’ which identifies priority actions to achieve the SDGs. The paper focuses on actions that build on existing work, will have consequences for implementation and are actionable and easy to understand. It cautions that some issues will be negotiable by July 2015 but that some are too complex to agree on by the FfD-3 conference.

Development Initiatives, with the UN and UK AID, have published a report, ‘Improving Official Development Assistance (ODA) allocation for a post-2015 world.’ The paper analyzes how to target aid to the bottom 20% poorest people in developing countries. It argues that ODA has a comparative advantage in focusing on leaving no one behind and eradicating extreme poverty.

An Oxfam blog by Christian Hallum examines the African Union (AU) report of the High Level Panel on Illicit Financial Flows in the context of FfD. He stresses that the report identifies transnational companies as the main drivers of illicit financial flows. He also recognizes that African leaders are demanding a greater role in decision-making and tax matters.

On the post-2015 agenda and the SDGs, Beyond 2015 has published recommendations for the political declaration of the post-2015 agenda in an article, ‘Inspiring and Aiming Higher.’ Recommendations include focusing on a shared vision of an equitable and sustainable world, as well as highlighting a number of values, principles, and key messages for realizing the post-2015 agenda.

A publication in the open access journal Sustainability focuses on the potential for change in the proposed SDGs. “Beyond Cockpit-ism: Four Insights to Enhance the Transformative Potential of the SDGs” cautions the SDGs could fall short of expectations if governments implement them under an illusion that top-down steering alone can address global problems.

A World Bank blog by Heike Gramckow evaluates justice and the SDGs, saying that its inclusion in the agenda is an important step for the UN. She emphasizes the need for meaningful country-level indicators and systems for measuring progress on justice and recommends capturing lessons learned from World Bank projects for the implementation of the post-2015 agenda.

[ODI Publication: Financing the post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals: A rough roadmap] [Publish What You Fund FfD-3 Reflections] [Global Policy Watch Policy Brief] [Brookings Institute Publication: Nine Priority Commitments to be Made at the UN’s July 2015 Financing for Development Conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia] [Development Initiatives Publication: Improving ODA allocation for a post-2015 world] [Oxfam Blog] [Beyond 2015 Political Declaration Recommendations] [Publication: Beyond Cockpit-ism: Four Insights to Enhance the Transformative Potential of the Sustainable Development Goals] [World Bank Blog]