The Post-Millennium Development Goals (Post-MDGs) Contact Group initiated by Japan met for the fifth time in Istanbul, Turkey.
The group discussed good governance as an element of efficiency.
The note prepared ahead of the meeting reflects participants' concern for integrating the SDGs into the post-2015 development framework.
17 December 2012: The UN Development Programme (UNDP) Istanbul International Center for Private Sector in Development (IICPSD) has announced that a contact group on post-Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) has held its fifth meeting, focusing on good governance as a cross-cutting element of efficiency.
The group met at the Halic Congress Centre in Istanbul, Turkey.
A Chair’s tentative summary note was circulated in September 2012 by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan, highlighting the contribution of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20) in re-emphasizing the importance of sustainability. The note reflects participants’ concern for integrating sustainable development goals with the post-2015 development framework, and expressed the hope that the UN Secretary-General’s High-level Panel on the Post-2015 Development Agenda can “blaze the path” towards such integration.
On improvement of the current MDGs, the note said gender equality and empowerment of women should be included in cross-sectoral equity efforts. Discussions also took place on improvement of education quality, and on possible integration of the three health-related goals in the current MDGs, with participants expressing views both for and against such a move.
Announcing the meeting, IICPSD – formed in partnership between UNDP and the Government of Turkey – highlighted the UN system’s commitment to facilitating a bottom-up, inclusive approach defined by national and local priorities.
The Post-MDGs contact group was launched at the end of 2011 at the initiative of the Government of Japan. It aims to support the official process for establishing the post-2015 development framework, and holds informal policy dialogue on this topic for participants from 20 countries and from international organizations, NGOs and research organizations. Previous meetings of the contact group took place in: December 2011, in New York, US; February 2012, in Mexico City, Mexico; May 2012, in Tokyo, Japan; and September 2012, in New York, US. [IICPSD Press Release] [Publication: Tentative Chair’s Note Post-MDGs Contact Group: Summary and Framing Questions]