9 July 2014: The 2014 high-level segment of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the High-level Political Forum on sustainable development (HLPF), which convened under the auspices of the Council (HLPF 2), adopted a Ministerial Declaration on 9 July 2014, after three weeks of informal intergovernmental negotiations, in New York, US.

The Declaration emphasizes that implementation of a post-2015 agenda should take into consideration the special challenges and needs of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs), small island developing States (SIDS) and African countries, as well as the specific challenges facing many middle-income countries.

In regard to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the text underlines the central role of a strengthened global partnership for development, while recognizing the importance of national ownership. It also emphasizes that national efforts need to be assisted by international support and an enabling international environment, paired with the mobilization and effective use of all resources – public and private, domestic and international. The text reaffirms the importance of promoting human rights, good governance, the rule of law, transparency and accountability at all levels, further calling on developed countries to urgently fulfill their official development assistance (ODA) commitments.

In the section dedicated to the post-2015 development agenda, the Declaration reaffirms all the principles of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, including the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities (CBDR). It also: reaffirms that, as the greatest global challenge and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development, poverty eradication shall be central to the post-2015 development agenda; reinforces the commitment of the international community; and underlines the need for a coherent approach that integrates in a balanced manner the three dimensions of sustainable development. The text further mentions that this approach should also promote peace and security, democratic governance, the rule of law, gender equality and human rights for all. It also welcomes the operationalization of the 10-year Framework of Programmes (10YFP) on Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP).

The Declaration reiterates that, in arriving at an inclusive and people-centered post-2015 development agenda, governments look forward to a transparent intergovernmental process that will include inputs from all stakeholders, including civil society, scientific and knowledge institutions, parliaments, local authorities and the private sector.

The text stresses the need to remove obstacles to the full realization of all rights of people living under foreign occupation that adversely affect their ability to promote the achievement of the MDGs and an ambitious post-2015 development agenda including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It further emphasizes the importance of removing obstacles to promote the achievement of the MDGs and an ambitious post-2015 development agenda including the SDGs for people living in areas affected by complex humanitarian emergencies and terrorism.

The Ministerial Declaration reiterates that the HLPF under the auspices of the ECOSOC shall conduct regular reviews, starting in 2016, on the follow-up and implementation of sustainable development commitments and objectives, including those related to the means of implementation, within the context of the post-2015 development agenda, which shall: be voluntary, while encouraging reporting, and shall include developed and developing countries, as well as relevant UN entities; be State-led, involving ministerial and other relevant high-level participants; provide a platform for partnerships, including through the participation of Major Groups and other relevant stakeholders; replace the national voluntary presentations held in the context of the annual ministerial-level substantive reviews of the Council (AMR), building upon the relevant provisions of UN General Assembly (UNGA) resolution 61/16 of 20 November 2006, as well as experiences and lessons learned in this context. [Ministerial Declaration] [IISD RS Sources] [IISD RS Coverage of HLPF 2]