Homi Kharas, the Lead Author/Executive Secretary of the UN High-level Panel (HLP) on the Post-2015 Development Agenda, issued a Communiqué on the Panel's meeting in London, UK, on 31 October-2 November 2012.
The Communiqué informs stakeholders about the HLP's work, including plans for its upcoming meeting in Monrovia, Liberia, and aims to ensure coherence between the HLP and the overall post-2015 process.
30 November 2012: Homi Kharas, the Lead Author/Executive Secretary of the UN High-level Panel (HLP) on the Post-2015 Development Agenda, issued a Communiqué on the Panel’s meeting in London, UK, on 31 October-2 November 2012. The Communiqué informs stakeholders about the HLP’s work, including plans for its upcoming meeting in Monrovia, Liberia, and aims to ensure coherence between the HLP and the overall post-2015 process.
During this second meeting, HLP panelists agreed on a “global agenda with global responsibility,” decided upon 24 framing questions to guide their work and considered issues related to individual and household poverty, according to the Communiqué. Panelists also agreed to focus on eliminating poverty and developing building blocks for sustained prosperity for all, while emphasizing universal challenges including environmental protection, equity, inclusive growth and peace and freedom.
On human development, the Communiqué says panelists discussed: building upon the strengths and weaknesses of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs); “raising the bar” and focusing on quality of outcomes; continuing to place human development at the center of the agenda while also integrating all dimensions of sustainable development; and recognizing rights and equity concerns as cross-cutting, and demographic changes, sustainability and urbanization as emerging trends. Panelists also considered practical matters, such as feasibility, financing, implementation and prioritization.
On jobs and livelihoods, panelists discussed, inter alia, the role of: governments, including for enterprise and market development; job creation for poverty reduction, the private sector and partnerships to incentivize development and ensure accountability. Panelists also considered the need for national, regional and global goals. On how to reach poor and marginalized populations, panelists addressed, inter alia, ensuring social safety nets and providing accessible, affordable basic needs and services to the poor.
The Communiqué also highlights outreach activities around the London meeting, including civil society, private sector and youth events. Panelists also met with issue experts to address access to justice, accountability and transparency, environmental protection, personal security and sustainability. According to the Communiqué, panelists “reiterated their commitment to meaningfully involve multiple stakeholders in their work,” including reaching out to the poor and vulnerable, conducting outreach efforts on their own and drawing on findings from ongoing online consultations, including those on the World We Want 2015 Platform.
The Communiqué also introduces the HLP Secretariat members, all of whom are based in New York, US. [Publication: London Communiqué] [IISD RS Story on Framing Questions] [IISD RS Story on HLP Panel Briefing on London meeting]