3 October 2012: UN Women and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have launched a public online discussion on the theme of “inequalities,” as part of a consultation process on defining the post-2015 development agenda. According to UN Women, the online discussions aim to stimulate global conversation and ensure a broad diversity of voices in determining the post-2015 development agenda.
The overall consultation process will cover 11 themes. Online discussions are being hosted on the “World We Want 2015” web platform, a joint initiative between the UN and civil society. In addition to inequalities, the other themes to be addressed in the global consultation are: governance; growth and employment; health; education; environmental sustainability; food security and nutrition; conflict and fragility; population dynamics; water; and energy.
Each thematic consultation is co-convened by two UN agencies. Civil society partners include the Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAAP), CIVICUS and the Beyond 2015 Campaign.
The inequality consultation – which is supported by the Government of Denmark – will address gender, disability and other major forms of inequality. Participants are asked to identify the most widespread and fundamental forms of gender-based inequalities faced by women and girls; major structural factors at the root of the inequalities; and the kinds of policies that have been successful in addressing inequalities. The website includes links to background papers relating to the discussion topics.
Input to the discussion will be synthesized in a report and recommendations to be presented at a high-level meeting on Inequalities in Copenhagen, Denmark, in February 2013, and to the High-Level Panel (HLP) of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda.
The UN Development Group (UNDG) through its Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Task Force is coordinating over 50 national consultations and the nine global thematic consultations towards the post-2015 development agenda. [UN Women Press Release] [World We Want Platform]