Post-2015 Development Agenda - Brief Outline and Definition

Ian C. Langtree - Writer/Editor for Disabled World (DW)
Published: 2014/09/23 - Updated: 2021/11/07
Topic: Glossary and Definitions - Publications List

Page Content: Synopsis - Introduction - Main

Synopsis: A brief outline of the Post-2015 Development Agenda, a process led by the United Nations. The task of preparing a proposal on the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and developing a set of measurable targets and indicators was assigned to the intergovernmental Open Working Group (OWG) of the UN General Assembly.

Introduction

The Post-2015 Development Agenda refers to a process led by the United Nations (UN) that aims to help define the future global development framework that will succeed the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a set of eight global development targets which come to an end in 2015.

Main Item

The task of preparing a proposal on the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and developing a set of measurable targets and indicators was assigned to the intergovernmental Open Working Group (OWG) of the UN General Assembly. The 30-member OWG was established in January 2013 and submitted a report in September 2014 with their proposal on the Post-2015 Agenda and SDGs.

The UN System Task Team was established by the Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to support UN system-wide preparations for the Post-2015 UN Development Agenda. It comprises 60 UN agencies, as well as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. In June 2012, it published the report "Realizing the Future We Want for All" which serves as an input to the work of the High Level Panel.

In May 2013, the High Level Panel on the Post-2015 Development Agenda released "A New Global Partnership: Eradicate Poverty and Transform Economies through Sustainable Development," a report which sets out a universal agenda to eradicate extreme poverty from the face of the earth by 2030, and deliver on the promise of sustainable development. The report calls upon the world to rally around a new Global Partnership that offers hope and a role to every person in the world.

In the report, the Panel calls for the new post-2015 goals to drive five big transformative shifts:

• Leave No One Behind.

  After 2015 we should move from reducing to ending extreme poverty, in all its forms. We should ensure that no person - regardless of ethnicity, gender, geography, disability, race or other status - is denied basic economic opportunities and human rights.

• Put Sustainable Development at the Core.

  We have to integrate the social, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainability. We must act now to slow the alarming pace of climate change and environmental degradation, which pose unprecedented threats to humanity.

• Transform Economies for Jobs and Inclusive Growth.

  A profound economic transformation can end extreme poverty and improve livelihoods, by harnessing innovation, technology, and the potential of business. More diversified economies, with equal opportunities for all, can drive social inclusion, especially for young people, and foster sustainable consumption and production patterns.

• Build Peace and Effective, Open and Accountable Institutions for All.

  Freedom from conflict and violence is the most fundamental human entitlement, and the essential foundation for building peaceful and prosperous societies. At the same time, people the world over expect their governments to be honest, accountable, and responsive to their needs. We are calling for a fundamental shift - to recognize peace and good governance as a core element of wellbeing, not an optional extra.

• Forge a New Global Partnership.

  A new spirit of solidarity, cooperation, and mutual accountability must underpin the post-2015 agenda. This new partnership should be based on a common understanding of our shared humanity, based on mutual respect and mutual benefit. It should be centered around people, including those affected by poverty and exclusion, women, youth, the aged, disabled persons, and indigenous peoples. It should include civil society organizations, multilateral institutions, local and national governments, the scientific and academic community, businesses, and private philanthropy.

Broad consultations with governments, civil society, the private sector, academia and research institutions are currently under way to shape the post-2015 development agenda. Succeeding the Millennium Development Goals and building on the Rio+20 Conference, this agenda will serve as a framework for global development efforts after 2015.

Researchers have discussed that the post-2015 dialog is an opportunity to develop a practical agenda to ensure the principle 'leaving no one behind' translates into real changes to deliver essential services to those in poverty. They called for a potential agenda which must recognize that both institutional capacity and politics matter for the more equitable delivery of these services. They found no blueprint for this, but evidence from the Overseas Development Institute and others points to the need to adopt frameworks which are more flexible, grounded, and innovative service-delivery, which also require changes to donors' models.

Author Credentials: Ian was born and grew up in Australia. Since then, he has traveled and lived in numerous locations and currently resides in Montreal, Canada. Ian is the founder, a writer, and editor in chief for Disabled World. Ian believes in the Social Model of Disability, a belief developed by disabled people in the 1970s. The social model changes the focus away from people's impairments and towards removing barriers that disabled people face daily. To learn more about Ian's background, expertise, and achievements, check out his bio.