“Improving the quality of life of a growing population in a sustainable manner remains the most urgent development priority for the international community,” stressed United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in his report on the strengthening of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
The first resolution of the 68th session of the UN General Assembly, resolution 68/1, which was adopted on 20 September, contains the most far-reaching reforms of ECOSOC since 1991. The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) is poised to play a key role in implementing these reforms. The Secretary-General has been asked to make proposals to promote collaboration across the United Nations system, taking account of the functions of a strengthened ECOSOC, with DESA serving as a central hub of support for the Council, in order to better utilize existing resources of the United Nations system to broaden support to the ECOSOC and its Bureau. The proposals would include measures to enable the Secretariat to better support the implementation of a unified development agenda.
The new elements of the reform package adopted in Resolution 68/1 mandates the Council to provide substantive leadership to the ECOSOC system through: adopting an annual theme; convening an integration segment to promote and monitor the balanced integration of the three dimensions of sustainable development throughout the work of the ECOSOC system; convening of the HLPF under the auspices of the Council; and immediately staggering the segments of the Council throughout the year, with a work programme cycle beginning in July.
The Council’s meetings will be convened in New York except the Humanitarian Affairs Segment, which will alternate between Geneva and New York.
The reform of ECOSOC was carried out in conjunction with the establishment of the new High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, which will meet annually under the auspices of the Council.
“This Forum is integral to shaping our common vision for future decades,” UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said.
Since September 20, 2013 the United Nations General Assembly Third Committee has been addressing social development. They are focusing specifically on the 1) implementation of the outcome of the World Summit for Social Development, 2) the significance of social development, including questions relating to the world social situation and to youth, ageing, disabled persons and the family, 3) follow-up to the International Year of Older Persons: Second World Assembly on Ageing, and 4) the initiative of United Nations Literacy Decade: Education for All.
Over the months, representatives have been contributing their voices and ideas to what the UN can do for social development. On October 24th, the Representative from Senegal spoke on behalf of Armenia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Panama, Portugal, the Republic of Moldova and Senegal about policies and programmes involving youth. He emphasized that this generation of youth is one of the largest ever and that the UN needs to ensure they have access to education, health programs, gender equality, and empowerment.
On October 17th, the Representative of Peru, on behalf of Guatemala, Mongolia and Peru, spoke to the Third Committee about promoting social integration through social inclusion. Peru especially expressed the need for social inclusion in the economy to promote inclusive and equitable economic growth that can overcome the challenges of unemployment is necessary to achieve poverty eradication and inequality reduction.
Among the other speeches by the Member States, themes that were emphasized included “Literacy for Life: Shaping Future Agendas”, “Cooperatives in Social Development” and “Preparations for the International Year of the Family”.
The 2014 regular session of the Committee on NGOs will take place from 21 to 30 January 2014. The Committee will meet again on 7 February 2014 to adopt its report of the session. The session is expected to consider 220 new applications for status by NGOs as well as 219 applications deferred from earlier sessions. The Committee will also review 290 quadrennial reports of NGOs in general or special consultative status, as well as 23 quadrennial reports deferred from earlier sessions. The session’s recommendations will be sent to the Economic and Social Council for its approval in July 2014.
The Economic and Social Council convened a Special Meeting on “Response to Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines” on 16 December as a step to follow-up on the resolution on strengthening of ECOSOC (A/RES/68/1). The Meeting, organized by UN-DESA in collaboration with OCHA and UNISDR, drew attention to the international community’s response to Typhoon Haiyan and explored ways to enhance coordination in response, rehabilitation, recovery and reconstruction/development efforts in its aftermath.
The meeting attracted high-level participation from Member States. In a keynote address, H.E. Mr. Jose Rene D. Almendras, Cabinet Secretary of the Philippines, illustrated the destruction caused by Typhoon Haiyan and provided an overview of the Government’s response. The UN system was represented by Ms. Valerie Amos (OCHA), Ms. Margareta Wahlström (UNISDR), Ms. Luiza Carvalho (UN Resident Coordinator) and Mr. Nicholas Rosellini (UNDP). The Council also had an opportunity to interact with a representative of the civil society (American Red Cross) and the private sector on the response to the typhoon. Quite a number of delegations participated at the Ambassadorial level during the interactive dialogue.
Both the Government of the Philippines and OCHA were praised for working closely with the international community to coordinate support and to avoid duplication of efforts. The Strategic Response Plan (SRP) of humanitarian partners, which calls for US$791 million, covering 12 months from the date of the disaster, has been designed to complement the Government’s Yolanda Recovery and Reconstruction Plan––a 4 year plan for $3 billion. As of 16 December, only 30 per cent of the SRP has been funded. The Government of the Philippines intends to conduct a Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA), commencing in January 2014, and the UN system expressed its readiness to support that process.
While preparedness and early warning systems have improved, more work needed to be done, in particular addressing the underlying drivers of risk, such as weak governance, poor planning and land use, poverty and lack of protection of ecosystems. Other issues raised included the role of local leadership, the role of the private sector in disaster risk management, the use of technology in relief, recovery and reconstruction efforts, civilian capacity gaps and the need to simplify scientific language for ordinary citizens. A key message is that humanitarian efforts should be linked to long-term development agenda.
Expectations are high with regard to the 2014 International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in Samoa, the 2014 Climate Summit in New York and the 2016 World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, which many view as key opportunities for addressing issues related to natural disasters.
The Economic and Social Council will convene a follow-up meeting to assess lessons learned in March 2014.
The landscape of development cooperation has changed greatly since 2000. So has the daily practice of development cooperation. Concepts and policies need to catch up with practical action, as a post-2015 development agenda takes shape. This is the focus of preparations for the fourth ministerial meeting of the UN Development Cooperation Forum (DCF) in July 2014 in New York. It aims to produce a new narrative and global approach to development cooperation: one that fits and supports a transformative global development agenda, applying to all countries and with sustainable development at its centre.
Preparations for the Forum are tackling several, practical questions. What would a renewed global partnership for development, in support of a sustainable development agenda, look like in practice? What would make it attractive for the diverse set of stakeholders to engage in this partnership? How would development cooperation have to change, to support an integrated approach to the three dimensions of sustainable development – economic, social and environmental?
To examine how development cooperation would have to change to support a post-2015 development agenda, UNDESA and the Swiss Development Cooperation Agency organized the DCF Switzerland High-level Symposium in October 2013, bringing together ministers and experts representing the range of stakeholders, governmental and non-governmental. Drawing upon their varied practical experiences and the analytical work prepared for the Symposium, participants identified the following key elements for the future of development cooperation:
Development cooperation post-2015 should support a single development agenda, with poverty eradication and sustainable development at its core.
Such a transformative agenda must be matched by a different scope and scale of support.The type, or form, of development cooperation, should follow function and focus.
Development cooperation should benefit all stakeholders, especially the poor and most vulnerable, within and among countries.
The support should be flexible and take into consideration country needs and specific priorities. Least developed countries and middle-income countries will need continued support, but the kind of support they will need differs.
Working towards meeting the UN’s 0.7 per cent ODA to GNI target will remain critical. Even if past ODA commitments were met, however, these resources alone would still fall far short of what will be needed.
Development cooperation today is about more than governments – North-South and South-South – and about much more than aid. Providing incentives for the diverse set of actors – including also the private sector – will be critical to the agenda’s implementation.
Effective and sustainable development results will require a shared, yet differentiated, framework to hold all actors accountable.
The renewed global partnership for development must take the Monterrey Consensus as a starting point but go beyond it. It should bring together the different tracks, including the Rio+20 follow-up, in a single agenda, with a single financing framework to support.
Multi-stakeholder partnerships are unlikely to replace the inter-governmental partnership. But they are likely to become an ever more important complement.
The post-2015 global partnership for development should reflect the move away from a donor-recipient paradigm and become a genuine and dynamic multi-stakeholder partnership.
The Montreux discussions revealed a new degree of openness to question some of the fundamentals of development cooperation, given the opportunity to advance a truly transformative agenda (click here for more information).
A principle function of ECOSOC, the DCF meets biennially, at ministerial level, based on extensive two-year cycles of preparation that integrate analytical work with high-level symposiums and stakeholder engagement. The DCF provides an inclusive forum for the diverse range of stakeholders to discuss issues and challenges in international development cooperation in a frank and candid manner.
A major feature of the changing landscape of development cooperation is the greater role of the Southern partners. In addition to additional financial resources, South-South development cooperation has brought benefits in the form of personnel transfers and skills, capacity building, technology transfers and knowledge sharing. Moreover, regional, historical and cultural similarities can add additional value to the engagement by Southern partners.
Recent meetings of Southern partners have taken place in New Delhi and in Addis Ababa on the common issues and challenges they face. These meetings called for continued dialogue on South-South cooperation principles, definitions, modalities, as well as views on a renewed global partnership for development that reflects and draws on the experience of South-South cooperation. To facilitate such dialogue, an informal Core Group of Southern partners was established, to be supported by UNDESA and UNOSSC and with the UN Development Cooperation Forum (DCF) as a platform to facilitate its work.
On 2-3 December 2013, the first meeting of the Core Group of Southern Partners was held in Istanbul, Turkey. Jointly organized by DESA’s Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination (OESC) and the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), the event was attended by senior officials responsible for development cooperation from 13 governments, as well as participants from international organizations and think tanks. The Group discussed and recognized the need to further its work on the principles of South-South cooperation and their reflection in operational practices. The next meeting of the Group will be held in Berlin, alongside the DCF Germany High-level Symposium on “Accountable and effective development cooperation in the post-2015 era”, to take place on 20-21 March 2014.
The global debate on a post-2015 development agenda has pointed to a need for enhanced monitoring and accountability at all levels, to ensure delivery on commitments and sustainability of development results. This includes advancing progress on mutual accountability, as an overarching principle for the effectiveness of development cooperation.
The third Global Accountability survey will assess how mutual accountability mechanisms effectively support the delivery on development cooperation commitments. It has been launched under the auspices of the United Nations Development Cooperation Forum (DCF) by UN-DESA, in partnership with UNDP.
Similar to the first two surveys (2009 here and 2011 here), the third survey seeks to generate evidence to support governments in their efforts to strengthen development partnerships at country level. 140 Ministries of Planning and Finance from developing country governments have been invited to participate and to consult with relevant line ministries, providers and other stakeholders to identify ways to implement tools that support mutual accountability, such as dialogue platforms and aid and partnership policies. By engaging in the survey, stakeholders are also encouraged to address the capacity challenges they may face in strengthening mutual accountability, in light of the changing composition of development finance and expectations of development cooperation in the post-2015 development agenda.
The biennial DCF provides a legitimate, yet informal hub for candid and inclusive dialogue on the future of development cooperation in a post-2015 era. The findings of the 3rd global accountability survey will inform discussions at a High-level Symposium on 20-21 March 2014 (here) on how to feature effectiveness and accountability in the post-2015 development agenda, with a particular focus on development cooperation and a renewed global partnership for development.
A full repository of information on the mutual accountability work of the Development Cooperation Forum (DCF) is available here. Latest updates on the 3rd global accountability survey, including webinar recordings, are forthcoming.
The United Nations is calling for nominations for the UN Public Service Awards 2014. This is an international contest designed to promote and support innovations in public service delivery worldwide. The award is open to public organizations of all kinds, including Governments and public-private partnerships that are involved in delivering services to citizens around the globe.
An annual United Nations event, the 2014 Public Service Awards, which will be held in Seoul, Republic of Korea will be bestowed on those public institutions that have distinguished themselves in the following categories: Improving the Delivery of Public Services; Fostering Participation in Policy-making Decisions through Innovative Mechanisms; Promoting Whole-of-Government Approaches in the Information Age and Promoting Gender-Responsive Delivery of Public Services. The award highlights cutting edge innovations and recognizes that democracy and successful governance are built on a competent civil service.
“The United Nations has long recognized the importance of good governance and efficient public administration. Current global consultations on the post-2015 agenda have further underscored their centrality to all development objectives. United Nations Public Service Day encourages countries to celebrate the contribution of public servants to society’s progress,” said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in his message for the 2013 United Nations Public Service Day.
The day was established by the Economic and Social Council in 2003 to promote better delivery of services by governments and to encourage excellence in the public service. As Mr. Wu Hongbo, Under-Secretary-General of UN DESA, emphasized during the 2013 United Nations Public Service Awards ceremony held in Manama, Bahrain, “With limited resources and mounting challenges facing Governments in the delivery of public services, today’s innovative winners inspire us to work harder to address public service challenges”.
The global event is organized by UN DESA’s Division of Public Administration and Development Management (DPADM) in partnership with the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women).
While contenders cannot nominate themselves, interested institutions deemed to have designed and implemented innovations in any one of the prize categories can have their name put forward by Governments or civil society organizations. Nominations must be made online here from 18 September 2013 until 18 December 2013.
The Intergovernmental Committee of Experts on Sustainable Development Financing will hold its second session on 2-6 December at UN Headquarters in New York.
At the Rio+20 Conference, UN Member States recognized the need for significant mobilization of resources and the effective use of financing, to support developing countries in their efforts to promote sustainable development. Subsequently, the Intergovernmental Committee of Experts on Sustainable Development Financing was created to look into these and related matters.
Following its first session held at the end of August, time has now come for the Committee’s second session. And as this is a committee of experts, the session will be closed. However, in order to fulfill the mandate from Rio+20 to consult with a variety of stakeholders, an open interactive multi-stakeholder dialogue will take place on Thursday 5 December 2013.
The interactive dialogue will be divided into two parts. From 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. the Co-chairs will brief on the work of the Committee, followed by questions and answers from the floor. From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. a panel composed of four representatives from NGOs, business and industry sectors and other Major Groups engaged in the Rio+20 Conference and the Financing for Development process will give presentations, followed by an open discussion with the audience.
In collaboration with Sustainable Energy for All, UN-Energy and the Economic Commission for Africa and UN DESA’s Division for Sustainable Development, a Global Conference on Rural Energy Access will be organized on 4-6 December in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, focusing on a nexus approach to sustainable development and poverty eradication.
The main objective of the event is to strengthen capacities on policy, technical, and entrepreneurial approaches to rural energy access for eradicating poverty and promoting sustainable development in rural communities.
More specifically, the Conference will aim to promote dialogue among practitioners, experts, donors and policy-makers to facilitate closer cooperation on rural energy access. It will seek to assess potential integrated policy options to address rural energy and to identify synergies that can be realized from the links between energy and other development factors including health, education, economic growth, gender, water and food security.
A further objective of the Conference is to encourage a discussion on ways to apply models and practices to allow the scaling up of the use of clean cook stoves and stand-alone renewable energy systems. Participants will aim to identify best practices and lessons learned on sharing international and country-level experiences in rural energy-access development. Furthermore, the Conference is to assist participants in identifying relevant renewable energy products, systems and services for rural communities and support the Rio+20 follow-up process and the post-2015 development agenda.
The Conference will also host a technology exhibition, at which 30 organisations are planning to showcase their equipment, products and services related to rural energy access.
The sixth session of the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals will take place on 9-13 December at UN Headquarters in New York.
The first two days will be dedicated to discussing means of implementation (science and technology, knowledge-sharing and capacity building) and global partnership for achieving sustainable development. Days three and four will be devoted to deliberating the needs of countries in special situations, African countries, Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries, and Small Island Developing States, as well as specific challenges facing the middle-income countries. The final day will focus on human rights, the right to development, and global governance.
The issues will be explored through an interactive dialogue which will include keynote speeches and panel discussions. Issues briefs produced by the UN System Technical Support team, as well as the draft programme and further information, can be found on the Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform (SDKP) (see link below).
Involvement of Major Groups and other Stakeholders in the Open Working Group process has been central from the beginning, and there are a number of ways for them to engage. Representatives from the Major Groups will attend the session as official observers, and the Co-chairs will meet with Major Groups and other Stakeholders from 9 am to 10am each of the five mornings of the session. Input can also be provided via the Thematic Clusters on the SDKP.
The High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development (HLD) was held on 3 and 4 October 2013, marking the second time in history that the United Nations considered international migration and development in the General Assembly. With consideration of Secretary-General’s report for HLD an outcome Declaration has been adopted.
The overall theme of the 2013 HLD was identifying concrete measures to strengthen coherence and cooperation at all levels in order to enhance the benefits of migration and to address its challenges. The report of the Secretary-General for the HLD (A/68/190), prepared by DESA with inputs from the Global Migration Group (GMG) and the SRSG for Migration, identified an 8-point agenda for action, with concrete measures to protect the rights of migrants and to leverage the benefits of migration for development.
Echoing many of the points put forward in the SG’s report, Member States adopted a Declaration of the High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development during the opening of the event (A/68/L.5). This joint declaration showed that since the first HLD, which had resulted in a Chair’s summary, trust between Member States had grown, allowing them to agree on some key principles and recommendations on international migration and development. In particular, the declaration recognizes the important contributions migrants make to countries of origin, transit and destination. It acknowledges the need to integrate both development and human rights dimensions into the migration debate and calls for safe, orderly and regular migration. The declaration also recognizes migration as a key factor for sustainable development and calls for integrating migration into the post-2015 development agenda. Other points in the declaration refer to practical initiatives to assist and support migrants stranded in vulnerable situations; to promote conditions for cheaper transfer of remittances, and to improve the collection of migration data.
The HLD was opened by the President of the General Assembly, the Secretary-General and the President of the Economic and Social Council. The opening also featured Sweden as the Chair of the State-led Global Forum on Migration and Development, Professor Ian Goldin as an eminent person in the field of international migration, a migrant, and the rapporteur of the informal hearings of civil society. The Deputy-Secretary-General and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for migration Peter Sutherland participated in the closing.
Parallel to the plenary meeting, four interactive roundtables, co-chaired by Member States, were organized featuring multi-stakeholder panels, including Member States, international organizations and civil society. The round tables focused on (a) migration and the post-2015 development agenda; (b) human rights of migrants, human trafficking and migrant smuggling; (c) partnerships and cooperation in migration, and (d) regional labour mobility.
More than 100 Member States, many at the ministerial and vice-ministerial level, about 350 civil society representatives as well as numerous permanent observers and international organizations participated in the event. The role of civil society in the 2013 HLD was significantly greater than it had been in 2006. Thus, several NGO and civil society representatives were allowed to speak in the plenary, while they also participated in roundtables either as panelists or as speakers from the floor.
In their presentations, many Member States covered national practices and recommended measures to address migration challenges and to leverage migration for development. There were calls to develop a framework for the mutual recognition of qualifications and diplomas; to regulate the recruitment industry; to reduce the costs of migration, especially recruitment and remittance transfer fees; to engage diaspora groups; to respect migrant labour rights; to develop circular migration programmes; to improve the evidence base; and to promote coherence, partnerships and collaboration at the national, bilateral, regional and global levels.
For more on the High-level Dialogue, including preparatory activities, the report of the Secretary-General, the outcome documents and other relevant documentation, recordings of the meeting sessions, as well as an inventory of the statements, see http://www.un.org/esa/population/meetings/HLD2013/mainhld2013.html?main
Major Groups and other stakeholders will have an intersessional meeting with members of the Open Working Group on sustainable development goals on 22 November , just before the Group holds its fifth session from 25 to 27 November. They will be able to make suggestions on how the Open Working Group could address several cross-cutting issues regarding the sustainable development goals (SDGs).
The meeting will be designed as a dynamic dialogue. It will help conceptualize a number of things, such as: practical approaches to rights-based SDGs that integrate the three dimensions of sustainable development; SDGs that are designed to eradicate poverty, mitigate inequalities and lead to inclusiveness; how to make good governance and multi-stakeholder partnerships the building blocks of the SDGs; how to design SDGs that foster human and economic development within planetary boundaries.
The Co-Chairs of the Open Working Group will co-chair the sessions with members of Major Groups and other stakeholders and have invited Open Working Group Member States to attend at the highest level. They will circulate a summary with highlights of the discussions at the Open Working Group’s fifth session.
Since not all stakeholders with an interest in contributing to the conversation will be able to attend the event, several measures to collect their inputs will be taken. Major Groups and other Stakeholders will be able to share their inputs in a pre-consultation ahead of 22 November, on the Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform.
The intersessional meeting will be live streamed on UN Web TV and it will be possible to send comments and questions to the participants at the meeting via UN DESA’s Division for Sustainable Development’s Twitter channel (@SustDev, #SustDev).
The Second Committee (economic and financial matters) began its work on 9 October and has concluded its traditional general debate on Friday, 11 October. Key issues emerging from the debate comprised the implementation of the MDGs and the outcomes of Rio+20 and elaboration of the post 2015 development agenda.
The Second Committee began its work under the Chairmanship of H.E. Mr. Abdou Salam Diallo, Permanent Representative of Senegal with an organizational meeting and the election of its bureau. This was followed in the afternoon with statements by the Chairman, the USG of UN DESA, delivered on his behalf by Ms. Shamshad Akhtar, ASG of UN DESA, and a key note address by Professor Chetty of Harvard University (see article in Capacity development section).
The traditional general debate of the Second Committee was concluded on Friday 11 October 2013. Over ninety speakers participated in the debate, eight of them representing country groups (G77 and China, EU, ASEAN, LDCs, LLDCs, AOSIS, CARICOM and CELAC).
The key issues that emerged in the presentations and the debate are below:
The analysis of economic and social policy is being transformed by new data and methods, as opposed to traditional theory-driven study of macro questions. Thus improving micro-level policy decisions can have great macro-level impacts, and harnessing big data can provide the evidence base for designing many sustainable development policies.
The world economy was in a state of flux, driven by uncertainty and risk. Five years after the global economic and financial crisis, most developed economies were experiencing sluggish recovery, while growth in emerging economies faced new challenges, including heightened volatility of international capital flows.
The implementation of the MDGs and the outcomes of Rio+20 and the process for the elaboration of the post 2015 development agenda stood out as the priority issue.
Climate change was seen as a critical challenge that needs singular attention, and was linked directly to poverty eradication and the achievement of sustainable development goals.
World economic and financial situation and global economic governance, and international development cooperation were treated simultaneously, although there were clear differences in approach between developing and developed countries, especially regarding the cause and effect of the crisis.
On trade, developing countries led the call for fair, transparent rule-based and development oriented trade outcomes in follow-up to the Doha Round. The debate set up high expectations for the upcoming Bali conference later in the year that many said should have a successful outcome.
Countries in special situations and Africa, with the land-locked developing countries, the least developed countries, the Small Island Developing States and Africa, supported by a many countries, continued to advocate for the need to address their special circumstances and to support the upcoming conferences on their issues.
The QCPR, with the emphasis that it should be implemented fully, and also with the messages that funding is linked to the effective delivery of operational activities, and that “delivering as one” still needs dedicated support.
The impact of globalization: challenges and solutions
On 23 October, the Second Committee considered agenda item 21(a) on globalization and interdependence, including sub-item: The role of the United Nations in promoting development in the context of globalization and interdependence.
The report of the Secretary-General, prepared for agenda item 21(a), highlights the impact of globalization on the achievement of sustainable development and explores implications for a unified, universal, people-centered sustainable development agenda for the post-2015 era. The report highlights several challenges and offers policy recommendations to address them. Ms. Shamshad Akhtar, Assistant Secretary General for Economic Development, UN DESA, introduced the report of the Secretary-General (A/68/259) on this agenda item.
In particular, the report notes that the effectiveness of multilateralism should be enhanced to fully realize the opportunities created by globalization and minimize and manage its costs and risks. The United Nations could further promote multilateral coordination, coherence and accountability in the post-2015 era. Therefore, the proper functioning of the institutional framework for the review and follow-up work in the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council, including the new High-level Political Forum, will be essential. There is also need for a longer-term strategy for repositioning the UN development system to address current global realities and emerging challenges and interdependencies in such dimensions as function, funding, capacity, partnerships, organizational arrangements and governance.
Shaping globalization to ensure benefits for everyone
Many delegations addressed these issues in their interventions, including representatives of the G77 and China, CARICOM, ASEAN, and the African Group. Delegates stated that globalization should be shaped to ensure that it benefits everyone by using a multilateral approach. The UN should promote coherence of review and follow up and greater coordination. The focus on middle-income countries in the report was welcomed by several Member States.
Several Member States called for a renewed global partnership to address the challenges of globalization. Delegates emphasized that international trade does not always lead to sustainable development. Trade must also be equitable, and a rules-based global trading system will help achieve more balanced development. The G77 and China also voiced their concern with the lack of access to technology by developing countries and stressed that technology transfer should be facilitated through multilateral partnerships.
Delegations also emphasized that coherent international policy support is required for the post-2015 development agenda. Multilateralism, as well as global governance, will need to be strengthened, along with strong multilateral institutions, to ensure that the post-2015 global development agenda, facilitated by an inclusive multilateral system, will be able to distribute globalization benefits for everyone.
The sixth High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development will be held on 7 and 8 October at UN Headquarters, on the overall theme “The Monterrey Consensus, Doha Declaration on Financing for Development and related outcomes of major United Nations conferences and summits: status of implementation and tasks ahead”.
The two-day event will include a series of plenary meetings chaired by the President of the General Assembly, at which ministers and high-level officials will be able to make formal statements, three interactive multi-stakeholder round tables and an informal interactive dialogue, with the participation of all relevant stakeholders. The themes of the three round tables and the interactive dialogue will be as follows:
Round table 1: “The impact of the world financial and economic crisis on the reform of the international monetary and financial system and its implications for development”;
Round table 2: “Mobilization of public and private financing, including foreign direct investment and other private flows, and fostering international trade and sustainable debt financing, in the context of financing for development”;
Round table 3: “The role of financial and technical development cooperation, including innovative sources of development finance, in leveraging the mobilization of domestic and international financial resources for sustainable development”;
Informal interactive dialogue: “The link between financing for development and achieving the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals, and advancing the United Nations development agenda beyond 2015”.
At the closing, the President of the General Assembly will make concluding remarks summarizing the main points of discussions. Full summary by the President will be issued as an official UN document.
The NGO Committee on Ageing is celebrating the 2013 International Day of Older Persons on 9 October at UN Headquarters.
This year, in commemoration of the International Day of Older Persons (1 October), the theme “The future we want: what older persons are saying” has been chosen to draw attention to the efforts of older persons, civil society organisations, United Nations organizations and Member States to place the issue of ageing on the international development agenda.
The Second Committee is expected to start its work on 9 October 2013 at UN Headquarters, with an opening address by UN DESA Under-Secretary-General Mr. Wu Hongbo and a keynote address by a prominent economist.
The UN DESA Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination (OESC) will coordinate the organization of several special events, subject to the approval of the incoming bureau. Proposed events include joint Second Committee/ECOSOC events on the future of employment; finding a path to delivering the MDGs; and inequality and the global outlook, with the participation of experts from Project LINK. Other proposed events are a briefing on the implementation of the Convention on Biodiversity, which was mandated by the Second Committee, as well as a panel discussion on strengthening vulnerability resilience of Small Island Developing States (SIDS), in preparation of the Third International Conference on SIDS.
The 2013 Commemoration of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (IDEP) will be held on 17 October at UN Headquarters, focusing on the theme “Working together towards a world without discrimination: Building on the experience and knowledge of people in extreme poverty”.
This year’s event is organized in partnership with the International Movement ATD Fourth World, the NGO Sub-committee for the Eradication of Poverty and UN DESA, supported by the Missions of France and Burkina Faso to the United Nations.
In addition to the Commemoration in New York, celebrations of the Day are being organized worldwide. Through resolution A/RES/47/196 adopted on 22 December 1992, the General Assembly invited all States to devote the Day to presenting and promoting concrete activities with regard to the eradication of poverty and destitution.
To advance the dialogue on development cooperation, the Government of Switzerland and the UN DESA are organizing a High-Level Symposium of the UN Development Cooperation Forum (DCF) on “Development cooperation in a post-2015 era: sustainable development for all”. It will take place in Montreux, Switzerland, from 24-25 October 2013
The international community is preparing for a post-2015 development agenda. The environmental and social challenges of today show that a holistic approach to sustainable development is urgently needed. Silos between the economic, social and environmental spheres have to be broken down to ensure integrated action on all three aspects. What does this mean for development cooperation? And how can development cooperation help to achieve sustainable development for all?
Building a unified and universal agenda
Significant progress has been made on many of the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), yet major challenges remain. The global development agenda beyond 2015 will not only have to complete any unfinished business of the MDGs. It will also have to put the world on a more sustainable development path.
Climate change and environmental degradation are threatening to reverse gains made in developing countries and are also affecting developed countries. This shows the need for an agenda not only unified in its thematic focus but also universal in its applicability to all countries. At Rio+20, world leaders agreed on the need to integrate the three dimensions of sustainable development – environmental, economic and social – in the post-2015 development agenda.
Implications for development cooperation
Effective development cooperation will be critical to the success of the post-2015 development agenda. This means development cooperation will have to evolve. Instruments, channels and division of labour among partners will have to adapt. Additional resources – public and private, domestic and international – will also be required to eradicate poverty and achieve sustainable development, including addressing climate change and other global challenges.
It will be important to ensure that a greater focus on sustainable development is truly an integrated approach and does not detract attention and resources from poverty eradication. More, development cooperation should be geared to help to break down the silos between the environmental, social and economic strands of work streams.
There is need to assess the use of all available forms of financing for sustainable development, including public and private, cross-border and domestic sources. This will give some countries more room to manoeuvre, as they find themselves exposed to a more diverse range of stakeholders to work with. Other countries, may find traditional funding reduced. There is an urgent need to ensure that resources are equitably distributed and reach the poorest countries and people.
Launching this dialogue in Switzerland
To advance the dialogue on these issues, the Government of Switzerland and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs are together organizing the High-Level Symposium of the United Nations Development Cooperation Forum (DCF) on “Development cooperation in a post-2015 era: sustainable development for all”. The second in the series of preparatory symposiums for the July 2014 DCF, the symposium will take place in Montreux, Switzerland from 24-25 October 2013. With its multi-stakeholder character, the DCF can bring together a plurality of actors. High-level representatives from governments in developing and developed countries, Southern partners, the private sector, academia, civil society and international organizations will all participate.
Bringing together the environmental and development portfolios
Given its focus, this symposium is a great opportunity to bring ministers from the environmental, economic and development portfolios together to discuss the challenges a renewed global partnership for development will have to address in the post-2015 era and to assess how development cooperation will have to evolve to best help to advance this future agenda.
The symposium will further examine the potential implications of a post-2015 development agenda for the allocation of different types of resources, both among and within countries and sectors. It will focus on how development cooperation can be used to mobilize additional public and private resource to finance sustainable development and how coherence in approaches to different types of financing and accessibility of funding can be ensured. It will also look at how global monitoring of and accountability for development cooperation would have to change in the post-2015 setting.
The 2014 Development Cooperation Forum
The 2014 Development Cooperation Forum of the United Nations Economic and Social Counil, taking place in July 2014 in New York, will help to advance the global dialogue on the future of development cooperation in the post-2015 agenda.
To support the preparations for the 2014 DCF, UNDESA is organizing three High-Level Symposia in partnership with UN member States and a number of high-level preparatory meetings focusing on thematic aspects such as gender, South-South Cooperation or philanthropic engagement in development cooperation. Ethiopia hosted the first High-Level Symposium in June 2013, with a focus on the renewed global partnership for development. In March 2014, Germany will host the concluding High-Level Symposium in the cycle, examining global accountability and effective development cooperation in the post-2015 era.
In response to the ECOSOC resolution on the progress in the implementation of resolution 67/226 on the Quadrennial comprehensive policy review (QCPR), a Task Team consisting of DESA, DOCO and other UNDG representatives has commenced work to refine the QCPR monitoring and indicator framework.
The objective of the Task Team is to merge UN DESA’s preliminary QCPR monitoring and indicator framework with UNDG’s QCPR Action Plan to produce a single coherent, concise and comprehensive QCPR monitoring framework. The Task Team will also develop a clear and simplified methodology for data collection that minimizes transaction costs while capturing the depth and breadth of the work of the UN system to inform the SG’s report to ECOSOC on QCPR implementation. The Team is expected to complete these objectives by the end of October.
The world has the opportunity to use the Third Conference on Small Island Developing States in Apia, Samoa, next year to forge partnerships to address critical issues concerning sustainability in small islands, according to world leaders who met in the margins of the UN General Assembly on 25 September.
The conference – to be held from 1 to 4 September 2014 in Apia, Samoa – will focus global attention on the small island developing states that remain a special case for sustainable development because of their unique and particular vulnerabilities.
It will also serve as an important opportunity to galvanize partnerships for action on sustainable development in small island developing States, including on issues such as climate change, oceans, waste, sustainable tourism, and disaster risk reduction.
The island states have adopted the theme for the Conference, proposed by Samoa, of “sustainable development of small island states through genuine and durable partnerships.”
“We need to bring more attention to the problems that small island developing states face, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the leaders. “Many of your countries are isolated. Your markets are too small to realize economies of scale. All small island developing sates are exposed to high risks from environmental threats, especially climate change.”
But he said the world has not paid enough attention to the issues that the islanders, often on the frontlines, have had to face alone.
Involve more actors through social media
“If we are honest, we have to acknowledge that the 1994 Conference on small island developing states did not attract much international attention.” The difference now, he said, is that there are many more actors involved on the climate issue now than there were in 1994, and communications have grown more inclusive and participative with the rise of social media.
UN General Assembly President John Ashe said the theme of partnerships not only applies to small island developing states, but also to “the effective delivery of all our broader development goals, which will require empowered partnerships based upon mutual trust, equality, respect, and accountability.”
He said partnerships can play a key role in addressing specific areas of concern, including climate change, disaster resilience, energy, oceans and seas, waste management, sustainable tourism, and environmental audits and indicator systems.
“The primary benefit of partnership,” he said, “is that it builds on skills, efforts, shared vision, expertise and comparative advantages of different committed actors while offering something greater than one part; partnerships widen the circle of possibilities and opportunities. That is why we look to them – look to each other – in achieving our goals. For SIDS countries, and indeed all countries, they will become increasingly important as our global interconnection continues to deepen and expand.”
Samoan Prime Minister Tuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi said Samoa wants to use the Conference strengthen partnerships. “Partnerships must be encouraged at all levels, national, regional and international, including among SIDS.” But he added that the measure of success for the Conference was not the quantity of the resources mobilized or the number of initiatives launched, but ultimately, it was their quality in benefiting the people of the small island developing States.
The road to Samoa will not be easy
Barbados Minister of Foreign Affairs & Trade Maxine McClean said, “The Road to Samoa will not be easy. But we have provided ourselves with the right tools to ensure that we will navigate all challenges and have a successful outcome.”
She added that the first International Year of SIDS will help. “We have an unprecedented moment throughout 2014 to elevate our voices, and embark on new development collaborations and partnerships with the UN System, Major Groups and the wider international community. While we seek to highlight our vulnerabilities, 2014 will also give us the opportunity to showcase our culture and or technological achievements.”
Other speakers included the European Union’s President Joao Manuel Barroso, New Zealand Prime Minister John Key, Foreign Minister José García-Margallo of Spain, Environment Minister Andrea Orlando of Italy, Development Minister Cevdet Yilmaz of Turkey, who all reaffirmed their commitment to continue supporting SIDS development efforts as well as the Conference itself, through genuine and durable partnerships.
After promoting sustainable development for two decades, the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) held its last session on Friday, 20th September. The concluding meeting took place just before the inaugural session of the High-level Political Forum on sustainable development on Tuesday, 24 September, which has replaced the CSD.
A bold and new idea that emerged from the 1992 Earth Summit, the CSD was the first UN body established to promote and monitor the implementation of sustainable development. It broke new ground by including an array of participants from civil society in its deliberations. The CSD also served as the launching pad for a range of new initiatives, treaties, and organizations aimed at addressing particular issues within the sustainable development agenda.
But over time, participants expressed concern that progress in implementing sustainable development was lagging and that the issue needed to be addressed at a higher level. Therefore, in the Rio+20 outcome document “The Future We Want,” Member States called for the creation of the High-Level Political Forum to ensure that sustainable development tops the agenda of the highest levels of government and is embraced by all actors.
CSD taught us many lessons
The Chairperson of the final CSD session, Bektas Mukhamedzhanov, Kazakh Vice-Minister of Environment Protection, said “the CSD played a critical role to maintain the momentum on sustainable development. CSD taught us many lessons on how the Forum can deliver on this responsibility.”
“We are entering a new period in history,” said UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Wu Hongbo. “There is a realization that sustainable development—the integration of policies and actions that promote economic and social well-being that also protect the environment—has to have a prominent place on the international agenda at the highest levels. The Commission on Sustainable Development has served us well, yet we have to recognize that we need to urgently accelerate action. The High Level Political Forum will help us do just that.”
Former CSD Chair Gerda Verburg, the only woman to chair the Commission in its history, said that what we need from the HLPF is an “integrated and result-oriented approach, without dogmas and a fixation on talks and negotiation. It is our generation that can and has to make the difference”.
A platform for inspiring action
The CSD has been credited with helping countries share ideas and best practices and many believe that it provided a platform for inspiring action. The work of the Commission led to the establishment of the UN Forum on Forests, which has advanced progress on sustainable forestry through the adoption of the non-legally binding instrument on all types of forests in 2007. A recommendation of the Commission led to the process that established the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade, as well as the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants.
The Commission has also advanced progress in the areas of oceans, water and energy, among others, and has worked to promote sustainable development in small island developing states.
According to a report of the UN Secretary-General on the lessons learned from the Commission, the contributions achieved by the CSD were also accompanied by a number of shortcomings. The report pointed to shortcomings in fully integrating the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development and in its review and impact on the implementation of sustainable development.
The new High-Level Political Forum will be shaped with these useful lessons in mind and its first session revealed an optimism and determination that bodes well for the future.
Fore more information, including a video summarizing the CSD’s history and video messages from two of its Chairs, please see: http://bit.ly/18XacL9. A short video on the HLPF can be found here: http://bit.ly/18cx3p1
With the goal of reinvigorating sustainable development efforts, world leaders gathered at the UN Headquarters on 24 September for the inaugural session of the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.
The convening of this new Forum represents a major step forward in the follow-up to the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20). The forum was born from the realization that there had been insufficient progress in implementing sustainable development — and in promoting prosperity and social well-being while protecting the environment — at a time when many global challenges threaten to roll back the successes achieved in fighting poverty.
In the outcome document of Rio+20, “The Future We Want”, Member States accordingly decided to create a high-level political forum to ensure that sustainable development tops the agenda at the highest levels of Government and is embraced by all actors.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said “The Forum is a key platform for examining today’s challenges in a holistic and integrated manner. It can be the catalyst for a strengthened global partnership for sustainable development, providing political leadership grounded in solid science.” He announced the creation of a Scientific Advisory Board to strengthen the science-policy interface. Addressing the Major Groups, the Secretary-General said “We need your ideas, expertise and leadership.” He added that the forum would engage the full range of sustainable development actors.
General Assembly President John Ashe said that the meeting had confirmed world leaders’ readiness to put poverty eradication and sustainable development at the core of the post-2015 development agenda. He highlighted that the HLPF will undoubtedly play a pivotal role in the elaboration and the implementation of this agenda. “It should be the home for concrete guidance in the review of the sustainable development goals, their implementation and monitoring, as well as integration of the three dimensions of sustainable development by all actors. It will, if properly used, become the tool for embedding or mainstreaming sustainable development at all levels”.
The GA President also emphasized that the Forum has been afforded the rare opportunity to get things right from the start, because a new institution is a clean slate. “The slate of the HLPF waits for us to write in its purpose and its future. We have the opportunity to set the tone, tenor, scope of action, level of engagement, achievement and productivity for which this Forum will become known. Through our efforts in this Forum we can and must offer our citizens new hope and new solutions,” he said.
Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Wu Hongbo stressed the importance of grounding the work of the forum in science and scientific findings. He presented the summary of the prototype Global Sustainable Development Report aimed at making this happen. He called for a new initiative to improve the quality and quantity of data on sustainable development.
The Forum has a novel institutional structure, bringing Heads of State and Government together every four years, under the auspices of the General Assembly. Their deliberations will translate into an inter-governmentally agreed declaration. The Forum will also meet annually, under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council at the ministerial level. In both formats, the forum will aim to promote implementation of sustainable development and address new challenges.
Starting in 2016, the Forum will include reviews on the implementation of sustainable development by all countries and the United Nations system, which should allow greater accountability and focus on action on the ground.
The President of Brazil and the Prime Minister of Italy spoke at the opening of the forum. ECOSOC President Néstor Osorio, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, and International Monetary Fund Chairperson Christine Lagarde were also among those addressing the Forum. The opening was followed by a series of “Leaders Dialogues” that explored the role of the forum in translating the vision of Rio+20 into action, the global partnerships that create jobs and improve sustainable lifestyles and mapping the way forward for poverty eradication.18 Heads of State or Government and 30 Ministers spoke. Representatives from civil society participated in all the discussions.
The Forum replaces the Commission on Sustainable Development, which concluded its work on 20 September after 20 years of promoting sustainable development.
As the General Assembly adopted a landmark outcome document aimed at promoting disability-inclusive development, during its first-ever high-level meeting on that topic, that took place on 23 September, its President underlined the text’s significance as the instrument to guide efforts towards the creation of a fully inclusive society through 2015 and beyond.
“Given the size of such a marginalized group, the onus is on us all to ensure that any future sustainable development goals include the disabled,” Assembly President John Ashe (Antigua and Barbuda) stressed, pointing out the absence of any reference to people with disabilities in all eight Millennium Development Goals. The international community had now realized that it would be impossible to meet development targets, including the Millennium Goals, without incorporating the rights, well-being and perspective of persons with disabilities.
By the text adopted today, Heads of State and Government reaffirmed their resolve to work together for disability-inclusive development and for the international community’s commitment to advancing the rights of all persons with disabilities, which was deeply rooted in the goals of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
More ambitious disability-inclusive development strategies
World leaders also underlined the need for urgent action by all relevant stakeholders towards the adoption and implementation of more ambitious disability-inclusive national development strategies, while expressing their resolve to undertake various commitments to address barriers, including those relating to education, health care, employment, legislation, societal attitudes, as well as the physical environment and information and communications technology.
The text urged the United Nations system as well as Member States to stay engaged in efforts to realize the Millennium Development Goals and other internationally agreed development targets for persons with disabilities towards 2015 and beyond. It encouraged the international community to seize every opportunity to include disability as a cross-cutting issue on the global development agenda, including the emerging post-2015 United Nations development framework.
The world’s largest minority
Assembly President Ashe (Antigua and Barbuda), noting that some had labelled the disabled “differently able”, emphasized that people with physical, sensory, mental and intellectual disabilities were “the world’s largest minority”, numbering more than 1 billion. “They are a diverse and varied group, each with unique gifts and abilities, and each with unique challenges,” he said. “They teach us not only lessons about love and respect, but also about persevering against the odds.”
Turning to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, adopted by the Assembly in 2006, he noted that 134 countries had ratified or acceded to the treaty, which had been envisaged from inception as both a human rights and a development instrument.
Lastly, he said international efforts should be focused on providing critical leadership with a view to mobilizing action and support for specific policy commitments in national and regional environments, and to harnessing best practices, experiences and resources from effective multi-stakeholder partnerships.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said 80 per cent of persons with disabilities were of working age, and the same percentage lived in developing countries. Too many of them lived in poverty, suffered from social exclusion, and lacked access to education, employment, health care as well as social and legal support systems. Women and girls with disabilities often experienced double discrimination, and it was therefore necessary to emphasize the gender dimension of a disability-inclusive development agenda. Quoting International Labour Organization (ILO) statistics, he warned that excluding disabled persons could cost economies as much as 7 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP). “Together let us turn a new page in the history of the United Nations by giving full meaning to the outcome document of this meeting,” he said.
Also speaking this morning were Maria Soledad Cisternas Reyes, Chair of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; Yannis Vardakastanis, President of the European Disability Forum; and Stevie Wonder, award-winning musician and United Nations Messenger of Peace.
20 per cent of the world’s poorest people have disabilities
Ms. Reyes said the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was the “lighthouse” that should guide engagement with disabled people in the new century. It was important to ask how their rights could be improved, looking not merely at the disadvantages they faced, but also at how they dealt with barriers and limitations on their actions. Noting that 20 per cent of the world’s poorest people had disabilities, she said it was clear that their ability to exercise human rights and fundamental freedoms was closely related to the exercise of socioeconomic rights.
She said her Committee foresaw the full reflection of the Convention in today’s outcome document. It should prioritize equality and non-discrimination, and include women, girls and boys, older people, indigenous peoples, people in rural areas and those living under humanitarian threats. States must comply with the commitments they had made.
Mr. Vardakastanis said 1 billion people with disabilities were looking to decision-makers nationally and internationally to tackle the exclusion, discrimination and poverty they faced. There was minimal acknowledgement of their rights in international law, despite the Convention’s adoption and ratification. The Millennium Development Goals contained no reference to people with disabilities, a situation that could not be tolerated in the post-2015 development agenda. Disability rights needed mainstreaming under the principles of “inclusion, non-discrimination and equity”, he emphasized.
A world with no limits for persons with disabilities
Mr. Wonder described the Meeting as “historic”, recalling that in his capacity as a Messenger for Peace since 2009, he had been advocating for the fundamental goals of peace, development and human rights for all. As “a man of dreams and hope”, he had sought to create a world with no limits for persons with disabilities who could contribute their talents to society.
He went on to point out that less than 5 per cent of millions of publications were available in a format accessible to the visually impaired, adding that the rate was even lower in the developing world. Braille, large prints and audio books could make a real difference in the lives of more than 300 million visually impaired persons, he said, stressing the need to reflect the voices of the disabled in every effort, whether for peace or development. “Let us all be messengers of peace,” he added, recalling that his mother had allowed him to discover the world, which in turn had led to the discovery of his own talent as a gospel singer and eventually to a recording contract with Motown.
Following the opening segment, the Assembly held two round-table discussions, on the first on “International and regional cooperation and partnerships for disability inclusive development”, and the second on “The post-2015 development agenda and inclusive development for persons with disabilities”.
The United Nations Public Service Awards (UNPSA) has now started to accept nominations for the award. The UNPSA rewards the creative achievements and contributions of public service institutions that lead to a more effective, innovative and responsive public administration in countries worldwide.
Nominations can be submitted online at www.unpan.org/applyunpsa2014 from 18 September 2013 and the closing date is 18 December 2013.
The 2014 UNPSA consists the following categories:
1. Improving the Delivery of Public Services;
2. Fostering Participation in Policy-Making Decisions through Innovative Mechanisms;
3. Promoting Whole-of-Government Approaches in the Information Age
4. Promoting Gender Responsive Delivery of Public Services.
The sixty-eighth session of the General Assembly will convene at United Nations Headquarters in New York on 17 September. The President of the GA will host a Special Event towards achieving the MDGs on 25 September.
Following the opening on 17 September, the General Assembly will hold the High-level Meeting on the Realization of the Millennium Development Goals and Other Internationally Agreed Development Goals for Persons with Disabilities on Monday, 23 September. This will be followed by the general debate of Heads of State and Government from 24 September to 2 October. During the weeks of the general debate, a series of high-level events will be held.
On Wednesday, 25 September, the President-Elect of the 68th session of the General Assembly, Ambassador John W. Ashe, will host the Special Event to follow up efforts made towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals.
Other high-level meetings include the High-level Political Forum on Tuesday, 24 September, the High-level Meeting on Nuclear Disarmament on Thursday, 26 September, and the High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development on Thursday, 3, and Friday, 4 October.
Special Event towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals
The Special Event of the President of the General Assembly, which will be convened on Wednesday, 25 September at 9:00 am – 6:30 PM at the Trusteeship Council Chamber as a one-day event, is a critical milestone as we approach the target date 2015 for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. It provides an opportunity for Member States to renew their commitments to the Goals, to intensify all efforts for their achievement by 2015, and to chart the way forward. To this end, the Special Event will focus on gaps and weaknesses, and the acceleration of the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals, as well as looking forward to the post-2015 Development Agenda. The Special Event is expected to conclude with a short outcome document.
Several high-level side events are being organized around the Special Event. Their main objective is to promote the replication and scaling up of approaches which have worked to accelerate MDG implementation. In addition, they will also provide a space for collective thinking on the key elements of a post-2015 development agenda. On September 23, for example, the Secretary-General will host a high-level forum on “MDG Success: Accelerating action and partnering for impact”. The forum will focus on concrete examples of scaling up success and identifying further opportunities. The emphasis will be on the “how” – bringing together examples from partnerships across the spectrum of the MDGs and the Secretary-General’s multi-stakeholder initiatives and movements, such as Every Woman Every Child, Sustainable Energy for All, Global Education First, Zero Hunger Challenge, the Scaling Up Nutrition Movement, and the Call to Action on Sanitation.
A side event on “Effectiveness and accountability in the post-2015 development agenda – lessons from the MDG experience” is organized in New York on 25 September.
Building on the lessons learnt from the Millennium Development Goals, the Government of Germany and DESA are advancing this discussion in light of the post-2015 development agenda. Effective monitoring and inclusive accountability mechanisms are essential aspects of development cooperation and the global partnership for development. They help to ensure effectiveness and the sustainability of development results. The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) have galvanized the world behind a globally shared development agenda and around a set of eight development priorities. As the MDGs are moving towards their end date of 2015, the international community must work towards a global development agenda beyond 2015. To put the world on a sustainable development path, such an agenda must not only continue to address the priorities of the MDGs but must also address emerging issues, mostly around environmental sustainability.
Effective monitoring and inclusive accountability mechanisms at all levels will be critical for the successful implementation of the post-2015 development agenda. This is a key lesson which the international community has learned from the MDG experience.
Advancing the dialogue on accountability and monitoring
Drawing upon its extensive work on mutual accountability and monitoring, both at the country and international level, the United Nations Development Cooperation Forum (DCF) is aiming to kick start an in-depth discussion on a post-2015 monitoring and accountability framework. It will do with its DCF High-level Symposium in Berlin, Germany. Set for March 2014, the symposium will analyze and explore potential characteristics of and principles for monitoring and accountability to support the post-2015 development agenda.
Preparing for the Germany High-Level Symposium
In preparation for the symposium, the Government of Germany and UNDESA are organizing a luncheon side event on “Effectiveness and accountability in the post-2015 development agenda- lessons from the MDG experience” under the auspices of ECOSOC’s Development Cooperation Forum. The side event will take place at United Nations Headquarters on 25 September 2013 from 1:15 PM to 2:45 PM. The interactive event will provide an occasion for panelists and participants to begin to identify elements of an effective and inclusive monitoring and accountability framework for the post-2015 development agenda.
The International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples will take place on 9 August in New York. The theme will be “Indigenous peoples building alliances: Honouring treaties, agreements and other constructive arrangements”.
An interactive dialogue will take place on Friday, 9 August at 3:00 pm, in Conference Room 1 of the UN Headquarters. The event will feature remarks by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, DESA’s Under-Secretary-General Wu Hongbo and Paul Kanyinke Sena, Chairperson of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.
The commemoration aims at emphasizing the importance of honouring treaties and agreements, as frameworks for them living in proximity and entering into peaceful and constructive relationships.
The panel members will address the following key issues:
1) The importance of honouring treaties, agreements and other constructive arrangements between States and indigenous peoples;
2) The importance of living up to the terms of the agreements, as instruments outlining a political vision of different sovereign peoples living together in friendship, cooperation and peace on the same land;
3) The central role of the recognition and implementation of the principle of development with culture and identity, characterized by inter-culturality and environmental sustainability for enhancing holistic visions of harmony between human being and with nature, in recognition of the spiritual, cultural and historic relationship between indigenous peoples and their lands and natural resources;
4) The impact of initiatives at grassroots level to revive the shared history and the commitment of indigenous and non-indigenous peoples to live together in friendship, peace and coexistence, and the influence on Governments to live up to such commitments;
5) The importance of strengthening partnerships and building alliances between indigenous and non-indigenous peoples towards the achievement of common goals, for example respecting values such as buen vivir, which can be universally applicable as a step towards developing other options such as treaties, agreements, or other constructive arrangements. The notion of buen vivir The concepts of sumac kawsay in Kichwa, suma qamaña in Aymara, and buen vivir (living well) in Spanish have been endorsed in the constitutions of Bolivia and Ecuador and they point out the relevance of culture for life and of living together in security and peace. (living-well) means more than just multi-culturality – a simple coexistence or juxtaposition of different cultures. It introduces the concept of inter-culturality, whereby different cultures interact in dialogue and in practice for the promotion of an alternative development in which the objectives of economic growth make way for considerations of wellbeing of the individual in the social context of a community and in a unique environmental situation.
Videos on local experiences of cooperation between indigenous and non-indigenous peoples will be screened during the event.
In recognition of the first meeting of the United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Populations held in Geneva in 1982, the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples was first proclaimed by the General Assembly in December 1994.
The event will be broadcast live via UN Webcast starting at 3:00 pm EST (TBC). Please follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/UN4Indigenous
Gathering world leaders and UN agencies and holding a record number of side events, the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) has worked hard for the past month focusing on some of the most pressing challenges facing the world today. The Council’s Annual Ministerial Review (AMR) focused on “Science, technology and innovation, and the potential of culture for promoting sustainable development and achieving the Millennium Development Goals”
High-level Segment (1-4 July) – A need for innovation to advance on MDGs
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon joined the President of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Néstor Osorio, Permanent Representative of Colombia, in welcoming numerous ministers, high-level government officials, prominent innovators from academia, civil society and the private sector, as well as UN system partners, to the Council’s High-level segment taking place in Geneva on 1-4 July.
Delivering his opening remarks as a contribution to the Council’s Annual Ministerial Review (AMR) on “Science, technology and innovation, and the potential of culture for promoting sustainable development and achieving the Millennium Development Goals”, the Secretary-General said, “Every development success has drawn in large measure from absorbing knowledge, technology and ideas and adapting them to local conditions… In other words, by innovating”. He continued by pointing to the need for innovation to drive a two-pronged approach to progress within the UN development system, recognizing the need for advancement on the Millennium Development Goals, while simultaneously laying the foundation for the post-2015 development agenda.
This year’s high-level segment reinforced the role of ECOSOC as a key platform for countries and development partners to discuss, review and make recommendations on policies for overcoming the key sustainability challenges of our time. National voluntary presentations were given by four countries—France, Nigeria, Peru and Viet Nam—offering country-based information on success factors in working to embed science, technology, innovation and culture into national development strategies.
The launch of the Global Innovation Index (GII)—presented jointly by its co-authors the World Intellectual Property Organization, INSEAD and Cornell University—and organization of the ECOSOC Innovation Fair contributed to the international dimension of the theme and deliberations. Both events presented tangible proof of the importance of international collaboration and partnerships in driving innovation, as well as the links between policymaking, norms and evidence-based decision-making.
During this year’s High-level segment, the Council introduced an innovation in its working methods, through the inclusion of a session called the Implementation Forum. The Forum served as a space for the announcement of concrete initiatives, as well as brainstorming around future areas of collaboration for the Council and its key stakeholders, such as the promotion of online educational resources and better linkages between youth and global science initiatives.
The High-level segment concluded with the Thematic debate, which focused on the fulfilment of ECOSOC’s mandate in relation to shaping the post-2015 development agenda and integrating the three pillars of sustainable development. In addition to the outputs provided by the aforementioned components of the segment, several crucial priorities for ECOSOC’s attention were mentioned, including rising inequality, off-track MDGs and building a sustainable future.
The adoption of the Ministerial Declaration remains pending due to lack of agreement on language regarding the right to self-determination of people living under foreign occupation. Apart from this, the Declaration reflects consensus on many issues concerning the importance of science, technology, innovation and culture as potential solutions to many global development challenges.
High-level Symposium on the Future of Development Cooperation
The Government of Switzerland and UNDESA publicly launched preparations for the DCF Switzerland High-level Symposium on the future of developmment cooperation, with an informal lunch side-event during the High-level Segment of ECOSOC.
The Switzerland Symposium will be an important milestone in bringing the development cooperation and sustainable development tracks together, into a unified and universal global development agenda. It will take place on 24-25 October in Montreux, with a focus on “Development cooperation in a post-2015 era: Moving towards equitable and sustainable development for all”.
At the side-event, Mr. Martin Dahinden, Director-General of the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation, outlined the next steps on the way to the meeting and noted that it should support reaching greater clarity on the future shape of development cooperation and identify key priority areas to focus on in the run-up to 2015.
H.E. Mr. Minelik Alemu Getahun, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Permanent Representative of Ethiopia to the United Nations Office at Geneva, brought to the discussions the key messages of the recent DCF Ethiopia High-level Symposium, on how a renewed global partnership for development could work in practice.
The side event also featured presentations by from Ms. Amina J. Mohammed, Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Post-2015 Development Planning, Mr. Jose Antonio Alonso, Professor of Applied Economics, Computense University, and member of the United Nations Committee on Development Policy, Mr. Klaus Rudischhauser, Deputy Director General, European Commission, Directorate General for Development and Cooperation, EuropeAid, European Commission, Ms. Sigrid Kaag, Assistant Administrator and Director, UNDP Bureau of External Relations and Advocacy (BERA) and Mr. Jonathan Glennie, Research Fellow, Centre for Aid and Pubic Expenditure, Overseas Development Institute.
During the interactive discussion participants outlined that the upcoming Symposium could explore structural issues and questions of policy coherence between development policy and policies directly impacting development progress. Other key messages echoed the claim for the universality of goals in a post-2015 development agenda and to focus on the unfinished business of the MDGs. Transformative change will have to be promoted to be able to place the world on a more sustainable and equitable path, translating also to the means of implementation of the agenda.
Coordination Segment (5-9 July) – Decent work for all
The Coordination Segment of ECOSOC, that took place from 5 to 9 July, reminded us that today’s challenges require the United Nations system to work in a more coordinated and coherent manner to increase the impact of its work. The Council focused on the implementation of the 2012 Ministerial Declaration on “Promoting productive capacity, employment and decent work to eradicate poverty in the context of inclusive, sustainable and equitable economic growth at all levels for achieving the Millennium Development Goals”, including through two panel discussions. The Segment highlighted ways in which United Nations inter-agency collaboration and partnerships with other stakeholders, including the private sector, promote productive capacity, employment and decent work. Discussions on the use of human rights instruments and ILO standards and recommendations to achieve decent work for all demonstrated that our challenge is not just about creating jobs. It is about creating decent work for all and applying the rule of law in the economic and business spheres to protect the rights of individuals.
The Segment also focused on Financing for Development, including through a panel on financing for sustainable development. The panel explored options for a coherent strategy for financing sustainable development in the context of Financing for Development follow-up process, implementation of the outcome of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) and in support of accelerating progress towards the achievement of the MDGs and advancing the UN development agenda beyond 2015.
The Segment provided an opportunity to have a dialogue with the Executive Secretaries of the Regional Commissions on the regional perspectives on the post-2015 development agenda. The key activities of the United Nations Chief Executives Board for Coordination in 2012 to enhance coherence and coordination on policy, operational and management issues of system wide concern were also discussed.
The 2013 Operational Activities Segment, held from 10 to 12 July in Geneva was the first since the adoption of General Assembly resolution 67/226, known as the Quadrennial Comprehensive Policy Review (QCPR). The Segment aimed to assess the progress in and provide further guidance for the implementation of the landmark QCPR resolution. The Council was in particular expected to review the framework to monitor QCPR implementation and consider several policy documents, for example, on independent system-wide evaluation, a new funding modality for the RC system as well as the modalities to approve common country programme documents at country level.
The Segment featured the most significant representation of senior policy makers from capitals in the recent past. 12 countries were represented by ministers and Director-Generals in charge of finance, development planning and development cooperation, which helped to ensure that ECOSOC deliberations were grounded in country-level realities.
Member States engaged in a dialogue on a range of issues relating to QCPR implementation as well as the future role of the UN system. Several key messages emerged from the deliberations.
Firstly, the development context is changing and so must the UN development system. Addressing issues such as access to modern energy services, demographic change, inequality and youth employment is high on the agenda of every government. This changing nature of development challenges warrants serious reflection on what should be the role of the Organization in the new development environment.
Secondly, moving upstream, or in other words, shifting from being primarily a project-based organization to one that is focused on strengthening the capacity of national institutions, is another high priority on the agenda of the UN development system.
Thirdly, while the attention of Member States and the UN system is increasingly shifting towards the post-2015 development agenda, any unfinished business of the MDGs must be completed. In line with the QCPR, poverty reduction should therefore remain a core task of the UN development system.
Fourthly, as development challenges become increasingly global and interconnected, the principle of system-wide coherence should provide the overall direction for reform of the UN development system.
And, fifthly, Member States need to ensure that decision-making processes in capitals work, in a coordinated manner, to advance QCPR implementation. It is particularly important in this regard to ensure that the specialized agencies approach the implementation of the QCPR with the same level of commitment as the funds and programmes.
The dialogue with the Executive Heads of the funds and programmes also revealed that the UN development system has taken a number of steps to implement the QCPR resolution.
While noting progress made in the early implementation of the QCPR resolution, Member States also called for stepped-up action in several areas, including: strengthening of national institutions and capacities; simplification and harmonization of business practices; simplification and harmonization of country programming documents of UN entities and the UNDAF; full implementation of the delivering-as-one approach; improved reporting on financial expenditures at the country level; a streamlined and harmonized system for results reporting by UN entities, with a view to enable effective reporting on the results of the system as a whole at the country level; furthering of joint resources mobilization to reduce unnecessary competition for funds at the country level; and strengthening of the role of the UN resident coordinator.
The Council noted that the quality, relevance and vision of the QCPR resolution do not guarantee its implementation. Indicators, targets and effective monitoring and evaluation mechanisms are an integral part of the QCPR implementation process. The monitoring framework, underpinned by the analytical work of DESA, will be further refined to ensure that it is comprehensive and evidence-based, while also cost-efficient.
The Segment concluded with the adoption of a resolution, which called for strengthening the role of ECOSOC in monitoring QCPR implementation.
Humanitarian Affairs Segment (15-17 July) – A resolution to reaffirms the importance of access
“The future of humanitarian affairs: towards greater inclusiveness, coordination, interoperability and effectiveness.” was the theme of the Humanitarian Affairs Segment (HAS) on 15-17 July. The objective of this year’s HAS was to look forward to how humanitarian actors – as the UN, governments, the private sector, affected communities, and other new partners – can collectively adapt and better respond to the changing humanitarian landscape. Over these three days, this topic was discussed in various fora: two high-level panels, a general debate, a record number of side-events and the first humanitarian trade fair.
This year expanded the number of side-events, with 20 of them focusing on themes such as resilience, preparedness, capacity building, innovation, financing, humanitarian aid effectiveness, and how to improve response in conflict settings. The new addition of the humanitarian trade fair helped to raise awareness and knowledge of what humanitarian innovation can look like, and demonstrate what each actor can contribute to improving humanitarian preparedness and response. Side-events and booths were organized by various partners ranging from governments, UN agencies, NGOs and the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement to the private sector, civil society and the volunteer tech community.
The main outcome of the HAS was the adoption by consensus of a resolution which reaffirms the importance of access, introduces new language on protection and condemns attacks on medical personnel, vehicles and facilities. This resolution also recognizes the crucial role of women in decision-making and the importance of education in emergencies for girls and boys. Member States acknowledged the Secretary-General’s initiative for a World Humanitarian Summit, noting that it provided an opportunity to improve the coordination, capacity and effectiveness of humanitarian response.
One of the objectives of this year’s HAS was to ensure the voices of people affected by crisis were heard and that the innovative work being done by communities themselves was showcased. This was particularly successful in the two high-level panels, organized by OCHA, where representatives of communities affected by crises joined panelists from governments, UN agencies, the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement and academia. Chaired by the ECOSOC Vice-President, Ambassador Masood Khan of Pakistan, and moderated by Under-Secretary-General and Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos, these high-level panels were held on two themes: “reducing vulnerability and managing risk” and “promoting humanitarian innovation for improved response”.
Key highlights of the panel on reducing vulnerability and managing risk included the presentation by Pak Sukiman from the Jalin Merapi on his community’s initiative to use social media and radio to develop an early warning and response system for the Merapi volcano. Muhammad Idrees, from Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Agency, also gave a compelling case for multi-hazard risk analysis and improved joint planning, and shared concrete experiences on how Pakistan has moved towards a more proactive risk management approach. Claus Sorensen from ECHO and Dr. Nick Bostrom from Oxford University contributed to this discussion highlighting the need to continue to reorient the humanitarian efforts around managing the risks of humanitarian crises, rather than simply responding to their impact, an effort that will require the humanitarian and development actors to work more closely together, with governments and local communities.
During the innovation panel, Mohamed Osman, Managing Director of Star FM (radio station that broadcasts humanitarian information programs to Somali refugees), presented on the importance of communication and information with people affected by crisis and demonstrated the positive agents of change that people can be in their own communities, using innovation such as social media and radio. A live feed with young Somali refugees training to be journalists in Dadaab Camp shared their experiences with using media as a tool to improve humanitarian response in their community. Elisabeth Rasmusson from WFP and Wendy Harman from the American Red Cross also sent a clear message that the humanitarian community needs to foster a culture that recognizes and supports innovation within the humanitarian sector and promote more exchange of ideas and better partnership with governments and the private sector.
General Segment (18-25 July) – South Soudan and Haiti
The Council’s General Segment took place from 17 to 25 July. The Council reviewed the work of its subsidiary bodies and, in addition to the texts contained in their reports, adopted 16 stand alone resolutions on a wide range of development issues.
In addition to official consideration of these reports, several panel discussions were organized in cooperation with UN entities, which increased substantive interest to and visibility of the segment. For example, an exchange of views was organized with Prof. Jose Antonio Ocampo and Prof. Stephan Klasen, also a member of the Committee on Development Policy on the post 2015 development agenda. A special panel enabled the Council to focus on the work of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice and the Commission on Narcotic Drugs and the relevance of their work also in the post 2015 context. In addition, a panel discussion on the implementation of the UN system wide action on gender equality and the advancement of women (SWAP), featured representatives of UN Women, OHCHR, ILO and UNV.
On the connection between peace and development, the Council reviewed the situation in South Sudan and debated lessons learnt from peacebuilding experiences that could be relevant to the country’s development process. The Council also considered the report of its Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti, which highlighted tangible progress made in the country and presented recommendations for further progress in aid effectiveness (document E/2013/91). The mandate of the Group was extended for another year. The economic and social situation and assistance to the Palestinian people, including Palestinian Women, was also addressed by the Council.
As mandated by Rio+20, the 10 Year Framework Programme for Sustainable Production and Consumption, whose secretariat is hosted by UNEP, reported to the Council during a special panel that featured the Minister of Environment of Indonesia as well as high level representatives from Switzerland and South Africa (for information on progress made in the implementation of the 10 YFP, see E/2013/CRP.3).
Among the numerous decisions taken, the deferred consideration of the graduation of Tuvalu from the list LDCs to 2015, after the CPD reviewed it another time, or the change of mandate of the UN task force on tobacco control, to which UN DESA is a member, into a task force on non communicable diseases, which continues to be serviced by WHO, received particular attention. The Council also adopted resolutions on the work of UNAIDS, UN Habitat as well as UN research and training entities, among others.
On 9 July, UN Member States, through the General Assembly, established a new High-Level Political Forum to boost efforts to achieve global sustainable development.
The new High-Level Political Forum aims at improving people’s economic and social well-being while protecting the environment. The decision by the General Assembly follows up on a key recommendation of ‘The Future We Want’, the outcome document of last year’s Rio+20 Conference in Rio de Janeiro.
The Forum will convene annually at the ministerial level under the auspices of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and every four years, it will bring together Heads of State to provide added momentum for sustainable development.
“Establishing the Forum marks a major step forward in implementing ‘The Future We Want’”, said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. “The Forum can provide the political leadership and action-oriented recommendations we need to follow up on all the Rio recommendations and meet urgent global economic, social and environmental challenges. Countries must do their utmost to realize the Forum’s potential.”
“We are simply not doing enough to meet the fundamental challenges of our time: to end extreme poverty in this generation and significantly narrow the global gap between rich and poor, without inflicting irreparable damage to the environmental basis for our survival,” said UN General Assembly President Vuk Jeremić. “The new Forum must be more than just a meeting place—it must be the place where countries and civil society generate the momentum for change.”
“This is a great opportunity to advance the sustainable development agenda”, said Wu Hongbo, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs. “There is so much that we need to do in concert—to accelerate action on the Millennium Development Goals, to eradicate poverty and promote prosperity, to ensure that everyone has a chance for a better life, while addressing important environmental challenges that threaten progress, such as climate change and biodiversity loss and developing a new set of sustainable development goals.”
The High-Level Political Forum will replace the UN Commission on Sustainable Development. The Commission, formed after the 1992 Earth Summit, helped generate action on a range of issues that led to international agreements or treaties. The Commission was also in the forefront in promoting the involvement of civil society in its work. However, governments and civil society actors came to share a belief that a higher-profile body was needed to guide sustainable development towards the Future We Want.
The Forum will review progress in the implementation of sustainable development commitments, enhance the integration of the three dimensions of sustainable development—economic, social and environmental – focus on themes consistent with the post – 2015 development agenda and ensure that new sustainable development challenges are properly addressed.
The General Assembly resolution stresses the need to enhance the role and participation of major groups of society and other stakeholders, while retaining the intergovernmental character of the forum. The first meeting of the Forum will be held in September, during the Assembly’s forthcoming 68th session.
The sixth session of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities will take place in New York from 17- 19 July and will focus on standard of living.
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was adopted by the General Assembly on 13 December 2006 and came into force on 3 May 2008. Since then, States Parties to the Convention have met in five sessions at UN Headquarters in New York, to address issues regarding the implementation of the Convention, as well as share experiences and best practices.
This year, the sixth session will be held from 17-19 July and will focus on the ways to ensure adequate standard of living and the empowerment of persons with disabilities. Thematic discussions will include economic empowerment through inclusive social protection and poverty reduction strategies; disability-inclusive development in national, regional and international processes, and community-based rehabilitation and habilitation for inclusive society.
A day prior to the Conference, a Civil Society Forum will be organized by non-governmental organizations, including organizations of persons with disabilities, with the support of DESA, to network and share experiences in implementing the Convention.
This annual Conference is fast developing into the largest international disability meeting that includes high-level representation from Government ministries, UN system organizations, civil society organizations, academia, the private sector and other stakeholders. In conjunction with the Conferences held at UN Headquarters in 2011 and 2012, over 35 side-events, covering a range of disability issues, were conducted by the stakeholders, during each of the two and a half-day sessions.
The fourth session of the Open Working Group (OWG) on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) took place form 17–19 June at UN Headquarters in New York.
Chaired by the Permanent Representatives of Kenya and Hungary, Macharia Kamau and Csaba Körösi, this session focused on employment and decent work for all, social protection, youth, education and culture, as well as health and population dynamics. The report of the SG’s High-level Panel on the post-2015 development agenda was presented by its lead author, Homi Karhas, and the Co-chairs met with the representatives of Major Groups and other stakeholders every morning of the session.
In their concluding remarks, the co-chairs underlined the progress that the OWG was making: “We think we are making amazing progress”, said Ambassador Kamau, adding that “the commonality of views and perspectives is something that is giving us great encouragement for the way forward”.
The co-chairs also noted how the issue of poverty eradication kept on coming back as a central overriding theme, and stressed its link with the issues discussed, such as decent and productive work, social protection, education and health care. “There is no poverty eradication without us taking care of these issues, we have to be clear about that”, said Ambassador Kamau.
The concluding remarks by the Co-chairs, statements and presentations made during the OWG, as well as recordings from the session are available on the Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform.
DESA and the Permanent Mission of Austria jointly organized on 28 May 2013 in New York a high-level panel onSafeguarding Financing for Sustainable Development.
The objective of the panel was to raise awareness of the challenges and potential safeguards to ensure economic, efficient and effective use of, and preventing corruption in, financing for sustainable development, particularly in view of anticipated new and innovative sources of funding.
H.E. Mr. Martin Sajdik, the Permanent Representative of Austria, chaired the event that was attended by over 110 participants, representing nearly 60 permanent missions.
In his keynote address, Mr Moser, Secretary-General of the International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI) spoke about the role of INTOSAI and Supreme Audit Institutions (SAI’s). The lack of transparency and accountability of public finances and their use causes tremendous damage to states, endangers peace and security and undermines the efficiency of development aid. The scope of SAI’s work is to increase transparency for the benefit of citizens through contributing to safeguarding of finances.
Mr. Wu Hongbo, USG of DESA, highlighted the necessity of building trust among new and emerging public and private donors in order to mobilize the high levels of funding necessary to implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s). He also mentioned that the inter-governmental process for considering a sustainable development financing strategy can benefit from the expertise and experience of finance and audit specialists to ensure an appropriate accountability framework.
Safeguarding funds requires good governance and independent oversight
The first discussant, H.E. Mr. Vladimir Lupan, illustrated the progress of the Moldovan government in increasing transparency and accountability which corresponds with reduced waste and decreased loss of funds. The second discussant, Mr. Amitabh Mukhopadhyay, stated that accountability must be foregrounded in the process of good governance, and not simply accompany good governance as an appendage. Looking at the prevailing deficits in fighting corruption as they exist in several countries, he added that SAI’s need to step into a much more proactive role.
The discussion from the floor included the relationship between the MDG’s and SDG’s and how the MDG’s should be addressed before turning to a new set of goals, the need to honour Official Development Aid (ODA) commitments and targets, and the uncertainty that accompanies new sources of funding, putting in question the stability and sufficiency of flows of funding.
The closing remarks stressed the need for sufficient funding to realize sustainable development initiatives and the importance of attracting new sources of funding, especially from the private sector. The successful mobilization of the large amounts of funds necessary to implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) will depend on establishing public trust that the funds will end up in good hands. The enabling environment for safeguarding financing is part of good governance and establishing that trust. The important oversight role of audit in good governance and in implementation must be part of the inter-governmental deliberations on financing for sustainable development.
Just over a year after the Rio+20 took place in Brazil, the first progress report on Voluntary Commitments and Partnerships for Sustainable Development is being published.
The report, featured in a special edition of the “Sustainable Development in Action Newsletter”, summarizes information on the 1,382 voluntary commitments, partnerships and initiatives for sustainable development – worth close to US$ 600 billion – that have been registered to date with the Rio+20 Secretariat.
Rio+20, as well as earlier sustainable development conferences, emphasized the importance of voluntary commitments, partnerships and initiatives to complement government-led action in realizing sustainable development. These multi-stakeholder initiatives by Governments, intergovernmental organizations, major groups and others aim to contribute to the implementation of intergovernmentally agreed sustainable development goals and commitments in Rio+20, Agenda 21, the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21 and the Plan of Implementation of the World Summit on Sustainable Development.
The report makes clear that voluntary commitments and partnerships are not a substitute for Government responsibilities and actions, and that the latter remain the cornerstone of national, regional and global efforts to pursue sustainable development. But they are intended to strengthen implementation by involving those relevant stakeholders that can make a contribution to sustainable development.
The initiatives are compiled and available through the SD in Action registry on the Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform, where the report will also be published.
The Development Cooperation Forum is launching a dialogue on a renewed global partnership beyond 2015 with stakeholders in a High-Level Symposium in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 6-7 June
The world has changed significantly since the adoption of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2000. Many challenges that require truly global responses, such as climate change, environmental degradation, demographic dynamics and rising inequalities among countries have become only more pressing. The development landscape has also changed. Southern economies are playing a larger role in development cooperation, as are other actors, including the private sector, philanthropic organizations, civil society organizations and local authorities.
A new development landscape
South-South Cooperation, which has existed for around six decades, is increasing in prominence. Driven by the principles of solidarity and the promotion of self-reliance and self-help, Southern partners in development have formed important cooperation with other countries in their own regions and beyond. They provide financial contributions, technical assistance, capacity building, skill and personnel exchange and technological transfer.
At the sub-national level, local constituencies and parliamentarians play an important role in implementing a global development agenda and monitoring its implementation. Parliamentarians serve an important role as independent oversight and accountability bodies to advance progress on the MDGs and other internationally agreed development goals and will surely do so in relation to the post-2015 development agenda.
Non-governmental actors, such as civil society organizations, academia and think tanks, the private sector and philanthropic organizations are also increasingly active in development cooperation. They provide substantial support in terms of financial resources, awareness raising and mobilization of people, as well as personnel contributions. A large amount of philanthropic organizations these days stems from developing countries. Civil society organizations, especially those in developing countries, can help to reach people on the ground or those that are most vulnerable and hardest to reach.
The global partnership for development in the post-2015 era will have not only find ways of addressing the new challenges and completing any unfinished business of the MDGs; it must also reflect the many actors engaged in development cooperation and their comparative strenghts. Engaging these actors in the post-2015 development agenda will make a significant contribution to achieving it.
Launching a dialogue on a renewed global partnership for development
With its multi-stakeholder nature and global convening power, the Development Cooperation Forum (DCF) fosters global dialogue and policy review on international development cooperation. As a key function of the Economic and Social Council, the DCF serves to improve the coherence and effectiveness of development cooperation, in producing policy guidance and practical recommendations. Preparations are in full swing for the fourth DCF, to be held in New York in July 2014.
The 2013 DCF Ethiopia High-Level Symposium
As discussions on a post-2015 development agenda accelerate, the DCF is supporting the process by advancing the dialogue on the future of development cooperation in the post-2015 setting, with active participation from the different stakeholders.
With this objective, the DCF is organizing this High-Level Symposium on 6 – 7 June in partnership with the Government of Ethiopia. The symposium will give participants the opportunity to engage on the potential role, principles and strategic priorities of a renewed global partnership for development, as well as its key features and working practices. The symposium will also consider what could be the role of enhanced monitoring and accountability to underpin such a partnership.
“The outcomes of this symposium will directly contribute to the deliberations on the post-2015 UN development agenda and provide important recommendations for the 2014 ECOSOC DCF” said DESA’s Under-Secretary-General Wu Hongbo. “The findings will also be relevant for the Open Working Group when discussing a global partnership for sustainable development in December 2013.”
The symposium will engage senior representatives from developing and developed countries, parliamentarians, civil society, the private sector and international organizations to discuss their experiences with the current global partnership and expectations for how it should work in the post-2015 setting.
A number of pre-meetings and side events will allow stakeholders to further deepen these discussions. They will include events for civil society, least developed countries, members of parliament, members of the Steering Committee of the Global partnership for effective development cooperation and the DCF Advisory Group. A meeting of Directors-General of Southern partners in development cooperation will also be convened jointly by DESA and Ethiopia on the afternoon on 7 June.
DESA’s Statistics Division will hold an International Conference on the Global Implementation Programme for the SEEA in New York on 19-21 June
The United Nations Statistical Commission at its 44thSession adopted the implementation strategy for the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA) Central Framework and urged the UN Committee of Experts on Environmental-Economic Accounting (UNCEEA) to agree on a medium-term programme of work for the implementation of the SEEA.
DESA’s Statistics Division, in collaboration with CBD, EEA, Eurostat, FAO, IMF, OECD, UNDP, UNEP and the World Bank, is organizing a high-level International Conference “Global Implementation Programme for the SEEA” in the context of the post-2015 development agenda and broader measures of progress.
The overall objectives are to facilitate the implementation and outreach of the SEEA, supporting statistics at the country level and to improve the scope, quality and detail of environmental-economic accounts. The Conference will provide a forum for various stakeholders to discuss the SEEA implementation strategy and its links to policies. The outcome of the Conference will be used to formulate recommendations that will be presented to the UNCEEA and subsequently to the United Nations Statistical Commission at its next session in 2014.
In collaboration with the Permanent Mission of Austria to the United Nations, DPADM organized a high-level Panel on Safeguarding Financing for Sustainable Development in New York on May 28, 2013.
As a follow-up to the 22nd UN/INTOSAI Symposium in Vienna in March 2013, the objective of this High-level Panel was to bring to the attention of Member States the challenges and potential safeguards in ensuring economic, efficient and effective use of financing for sustainable development at the national and local levels, particularly in view of anticipated new and innovative sources of funding.
Mr. Wu, DESA’s Under-Secretary-General, made an opening statement on the issue of financing for sustainable development, from both the “sourcing” and “spending” angles. He emphasized the importance of thinking through the financial management cycle in its entirety in order to assure all the varying financial stakeholders of a workable regulatory, implementation and accountability framework:
“Such assurance will give the traditional, emerging and new donors the confidence to participate in public-private partnerships and multi-stakeholder consortia for financing the needed large and small initiatives that will translate the collective vision of sustainable development, as expressed in Rio last year, into reality.”
The Panel highlighted that Supreme Audit Institutions play a key role which is conducive to the implementation of national and international development goals and priorities since they are endowed with powers to demand information on the expenditure of public resources and performance of public institutions to hold governments to account. Their experience and audit-based knowledge can provide valuable advice for safeguarding financing for sustainable development.
The Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination organized the ECOSOC Integration Meeting on “Achieving sustainable development: Integrating the social, economic and environmental dimensions” on 13 May
The meeting gathered high-level representatives of Governments, UN system, Major Groups, civil society and the private sector to examine how integration of the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development can lead to triple-win solutions in the energy and agriculture sectors. In this regard, participants made recommendations for policy convergence and scaling up initiatives for sustainable development.
The discussions demonstrated that high-level political engagement and involvement of key stakeholders were key to successful integration. Strengthening the science-policy interface was considered essential for promoting sustainable development.
The overwhelming business case for sustainable development was acknowledged. Many Member States praised the meeting and stressed ECOSOC’s key role as a platform for dialogue on sustainable development among Governments, UN system, development actors, civil society, academia and the business sector. The need for an intergovernmental committee on sustainable development, that brings together the science community, the private sector and other key stakeholders, was emphasized.
The intergovernmental Open Working Group (OWG) on sustainable development goals (SDGs) held its third session on 22-24 May at UN Headquarters in New York
The session focused on food security and nutrition, sustainable agriculture, desertification, land degradation, drought and water and sanitation.
The co-chairs of the OWG, the Permanent Representatives of Kenya and Hungary, stressed that “we need a common vision going forward.” They outlined this vision as “transformative change for sustainable poverty eradication and universal human development, respecting human dignity and protecting our planet, mother Earth, living in harmony with nature for the well-being and happiness of present and future generations.”
Elaborating on the key aspects of this vision, the co-chairs highlighted that it requires transformative change in which the SDGs build on but also deepen and go beyond the MDGs, surpassing business-as-usual and achieving poverty eradication that is sustainable. They underlined that this vision is human-centred, and also emphasised that in order to make poverty eradication and human development irreversible, the three dimensions of sustainable development need to be addressed in a balanced manner.
The third session of the OWG featured a combination of keynote addresses, panel discussions and interactive debates. The first hour of each of the three days was dedicated to meetings between the co-chairs and representatives of Major Groups and other stakeholders. The co-chairs described these conversations as very constructive and said that many of the concerns and proposals raised at these meetings were reiterated by Member States.
A small number of side events were also held. The concluding remarks by the co-chairs that outline the main points made during the session can be found on the Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform. Statements, presentations and recordings from the session are also available on the platform.
The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) will hold an Integration Meeting on Sustainable Development on 13 May at UN Headquarters in New York
At the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), world leaders acknowledged the vital importance of an inclusive, transparent, strengthened and effective multilateral system to better address the urgent global challenges of sustainable development.
In The Future We Want conference outcome document, world leaders also recognized the important role of the Economic and Social Council in achieving a balanced integration of the three dimensions of sustainable development.
“In order to fulfill this mandate, it is paramount that the Council acts as an effective platform to discuss and define concrete measures to articulate this vision into an integrated agenda,” ECOSOC President Néstor Osorio said in a recent meeting.
The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) is taking action. The Council organized a Special Ministerial Meeting on 24 September 2012 at UN Headquarters in New York. On 13 May, the ECOSOC Integration Meeting will bring together policymakers, key stakeholders and UN system to examine how science, technology and innovation can contribute to the integration of the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development for triple-win solutions in the energy and agricultural sectors.
In particular, the meeting will explore the potential of energy and agricultural sectors in providing ‘triple win’ approaches to sustainable development. The meeting will seek to identify ways in which integrated policy actions, some of which may involve short-term trade-offs in one dimension, may result in longer-term benefits in all areas of development. It will also provide guidance on the integration of the three dimensions of sustainable development for building the future we want.
The intergovernmental Open Working Group (OWG) on sustainable development goals (SDG) held its second session on 17-19 April and will meet again on 22-24 May
The working group, called for in the Rio+20 Outcome Document convened its second meeting at UN Headquarters, bringing together members of the OWG, other Member States, representatives from the UN system and Major Groups.
Chaired by the Permanent Representatives of Kenya and Hungary, Macharia Kamau and Csaba Körösi, the session focused on conceptualizing the SDGs, the SDG process and on poverty eradication. The Co-Chairs defined the task of the OWG as “gradually crafting the backbone of the transformative agenda.”
One of the many points made during the discussion on the conceptual aspects of SDGs was that any unfinished business regarding the MDGs must be concluded. They should be learned from, built on, and serve as point of departure, said Co-Chair Kamau. And while the SDGs would have to do justice to the complexity of sustainable development and integrate its three dimensions, thereby addressing a significant gap of the MDGs, they should also maintain a key MDG success factor, namely simplicity. The SDGs should be “tweetable”, as one Delegate put it.
The discussion on poverty eradication was equally rich. Many countries saw this as core of the SDGs. There were varying opinions on whether the poverty goal should be a stand-alone goal, a cross cutting goal or both. But there was agreement on the multidimensionality of poverty and that this needs to be reflected in the SDGs.
The next session of the OWG is scheduled for 22-24 May 2013, and is tentatively set to cover food security and nutrition, sustainable agriculture, drought, desertification, land degradation and water and sanitation.
Webcasts of all six meetings of the second session, a summary of the concluding remarks of the co-chairs, statements and presentations as well as other information can be found on the sustainable development knowledge platform.
The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) will hold a one-day meeting to consider international cooperation in tax matters on 29 May
The Council will have before it a report of the Secretary-General on further progress achieved in strengthening the work of the Committee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters and its cooperation with concerned multilateral bodies and relevant regional and sub-regional organizations.
The meeting will also take a look at institutional arrangements to promote such cooperation, with participation of the representatives of national tax authorities.
The center piece of the morning session will be an official launch of the UN Practical Manual on Transfer Pricing for Developing Countries, followed by a panel discussion on “Transfer pricing challenges for developing countries”.
The afternoon session will feature a panel discussion on “Capacity development in tax matters”, with the participation of major international organizations active in the tax area, such as the UN, IMF, World Bank, OECD, the Inter-American Centre of Tax Administrations (CIAT) and the African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF).
Subsequently, an interactive discussion will be held on “Current issues in countering international tax avoidance and tax evasion”, which will include the discussion of issues of tax base erosion and profit shifting.
The ECOSOC meeting will be preceded by the Expert Group Meeting on Extractive Industries Taxation.
The Commission on Population and Development ended its session focusing on new trends in migration on 26 April
The Commission adopted a resolution on the session’s theme, “New trends in migration: demographic aspects”, that noted the increasing volume, scope, and complexity of migration since the adoption of the Programme of Action of the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD).
The resolution recognized the contributions of migrants to the political, economic, social and cultural fabric of countries and called on states to promote and protect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all migrants, both international and internal. It invited states to take practical measures to enhance the benefits of migration for development in both origin and destination countries, such as reducing the transfer costs of remittances, ensuring the portability of pensions and other social protections, and promoting circular and return migration.
The Secretary-General opened the Commission on 22 April, highlighting several goals in addressing international migration, including establishing safe, legal channels of migration; aligning migration policies to the demands of labour markets; addressing the problems faced by migrants with no legal status; and promoting integration of migrants into host societies.
In the Commission’s general debate, Member States reaffirmed their commitments to the goals and objectives of the ICPD Programme of Action and shared their national experiences with new migration trends. Delegates described a variety of challenges, such as dealing with large volumes of internal migration; providing services to rural-urban migrants; improving legal frameworks for emigration that regulate the placement of migrant workers overseas; large scale departure of health care workers; irregular migration; the vulnerability of migrants to crime, violence and exploitation; measures that criminalize migration or restrict the human rights of migrants; the cost of remittances; and efforts to engage diaspora communities in the development of their home countries. Delegates also stressed the positive impact of remittances for development and the quantitative significance of remittances at the global level.
Several delegations underscored migration as a key component of development strategies, highlighting the important role of the upcoming High-Level Dialogue on International Migration and Development. They stressed the importance of taking into account and integrating population dynamics, including migration, in the context of the post-2015 UN development agenda. Delegations also stressed linkages between the post-2015 process and the continued implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action, which the General Assembly extended beyond 2014 in its resolution 65/234.
The forty-seventh session of the Commission in 2014, which will be chaired by H.E. Mr. Jose Luis Cancela, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Uruguay, will mark the 20-year anniversary of the ICPD and will be devoted to the theme “Assessment of the status of implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development”.
The Economic and Social Council held its annual Partnerships Forum on 24 April in preparation for its 2013 Annual Ministerial Review (AMR), in Geneva this July
The event attracted over 350 senior representatives from the private sector and foundations, as well as from NGOs and academia. It considered ways in which to partner in support of the AMR theme of promoting science, technology, innovation and culture for sustainable development.
A number of CEOs and heads of foundations participated, including the CEOs of Starwoods Hotels, Vestergaard Frandsen (public health tools), the END Fund (neglected tropical diseases) and Sumitomo Chemicals, as well as foundations like Western Union and the Luce and Pritzker Foundations, to name just a few.
The morning session included an inspiring address by Mr. Mo Ibrahim, Chair of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, who stressed the importance of accountability amongst Governments for the fight against poverty and the achievement of the MDGs to be successful. Panel discussions examined ways for better use of technologies, innovation and knowledge sharing. The two policy dialogues discussed the importance of promoting partnerships to address issues such as job creation, food and water security, green growth and cleaner renewable energy technologies.
It was noted that a huge amount of innovation was already taking place to address sectoral issues, through mobile cash transfers and other innovative initiatives. Business opportunities needed to be created, especially for youth and women. Access to the internet needed to be recognized as a human right. The key role of education, particularly in science, technology, engineering and math, was stressed as paramount for sustainable development.
The afternoon featured four Partnerships Clinics, organized by WIPO, UNESCO, UNICEF and ITU respectively. The ITU Clinic noted that up to 35% of live births go unregistered, a fact that has been described as the single most critical development failure of the last 30 years.
Every child needed to be counted, and the midwife was in the best position to provide critical health information and to make sure that births were properly recorded. Government regulators, service providers, software engineers and midwives were brought together in the Clinic to devise an effective platform for ensuring solutions for providing such critical information.
A white paper would be drafted and presented to the Every Woman Every Child Alliance, the mHealth Alliance and the next Broadband Commission meeting in September. The UNICEF Clinic focused on how to make Innovation and technology sustainable for education. It noted that innovation was not just about digital technology but also different ways of teaching or unusual partnerships. Risks needed to be taken as well as new approaches for meeting the many challenges that prevented children from getting a proper education. The main message emanating from the discussion was that there were no stumbling blocks – just stepping stones.
The WIPO Clinic highlighted the importance of addressing NTDs for achieving the MDGs, and that partnerships played a key role in helping eradicate them. WIPO’s role in making available, through an open innovation platform, the availability of unpublished scientific and regulatory data and know-how for research on NTDs. The Clinic highlighted the need for innovative approaches and stronger partnerships. It was proposed that a political declaration was needed, similar to the one for HIV/AIDS. A Special Envoy on NTDs was also needed to address the problems faced by 1.4 billion voiceless and faceless people suffering from NTDs.
Finally, the UNESCO Clinic emphasized the importance of culture, innovation and technology in the development and dissemination of design solutions to address extreme poverty. Understanding local cultures and partnering to create socially and economically sustainable design solutions was critical, as well as the creation of regional alliances and collaborative networks. Most importantly, the need for learning from communities that devise innovative design solutions with limited resources in a challenging environment was deemed essential.
The role of philanthropic organizations in the post-2015 setting was in focus for the second ECOSOC Special Policy Dialogue event on 23 April
At this special event, discussing the role of foundations in international development cooperation, philanthropic organizations agreed to further engage in shaping a shared vision of the post-2015 development agenda and the renewal of the global partnership for development.
The Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, in partnership with UNDP, the OECD Global Network of Foundations Working for Development (netFWD) and the Worldwide Initiative for Grantmaker Support (WINGS), co-organized this special event with more than 60 Northern and Southern foundations, including Rockefeller, Gates, Mott and Sawiris. It is part of an ongoing effort to support philanthropic engagement in development and to accelerate MDGs implementation.
The event explored how the growing philanthropic sector, with its diverse innovative and risk-taking practices, can further leverage and increase its development cooperation activities, particularly by strengthening partnerships and helping shape the global development agenda beyond 2015.
To complement long-term efforts by other stakeholders, philanthropic contributions to development should go beyond strategic investments to solve specific problems. “As for all development partners, it is crucial to ensure that philanthropic organizations’ activities align with national development priorities,” said Thomas Stelzer, DESA’s Assistant-Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs.
Participants also observed that some forms of philanthropic engagement may be better suited than others to reach the poorest and most vulnerable populations.
To facilitate a more structured engagement with foundations in the post-2015 context, and to fully harness their potential to effect change, it was suggested that good practices of multi-stakeholder partnerships and information on the work of foundations could be collected and more widely shared.
ECOSOC, with its biennial Development Cooperation Forum (DCF), was asked to play this role, as well as to address how foundations and member States can develop common ways of monitoring, sharing knowledge and accounting for results.
The DCF was also identified as legitimate platform to discuss how a renewed global partnership for development could effectively engage philanthropic organizations, together with the broad range of other development cooperation actors.
A forthcoming DCF High-level symposium in Addis Ababa (6-7 June) will provide an opportunity for foundations and others to feed their lessons learned – from successes and failures – in development into the discussion on the purposes, principles, features of a renewed global partnership for development and a monitoring and accountability framework for the post-2015 era.
The President of the Council will also convey key messages to Ministers attending the High-level Segment of the 2013 Substantive Session of ECOSOC. It will also feed into the Ministerial meeting of the Busan global partnership and discussions of the OECD netFWD initiative.
The 2013 Special high-level meeting of ECOSOC with the BWIs, WTO and UNCTAD addressed the overall theme of “Coherence, coordination and cooperation in the context of financing for sustainable development and the post-2015 development agenda” on 22 April
The central feature of the meeting focusing on the “World economic situation and prospects in the wake of the world financial and economic crisis”, was accompanied by debates on financing sustainable development, leveraging private capital, outcomes of the Rio+20 and global partnerships.
ECOSOC will play a crucial role in promoting dialogue among Member States on the post-2015 development agenda, including the issue of financing for sustainable development, and renewed commitment for the Monterrey Consensus and Doha Declaration, underpinning the global partnership for development.
Challenges such as climate change, growing inequality in many countries, and continued risks posed by the financial sector have emerged. In particular, the financial crisis exposed flaws of the international financial system. Although efforts have been made to address those risks, additional efforts are necessary.
Improving the cooperation between the UN and BWIs through coordination on the ground in the area of capacity-building, democratic governance, statistics and gender equality is necessary in maintaining a global partnership.
The World Bank presented its perspective on the post-2015 development agenda and emphasis was placed on the need to enhance the impact of available resources and leverage additional funds, in particular from the private sector. The speaker pointed out that even though ODA declined in real terms, it continues to remain important in terms of leveraging other flows, especially in fragile states.
The President of the Trade and Development Board of UNCTAD emphasized the importance of trade as an engine of development and highlighted the need for expeditious and successful realization of the development objectives of the Doha Round of multilateral trade negotiations.
The Vice President and Corporate Secretary of the World Bank reported on the outcome of the meeting of the Development Committee, held during the previous weekend. The Committee endorsed two goals: (i) to end extreme poverty within a generation and (ii) to promote shared prosperity.
In this context, the importance of cooperation between the World Bank and the UN was emphasized. The Deputy Secretary of the IMF reported on the outcome of the meeting of the International Monetary and Financial Committee and the Director of the Development Division of WTO on the present state of the Doha Round of multilateral trade negotiations and prospects for the forthcoming Ministerial Conference in Bali, Indonesia. He highlighted progress achieved on several issues, including trade facilitation, agriculture and specific issues for the LDCs.
The work of the Intergovernmental Committee on a sustainable development financing strategy will provide an important contribution to formulating a coherent mechanism. It was emphasized that the international commitments, especially those on ODA, should be met. Public resources will have to come from a variety of international, regional and national sources. However, given the size of financing needs for sustainable development, it is clear that official sources of financing will not be sufficient.
It was highlighted that FDI rose only moderately in 2013 and that the overall increase is slower than pre-crisis levels. At the same time, transnational corporations are sitting on record amounts of cash reserves. The challenge is to mobilize FDI for inclusive, responsible and green growth.
The post-2015 development agenda should be rooted in an effective and inclusive system of global economic governance. It is necessary to have greater accountability, cooperation and effective and coherent policy-making among Member States with regard to the framing, monitoring and implementation of the global partnership for development.
Strengthening the involvement of developing countries in international economic decision-making and enhance engagement and partnerships with non-state actors in activities and dialogue pertaining to development is imperative in moving forward. These efforts would ensure that the post-MDG 8 framework is anchored in a more inclusive, flexible and coherent system for global economic governance.
The Third Interactive Dialogue of the General Assembly on Harmony with Nature took place at UN Headquarters on Monday 22 April
This year’s discussion focused on different economic approaches to further a more ethical basis for the relationship between humanity and the Earth. Several participants stressed that both a new economic model as well as rights for Nature were necessary for sustainable development.
At the beginning of the dialogue, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon referred to it as a “chance to reaffirm our collective responsibility to promote harmony with nature.” He said we must confront the hard truth that our planet is under threat. “Unsustainable exploitation of natural resources – often driven by greed – is eroding our planet’s fragile ecosystems”, said the Secretary-General, pointing to loss of biodiversity, depletion of fish stocks and acidification of oceans.
But he also saw hope, referring to the millions of people around the world who are recognizing this problem as part of a growing movement for sustainable development. ”More and more governments are hearing their calls for action” he said, giving as examples Bolivia, which has adopted a legal framework that specifically protects “Mother Earth”, and Ecuador, whose Constitution recognizes the rights of Nature.
The President of the General Assembly, Vuk Jeremic, noted that “as we consume our natural resources at an increasingly faster rate than we can replenish them, we have unwittingly begun a massive experiment with the planet’s ability to support our continued existence.”
In the course of the interactive dialogue, Ms. Linda Sheehan, Executive Director at the Earth Law Center, California, Mr. Ian Mason, Principal at the School of Economic Science, London, Dr. Fander Falconi, National Secretary of Development Planning of Ecuador, and Dr. Jon Rosales, Associate Professor of Environmental Studies at St. Lawrence University, New York, discussed a number of approaches to further harmony with Nature.
Mr. Mason stressed that humanity, when it comes to its relation with earth, needs to restrain the abuse of power and the worst excesses by recognizing rights for Nature and enforcing them through laws. “A simple duty of care for the Earth could apply to individuals, corporations and governments alike,” he said.
The importance of rights for Nature and a new economic paradigm were also highlighted by Dr. Falconi. He said that not only humans have rights, but other species as well: “Guaranteeing plants and animals the right of being perpetuated is central”. He noted that the deterioration of the planet’s physical condition is challenging mankind and that a new economics is necessary, one that results in prosperity and development without growth.
Traditional cultures that are already living within Nature’s limits were the focus of the bottom-up option for sustainable development outlined by Dr. Rosales. Many indigenous cultures whose subsistence activities are dictated by the cycles of Nature have existed for a long time and are already sustainable, he noted.
This kind of traditional knowledge and culture should be enabled and supported. “Such an approach offers relief from trying to find a grand solution to sustainable development – it focuses on what’s already working”, he explained.
Ms. Sheehan said that our current economic paradigm needs to be rejected and the rights of the natural world acknowledged. She stressed that we currently try to “contort the environment, and increasingly ourselves, to fit within our economic model.” But we should instead recognize the economy’s place as servant to humans and the Earth, not the master of both, she said.
The 197 country members of the United Nations Forum on Forests concluded their two-week session in Istanbul, Turkey, on 19 April
The session ended with an agreement on a series of measures aimed at improving sustainable management of forests and ensuring that forest issues will continue to have priority in the process to define the United Nations development agenda after 2015.
The Forum calls on national Governments to take a range of actions – from substantive data collection, measuring the full value of forest functions, products and services, and addressing the causes of deforestation and forests degradation, to improving participation of local communities, including indigenous peoples, in the management of forests. Countries also agreed, at the global and national levels, to mobilize additional resources to support sustainable forest management activities.
The outcome calls on countries to further integrate forests into their national development strategies and to strengthen legal frameworks and governance, including land tenure rights, in order to realize the full economic potential of the forests.
While recognizing that there is no single solution to meet all forest financing needs, the Forum agreed that multiple sources of financing, at the national, regional and international levels was needed from multiple sources, public and private, including consideration of a voluntary global forest fund.
There was also agreement that the option of establishing a new Global Environment Facility (GEF) focal area on forests should be considered and invited GEF to strengthen its support for forests in its next replenishment period, which starts in 2014.
The Istanbul session of the Forum follows a strong decision by countries at Rio+20, held last June in Rio de Janeiro, to support action on forests, recognizing that forests play a major role in promoting sustainable development, which supports economic and social development while protecting the environment.
Countries agreed that Member States should “fully integrate forests into the discussions on the outcomes of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) and the United Nations development agenda beyond 2015, taking into account the vital role and significant contributions of the conservation and sustainable management of all types of forests and trees outside forests for achieving sustainable development and poverty eradication.”
DESA’s Under-Secretary-General Wu Hongbo said: “Countries came to Istanbul with the aim of halting deforestation and forest degradation and enhance sustainable forest management to increase economic, social and environmental benefits, to all of society. The results of the Forum show that countries are serious about implementing the agreements reached at Rio+20.” He added: “The outcome of the UN Forum on Forests is a major step forward in global efforts to implement sustainable development.”
“There is now greater recognition than ever before that forests are essential to economic development and sustainable development,” said Jan McAlpine, Director of the Secretariat for the Forum. “In this historic meeting, countries broke new ground and agreed to take actions that demonstrate the need to sustainably manage our forests so that they can continue to be a source of livelihoods, broader economic development, including clean air, clean water and biodiversity — all leading to poverty eradication.”
More than 130 countries attended the Forum, including at least 50 who were represented at the ministerial level. All told, there were over 3,000 delegates, representatives of non-governmental organizations and civil society groups, press, and local staff participating in the Forum.
The Forum also featured the winners of the “Forests for People Awards”, which honoured “Forest Heroes” — five individuals who made outstanding contributions to forests and the communities that rely on them — as well as the winners of the International Short Forest Film Festival and the International Forest Photography contest.
“The Awards ceremony highlighted the idea that the discussion about forests is a discussion about people,” Jan McAlpine said. “People need forests and forests need people to act sustainably and responsibly.”
A DESA-supported conference held in New Delhi on 15-16 April paved the way to strengthen dialogue on issues of common concern and interest among “Southern partners” – developing countries that provide development cooperation to other developing countries
DESA and the Research and Information System for Developing Countries, with the support of the Government of India, co-organized the first South-supported dialogue in recent years on South-South development cooperation, entitled “Conference of Southern Partners: Issues and Emerging Challenges”.
Jointly opened by Mr. Wu Hongbo, DESA’s Under-Secretary-General and Mr. Ranjan Mathai, Foreign Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, India, the Conference brought together 11 governments including main emerging economies as well as lead southern think tanks with a view to identifying and addressing common challenges in promoting stronger impact of South-South development cooperation both on the ground and on global agenda setting.
There was strong consensus that the growth in South-South development cooperation should not weaken the commitments and responsibilities of developed countries in global development cooperation, especially the continued important role of ODA.
Good practices of South-South development cooperation discussed at the meeting revealed the scale of innovative practices and specific comparative advantages of this type of assistance, often inspired by a clear sense of priority for areas where partners have unique expertise to share and by the needs of beneficiary countries.
Global bodies were called on to take into consideration such practices in norm-setting activities. Referring to the principle of accountability and transparency, some Southern partners also made it clear that this principle should be tailored to their business models and applied at their own pace, rather than conceptually imposed by other actors.
The event mirrored a growing appetite of Southern partners to get together in an informal setting to form common ground in major global development-related processes. The need to take a proactive approach in engaging in such global processes was recognized. Southern partners agreed to continue and deepen the self-driven and supported dialogue on South-South development cooperation with a view of concrete results. The United Nations was seen as the impartial actor that can facilitate such dialogue.
DESA will continue to support the efforts of the Southern partner countries in strengthening their dialogue and cooperation in this area. As a follow-up to the Delhi Conference, DESA, in cooperation with the UN Office for South-South cooperation is organizing a meeting of Directors-General responsible for development cooperation in Southern partner countries at the DCF High-level Symposium in Addis Ababa on 7 June.
Almost 500 participants took part in the Facebook chat discussing the report “A renewed global partnership for development” on 4 April
Questions addressed topics ranging from the sustainable development goals (SDGs); how to ensure government and private sector accountability, to safeguarding human rights and gender equality.
Launched by the UN System Task Team on the Post-2015 UN Development Agenda, the report focuses on the need for the global community to develop a renewed global partnership for development for the post-2015 era which fosters collective action from all countries to create an enabling environment for development. Based on the lessons learnt from the current global partnership for development, the report provides a set of recommendations on potential dimensions and format.
Nine experts from DESA’s Division for Development Policy and Analysis (DPAD) and the Division for Sustainable Development as well as UNDP’s Bureau for Development Policy interacted with the online community, answering questions posted from users from all over the world. For example, there was one that especially caught everyone’s attention. It was a question posted from a primary school in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco, asking how children can be better involved in international cooperation.
The more than 60 questions posted were related to human rights, gender equality, government accountability, inclusion of youth in development strategies, environment, sustainability, and other topics.
Diana Alarcon, Senior Economic Affairs Officer at DPAD, who also took part in the chat answering questions, highlighted the depth and specificity of the questions posted and also, the level of detail and familiarity that most of them had with the UN report and complementary information. “It was a high level discussion, with sophisticated, concrete and specific questions to our experts,” she stated.
“It is the second time we do a live chat for promoting our reports, and we are very happy about the way in which this new technology helps us to share our documents and reach all kinds of people,” said Diana Alarcon.
The first Facebook live chat, hosted by DESA and UNDP, took place on 27 November 2012 and it highlighted the UN System Task Team’s first report “Realizing the Future We Want for All”. It addressed the post-2015 development agenda more generally and provided some key recommendations on how to build on the successes of the MDGs beyond 2015.
The team in DESA is very positive about this tool for promoting the department’s reports and documents, because of its enormous possibilities of direct and open dialogue with the online community.
“Also, our team of experts has developed a taste for interacting with our followers in social networks and to discuss with them their work in the reports”, Diana Alarcon said.
A major online campaign has been launched asking youth to share their ideas and thoughts on how science, technology, innovation and culture can help shape a sustainable world
Aimed at bringing the voices of youth into the important discussions and decisions of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) ahead of its annual meeting in July, and to engage young people on how STI and culture can facilitate change, ECOSOC gathered youth representatives, young corporate leaders and opinion leaders for a Youth Forum Event on 27 March.
A few days prior to this event, the Council kicked off a major online campaign, “Innovate Your Future”, by creating a forum on Facebook to gather input from all over the world. Hashem Bajwa, CEO of DE-DE, the company behind Thundeclap, on 27 March also announced a brand new ECOSOC page on their platform launched to seek worldwide support to help empower youth and shape future innovators.
Featuring a number of planned online and offline activities highlighting this year’s main theme on “Science, technology and innovation (STI), and the potential of culture, for promoting sustainable development and achieving the MDGs”, the campaign on Facebook and Thunderclap will run through 1 July when world leaders come together for the ECOSOC annual meeting in Geneva. The goal is to help shape decisions and include the voices of youth at this important event.
By signing up on Thunderclap, the online community can show that they believe that all young people should get a solid foundation in the sciences and that they want to help give youth the power to transform societies, improve economies and sustain the planet.
The Thunderclap message will be released on 1 July, asking Member States at ECOSOC to help empower youth to accomplish this.
Sign up on Thunderclap today. Innovate your future. Be part of the now.
The tenth session of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF10) will take place in Istanbul on 8-19 April
Focusing this year on economic development and forests, the meeting will assess the overall progress made on the implementation of the Non-Legally Binding Instrument on all types of Forests as well as the achievement of its four Global Objectives on Forests, which are critical components of the work of the UNFF.
Being instrumental in providing leadership on sustainable forest management policies and practices, the Forum will in addition to technical and political deliberations on the many important issues on the agenda, also feature the winners of the 2013 Forest Heroes Award, the International Forest Film Festival, and the International Forest Photograph Awards.
The Commission on Population and Development will meet in New York on 22-26 April
The Population Commission was established by the Economic and Social Council in 1946 and later renamed to the Commission on Population and Development in 1994. Its primary role is to follow-up on the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and as a functional Commission assisting the Council, to monitor, review and assess the implementation of the Programme of Action at the national, regional and international levels.
The Commission is composed of 47 Member States elected by the Economic and Social Council for a period of four years on the basis of geographic distribution. Since 1994, the Commission meets once a year.
The theme this year will focus on “New trends in migration: demographic aspects”
The first-ever International Day of Forests was celebrated worldwide on 21 March
For centuries forests have been a source of food, fibre, livelihoods, resources and water. They are also central to combating climate change, but until today, and despite a multitude of special days honouring or commemorating key elements of human life, there has never been a globally recognized day for paying homage to the world’s forests.
That has changed now that the United Nations General Assembly has designated 21 March as the International Day of Forests “to celebrate and raise awareness of the importance of all types of forests and of trees outside forests”.
In a message for the new International Day, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said: “By proclaiming the International Day of Forests, the United Nations has created a new platform to raise awareness about the importance of all types of forest ecosystems to sustainable development.”
“On this first International Day of Forests,” he continued, “I urge Governments, businesses and all sectors of society to commit to reducing deforestation, preventing forest degradation, reducing poverty and promoting sustainable livelihoods for all forest-dependent peoples.”
Wu Hongbo, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, notes that “forests are inextricably linked to our social and economic value, to our bonds with nature and the health of ecosystems. Hence, we cannot think of them in isolation. It is up to us to make these connections and establish the policies, laws and institutions required. It is up to us to implement sustainable forest management.”
Jan McAlpine, Director of the United Nations Forum on Forests Secretariat, says: “The first United Nations International Day of Forests is a tremendous opportunity to celebrate our unique relationship to forests and trees.” She continues: “This is the day for the whole world to celebrate not only the gifts that forests and trees provide us, but also to unsung heroes, those who make a difference for your forests, your trees and your communities. Find them among you and thank them.”
The International Day of Forests comes a little more than two weeks before national ministers convene in Istanbul, Turkey, from 8-19 April for the tenth session of the United Nations Forum on Forests. The Forum has been instrumental in providing leadership on sustainable forest management policies and practices. In addition to technical and political deliberations on the many important issues on the agenda, the session will also feature the winners of the 2013 Forest Heroes Award, the International Forest Film Festival, and the International Forest Photograph Awards.
To mark the 43rd anniversary of Earth Day and the moment of the Equinox, Nikhil Seth, Director of DESA’s Division for Sustainable Development, rang the Peace Bell at United Nations Headquarters in New York on 20 March
The Equinox is the time when the Northern and Southern Hemispheres get the same amount of sunlight and days and nights are equal in duration. “It conjures a vision of equality and balance in nature,” said Mr Seth. “We need this equilibrium between human economic and social aspirations as well as the Earth’s carrying capacity and ecological boundaries,” he stressed.
He sounded the bell at precisely 7:02 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, when the Sun started to cross directly over the Earth’s equator, and described the moment of the Equinox as a time for reflection and introspection.
“It reminds us to care for our people and our planet – both under severe stress. Awareness of these pressures and a determination to act to alleviate pain and suffering, to address human deprivation and the environmental crisis, have never been greater,” he said.
“The greatest challenge that humankind is facing is how to build an equitable and balanced economy in a world of finite resources,” he added.
The Japanese Peace Bell was presented to the United Nations in June 1954 by the United Nations Association of Japan. It was cast from coins collected by people from 60 different countries including children, and housed in a typically Japanese structure, resembling a Shinto shrine, made of cypress wood.
It has become a tradition to ring the bell twice a year: on the first day of Spring, at the Vernal Equinox, and on 21 September to coincide with the opening of the General Assembly. In 2002, the General Assembly set 21 September as the permanent date for the International Day of Peace.
The intergovernmental Open Working Group (OWG) on sustainable development goals (SDGs) called for in the Rio+20 Outcome Document convened its first meeting in the UN General Assembly Hall in New York on 14-15 March
The meeting commenced with opening remarks by General Assembly President Vuk Jeremić and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The Secretary-General stressed the urgency of the OWG’s task.
“The MDGs have united the world and inspired action, Mr. Ban said. “We must do our utmost to focus attention and accelerate progress.” He said that the focus of the Goals, the eradication of poverty and promotion of health, education, as well as economic and social development, would retain their prime importance and would need to be addressed in the sustainable development goals. “But the sustainable development goals must go further to integrate more comprehensively environmental sustainability, he pointed out, because, “Humanity is pressing hard against the planet’s ecological boundaries.”
He expressed the hope that the multiple strands of the post-2015 process would come together and culminate in 2015 in the adoption of a unified and coherent global agenda: “One balanced, aspirational set of sustainable development goals should lie at the core of such a development agenda.”
The OWG is mandated to submit a report, containing a proposal for sustainable development goals for consideration and appropriate action to the 68th Session of the General Assembly, which would start in September 2013. By late 2014, General Assembly President Vuk Jeremić said, “Member States should be in a position to promulgate the Sustainable Development Goals–the single-most important element of the post-2015 agenda.”
Various Member States expressed their views on different aspects of the OWG and SDGs. Many underlined that the process of developing SDGs should be an open and transparent one, and most stressed the importance of integrating the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development. Their statements can be found on the Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform (SDKP).
Representatives from major groups also took the floor, emphasizing that the Rio+20 Conference highlighted the importance of engaging all stakeholders and major groups in the sustainable development process going forward. Members of the OWG were called on to design multi-stakeholder mechanisms to ensure participation, transparency and accountability.
The meeting was webcast and a recording of it can be viewed on the SDKP.
The Committee for Development Policy (CDP) will convene for its fifteenth annual meeting to be held in New York on 18-22 March
The year 2013 is a year of transition. Time is fast closing to the end of the period the international community assigned to itself to implement the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) while discussions on the contours of UN development strategy for the post 2015 era have already started.
The Committee for Development Policy (CDP) will address these and other emerging development issues at its fifteenth annual meeting, which also marks the first time the new CDP membership, nominated last year by the Secretary-General, meets in plenary.
A source of independent advice on critical matters
As a subsidiary body of the UN Economic and Social Council, the CDP provides independent advice on critical issues on the international development agenda. The Committee is also responsible for the triennial review of the list of least developed countries (LDCs).
Membership is composed of twenty-four experts nominated by the Secretary-General on the basis of their personal for a three-year term. At its plenary session, the CDP drafts its annual report which includes the main conclusions and policy recommendations of the discussions on studies prepared by members with the assistance of the Secretariat. The report is then considered by the Council at its substantive session in July.
Science, technology and innovation for achieving sustainable development
As a contribution to the Council’s deliberations at its high level segment of its substantive session, the CDP will analyze science, technology and innovation, and the potential of culture for the achievement of the MDGs – the topic of this year’s Annual Ministerial Review.
It will also consider the vulnerabilities and development needs of the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and continue with its work on the future of the UN development agenda beyond 2015 focusing, this time, on emerging issues in the global environment
The Committee will examine the role of science, technology, and innovation policies in the context of national development strategies, and the potential contribution of international cooperation in the area of technology transfer and capacity building.
It will focus the analysis on answering the following questions: what policy measures should countries undertake at different catch-up stages while climbing up the technological ladder? What can countries at the bottom of the technological hierarchy learn from the experiences of countries currently at higher levels?
More importantly, are these experiences still applicable in today’s context? As protection of intellectual property rights is strengthened at the global level, the acquisition of new products or production methods has become more restrictive and more costly. In this regard, there is need to consider alternative strategies and new ways to engage international cooperation, particularly by countries with greater technological capabilities and resources, to best support catch-up efforts.
Emerging issues in the global economy: implications for the post-2015 development agenda
The world has changed significantly since the adoption of the UN Millennium Declaration: an increasing heterogeneity among developing countries, the rise of new powers coming from the developing world, the new geographical patterns of global poverty, the heightened importance of international public goods for national development, and the increasing relevance of private actors in the international environment.
This changing landscape is raising fundamental questions on whether the current global rules and structures allow the building of effective responses against international problems and the promotion of a fair distribution of development opportunities among all countries and to identify the necessary policy responses to that end. The Committee will discuss this issue to contribute to framing a renewed global architecture to implement a post-2015 international development framework to achieve an inclusive, sustainable and equitable development as envisaged by the Declaration.
Development needs of Small Island Developing States (SIDS)
The Committee will examine the vulnerabilities and development needs of SIDS and possible policy responses, focusing on how to further the full and effective implementation of the Barbados Programme of Action (BPoA) and the Mauritius Strategy.
In particular, the Committee will consider whether there is need to refocus efforts towards a more results-oriented approach and establish whether improved and additional measures might be needed to more effectively address the unique and particular vulnerabilities and development needs of SIDS. In this regard, while a wide range of measures in critical areas are already in place or under development, there is a need to fully implement, scale up and continuously improve these measures, in particular to reduce the occurrence and magnitude of external shocks, to enhancing copying mechanisms by the provision of necessary resources in the aftermath of negative shocks, and to establish a robust and effective global monitoring framework for the implementation of the BPoA and Mauritius Strategy.
During the week of 18-22 March, the Committee will be holding a series of briefings and panel discussions on the various agenda items. Announcements will be posted in the UN Journal.
DESA’s Division for Social Policy and Development (DSPD) seeks to find and bring to scale the most incredible stories on people’s empowerment around the globe. Stories like YOURS!
You can nominate yourself, or another person you admire who empowered you and therefore your unique and special story. We truly believe that the major social challenges of our time can be solved only with the full participation of people at all levels of society.
This innovation award represents DSPD’s commitment to the promotion of people’s empowerment and social development globally. It is administered by DSPD as part of its mission to promote more equitable growth, seeks to identify innovative approaches for poverty eradication, social integration, full employment and decent work for all.
The deadline for submitting your stories is 14 May 2013.
Once the selection process is completed, we will be honored to announce the final six winners on our website. Winners will also receive an award certificate from the United Nations.
To submit your story, please complete the online form following 2 basic rules:
1 – 1.000 words maximum for your written story (in English)
2 – 10 minutes maximum for your recorded video-story (in English or with English subtitles)
21 March has been declared to be the International Day of Forests by the United Nations General Assembly
This new global celebration of forests builds on the successes of the International Year of Forests in 2011, and provides a platform to raise awareness of the importance of all types of forests and of trees outside forests.
Activities expected to take place on the International Day include tree-planting and other community-level events, and national celebrations including art, photo and film as well as social media outreach.
The launch of the International Day will take place in many countries. Mr. Wu Hongbo, Under-Secretary-General of DESA, along with Chinese government officials, will be launching the International Day of Forests in China at a ceremony in Beijing on 21 March.
DESA’s United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) Secretariat was designated by the General Assembly to facilitate the implementation of the International Day, in collaboration with FAO, Governments, and other members of the Collaborative Partnerships on Forests and international, regional and subregional organizations as well as relevant stakeholders, including civil society.
The UNFF Secretariat is working with the UN Graphic Design Unit to develop a logo for the International Day, which will be launched in time for the first celebration of the Day this year on 21 March. In addition, a mobile App on Forest facts, as well as other social media products will be launched by the UNFF Secretariat on the International Day of Forests.
A webpage for the International Day of Forests is currently under development and will be accessible from the United Nations Forum on Forests website at www.un.org/esa/forests.
How will you celebrate the International Day of Forests?
Governments, international, regional and sub-regional organizations, and relevant stakeholders are encouraged to share information on their planned activities for the International Day of Forests by contacting the UNFF Secretariat at forests@un.org.
On 15 February, concluding its fifty-first session, the Commission for Social Development (CSocD) approved five draft resolutions for adoption by the Economic and Social Council
The resolutions cover a range of issues crucial to the promotion of societies rooted in respect for the dignity of every individual, from youth and disability, to ageing and African development.
The Commission’s approval of the texts capped two weeks of negotiations, panel discussions and general debate under the priority theme “Promoting empowerment of people in achieving poverty eradication, social integration and full employment and decent work for all”.
Representatives of Governments and civil society advocates from around the world described efforts to stimulate job creation, combat poverty and create inclusive societies, with a view to informing the Commission’s policy session next year, and more broadly, the global development agenda beyond 2015.
“We have just concluded eight intense and fruitful days of work,” Commission Chair Sewa Lamsal Adhikari (Nepal) declared in concluding remarks, noting that delegates had affirmed the essential role of Governments in creating and enabling environment to empower people, by providing the necessary tools and capacity-building opportunities. Decent work was also vital to promoting empowerment, reducing poverty and enhancing social inclusion, she added.
The Commission had laid the foundation for the fifty-second session, Ms. Adhikari continued, saying the 47-member body would produce a policy outcome on the priority theme. After recapping the work accomplished, she thanked delegates for their “flexibility and resolve”, exercised in a spirit of cooperation, which had facilitated the consensus approval of all the texts under consideration. She also thanked the facilitators for their “extreme patience” in guiding consultations.
Several of the texts approved highlighted the critical importance of empowering people and of their participation in advancing social development.
The Fifty-First Session of the Commission for Social Development (CSocD) will be convened in New York on 6-15 February under the priority theme “Promoting empowerment of people in achieving poverty eradication, social integration and full employment and decent work for all”
CSocD is a functional commission of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Since the World Summit for Social Development took place in Copenhagen in 1995, the Commission has been the key UN body in charge of the follow-up and implementation of the Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action. As a result of the Summit, the mandate of the Commission was reviewed and its membership expanded from 32 to 46 members in 1996.
Meeting once a year in New York, the Commission has addressed key social development themes as part of its follow-up to the Copenhagen Summit and the Programme of Work contains all documentation of the Commission for each of its sessions since the Summit.
This year, the event will feature a high-level panel discussion on 6 February, focusing on the priority theme and aiming to deepen knowledge and understanding of the link between empowerment and other critical elements of social policy to reduce poverty, promote social integration and full employment and decent work for all.
Panel discussions will also be arranged with events focusing on aging on 7 February; on the emerging issue of the social dimension of the global development agenda beyond 2015 on 11 February; and reviewing the implementation of the World Programme of Action for Youth on 11 February.
The Special Rapporteur on Disability, Mr. Shuaib Chalklen, will also give a presentation during the evening session on 8 February.
Key outcomes of Rio+20 and the way forward will be discussed on 12 February in the first of a series of Google+ Hangouts
The Rio+20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development in June last year resulted in a focused political outcome document, which launched clear and ambitious processes for the UN System, Member States and the Major Groups to collectively achieve the Future We Want.
As part of the ongoing follow-up of the conference, DESA’s Division for Sustainable Development will host a Google+ Hangout on Tuesday, 12 February at 12 PM EST, featuring key experts on Rio+20 and sustainable development from the UN system and civil society. The first in a series of Google+ Hangouts will highlight the major outcomes of Rio+20 and the key follow-up processes launched at the conference.
Panellists for the first “Sustainable Development in Action” Google+ Hangout include Nikhil Seth, Director of DESA’s Division for Sustainable Development; Elizabeth Thompson, Executive Coordinator for the Rio+20 conference; Kimo Goree, Vice-President of the International Institute for Sustainable Development Reporting Services (IISD); and Jacob Scherr, Director of global strategy and advocacy for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).
The 44th session of the Statistical Commission will take place at UN Headquarters in New York on 26 February – 1 March
The United Nations Statistical Commission, established in 1947, brings together Chief Statisticians from Member States from around the world. This year, representatives from about 140 countries are expected to gather in New York.
The highest decision making body for international statistical activities and a Functional Commission of the UN Economic and Social Council, it oversees the work of DESA’s Statistics Division.
13 agenda items will be discussed including the implementation of the fundamental principles of official statistics; environmental-economic accounting; environment statistics; national accounts; international comparison programme; international trade and regional statistical development in Africa. An additional 16 items will be presented for information, including education, employment, integrated economic statistics as well as development indicators.
A great number of side events will also be arranged, including on “Big Data for Policy Development and Official Statistics”, taking a closer look at the fundamental change to the nature of data caused by the arrival of the Internet, mobile devices and other technologies.
For the first time, Turkey will host a multilateral meeting on forests, with 193 Member States participating, in Istanbul from 8-19 April following the signing on 24 January of an agreement between Turkish Government and United Nations representatives
As host country, Turkey will provide resources for holding the upcoming tenth session of the United Nations Forum on Forests and for the participation of delegations from developing countries. Signing the agreement were Wu Hongbo, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, and Yasar Halit Çevik, Permanent Representative of Turkey to the United Nations.
Mr. Wu described Turkey’s support for the Forum as “generous”, saying that the Government’s offer to host the Forum represented its “strong political commitment to international cooperation”. The upcoming session of the Forum was very important to the ongoing discussions on the post-2015 United Nations development agenda, he noted.
Mr. Çevik said that his country felt “honoured to host the tenth Forum in Istanbul”, pointing out that it would be the first time that it had held a session outside United Nations Headquarters. “I would like to reiterate once again Turkey’s commitment to sustainable forest management and raising awareness on the importance of forests in economic life and poverty eradication,” he added.
The United Nations Forum on Forests is the only intergovernmental body that provides a global platform for policy development and cooperation on forests. The main theme of the April session — “Forests and economic development” — will advance actions for mobilizing finance for forests. Through the Forum, countries have agreed to reduce deforestation, prevent forest degradation, promote sustainable livelihoods and reduce poverty for all forest-dependent peoples.
Jan McAlpine, Director of the United Nations Forum on Forests Secretariat, said: “Turkey has stepped up as a leader by hosting an historic global meeting which will catalyse political and financial support for sustainable forest management”.
Forests presently cover 4 billion hectares, nearly 31 per cent, of the global land area. Approximately 60 million people are employed by forest-based industries, and the sector contributes $468 billion annually to global gross domestic product.
On 22 January, the UN General Assembly established a working group to focus on the design of a set of sustainable development goals (SDGs) to promote global prosperity, reduce poverty and advance social equity and environmental protection
The 30-member working group, consisting of countries from all regions, will prepare a report containing a proposal on the SDGs that the 193-member Assembly will consider and act on at its 68th session, which begins in September.
The working group is a direct result of the commitment made by governments at the Rio+20 Conference in June to establish a set of action-oriented, concise and easy to communicate goals to help advance sustainable development. The Rio+20 outcome document, entitled “The Future We Want” also calls for the goals to be integrated into the UN’s development agenda beyond 2015.
The SDGs seek to guide countries in achieving targeted outcomes within a specific time period, such as on universal access to sustainable energy and clean water for all, and will build on the anti-poverty targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) after their 2015 deadline.
The MDGs have been instrumental in driving down poverty rates and increasing access to education, healthcare, water and sanitation, but progress has not been uniform and the UN is currently ramping up efforts to help countries achieve the goals by the target date.
“The Future We Want has broadened the scope for global action for people and the planet,” said DESA’s Under-Secretary-General Wu Hongbo. “Sustainable development goals that build on the successes of the Millennium Development Goals, and that apply to all countries can provide a tremendous boost to efforts to implement sustainable development and help us address issues ranging from reducing poverty and creating jobs to the pressing issues of meeting economic, social and environmental aspirations of all people.”
Assembly President Vuk Jeremic said he would engage closely with Member States to ensure that the process to create the SDGs becomes a top priority and that the work of the newly established group is at the centre of the Assembly’s attention.
“This is a moment for us to imagine the future, and to decide on new ways to address global challenges – to truly define the ‘world we want,’ and the UN we need to make such a vision a reality,” Mr. Jeremic said.
In December, the Assembly passed a resolution outlining a series of steps to implement other aspects of the Rio+20 outcome document, including preparations for the establishment of a new high-level political forum, advancing action on the 10-year programme for promoting more sustainable patterns of consumption and production, and implementing steps to develop a sustainable development financing strategy.
As a global hub for innovation in public governance, DESA’s Division for Public Administration and Development Management (DPADM) promotes knowledge-sharing of innovative approaches and practices in public management, particularly in the area of e-government
The need to develop the information, communication and technology (ICT) sector to be able to meet the MDGs by 2015 is underscored worldwide. ICTs can help reform government in such a way that existing institutional arrangements can be restructured and new innovative plans can flourish, paving the way for a collaborative, effective, inclusive, transparent and accountable government, critical for sustainable development.
Every two years, DPADM publishes the UN E-Government Survey, providing a tool that enables decision-makers to identify their areas of strength and challenges. The survey assesses the e-government readiness of the 193 UN Member States according to a quantitative composite index of e-readiness based on website assessment, telecommunication infrastructure, and human resource endowment.
Based on the findings of the UN E-Government 2012 Survey, Tanzania ranks 139 out of 193 Member States in e-government development and is one of the leading top five countries in Eastern Africa.
“We have to change to fit in the fast-growing world of information and technology. E-government is a milestone in our development strategies,” said President Ali Mohamed Shein in his speech to launch an e-government centre at Mazizini, Zanzibar municipality, in Tanzania.
President Shein said that the e-government programme is to improve communications, economic growth, employment creation and quality of lives. He told the gathering comprising Zanzibaris and delegates from the Chinese Embassy in the country that e-government is aimed at increasing efficiency in government through the use of information and communication technology.
President Shein thanked China’s ZTE, Helios-Tech of Israel, Microsoft from USA, and local companies Salem Construction Limited and Kemmisy Investment Limited for supporting the programme, which includes the installation of the fibre optic cable, construction of centres and establishing connections.
Mr. Mohammed Ame, Head of the e-government project facilitation team, said the plan for the e-government project started in 2006, but the ground work lasted only one-year.
“We have to celebrate the success. The project is important in many aspects including improving internet and phone communications,” he said. “The fibre optic cable will enable us to easily access e-health, e-education, e-tourism and other programmes,” he added.
The 2013 Regular Session of the Committee on NGOs will meet on 21-30 January and is expected to adopt its report on 8 February 2013
The Committee on NGOs will consider over 200 new applications for status by NGOs as well as applications deferred from earlier sessions. It will also review nearly 300 quadrennial reports of NGOs in general or special consultative status.
It is a standing committee of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), established by the Council in 1946. It reports directly to ECOSOC, and the two reports of its annual regular session (usually at the end of January) and resumed session (in May) include draft resolutions or decisions on matters calling for action by the Council.
The Committee has 19 members who are elected on the basis of equitable geographical representation:
5 members from African States;
4 members from Asian States;
2 members from Eastern European States;
4 members from Latin American and Caribbean States; and
4 members from Western European and other States.
The term of office of its members is four years. The current terms of reference of the Committee are set out in Resolution 1996/31. In its proceedings the Committee is guided by the rules of procedure of the Council.
Members of the NGO Committee for the period 2011-2014 are the following: Belgium, Bulgaria (Chair), Burundi, China, Cuba, India, Israel (Vice-Chair and Rapporteur), Kyrgyzstan (Vice-Chair), Morocco, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Peru, Russian Federation, Senegal (Vice-Chair), Sudan, TURKEY, United States of America, and Venezuela (Bolivarian Rep.)
The main tasks of the Committee are:
The consideration of applications for consultative status and requests for reclassification submitted by NGOs;
The consideration of quadrennial reports submitted by NGOs in General and Special categories;
The implementation of the provisions of Council resolution 1996/31 and the monitoring of the consultative relationship;
Any other issues which the ECOSOC may request the Committee to consider.
The General Assembly adopted on 21 December a landmark resolution on the policy review of UN operational activities for development. The far-reaching changes endorsed in the resolution signal the importance of improving the relevance and effectiveness of the UN development system.
The resolution also recognizes the value of better linking operational activities with norms and standards such as freedom, peace, security and human rights, as well as the importance of incorporating sustainable development into the mandates, programmes, strategies and decision-making processes of UN entities. For the first time, there is also intergovernmental recognition of the ‘delivering-as-one’ model though it remains a voluntary option.
The resolution represents a significant step in the reform of the UN development system. The resolution is the culmination of two months of intensive intergovernmental negotiations underpinned by comprehensive analytical preparations supported by DESA and UN system entities. It was stated at the time of the adoption of the QCPR resolution that “this legislation is a major confidence-builder in the UN development system”.
The new QCPR resolution addressed several key issues.
Funding
The resolution has identified a number of steps to address the growing imbalance between core and non-core contributions. Funds and Programmes (Fs/Ps) are requested to present proposals for the concept of “critical mass” of core funding with a view to a decision in 2014; all core and non-core resources at the country level to be consolidated within a common budgetary framework; Fs/Ps to adopt by 2013, with a view to full implementation in 2014, cost recovery frameworks based on the principle of full cost recovery of all non-programme costs proportionally from core and non-core funding sources. This decision will require an increase in the present programme support cost rate of the Fs/Ps.
Functioning (programming, business practices, resident coordinator system, DaO)
The UN development system to improve the UNDAF as a strategic framework, simplify the UNDAF process and strengthen joint programming; simplify and harmonize the UNDAF and agency-specific programming instruments and processes; develop a common approach for measuring progress in capacity development; mainstream South-South and triangular cooperation into country-level programming and strengthen the use of the gender scorecard.
The UN development system to consolidate support services at the country level either by adopting a lead agency model, establishing a common service centre, or through outsourcing, and report on concrete achievements by the end of 2014; UN entities to invest in intra-agency rationalization of business operations and present plans by the end of 2013; rules, policies and procedures in the functional areas of finance, human resources management, procurement, ICT and other administrative services to be unified across the UN system by 2016; use of national systems to be stepped-up and the number of parallel implementation units reduced; the Secretary-General to present a proposal in early 2014 for decision-making by the Executive Boards of Fs/Ps on the common definition of operating costs and a common and standardized system of cost control. This is important for enhanced transparency in financial reporting and the calculation of cost savings from harmonization of business practices across UN entities. The resolution also calls for achieving full interoperability of enterprise resources planning systems of Fs/Ps in 2016 and the UN development system to develop a strategy for common premises in programme countries by the end of 2013.
The resolution calls for enhancing the planning and coordination function of UN resident coordinators including their ability to propose amendments to projects and programmes to bring them in line with the UNDAF, as well as the UNDAF itself, or its action plan, if activities are determined to be no longer in alignment with the broader UN strategy; strengthening of the capacity of resident coordinators’ offices; improved reporting by resident coordinators on the results of the UN development system as a whole at the country level; further decentralization of authority to field representatives of UN entities for decisions on programmatic and financial matters; and improved coordination between Secretariat entities and agencies of the UN development system in countries in transition from relief to development, e.g. through simplification and harmonization of programming instruments and processes and business practices. The Secretary-General is also requested to submit a proposal on the funding of the resident coordinator system in 2013.
The UN system is requested to consolidate the DaO process by clearly outlining the core elements of each of the “ones” and to provide the respective programme countries with an integrated package of support, comprising standard operating procedures as well as guidance on DaO-specific programming, monitoring and evaluation and reporting, pooled funding mechanisms and support to the resident coordinator system; the Secretary-General is requested to present options for the review and approval of common country programme documents of the DaO countries for consideration of ECOSOC and GA in 2013 and to come up with proposals for the establishment of common monitoring, evaluation and reporting mechanisms on DAO implementation.
Results-based management and system-wide evaluation
In the areas of results-based management, the Secretary-General is requested to present a report to ECOSOC in 2013 on an approach to streamline the planning, monitoring, measurement and reporting on system-wide results. Governing bodies of UN entities are also invited to engage in a focused dialogue on how to balance reporting on system-wide results with the current agency-specific reporting requirements. The UN development system is also requested to develop clear and robust results frameworks that demonstrate complete results chains with the Fs/Ps reporting annually on implementation from 2014.
In addition, the resolution requests the Secretary-General to establish an interim coordination mechanism for system-wide evaluation of operational activities for development, with a draft policy and a proposal for pilot system-wide evaluations to be submitted for discussion at the operational activities segment of ECOSOC in 2013.
At its December meeting, the Vienna Policy Dialogue of the UN Development Cooperation Forum discussed how to firmly anchor gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in the evolving post-2015 UN development agenda.
Organized by UNDESA, in partnership with UN Women and the Government of Austria, the Vienna Policy Dialogue on 13 and 14 December 2012 brought together more than 80 senior representatives and experts from national and local governments, civil society organizations, parliaments, and women’s organizations with representatives of international organizations.
With gender inequalities persisting across the globe, the main objective of the meeting was to explore how to put gender equality and the empowerment of women at the heart of the post 2015 development agenda to put an end to gender injustice. The meeting reviewed the role which development cooperation can play to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women.
A key message emerging from the meeting was that Millennium Development Goals have helped to mobilize financial resources for gender equality and galvanize political support. At the same time, it acknowledged that the MDGs have not sufficiently addressed the root causes of gender inequality. Participants have therefore called for a post 2015 development agenda, which has both a standalone goal on gender equality and the integration of gender equality across the entire post 2015 development agenda.
Participants also examined the role of mutual accountability mechanisms and gender responsive budgeting in addressing gender inequalities. Both were seen as powerful tools to ensure that gender equality becomes a reality on the ground. There was broad agreement that development partnerships at all level must reflect womens’ voices. Mutual accountability mechanisms can help to empower citizens in their efforts to hold their governments and providers of external assistance to account for gender-responsive policy making.
The Vienna Policy Dialogue is the first in a series of consultations in preparation of the 2014 DCF. The DCF is the principal multi-stakeholder platform for global dialogue and policy aimed at reviewing trends and progress in international development cooperation. It provides policy guidance and recommendations to promote more effective and coherent international development cooperation.
Thirty-six resolutions and one decision were adopted by the Second Committee during its current session. At the front and centre of the discussion was the resolution on the quadrennial comprehensive policy review (QCPR)
The Committee faced difficult negotiations but was able to reach agreement by consensus on ways to better assess the effectiveness, efficiency, coherence and impact of the United Nations operational activities. Delegations were able to negotiate important resolutions that aim to provide policy direction for the macroeconomic and trade actions of the international community, including on external debt sustainability, international trade, international financial system, financing for development, and industrial development.
Within the sustainable development cluster of items, the Second Committee adopted a total of 16 draft resolutions including on the Follow-up to Agenda 21; the preparatory work for the third international conference on Small Island Developing States; the designation of 2014 as the International Year of SIDS, the declaration of 2014-2024 as the United Nations Decade of Sustainable Energy for All. A resolution on strengthening UNEP was also adopted and a UN-Habitat resolution reaffirmed the decision to hold, in 2016, a third United Nations conference on housing and sustainable urban development (Habitat III).
On the issue of LDCs, the Committee has taken a significant step to follow up on the Istanbul commitments, including by adopting resolutions on smooth transition for countries graduating from the list of LDCs, and the follow up to the fourth UN Conference on LDCs.
Resolutions were also adopted on issues including: migration, international day of forests; world water day; entrepreneurship for development; fiscal transparency; among others.
Two high-level joint events were held in this year’s session. The first was with ECOSOC on the theme of the global economic outlook. The second was with the Third Committee on the theme of ICTs for development. Additionally, five special events were held to inform the Committee’s deliberations on some of its key agenda items, including: sustainable development goals, sovereign debt crisis, entrepreneurship, migration, and science, technology and innovation.
Ban Ki-moon welcomed the outcome of the UN Climate Change Conference which took place in Doha on 26 November-7 December, saying it paves the way to a comprehensive, legally binding agreement by 2015
The two-week meeting of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the parent treaty of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, wrapped up today in the Qatari capital, with delegates reportedly agreeing to extend the Protocol, whose first commitment period expires at the end of this year, until 2020.
Under the Protocol, 37 States – consisting of highly industrialized countries and countries undergoing the process of transition to a market economy – have legally binding emission limitation and reduction commitments.
“Doha successfully concluded the previous round of climate negotiations, paving the way to a comprehensive, legally binding agreement by 2015,” said a statement issued by Mr. Ban’s spokesperson.
“The Secretary-General believes that far more needs to be done and he calls on governments, along with businesses, civil society and citizens, to accelerate action on the ground so that the global temperature rise can be limited to 2 degrees Celsius,” it added.
Recent UN-led reports have pointed to the urgency of keeping global average temperatures from rising beyond an internationally agreed level of 2 degrees Celsius, beyond which climate change would have serious impacts.
Ban Ki-moon had also expressed his hope for five key “deliverables” by governments in Doha, beginning with the adoption of a ratifiable second commitment period of the Protocol.
He also expected progress on long-term climate finance, and ensuring that the institutions set up during previous conferences in Cancun and Durban to support mitigation and adaptation by developing countries – including the Green Climate Fund and the Climate Technology Centre and Network – are fully equipped and effective.
In addition, the Secretary-General expected governments to demonstrate, with no ambiguity, that negotiations on a global and legally binding instrument remain on track, and to show how they intend to act on the gap between mitigation pledges and what is required to achieve the 2 degrees target.
In a statement on 8 December, it was said that Ban Ki-moon will increase his personal involvement in efforts “to raise ambition, scale-up climate financing, and engage world leaders as we now move towards the global agreement in 2015.”
The International Day of Persons with Disabilities will be celebrated with a number of events at UN Headquarters on 3 December under the theme “Removing barriers to create an inclusive and accessible society for all”
The United Nations has a long history of advocating for the full and effective participation of persons with disabilities in society and development. Persons with disabilities – more than one billion persons – who make up more than 15% of the world’s population – have so much to contribute when and if the barriers are removed for their participation.
The annual observance of the International Day of Disabled Persons, proclaimed by the General Assembly in 1992, aims to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for action toward protecting and promoting the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities.
As the global population with disabilities continues to grow, an accessible and inclusive world is more important and essential than ever.
This year’s event will focus on the High-level Meeting of the General Assembly on Disability and Development (HLMDD), which will take place on 23 September 2013 in accordance with General Assembly resolution 66/124. It will also mark the official opening of the preparatory process for the High-level Meeting. The President of the 67th session of General Assembly along with the co-facilitators of the HLMD will officially launch the preparatory process on Monday, 3 December 2012 at a high-level opening ceremony of the International Day.
The commemorative events for the Day will also include a panel discussion under the theme: “The way forward: a disability inclusive development agenda towards 2015 and beyond” and will culminate with the annual United Nations Enable Film Festival (UNEFF), featuring short films to help raise awareness concerning disability issues with a view to promoting the full and effective participation of persons with disabilities in all aspects of society and development.
The event will be co-sponsored by the Office of the President of General Assembly, Governments of the Philippines and Spain and UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
“Together, we must strive to achieve the goals of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: to eliminate discrimination and exclusion, and to create societies that value diversity and inclusion,” said the UN Secretary-General in his message for the day.
The Vienna Policy Dialogue on Gender Equality will take place on 13-14 December to discuss how to anchor gender equality and the empowerment of women in the evolving post-2015 UN development agenda
Given the centrality of women as critical drivers of development, the Development Cooperation Forum (DCF) Vienna Policy Dialogue will discuss how to firmly anchor gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls and the protection of their rights in the changing landscape of international development cooperation and in the post-2015 UN development agenda.
Organized by DESA, in partnership with UN Women and the Government of Austria, the Vienna Policy Dialogue, will bring together senior representatives, experts from national and local governments, civil society organizations, parliaments, women’s organizations and the private sector with representatives of international organizations to develop concrete policy recommendations to advance gender equality and the empowerment of women in response to the profound shifts in international development cooperation.
The Vienna Policy Dialogue is the first in a series of consultations in preparation of the 2014 DCF. The DCF is the principal multi-stakeholder platform for global dialogue and policy aimed at reviewing trends and progress in international development cooperation. It provides policy guidance and recommendations to promote more effective and coherent international development cooperation.
The United Nations is calling for nominations for the UN Public Service Awards 2013, which is an international event designed to promote and support innovations in public service delivery worldwide (deadline 7 December 2012)
The awards are open to public organizations of all kinds, including governments and public-private partnerships involved in delivering services to citizens.
An annual United Nations event, the Public Service Awards are bestowed on those public institutions that have distinguished themselves in the following categories: Preventing and Combating Corruption in the Public Service; Improving the Delivery of Services; Fostering Participation in Policymaking Decisions through Innovative Mechanisms; Promoting Whole-of-Government Approaches in the Information Age; and Promoting Gender-Responsive Delivery of Public Services.
“The winners of the United Nations Public Service Awards set an example in improving delivery, promoting accountability and combating corruption. Through the search for innovative approaches to public governance challenges, they are building a better future for us all,” the UN Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon noted in his 2012 United Nations Public Service Day welcome message.
The United Nations Public Service Day was established by the Economic and Social Council in 2003 to promote better delivery of services by governments and to encourage excellence in the public service through the collection, transfer and adaptation of innovative public service initiatives. Learning from other countries’ experiences in reinventing government can inspire new reforms, and in some cases help countries to leapfrog stages of development. “Such successful innovations and initiatives are concrete evidence proving that in order to find solutions to challenges of our times we need to learn from each other and think outside the box,” stressed Mr. Wu Hongbo Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs.
The United Nations Public Service Awards winners, selected by the United Nations Committee of Experts on Public Administration, receive a trophy and a certificate of recognition during the United Nations Public Service Awards Ceremony and Day held annually on 23 June. The global event is organized by the Division of Public Administration and Development Management (DPADM) of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), in partnership with UN Women and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
While contenders cannot nominate themselves, interested institutions deemed to have very good performance in any one of the categories can have their name put forward by governments or civil society organizations.
A live chat on Facebook was arranged on 27 November to engage the online community in a discussion on the post-2015 development agenda
“We hope to bring views from all corners of the world together because what we are striving for is an agenda that will take us to a shared, secure and sustainable global development for all, our generation and all future ones,” said Rob Vos, Director of DESA’s Division for Development Policy and Analysis (DPAD).
More than 900 participants took part in the chat themed “Keeping the momentum beyond 2015: Moving forward towards a new global development agenda”. Panelists from the UN System Task Team on the Post-2015 Development Agenda included DPAD Director Rob Vos with DPAD colleagues Diana Alarcon and Sabrina Axster, Fred Soltau from DESA’s Division for Sustainable Development and Jose Dallo and Gina Lucarelli from the UNDP Bureau of Development Policy.
The live chat was jointly organized by DESA and UNDP to engage various stakeholders in the preparations for a global development agenda beyond 2015 that can build on the progress of the MDGs and meet the new challenges ahead.
The chat was very popular among the online audience and the engagement level was high. Words of appreciation came from many including from this participant in Malaysia, who said that “it is a very healthy two-way interaction platform that has been created by the UN to engage online participants in a transparent way and interactive chat.”
The International Year of Cooperatives celebrated under the theme “Cooperative enterprises build a better world” will culminate on 19-20 November with a closing ceremony featuring a short film festival
Over one billion people are members of cooperatives, a serious enterprise model that puts people at the heart of all business. Owned and controlled by the members they serve, they are great tools for empowering people. It is also estimated that cooperatives account for more than 100 million jobs around the world.
“Cooperatives empower their members and strengthen communities. They promote food security and enhance opportunities for small agricultural producers. They are better tuned to local needs and better positioned to serve as engines of local growth. By pooling resources, they improve access to information, finance and technology. And their underlying values of self-help, equality and solidarity offer a compass in challenging economic times,” said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon earlier this year when the International Day of Cooperatives was celebrated.
Intended to raise public awareness of how cooperatives contribute to poverty reduction, employment generation and social integration, the International Year of Cooperatives was launched on 31 October 2011. The year also sought to promote growth and the creation of cooperatives worldwide and to encourage individuals, communities and governments to acknowledge the role cooperatives play in helping to achieve internationally agreed upon development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
As the year comes full circle, closing events will be held on 19-20 November featuring a short film festival on 20 November. Filmmakers from around the world have been invited to submit their contributions showcasing cooperatives and encouraging support and development of cooperative enterprises by individuals and their communities. The winners and the films selected will soon be revealed.
The UN General Assembly’s Second and Third Committees will continue their sessions in November focusing on economic and financial issues and on social, humanitarian and cultural matters respectively
The Economic and Financial Committee (Second Committee) opened its session on 8 October featuring a keynote address by James Robinson, David Florence Professor of Government at Harvard University, who highlighted his book, “Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity and Poverty”, emphasizing the relationship between politics and economic institutions. While long-run economic growth was driven by new ways of producing things, including innovation and technical growth, society also needed to be organized in such a way as to harness the talents, energy and skills of its people, he said. “Societies that fail, fail to use these attributes,” Professor Robinson added.
The Second Committee has during the month of October arranged a number of side events including a panel discussion on “Conceptualizing a set of sustainable development goals” on 16 October; an event focusing on “Sovereign debt crises and restructurings: lessons learnt and proposals for debt resolution mechanisms” on 25 October; and a discussion on “Countries with special needs / Middle income countries” on 31 October.
At the end of October and beginning of November, sustainable development will be at the top of the agenda, followed by topics including agriculture development and food security, poverty eradication, the permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and ICTs.
Upcoming special events in November include:
Special joint meeting of the Second Committee and the Economic and Social Council on “Food security and nutrition: scaling up the global response”;
Discussion on “Entrepreneurship for development”;
Discussion on “Migration and development”;
Panel discussion on “Science, technology and innovation: a new development paradigm”
The Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee (Third Committee) also opened its session on 8 October. DESA’s Under-Secretary-General Wu Hongbo addressed the Committee highlighting achievements made and challenges remaining as the world community approaches the target date for the Millennium Development Goals.
“We must tackle rising inequalities and address the impact on vulnerable groups,” Mr. Wu said. He also pointed to the dire situation of unemployment around the globe, saying “the global jobs crisis has hit youth the hardest. Young women and men represent 40 per cent of the 200 million jobless people worldwide. They are nearly three times more likely than adults to be jobless.”
As in previous sessions, an important part of the work of the Committee will focus on the examination of human rights questions. It also discusses the advancement of women, the protection of children, indigenous issues, the treatment of refugees, the promotion of fundamental freedoms through the elimination of racism and racial discrimination, and the right to self- determination. The Committee also addresses important social development questions such as issues related to youth, family, ageing, persons with disabilities, crime prevention, criminal justice, and international drug control.
As the UN General Assembly’s Third Committee opened its session on 8 October; voices and concerns of young people from across the globe were conveyed
With commitment and a huge amount of enthusiasm, UN Youth Delegates took the stage to deliver messages on education, employment and other issues of importance to youth.
“This is one of the best moments in my life, because I represent youth at a crucial time,” said Caesar Suarez from Mexico. He also underscored the importance of youth participation, and making the voices of youth heard. “Look to the youth and let us participate in a responsible and democratic way,” he said.
As some 30 Youth Delegates had gathered in New York, DESA’s Division for Social Policy and Development, which oversees the UN Youth Delegate Programme on behalf of the UN, took the opportunity to bring them together for a briefing. The commitment of the UN and the Secretary-General’s pledge to prioritize youth issues were highlighted, along with the action plan being prepared and efforts to involve young people in the post-2015 development agenda.
Some of the representatives shared what it feels like to represent their country at the UN and also what key messages they conveyed to the Third Committee, which deals with social, humanitarian and cultural issues.
“We are so happy to be here. This is the first time that Kenya has youth representatives. We represent over 70 per cent of the Kenyan population,” said Rebecca Ndombi. Sharing some of the key points in her statement, Rebecca said, “I spoke about how education needs to be taken as an important step, and how more investments need to be made in order to educate and empower the youth of Kenya.” Rebecca also highlighted the role of ICTs as a very effective tool, as well as the importance of showcasing positive examples.
Gladwell Kahara, also representing Kenya, spoke about youth unemployment and about the importance of reaching out to young people, teaching them how to protect themselves from becoming infected with HIV and AIDS. Paula Lascano from Mexico also addressed unemployment and the importance of youth participation. She also highlighted her country’s commitment to people with disabilities.
“For me it was important to say something that I really, really believed in. Therefore I chose to speak about anti-racism, migration and the situation for people that had to leave their countries,” said Sweden’s youth delegate Milischia Rezai.
Panyarak Roque from Thailand shared his views about being a youth delegate, the honor it entails but also the responsibility that comes with this role. “One of the things we do as youth delegates, is to try to actually represent young people and to make sure that the youth delegation programmes at the UN are not only tokenistic programmes, but also have actual results and actual representation,” he said.
After participating in the Third Committee’s working session and in youth-focused side events, some of the delegates will leave UN Headquarters to return home at the end of October. But many will be back again early next year, making sure that the voices of youth are being heard as the Commission for Social Development opens its 51st session on 6 February 2013.
This statement was given by one of the panelists in the Second Committee Special Event “Conceptualizing a set of sustainable development goals” which was arranged on 16 October
Human life on earth would depend on the formulation of a set of sustainable development goals built on an ambitious vision, Kate Raworth, Senior Researcher for Oxfam GB, told the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) on 16 October as it held a panel discussion on this topic.
One of four panellists in the discussion, Ms. Raworth described nine “planetary boundaries” in areas including land use, chemical pollution, climate change and ozone depletion, emphasizing that in order to maintain the planet, they should not be crossed.
Noting that three of the boundaries had already been crossed, with others under major stress regionally or locally, Ms. Raworth underscored that they were designed not “to protect tree frogs or polar bears”, but humanity, and not as part of an environmentalist agenda, but as part of a humanist one. With “choppy waters” ahead, she said, there was an “extraordinary chance” to develop a real plan to deal with future development.
But that was only half the challenge, she said, describing an inner limit of resource use within which people lacked adequate access to water, energy, jobs, income and gender equality, among other things. “Every human being must have the resources to meet their human rights,” she stressed, calling for a balance between resource use and resource limitation that would exist in a “safe space for humanity.” The current imbalance amounted to an “indictment of the path to development we have followed to date”, she said, adding, however, that the challenges could be met.
Also featured as panellists in the discussion led by the Second Committee Chair George Wilfred Talbot of Guyana, and moderated by Andrew Revkin, Senior Fellow at Pace University’s Academy for Applied Environmental Studies, were Mootaz Ahmadein Khalil, Permanent Representative of Egypt; Manish Bapna, Executive Vice-President and Managing Director, World Resources Institute; and Charles Kenny, Senior Fellow, Centre for Global Development. Shamshad Akhtar, Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, also participated in the event, discussing the process for moving forward.
Mr. Bapna, echoing calls for a set of forward-looking Sustainable Development Goals, said they must tackle today’s problems rather than those of yesterday. Also emphasizing that the Sustainable Development Goals must be multidimensional, he said that, unlike the Millennium Development Goals, they needed to focus on sustainability and to make clear the links connecting the three pillars of sustainable development. Moreover, the Millennium Goals asked very little of high-income countries, he pointed out, calling for Goals that would focus explicitly on “global collective action problems” such as climate change and food supply.
The process of conceptualizing a set of Sustainable Development Goals must be open and inclusive, unlike the process that had come up with the Millennium Development Goals, Mr. Bapna stressed, pointing out that the poor had not been consulted to determine how they defined poverty and what must be done to induce change. Fortunately, some organizations were beginning to reach out to the poor, he said, adding that it was important to acknowledging shortcomings in the Millennium Development Goals in formulating the new set of targets. However, it was crucial not to lose sight of good decisions, he said, urging the Committee to “build on the good decisions and learn from the bad decisions so as to not repeat them”.
International Day of Older Persons on 1 October will be celebrated under the theme “Longevity: Shaping the Future” with events in Geneva on 1 October and New York on 10 October
On 14 December 1990, the United Nations General Assembly designated 1 October the International Day of Older Persons. This was preceded by initiatives such as the Vienna International Plan of Action on Ageing – which was adopted by the 1982 World Assembly on Ageing – and endorsed later that year by the UN General Assembly.
In 1991, the General Assembly adopted the United Nations Principles for Older Persons and in 2002, the Second World Assembly on Ageing adopted the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, to respond to the opportunities and challenges of population ageing in the 21st century and to promote the development of a society for all ages.
For last year’s commemoration, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stated, “In the current fiscal environment, we must be vigilant in ensuring that the provision of social protection, long-term care and access to public health for the elderly is not undermined. On this International Day of Older Persons, I call on governments and communities everywhere to provide more opportunities for their ageing populations.”
The Economic and Financial Committee (Second Committee) of the General Assembly will address a wide range of issues under the chairmanship of H.E. Mr. George Wilfred Talbot from Guyana as it begins its working session on 8 October
The agenda of the Second Committee features a general debate followed by a broad range of agenda items on topics including groups of countries in special situations, globalization and interdependence, macroeconomic policy questions, sustainable development, financing for development and the eradication of poverty. The Committee will also address agricultural development and food security, and the permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
During the the first meeting of the Committee which was held on 21 September, Mr. Modest Jonathan Mero of the United Republic of Tanzania was elected as Vice-Chair from the African States group. The rest of the bureau is composed by representatives from Bangladesh, Mr. Tauhedul Islam, and from Italy, Mr. Stefano Stefanile. The Rapporteur is Ms. Aida Hodzic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The chair informed the Committee of the distribution of responsibilities within the bureau and discussed the programme of work.
The chair also announced six special events proposed by the bureau of the Second Committee:
Lessons learned from debt crises and ongoing work on sovereign debt restructuring and debt resolution mechanisms;
Science, technology and innovation: a new development paradigm;
The challenges of countries under special situations/The special challenges of middle-income countries;
Follow up to Rio+20 on sustainable development goals;
Entrepreneurship for development; and
Migration and development: causes and impacts.
As in previous years, the general debate will be preceded by a keynote address by a prominent economist, Professor James Robinson from Harvard University. The Chair also announced a joint briefing of the Committee and ECOSOC by the Project Link Partnership; a joint meeting between the Committee and ECOSOC on food security and nutrition; and the possibility of a joint meeting of the Second and Third Committees on a topic of mutual interest that would benefit the work of both Committees.
The Chair highlighted that the target date for the conclusion of the work of the Committee is 30 November.
The General Assembly has declared 17 October as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty and invites all states to devote the day to presenting and promoting concrete activities with regard to the eradication of poverty
The observance of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty can be traced back to 17 October 1987. On that day, over a hundred thousand people gathered at the Trocadéro in Paris, where the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was signed in 1948, to honour the victims of extreme poverty, violence and hunger. They proclaimed that poverty is a violation of human rights and affirmed the need to come together to ensure that these rights are respected.
These convictions are inscribed in a commemorative stone unveiled on this day. Since then, people of all backgrounds, beliefs and social origins have gathered every year on 17 October to renew their commitment and show their solidarity with the poor. Replicas of the commemorative stone have been unveiled around the world and serve as a gathering place to celebrate the Day. One such replica is located in the garden of United Nations Headquarters and is the site of the annual commemoration organized by the United Nations Secretariat in New York.
In 1992, the General Assembly declared 17 October as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty and invited all States to devote the Day to presenting and promoting concrete activities with regard to the eradication of poverty and destitution. The General Assembly resolution further invites intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations to assist states, at their request, in organizing national activities for the observance of the Day, and requests the Secretary-General to take, within existing resources, the measures necessary to ensure the success of the Day’s observance by the United Nations.
17 October presents an opportunity to acknowledge the effort and struggle of people living in poverty, a chance for them to make their concerns heard, and a moment to recognize that poor people are the first ones to fight poverty. Participation of the poor themselves has been at the center of the Day’s celebration since its very beginning. The commemoration of 17 October also reflects the willingness of people living in poverty to use their expertise to contribute to the eradication of poverty.
On the eve of the 67th Session of the UN General Assembly, DESA’s UN Forum on Forests Secretariat launched a video series showcasing the inspiring work of the UNFF Forest Heroes award winners
The Forest Heroes Award programme was part of the International Year of Forests 2011 (Forests 2011) celebration. Six Forest Heroes awards were given to eight remarkable individuals from around the world at the closing ceremony of the International Year of Forests in February 2012.
Jan McAlpine, Director of the United Nations Forum on Forests Secretariat and member of the jury, said the UNFF Forest Heroes Awards programme was created to honour individuals around the world who are heroically dedicating their lives to forests. “Each of us, all 7 billion people, has our physical, economic and spiritual health tied to forests. The Forest Heroes embody the compelling message that everyday people can effect positive change for forests everywhere.”
The award winners are from different parts of the world, of different ages, and impact diverse forests in their own ways. Africa’s Mr. Paul Mzeka is a 78-year-old bee farmer in Cameroon; Asia’s Mr. Shigeatsu Hatakeyama farms oysters in eastern Japan that was devastated by the 2011 tsunami; Europe’s Mr. Anatoly Lebedev advocates for Siberian forests and indigenous tigers; Latin America’s Mr. Paulo Adario campaigns for rainforests and the forest-dependant communities in the Brazilian Amazon; and North America’s Ms. Rhiannon Tomtishen and Ms. Madison Vorva are Girl Scouts from the USA working to raise awareness on the impact of palm oil production on rainforests. In addition, a special award was given posthumously to Mr. José Claudio Ribeiro and Ms. Maria do Espírito Santo, two dedicated advocates in Brazil who were tragically murdered while trying to protect the Amazon forests.
The Fifth Session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) was held on 12-14 September at UN Headquarters in New York
More than 750 participants attended the opening of the Conference on 12 September, which featured remarks by H.E Ambassador Marten Grunditz (Sweden), President of the Conference, Mr. Wu Hongbo, DESA’s Under-Secretary-General and H.E Moreno Lenin, Vice President of Ecuador, as well as by representatives from OHCHR and civil society organizations.
Under the theme: “Making the CRPD count for Children and Women” , the three-day Conference featured a series of activities, including the election of nine members of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, two roundtable sessions, one informal panel discussion, one interactive dialogue with the UN system and a general debate segment.
Two roundtable and one informal panel discussions were organized around three topics – “technology and accessibility”, “children with disabilities”, and “women with disabilities”. Four background papers were developed by DESA to facilitate interactive discussions among the panelists and the participants with a view to promote disability-inclusive development and explore how to increase the efforts toward inclusive and sustainable development for equitable and just society, through implementation of the Convention, giving special attention to the perspectives of gender and women, as well as children. Another focus of these discussions was around how to tap the potential of technologies to further ensure the inclusion of persons with disabilities in society and development.
The general debate had around 50 States inscribed for the speakers’ list, including many at ministerial levels. Due to time constraints, 17 requests could not be accommodated. Although it is a conference of States Parties, signatories and other observers actively participate in all aspects of the agenda of this very unique global forum. The Conference helps realize the goal of the United Nations’ work in the field of disability that is: the full and effective participation of persons with disabilities in society and development, as both agents and beneficiaries.
During the Conference, 34 side-events were organized by Governments, UN system organizations, academic institutions, international and bi-lateral development agencies, and national human rights institutions, as well as non-governmental organizations and organizations of persons with disabilities.
A number of features, such as official documentation in Braille, an accessible UN Enable website, a PaperSmart portal for documents and statements, real time CART transcription (closed captioning), sign language interpretation and webcasting, were included at the Conference, with a view to promoting and facilitating the broadest participation possible. The Enable Daily Bulletin from the Conference was distributed to over 9000 subscribers. Highlights and news about the Conference was also broadcast through social networking media including Facebook and Twitter, via live information from the Conference floor.
The Conference of State Parties has now become one of the largest and key global forums, where stakeholders gather together to discuss experiences and innovative ideas to promote the rights of persons with disabilities and disability-inclusive policies and programmes towards building a just, equitable and inclusive society for all.
DESA, as the Secretariat for the Conference of States Parties, supported all aspects of the work of the Conference, in collaboration with OLA and OHCHR.
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) was adopted by the General Assembly in 2006. The Convention has received strong support from Member States, 153 of which have ratified or acceded to it to date. Many States are now focusing on implementation, and advances are being made in harmonizing national legislation, policies and practices with the Convention.
At the same time, it has been increasingly recognized that disability has not been adequately included in development efforts. To address this situation, the General Assembly has decided to convene a High-level Meeting on Disability and Development on 23 September 2013 so that the international community can take a concerted action toward a disability-inclusive post-2015 development framework.
The fifth session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities will be held in New York on 12-14 September
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was adopted by the General Assembly on 13 December 2006, entering into force on 3 May 2008.
Convention article 40 states that “the States Parties shall meet regularly in a Conference of States Parties in order to consider any matter with regard to the implementation of the present Convention.” Since 2008, four sessions of the Conference of States Parties have been held at UN Headquarters in New York.
The theme of the fifth session is “Making the CRPD count for Women and Children”. The following are the sub-themes of the Conference: “Technology and Accessibility”, “Children with Disabilities” and “Women with Disabilities”.
The sixty-seventh session of the General Assembly will convene at United Nations Headquarters in New York on 18 September
Following the opening on 18 September, the high-level meeting on the rule of law at the national and international levels will be held on 24 September to be followed by the start of the general debate on 25 September.
The General Assembly is the main deliberative, policymaking and representative organ of the United Nations. Comprising all 193 Member States of the United Nations, it provides a unique forum for multilateral discussion of the full spectrum of international issues covered by the UN Charter. The Assembly meets in regular session intensively from September to December each year, and thereafter as required.
Second and Third Committees
The Economic and Financial Committee (Second Committee) and the Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee (Third Committee) will discuss the items on the agenda related to economic questions and social and humanitarian issues, respectively. The Committees seek where possible to harmonize the various approaches of States, and present their recommendations, usually in the form of draft resolutions and decisions, to a plenary meeting of the Assembly for its consideration.
The Assembly’s Second Committee deals with the economic and financial aspects of development and its Third Committee addresses social, humanitarian and cultural matters. Both the Second and Third Committees will convene in October.
The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) will hold a Special Ministerial Meeting on 24 September from 3:00 pm to 7:45 pm at UN Headquarters in New York
At the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), world leaders acknowledged the vital importance of an inclusive, transparent, strengthened and effective multilateral system to better address the urgent global challenges of sustainable development. In The Future We Want, world leaders also recognized the important role of the Economic and Social Council in achieving a balanced integration of the three dimensions of sustainable development.
The Special Ministerial Meeting will center on a moderated expert panel discussion followed by an interactive dialogue on strengthening the multilateral system for sustainable development and a better integration of the economic, social and environmental spheres.
The Meeting is a unique opportunity to discuss with Government Ministers from around the world, and other key players from the international community, the steps that are needed for a more effective multilateral system for sustainable development.
The third substantive session of the Open-ended Working Group on Ageing took place in New York on 21-24 August
Aimed at strengthening the protection of the human rights of older persons, the Working Group is mandated to consider the existing international rights framework for older persons, to identify possible gaps and how best to address them.
The third substantive session began with a panel discussion on discrimination with experts Mr. Charles Radcliffe, Head of Global Issues at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights as moderator, Mr. Alejandro Morlachetti, Professor of Law at the University of La Plata, Argentina, Ms. Louise Richardson, Vice President AGE Platform Europe and Ms. Susan Ryan, Australia’s Age Discrimination Commissioner.
Outlining the scope of discussion, Mr. Radcliffe said, “The working group at its heart is really an invitation to look at the human rights challenges faced by older people today and think about what can be done to make sure everyone, regardless of their age, can enjoy the same rights on an equal footing. The right to be free of discrimination is a fundamental principle of international human rights law, not just for older people but for people of all ages. States have a legal duty to protect citizens against discrimination”.
The Report of the Secretary-General on the follow-up to the Second World Assembly on Ageing outlines that all too often older people face numerous types of discrimination surrounding; employment, healthcare, social and financial exclusion, and are often at risk of poverty or living in poverty.
Older people are more likely to face redundancy in tough economic times. They frequently don’t benefit from training opportunities and face severe barriers to re-entry into the workforce, often suffering long periods of unemployment and financial strain.
Healthcare was identified as an area fraught with discriminatory practices. Older people are vulnerable to the steep costs associated with complimentary healthcare insurance, co-payments or lack of health insurance, and in many cases have difficulty accessing health services at all due to age discriminatory practices in the allocation of healthcare. Lack of access or limited knowledge of technology can lead to exclusion. For example, now that so much information on benefits is available online, older people can find this difficult to navigate and miss out on information about key benefits and services. Multiple discrimination was highlighted as a major problem for older persons, be it because of gender, ethnicity, disability or sexual orientation.
Additionally, older people can face financial exclusion through unwillingness on the part of financial institutions to offer them credit and certain financial products. Ms. Richardson said, “When it comes to goods and services there is no binding legislation regarding discrimination. Age Platform Europe has recently demonstrated the persistence of age limits in access to travel insurance, complimentary health insurance, mortgages and bank loans. In many member states older people are charged prohibitively high fees or are denied access to insurance”.
Susan Ryan, Australia’s dedicated Age Commissioner spoke about the Australian experience handling age discrimination. “The Australian government created the role of the Age Commissioner because of demographic changes, the ageing population and the fact that people are living longer in better health. The combination of these factors persuaded the government that there should be specific protections for older people to protect against age discrimination in society and in the workplace particularly”.
The Open-Ended Working Group on Ageing also discussed issues surrounding autonomy, independent living and health care; life in dignity, social security and access to resources; abuse and violence against older persons; and access to justice.
Leading up to International Youth Day on 12 August, six live Google+ Hangouts were arranged by DESA’s Division for Social Policy and Development on 8-10 August
The topics for the events were aligned with the themes set out for the Secretary-General’s System-Wide Action Plan (SWAP) on Youth currently under development. They include: Political inclusion; Citizenship and the protection of rights; Employment; Entrepreneurship; and Education, including on sexual and reproductive health.
“The feedback that we have received is overwhelming, well above our expectations,” said Sandra Lindblom, Consultant with DSPD, who managed this project. Reactions so far have praised this innovative new way of hosting discussions within the UN enabling participation and engagement from people located in all corners of the world.
Each hangout featured about five participants representing youth, Member States, the UN, the private sector and academia. Organizations taking part in the events included: UNDP, Forum for Youth Investment, UN-Habitat, MTV, Mexican Institute of Youth, Major Group on Children and Youth, Gap, ILO, USAID, YMCA World Alliance, Cornerstone Global Associates, UNIDO, Digital Opportunity Trust, Kenya, UNESCO, United Natives, Center for Research and Interdisciplinarity, the Permanent Mission of Indonesia to the UN, the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the UN, and the Guttmacher Institute.
The 18th commemoration of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples will be held on 9 August at UN Headquarters in New York
The event will be organized by the Secretariat of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues within DESA’s Division for Social Policy and Development (DSPD), the UN Department of Public Information, and the NGO Committee on the Decade of the World’s Indigenous Peoples.
There will be statements delivered on behalf of the Secretary-General, DESA’s Under-Secretary-General, the Director of DSPD, the Chairperson of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and others.
An interactive dialogue on “Indigenous Media, Empowering Indigenous Voices” will take place from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm in the ECOSOC Chamber. Some short clips and videos will also be screened during the commemoration.
Those who wish to attend the interactive dialogue but do not hold UN grounds passes must confirm their participation by sending an email to Ms. Nataliia Grushevska at grushevska@un.org by noon (New York time) on 2 August indicating your name, affiliation and contact information. After successfully registering, participants should pick up their passes at the UN Visitors’ Lobby from 1:15 pm until 3:00 pm on 9 August.
This commemoration is an afternoon event and the Secretariat of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues does not issue any invitation letters for participation in this event. Representatives of Member States, UN Agencies, indigenous peoples’, other non-governmental organizations and the media are invited to attend.
International Youth Day will be commemorated on 12 August under the theme “Building a Better World: Partnering with Youth”
The theme relates to the announcement in January when the Secretary-General committed to ‘Address the needs of the largest generation of young people the world has ever known’ by making “Working with and for women and young people” a priority in his Five-year Action Agenda.
He also announced the development of a System-Wide Action Plan on Youth as well as the appointment of a Special Advisor on Youth and a UN Volunteer youth initiative. In addition, five thematic areas were highlighted in the development of these initiatives: employment, entrepreneurship, political inclusion, citizenship and protection of rights, and education, including on sexual and reproductive health.
The need to enhance partnerships both with and for youth was underscored in the outcome document of the General Assembly’s High-Level meeting on Youth last year and it has been the topic of many events and discussions throughout 2012.
With this in mind, International Youth Day 2012 aims to highlight the many ways the UN, Member States, the private sector and other stakeholders can partner with and for youth, with a focus on the five thematic areas described.
The third substantive session of the Open-ended Working Group on Ageing will take place in New York on 21-24 August
In December 2010, the UN General Assembly established an open-ended working group aimed at strengthening the protection of the human rights of older persons. It was mandated to consider the existing international framework and to identify possible gaps and how best to address them. The open-ended working group held two working sessions in April and August 2011.
During the first session, the working group focused on the international and regional human rights structure and how it addresses the specific situation of older persons. A number of fissures in the protection system were identified. The second session was devoted to considering some specific thematic human rights issues relevant to older persons, such as multiple discrimination, the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, violence and social exclusion.
The topics of the upcoming third substantive session will include (a) age discrimination, (b) abuse and violence against older persons, (c) life in dignity, social security and access to resources, (d) access to justice, and (e) older persons, autonomy, independent living and health care. The session is open to all Member States, UN system organizations and accredited NGOs.
Participants have consistently noted various gaps within the international human rights framework including normative, implementation and information gaps. These disparities contribute to challenges faced by older persons in the enjoyment of their lives and their rights. So far, some Member States called attention to normative gaps and the importance of universal standards to effectively enhance the protection of older persons, while other Member States underlined that existing instruments could be better implemented and used for more effective monitoring.
The substantive session of ECOSOC, which took place in New York, concluded on 27 July following four weeks of work on a wide range of issues on the UN’s development agenda
The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) ended its annual session on finding solutions and proposing policy recommendations to global issues, from employment and decent work to global partnerships, development cooperation, education, poverty reduction and sustainability, and humanitarian assistance.
“We have reached the end of four, remarkable weeks of high-level engagement and dialogue, review and deliberation, and, importantly, decision-making,” said Mr. Sha Zukang, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs. More than 40 ministers and heads of development cooperation agencies, and the UN system attended the session.
Chaired by ECOSOC President Miloš Koterec, the High-level Segment opened on 2 July, featuring the Annual Ministerial Review (AMR) on productive employment and decent work and the two-day Development Cooperation Forum, focusing on making advances in poverty reduction and sustainable development through partnerships among countries, civil society organizations and the private sector.
“The Forum (DCF) is making its mark on the development landscape, demonstrating its worth as a marquee destination for policy discourse and guidance,” said Mr. Koterec. “And with calls for more inclusive development cooperation growing ever louder, the DCF’s star will, no doubt, only shine brighter in the years ahead”.
Two major reports were released during the High-level segment – “The 2012 progress report on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)” and the “World Economic and Social Survey (WESS): In Search of New Development Finance” – and nine countries held voluntary presentations. A high-level panel discussion was also arranged on transparency and sustainable development.
The High-level segment concluded on 10 July with the adoption of the Ministerial Declaration focusing on ‘promoting productive capacity and decent work to eradicate poverty in the context of inclusive, sustainable and equitable economic growth at all levels for achieving the Millennium Development Goals’.
The Coordination Segment examined commitments and goals related to education, including the role of partnership to boost results and the future of education goals in the post 2015 context., as well as follow up to the International Conference on Financing for Development, with a particular focus on innovative financing for development.
2012 will feature the Quadrennial Comprehensive Policy Review (QCPR) of the operational activities for development, an exercise that relates to the work of all UN system entities delivering support on the ground. At its operational activities segment, the Council started the QCPR process with a wide range of panels and keynote addresses. The process will continue at the forth coming General assembly session. An independent evaluation of the UN’s Delivering as One progress was also presented to ECOSOC
How coordination of humanitarian assistance could be strengthened in a changing world was on the agenda for the Humanitarian Affairs Segment, whereas the General Segment dealt with a number of issues including the implementation of the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries, the economic and social situation in African countries emerging from conflict, the international assistance to South-Sudan as well as long-term support to Haiti.
A number of online Face-to-Face live conversations were also arranged on topics related to the global jobs crisis. Video material highlighting ECOSOC and its annual session is stored online and can be accessed via ECOSOC’s Youtube page. The link has been included below.
The 54-member EOCOSC coordinates the work of the 14 UN specialized agencies, 10 functional commissions and five regional commissions, receives reports from ten UN funds and programmes and issues policy recommendations to the UN system, as well as to Member States. It meets every year, alternating between New York and Geneva.
The 2012 UN Public Service Day, Awards Ceremony and Forum on “Innovation and Citizens Engagement for Effective Governance” held in New York on 25-27 June, resulted in a Final Communique, containing a set of recommendations to Member States and the UN
The suggestions were the result of active interactions and dialogue held across four parallel capacity development workshops and a ministerial round-table by over 400 government officials from 96 Member States on the respective themes of: 1) Institutions and Leadership Capacities to Innovate and Engage Citizens in Service Delivery; 2) Preventing Corruption in Public Administration: Engaging Citizens in the Fight Against Corruption; 3) E-Government: From Policy to Practice; 4) The Dividends of Women in the Frontline of Service Delivery: Good Governance and Citizen Engagement.
The recommendations were outlined along the following respective thematic areas:
Localizing public priorities and build institutional mechanisms that allow for two-way communication and active listening to engage citizens in service delivery;
Promoting excellence in public service through national awards and recognition systems, i.e., naming and faming;
Creating a global academy for leadership capacity-building;
Implementing e-government strategies through collaborative government approaches by building partnerships with private sector and civil society which would ensure sustained investment in e-government;
Improving public sector human resource capacity development for preventing corruption and engaging citizens in anti-corruption initiatives;
Promoting a system to manage the transfer of knowledge among countries that are seeking for innovations and those that have already implemented innovative practices.
The Substantive Session of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) will take place in New York on 2-27 July
Addressing the world’s economic, social and environmental challenges, ECOSOC will hold its annual, month-long substantive session in July. The session is divided into five segments ― High-level; Coordination; Operational Activities; Humanitarian Affairs; and General. With its focus on pressing development challenges, the High-level segment regularly attracts policy-makers from the top ranks of government. The Segment also features the Annual Ministerial Review (AMR) and the biennial Development Cooperation Forum (DCF).
High-level Segment
This year’s high-level segment which takes place on 2-9 July, opens with the Annual Ministerial Review (AMR) on 2-3 July, spotlighting the theme of “promoting productive capacity, employment and decent work to eradicate poverty”
This focus is particularly timely, as the global economic and financial crisis has exacerbated pre-existing challenges to the achievement of full employment and decent work in both developing and developed countries. While unemployment and labour market inequity remain high in developed countries, workers in developing countries must contend with high rates of under-employment, vulnerable employment and informal work.
The 2012 AMR will examine global labour market trends and assess progress toward meeting employment and decent work-related goals. It will result in a ministerial declaration, to be adopted on 9 July that reflects the international commitment to prioritise job creation in the development agenda.
On 2 and 3 July, nine countries – Algeria, Brazil, Ecuador, Kenya, Mauritius, Qatar, Russian Federation, Senegal and Ukraine – will make National Voluntary Presentations (NVPs). They will share experience in terms of the progress that has been accomplished and the remaining obstacles with respect to productive capacity and employment.
On 3 July, representatives from the international financial and trade institutions will convene for a high-level policy dialogue on recent developments in the world economy, followed by a thematic roundtable on 9 July, which will highlight “macro-economic policies for productive capacity, employment creation, sustainable development and the achievement of the MDGs”.
On 5-6 July, the High-level Segment will continue with the third biennial Development Cooperation Forum (DCF). As a true multi-stakeholder global platform for interactive debate on the effective and coherent use of development cooperation, the 2012 DCF will bring together a large number of diverse participants.
The DCF has an ever more important role to play and the growing number and diversity of actors in international development cooperation can benefit from such an inclusive global platform. Innovative development partnerships are gaining traction. They increasingly coordinate and regroup around common goals. Yet, to release their full potential, efforts need to be more coherent and better coordinated.
A continued focus on turning pledges into implementation is urgently needed to scale up development efforts led and owned by programme countries. With limited resources and competing demands, any type of development assistance must show tangible results.
These challenges are aggravated by political uncertainty and economic hardship that continue to dominate development prospects. Such deep changes call for practical solutions that are built around sustainable development and designed to work in the long run for the benefit of all people. The post-2015 UN development agenda needs to build on this premise.
The 2012 DCF aims to promote solutions to enhance development cooperation, improve its quality and maximize its impact to accomplish national and international development priorities in the context of sustainable development. It will explore emerging drivers of change that will shape the future of development cooperation.
In the spirit of global accountability, the frank and interactive discussions are expected to encourage all actors to live up to promises made on aid issues. Special emphasis will also be placed on South-South Cooperation and the evolving role of private philanthropic organizations and decentralised cooperation.
In view of the evolving post 2015 UN development agenda, the 2012 DCF will also provide a unique opportunity for the universal membership of the UN and other stakeholders to discuss international efforts to promote development cooperation and to further promote the role of the DCF as a multi-stakeholder and inclusive forum for addressing emerging challenges and acting as global apex for accountability on development cooperation.
A series of side events will also be held at the margins of the DCF, organized by representatives of different stakeholder groups.
The High-level Segment will be chaired by H.E. Mr. Miloš Koterec of Slovakia, President of ECOSOC.
Coordination Segment
Organized on 10-12 July, this segment will focus on following up to the 2011 Ministerial Declaration on “implementing the internationally agreed goals and commitments in regard to education” and to the International Conference on Financing for Development
There will be a dialogue with the executive secretaries of the regional commissions on the theme of “Regional perspectives on youth and development”, during which the report of the Secretary-General on regional cooperation in the economic, social and related fields will be presented to the Council. In addition, the annual overview report of the UN system Chief Executive Board for Coordination (CEB) will be presented to the Council.
The coordination segment provides an opportunity to identify areas where the UN system should promote more comprehensive and effective approaches and to recommend ways in which support by the UN system can be strengthened against the backdrop of current challenges.
The Secretary-General’s report on “the role of the United Nations system in implementing the internationally agreed goals and commitments in regard to education” will provide the background analysis for the debate. The discussion will focus on the work of the UN system in the field of education through the angle of coordinated and/or joint initiatives, as well as partnerships with other stakeholders aimed at accelerating progress towards MDG2, Education for All and related goals. The report also provides food for thought on emerging trends in education development and their potential consequences on the international education agenda.
Under the financing for development agenda item, the Council will have before it the Summary by the President of the Council of the special high-level meeting of ECOSOC with the Bretton Woods institutions, the World Trade Organization and the UN Conference on Trade and Development, held in March 2012.
The work of the Coordination Segment will be complemented by the following panels:
Mobilizing partnerships for development, including in the field of education
Addressing the challenges of the education/skills and job mismatch
Innovative mechanisms of financing for development
The Segment will be chaired by H.E. Mr. Mootaz Ahmadein Khalil of Egypt, Vice President of ECOSOC.
Operational Activities Segment
Taking place on 13-17 July, this segment will be guided by the two reports of the Secretary-General for the 2012 Quadrennial Comprehensive Policy Review (QCPR) and the report of the independent evaluation of the Delivering as One programme
The QCPR is the mechanism by which the General Assembly assesses the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, coherence and impact of the UN system’s development work. Through the QCPR, the General Assembly also establishes system-wide policy orientations for the development cooperation and country-level modalities of the UN system in response to the evolving development landscape.
The two Secretary-General reports on the 2012 QCPR are the result of extensive and substantive preparations for the 2012 QCPR process. These analytical preparations comprise 9 in-depth issue studies, four global surveys of stakeholder perspectives and a comprehensive funding analysis of UN operational activities for development, touching upon key features and challenges posed by emerging issues in international development cooperation.
The Segment will bring the perspectives of national policy makers on all these critical QCPR issues, complemented by the operational experience of senior UN officials. It will feature a dialogue with the Executive Heads of UN funds and programmes, as well as with the Chairs of the Executive Boards of UN funds and programmes.
There will also be panel discussions on the functioning of the UN development system, with the participation of senior government officials. Findings of the Delivering as One independent evaluation will be presented as will the achievements and remaining challenges of this UN pilot initiative.
Prior to the Segment, a half-day workshop will bring together national focal points for operational activities to discuss key development topics emerging from the 2012 QCPR process, which will be shared with the Council and used to enrich Segment deliberations.
Chaired by H.E. Mr. Desra Percaya, of Indonesia, Vice President of ECOSOC, the Segment will not result in any outcome resolution, as 2012 involves a QCPR process. However, the debates will serve to complement the negotiations of the General Assembly in its 67th session in the adoption of a QCPR resolution which will provide policy directives on UN operational activities for development for the 2012-2016 cycle.
Humanitarian Affairs Segment
Providing an opportunity to discuss opportunities and challenges related to strengthening the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance, this segment will take place on 18–20 July
The Segment is arranged under the theme “Working in partnership to strengthen coordination of humanitarian assistance in a changing world”, and it will feature two panel events on the following topics:
Improving capacities for evidence-based humanitarian decision-making;
Partnerships for effective humanitarian assistance in support, of national, regional and international efforts.
Each panel will feature high-level representation from Member States, Regional Organisations, UN and NGOs and will be moderated by the Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos.
The panel on Improving capacities for evidence-based humanitarian decision-making will feature prominent speakers from the academic and practitioner world, in addition to a Minister from an affected country. Speakers will include Professor Hans Rosling, Chairman of the Gapminder foundation and noted TED Speaker. It will focus on how to strengthen the evidence-base for humanitarian decision-making and it will also highlight the role of new technologies in strengthening the link between affected people and humanitarian response decisions; and will recommend measures to strengthen information and data platforms for humanitarian decision-making.
Scheduled for 20 July at 10:00 am, the panel on Partnerships for effective humanitarian response will highlight examples of innovative partnerships in humanitarian response. It will also explore how such partnerships can strengthen local resilience and national level capacities to respond to new emergencies. The panel will recommend steps that stakeholders can jointly take to strengthen preparedness, resilience and response. Participants include representatives of regional organisations, affected member states and civil society.
As in previous years, the ECOSOC Vice Presidents for Operational and Humanitarian Affairs will co-host an informal ECOSOC event on “Humanitarian needs in the Sahel and the importance of building resilience”, shedding light on the food and nutrition crises in the Sahel region, including efforts by national governments, civil society and international humanitarian actors to address the mounting humanitarian needs and building resilience of local communities to these recurrent crises.
On the margins, Member States, UN organisations, Red Cross/Red Crescent and NGOS will host fifteen side events on a number of different issues. The Global Humanitarian Assistance report 2012, which is an independent attempt to capture the international humanitarian financing, will also be launched.
The Emergency Relief Coordinator will host the launch of the Mid-Year Review of the Consolidated Appeals Process for 2012 on 19 July at 13:15-14:30 pm. The event is significant as it will raise the profile of key emergencies and will encourage member states and partners to support humanitarian multilateral efforts.
As the substantive Secretariat supporting the ECOSOC Humanitarian Affairs Segment, OCHA will present a booth featuring humanitarian publications, enabling ECOSOC guests and visitors to collect additional information. Additionally, this year the panels will be more publicised and interactive, allowing social media users on Facebook and Twitter to participate in the discussion and pose questions to the panelists.
The Segment will be chaired by H.E. Mr. Fernando Arias of Spain, Vice-President of ECOSOC.
General Segment
During this segment to be held on 23-27 July, the Council will review reports of its subsidiary bodies and of other UN entities working in the economic and social fields
The subsidiary bodies include the Council’s functional commissions, regional commissions, expert and ad hoc bodies. The Segment will also consider the report of its Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti.
The Council will also review the implementation of the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries (LDC) and consider the recommendations made by the Committee on Development Policy on the inclusion in and graduation from the LDC category. It is also expected to take action on the follow-up to the IV UN Conference on the LDCs.
A number of system-wide thematic issues will be reviewed, among them, the mainstreaming of a gender perspective into all policies and programmes in the UN system. The work of the UN inter-agency task force on tobacco control and the follow-up to the World Summit on Information Society will also be reviewed.
A series of events will be held including a briefing by the Members of the Committee for Development Policy; a briefing by the Chairperson of the Peacebuilding Commission; and a panel event on “Integrated, coherent and coordinated support to South Sudan” on 24 July, as part of the Council’s discussion on “African countries emerging from conflict”. The event will provide an opportunity to examine some of the key elements of the first Secretary-General’s report on “Implementation of integrated, coherent and coordinated support to South Sudan by the United Nations system”, in particular in the areas of capacity-building and core governance functions.
The economic and social situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and the occupied Syrian Golan and the support to colonial countries and peoples will also be considered.
The Segment will be chaired by H.E. Mr. Luis Alfonso de Alba of Mexico, Vice-President of ECOSOC.
The International Day of Cooperatives will be commemorated on 7 July under the theme “Cooperative enterprises build a better world” This year’s theme links to the observance of the United Nations International Year of Cooperatives (IYC). It seeks to encourage the growth and establishment of cooperatives all over the world, and to recognize the actions of cooperatives in helping to achieve internationally agreed upon development goals, such as the Millennium Development Goals.
As part of the Year, a short film festival will take place on 19 November at UN Headquarters during the closing ceremony of the IYC. Filmmakers around the world are invited to submit their contributions by 30 September 2012. The films should raise awareness about cooperatives – what they are, and what they do – and encourage support and development of cooperative enterprises by individuals and their communities. The films should also highlight at least one of the 10 key messages of the International Year of Cooperatives. Please see the links below for more details.
On 25 June, 44 public organizations from 29 countries received international recognition for excellence in public service, in acknowledgement of the UN Public Service Day The UN Public Service Awards, celebrating its 10th Anniversary in 2012, was held in the General Assembly Hall in New York. Commemorated each year on 23 June, the UN Public Service Day was established to “celebrate the value and virtue of service to the community.”
A total of 471 nominations from more than 80 UN Member States were received in 2012, with 16 Member States participating for the first time. This represents an increase of 58 per cent compared to the number of initiatives submitted in 2011.
The winners of the UN Public Service Awards (UNPSA) are as follows: 1st place – Bahrain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Dominican Republic, India, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Republic of Korea, Senegal, South Africa, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and United States; 2nd place – Australia, Canada, Egypt, Georgia, Grenada, India, Kenya, Mexico, Morocco, Oman, Republic of Korea, Rwanda, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey.
The UN Committee of Experts on Public Administration selects winners according to category and region. The five UNPSA categories are: i) prevention of corruption; ii) improving service delivery; iii) promoting innovative mechanisms for citizen participation in policy-making; iv) advancing knowledge management in government; and v) promoting gender responsive service delivery.
United Nations E-Government Survey 2012 Special Awards
As part of the UNPSA Ceremony, countries that performed well in the 2012 UN E-Government Survey rankings were also recognized. A UN E-Government Survey Special Award was given to the top winners. The award is based on findings from the 2012 United Nations e-Government Survey, and acknowledges recipients for: establishing robust telecommunications infrastructure; investing in the development of human capital the usage of e-government facilities; providing exceptional e-services; and making e-content available on a continuous basis.
Innovation and Citizen Engagement for Effective Governance
Over 400 participants from across the globe were expected to attend the event, which also included the United Nations Public Service Forum, taking place from 26 to 27 June and focusing on “Innovation and Citizen Engagement for Effective Governance”.
As part of the UN Public Service Day and Awards celebration, DESA’s Division for Public Administration and Development Management (DPADM) also presented the Sound of Harmony Cultural Performance, showcasing Chinese traditional and contemporary dance and music, on 25 June in the General Assembly Hall.
The UN Conference on Sustainable Development, Rio+20, took place in Rio de Janeiro on 20-22 June
The Conference gathered more than 40,000 people, including UN officials, chief executive officers and civil society leaders and over 100 Heads of State and government. The event followed on from the Earth Summit in 1992, also held in Rio de Janeiro, during which countries adopted Agenda 21 – a blueprint to rethink economic growth, advance social equity and ensure environmental protection.
Many months of preparation went into Rio+20 and on 19 June, 91 countries reached agreement on the Conference’s outcome document for adoption by Heads of State on the closing day. Rio+20’s outcome document, entitled “The Future We Want,” calls for a wide range of actions including beginning the process to establish sustainable development goals; utilizing the green economy; strengthening the UN Environment Programme (UNEP); promoting corporate sustainability; developing a strategy for sustainable development financing; and, adopting a framework for tackling sustainable consumption and production.
$513 billion in funding was committed during Rio+20 for energy, food security, access to drinking water and management of the oceans. Additionally, a wide range of actions have also been pledged, such as planting 100 million trees, empowering 5,000 women entrepreneurs in green economy businesses in Africa, and recycling 800,000 tons of polyvinyl chloride (commonly known as PVC) per year.
There have been nearly 500 voluntary commitments on sustainable development activities by civil society groups, businesses, governments and universities and the UN’s Global Compact initiative announced more than 200 commitments to sustainable development by businesses. At the closing ceremony of the three-day summit UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said, “The speeches are over. Now the work begins.”
After being officially recognized by the UN General Assembly in December 2011, the World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) was commemorated on 15 June
“I call upon Governments and all concerned actors to design and carry out more effective prevention strategies and stronger laws and policies to address all aspects of elder abuse. Let us work together to optimize living conditions for older persons and enable them to make the greatest possible contribution to our world,” UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stated.
The World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) happens each year on 15 June. It was officially recognized by the General Assembly in December 2011, following a request by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (INPEA), who first established the commemoration in June 2006.
It represents the one day in the year when the whole world voices its opposition to the abuse and suffering inflicted to some of our older generations. Elder Abuse is a global social issue which affects the Health and Human Rights of millions of older persons around the world, and an issue which deserves the attention of the international community.
Individuals, communities, municipalities and organizations come together and hold events to raise awareness of elder abuse. As in previous years, many activities were held, hoping to bring greater recognition of the mistreatment of older adults wherever they live throughout the world and to highlight the need for appropriate action.
The Government of Argentina, UNDESA-DSPD Focal Point on Ageing and the NGO Committee on Ageing/NY organized a meeting on 14 June at the United Nations in New York to celebrate the event.
Rio+20 side events (13-22 June): More than 500 side events organized by Governments, Major Groups, UN system and other international organizations are scheduled, some are expected to be attended by Heads of State or Government.
Rio+20 Voluntary Commitments (13-22): Because Rio+20 is a conference about implementation, all participants at the Rio+20 conference and various side events are encouraged to make voluntary commitments to deliver concrete results for sustainable development. Commitments are invited from various stakeholders businesses, other Major Group organizations, associations, academic institutions, philanthropic organizations, UN entities, partnerships involving more than one stakeholder, and Member States.
Third Meeting of the Rio+20 Preparatory Committe (13-15 June): This will be the final round of negotiations on the Outcome Document before its adoption by the official Conference. The document entitled “The Future We Want” includes the following components: an introduction on “Our Common Vision”, and chapters respectively entitled “Renewing Political Commitment”, “Green Economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication”, “Institutional framework for sustainable development,” “Framework for action and follow-up” and “Means of Implementation”.
Sustainable Development Dialogue Days (16-19 June): At the invitation of Brazil, civil society representatives, including from private sector, NGOs, scientific community and other major groups will convene to discuss ten topics (poverty, crises, unemployment/migrations, patterns of production/consumption, forests, food, energy, cities/innovation and oceans. The resulting recommendations will be conveyed directly to the world leaders present at the Summit.
Partnerships Forum (20-22): five high-level sessions designed to offer an opportunity for Governments and other stakeholders to showcase best practices, practical experiences and concrete contributions in implementing sustainable development. The sessions address entrepreneurs/grassroots, food/health, gender, partnerships brokering and partnerships’ contribution to “The Future We Want.”
The UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) (20-22 June):20 years after the 1992 Earth Summit, world leaders, along with thousands of participants from the private sector, NGOs and other groups, will gather to shape how the world can reduce poverty, advance social equity and ensure environmental protection. They will secure renewed political commitment for sustainable development, assess the progress to date and the remaining gaps in the implementation of the outcomes of the major summits on sustainable development and addressing new and emerging challenges.
The 2012 Resumed Session of the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) took place from 21 to 30 May in New York.
The Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations is a standing committee of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), established by the Council in 1946. It reports directly to ECOSOC, and the two reports of its annual regular session (usually at the end of January) and resumed session (in May) include draft resolutions or decisions on matters calling for action by the Council.
The main tasks of the Committee are:
The consideration of applications for consultative status and requests for reclassification submitted by NGOs;
The consideration of quadrennial reports submitted by NGOs in General and Special categories;
The implementation of the provisions of Council resolution 1996/31 and the monitoring of the consultative relationship;
Any other issues which the ECOSOC may request the Committee to consider.
This session aimed to consider new applications for status by NGOs and applications deferred from earlier sessions. It also reviewed quadrennial reports of NGOs in general or special consultative status. The Committee is expected to meet again on 8 June 2012 to adopt its report of the session. This session’s recommendations will be sent to the Economic and Social Council for its approval in July 2012.
The concluding session of the 11th Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues addressed the “Doctrine of Discovery” issues, on 18 May in New York.
The Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues concluded its eleventh session with the approval of a set of nine draft recommendations, highlighted by a text approved on the special theme, the ongoing impact of the Discovery Doctrine on indigenous peoples and the right redress. That fifteenth century Christian principle was denounced throughout the session as the “shameful” root of all the discrimination and marginalization indigenous peoples faced today.
The Permanent Forum noted that, while such doctrines of domination and “conquest”, including terra nullis and the Regalian doctrine, were promoted as authority for land acquisition, they also encouraged despicable assumptions: that indigenous peoples were “savages”, “barbarians”, “inferior and uncivilized,” among other constructs the colonizers used to subjugate, dominate and exploit the lands, territories and resources of native peoples.
According to the text, signs of such doctrines were still evident in indigenous communities, including in the areas of health; psychological and social well-being; conceptual and behavioural forms of violence against indigenous women; youth suicide; and the hopelessness that many indigenous peoples experience, in particular indigenous youth.
In his closing remarks, Grand Chief Edward John, Chairman of the Forum, welcomed the adoption of the recommendations, saying it was indeed necessary to redress the many issues that had emerged over the years the doctrine had been in place. There was a pressing need for indigenous peoples to rediscover and to celebrate their own cultures and heritage. The challenge now was to enter a new area in which the effects of the doctrine of discovery did not continue to be felt by indigenous peoples in the countries in which they lived, he said.
Coming generations require us to move towards a sustainable development pathway – today.
The Rio+20 Secretariat welcomes submissions of Voluntary Commitments from all corners of society; Major Groups, the United Nations system, inter-governmental organizations and Member States, in order to reach the Future We Want – and need.
At the Rio+20 Conference, world leaders, along with thousands of participants from governments, the private sector, NGOs and other major groups of society, will come together to see how we can reduce poverty, advance social equity and ensure environmental protection on an ever more crowded planet, to get to the future we want.
Intense negotiations of the Conference’s Outcome document are under way since the 23 April in UN Headquarters in New York.
Over 130 Heads of State, Vice Presidents, Heads of Government, and deputy Prime Ministers have inscribed on the speakers list for Rio+20.
In addition, the two main Rio+20 Twitter accounts allowed reaching out more than 16 million people so far, and echoing further through re-tweeting another 110 million.
On 4 April, Mr. Sha Zukang, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs and Secretary-General of the 2012 UN Conference on Sustainable Development, briefed members of the UN Economic and Social Council about the Post-2015 UN Development Agenda. “Clearly the decisions taken at Rio+20 will have major significance for the post-2015 development agenda,” he said, while mentioning a proposal submitted to the Conference to define Sustainable Development Goals that would complement the successful Millennium Development Goals. “We are hearing one thing from all stakeholders,” Mr. Sha added. “We need to work towards one UN development agenda, post-2015, with sustainable development at its centre.”
Rio+20 Host-Country Agreement
The Host Country Agreement, a legal agreement officially allowing Brazil to host the Rio+20 Conference, was signed on 5 April by Mr. Sha and the Permanent Representative of Brazil to the United Nations, Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti at the Rio+20 Conference Secretariat. “Signing this agreement is a major milestone on our way to Rio,” Mr. Sha stated. “The agreement that we signed today, together with the strong cooperation we have enjoyed with the Government of Brazil throughout the preparatory process, helps pave the way forward for Rio+20 to achieve its potential for setting us on a new path toward a sustainable future — the future we want.”
Ambassador Viotti said the signing was “a good omen.” She said that “Today we are launching the process. This is the beginning of our engagement with the UN in terms of hosting the Conference. There is goodwill on all sides and we all work together to make sure that the Conference is a success.”
Counselling and mobilizing business leaders
A two-day consultation of business and industry, governments and civil society for Rio+20 entitled “Realising Inclusive and Green Growth” attracted 300 participants, mostly business people from both developed and developing countries, on 11 and 12 April in The Hague, The Netherlands.
Mr. Sha warmly invited business leaders to go to Rio to announce new green initiatives and to persuade the public and policy-makers “that business and industry can help accelerate the pace towards sustainable development.” “We count on you to persuade those companies that are less sensitized, that the sustainable development approach is also a smart business choice,” he also stressed.
Business and industry are one of the nine Major Groups working for sustainable development and playing an official consultative role in the Rio+20 process. The other one are women, youth and children, workers and trade unions, scientific and technological community, farmers, indigenous peoples, local authorities and NGOs.
Declaration of UN system chiefs
The United Nations System Chief Executives Board (CEB) met on 14-15 April to discuss Rio+20 and adopt an inspiring joint declaration of UN system chiefs about the Conference, which notably states: “Rio+20 must provide the roadmap to the future we want, a future with peace dynamic economic and social development universal social well-being and a healthy and equitable environment for present and future generations where women and men, boys and girls equally contribute to and benefit from development.”
Harmony with nature
To mark International Mother Earth Day, the UN General Assembly held an interactive dialogue on harmony with nature on 18 April at UN Headquarters to examine how human activity has affected the regenerative capacity of the planet. “As we get closer to Rio+20, we must keep the Earth in full view when making decisions and taking actions shifting from a self-centered to an Earth-centered approach,” Mr. Sha told to the participants. “Our success and wealth must be measured by the balance we create between ourselves and the world around us; that is, by our ability to live in harmony with nature.”
Intensive negotiations continue
Critical negotiations on the Rio+20 Outcome Document resumed on 23 April in New York. The 19-page “zero draft” issued in January was condensed from 6,000 pages of submissions from various stakeholders. A large number of proposals were made by governments during intense negotiations in March. The draft was then significantly expanded, bringing the text to over 200 pages. The revised draft identified 26 critical areas for action, including: water, energy, food, jobs, cities, oceans, disaster preparedness, poverty eradication, tourism, transport, climate change, sustainable consumption and production, lands, chemicals and forests, among others. The current round of informal negotiations on the Outcome Document is due to continue up to 4 May.
Since the onset of the global economic crisis, youth unemployment has increased across the world, affecting both developed and developing countries alike.
This problem poses significant challenges not simply to the youth themselves but also to the capacity of companies and countries to innovate and develop competitive advantages which are critical for economic recovery.
The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) will hold a youth forum, “Creating a Sustainable Future: Empowering Youth with Better Job Opportunities” on 4 May 2012 at the UN Headquarters, New York City. This event is organized jointly by UN DESA and the UNDepartment of Public Information (DPI). It is part of the preparatory process for the 2012 ECOSOC Annual Ministerial Review (AMR), to be held in July on the theme of Promoting Productive Capacity, Employment and Decent Work.
The programme will consist of an opening plenary, to be followed by two dialogue classroom sessions on “Training and education to facilitate access to job market” and “Promoting youth employment-Creating jobs for a more sustainable future”. Youth representatives around the world will participate in this event.
Recommendations coming out from the ECOSOC youth forum will be shared with Member States at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), to take place in Brazil, in June 2012, and also during the ECOSOC high-level session in July 2012.
The 11th session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues will be held in New York from 7 to 18 May.
This 11th session will focus on “The Doctrine of Discovery”. There has already been extensive discussion on the Doctrine of Discovery, its historical development, past and present impacts, the different ways it has affected or affects indigenous peoples, as well as the relationship between governments and indigenous peoples. This year the Forum will look at ways of redefining indigenous and State relationships as an equally important lens through which to understand the Doctrine of Discovery and work together to build a future on mutual respect, equity and justice.
Discussions on the right to food and food sovereignty for indigenous peoples, as well as the challenges indigenous peoples are facing in the Central and Eastern Europe, the Russian Federation, Central Asia and Transcaucasia region will be part of the Forum.
On 17 May, there will be a high-level commemoration of the fifth anniversary of the adoption of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. This Declaration provides a crucial opportunity to integrate indigenous visions of development into states’ policies and legislative frameworks, as well as into the UN work towards the achievement of the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs). There is a need for indigenous peoples to provide their own holistic definitions of well-being and development with culture and identity. Rio+20 and inclusion of indigenous concepts of relationship with nature, land and natural resources is one of the main current challenges for the world’s indigenous peoples.
The General Assembly has decided to organize a World Conference on Indigenous Peoples in 2014. The main objective of this Conference is to share perspectives and best practices on the realization of the rights of indigenous peoples and to pursue the objectives of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. A discussion will be held during this 11th session on this World Conference. The full and effective participation of indigenous peoples at all the stages of the process, including the definition of the modalities, is of the outmost importance to ensure its success and sustainability.
The Economic and Social Council will convene on 3 April a global preparatory meeting (GPM) for the Annual Ministerial Review (AMR) of the 2012 substantive session high-level segment.
The main objective of the GPM is to identify the key issues to be considered by Member States in preparing for the 2012 AMR on “Promoting productive capacity, employment and decent work to eradicate poverty in the context of inclusive, sustainable and equitable economic growth at all levels for achieving the MDGs”.
An informal summary of the meeting’s deliberations will be prepared, which will capture the key messages from the discussions. The informal summary will serve as an input into the Report of the Secretary General on the theme of the 2012 AMR and also help to inform the negotiations on the Ministerial Declaration.
The meeting will take place from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and will be divided into three distinct parts; a brief opening session with a keynote address and two short sessions, one with a member of the Committee on Development Policy (CDP) and the other with representatives of the key United Nations organizations that are engaged in promoting the implementation of the Global Jobs Pact.
It is expected that the meeting will:
Highlight key policy and other requirements for building productive capacity and promoting inclusive and sustainable economic growth in developing countries, particularly least developed and vulnerable countries, as well as connecting its importance to MDG achievements and the discussion on a fairer, greener and more sustainable globalization;
Put a spotlight on economic growth models that promote job creation, are sustainable, inclusive and equitable and can be tailored to the particular needs of countries, while promoting social protection and rights at work;
Provide an assessment of progress towards achieving employment related goals and commitments and support provided by the UN system to that end;
Highlight the inter-linkages between recommended policy measures and progress towards poverty eradication and other internationally agreed development goals; and
Address the widening inequalities within and among countries.
The forty-fifth session of the Commission on Population and Development will discuss the theme of “Adolescents and youth” from 23-27 April in New York.
There are over 1.8 billion young people aged 10 to 24 years worldwide. While the number of adolescents and youth worldwide is likely to remain relatively stable over the rest of the century, this stability masks important regional differences that have implications for development. Investments in the education, health, including sexual and reproductive health, and livelihoods of adolescents and youth are essential for them to achieve their full potential and contribute to sustainable and equitable development.
This year’s session of the Commission on Population and Development will discuss demographic trends in the adolescent and youth population and selected aspects of the transition to adulthood, including the implications of early marriage and childbearing and the policy and programmatic efforts being made to meet the sexual and reproductive health needs of young people, especially those who are most vulnerable. Discussions are also expected to highlight the health of young people generally given that the major causes of ill health and death among this age group, including HIV/AIDS, maternal causes, and injuries, are often preventable, and the health behaviours learned during adolescence and youth are key to a lifetime of good health. The Commission may also take up discussion of the situation of young migrants and the broader programmes and policies that can foster decent work opportunities for all young people.
Items on the agenda for the session include actions to follow-up on the recommendations of the ICPD, a general debate on national experience in population matters, programme implementation and future programme of work of the Secretariat in the field of population, contribution of population and development issues to the theme of the annual ministerial review in 2012 (“Promoting productive capacity, employment and decent work to eradicate poverty in the context of inclusive, sustainable and equitable economic growth at all levels for achieving the Millennium Development Goals”) and the adoption of the report of the Commission on its forty-fifth session.
The Population Commission was established by the Economic and Social Council in 1946 and renamed the Commission on Population and Development by the General Assembly in 1994. In addition to advising the Council, the Commission, as a functional commission assisting the Council, has the task of monitoring, reviewing and assessing the implementation at the national, regional and international levels of the Programme of Action of the ICPD. The Commission is composed of 47 members, who are elected on the basis of equitable geographic distribution and serve a term of four years.
The Economic and Social Council held, on 15 March 2012, a one-day special meeting to consider the question of international cooperation in tax matters, including institutional arrangements to promote such cooperation.
The President of ECOSOC invited representatives of national tax authorities to participate in the meeting. Accordingly, Ms. Allen Kagina, Commissioner-General of the Uganda Revenue Authority, delivered a keynote address on “Current Challenges, Priorities and Experiences of Developing Countries in Tax Matters”.
The central feature of the meeting was an official launch of the United Nations Model Double Taxation Convention between Developed and Developing Countries: 2011 Update.
The meeting also featured a panel discussion on “The Role of Multilateral Bodies in Strengthening International Cooperation in Tax Matters”, with the participation of major international organizations active in the tax area.
The ECOSOC official meeting was preceded by an expert group meeting on “Transfer Pricing and Capacity Development in Tax Matters”, organized jointly, on 14 March 2012, by FfDO/DESA and the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) New York Office.
On Wednesday, 7 March, DESA organized a special panel discussion for ECOSOC with the title “ECOSOC and Global Governance”.
The panel was chaired by the President of ECOSOC, Ambassador Miloš Koterec of Slovakia, and moderated by Ambassador Gert Rosenthal of Guatemala. The panel was composed of Ambassador Albert Chua of Singapore; Mr. Roberto Marino, Special Representative of Mexico to the G20; and Mr. José Antonio Ocampo of Columbia University.
The objective of this event was to identify the world’s most pressing global governance challenges and examine how the United Nations ― and ECOSOC in particular ― can better meet them. The panelists addressed three main issues:
1) Improving the UN’s leadership and effectiveness in sustainable development governance;
2) Improving coordination between ECOSOC and the UN with the G20; and
3) the role of ECOSOC in global financial and economic governance and improving the UN’s leadership on global governance challenges.
Seventeen delegations made interventions from the floor. Both panellists and delegates engaged in a very active and frank discussion. For example, Ambassador Chua was highly critical of the current working methods of ECOSOC and also proposed that the membership of ECOSOC be restructured to improve its geographical representation. Mr. Marino expressed the intent of the Mexican Presidency of the G20 to work closely with ECOSOC and the UN, and stated that the G20 under Mexico’s leadership would be open, inclusive and transparent. Mr. Ocampo questioned the legitimacy of the G20 and stated that the G20 should identify what is missing in global governance and then be dismantled.
A special event will be convened at UN headquarters in New York on 7 March with support from UN DESA’s Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination
The objective of this event, themed “ECOSOC and Global Governance”, is to identify the world’s most pressing global governance challenges and examine how the UN ― and the Economic and Social Council in particular ― can better meet them. Panellists will particularly discuss global financial, economic and sustainable development governance, analyzing their implications for the UN and ECOSOC. The Council’s relationship with the G20 will be considered, as will ECOSOC’s role in the post-Rio+20 follow-up.
H.E. Mr. Gert Rosenthal, Permanent Representative of Guatemala to the UN, will serve as moderator and panellists will include Mr. José Antonio Ocampo, Professor of Professional Practice in International and Public Affairs, Columbia University; and a high-level representative of the Government of Mexico (TBC), which currently holds the G20 presidency.
Fourteenth session of the Committee for Development Policy (CDP) will meet at UN Headquarters in New York on 12-16 March
CDP is a subsidiary body of the UN Economic and Social Council, providing inputs and independent advice to the Council on emerging cross-sectoral development issues and on international cooperation for development, focusing on medium- and long-term aspects. The Committee is also responsible for reviewing the status of least developed countries (LDCs) and for monitoring their progress after graduation from the category.
The 24 members of the Committee are nominated by the UN Secretary-General in their personal capacity, and are appointed by the Council for a period of three years. Membership is geared to reflect a wide range of development experience as well as geographical and gender balance.
Chaired by Professor Frances Stewart, the annual meeting of the Committee will address the following issues:
Promoting productive capacity and employment in a socially responsible environment, forming CDP’s contribution to the 2012 Annual Ministerial Review of the ECOSOC. It argues the importance of maintaining real macroeconomic balance beyond price-level stability and proactive policies, supported by public-private institutional arrangements, that aim at transforming the economic structure, for creating higher productive capacity and employment;
Triennial review of the list of least developed countries and monitoring of graduating and graduated countries from the list of LDCs: it examines possible inclusions and graduation of developing countries into or from the LDC category and monitors socio-economic development of the countries that graduated and are graduating from the category;
The UN development agenda beyond 2015: it provides a summary of the debate on the contribution of the MDG framework for global development policy and its shortcoming, and examines what would be the most effective way to take the MDGs agenda forwards after 2015, and;
Strengthening smooth transition strategy provisions (CDP input to ad hoc working group of the General Assembly): it reviews the existing smooth transition mechanisms and identifies their benefits to graduating countries from the LDC category and their shortcomings, and how such mechanisms can be further strengthened and better monitored.
First round of ‘informal-informal’ negotiations on the zero draft of the Rio+20 outcome document will take place on 19-23 March, followed by the 3rd Intersessional Meeting on 26-27 March
The UN Conference on Sustainable Development – known as Rio+20 – will take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on 20-22 June with the goal of securing renewed political commitment for sustainable development, assessing the progress to date and the remaining gaps in the implementation of the outcomes of the major summits on sustainable development, and addressing new and emerging challenges.
On 25-27 January, an informal preparatory meeting took place at UN headquarters to hold initial discussions on the zero draft of the Rio+20 outcome document. Member States devoted three sessions to general discussions and comments, and three sessions to informal negotiations on Sections I and II of the zero draft, covering the Preamble/Stage Setting and the objective of Renewing Political Commitment to sustainable development. Member States were invited to submit their written comments on those Sections in advance of the meeting.
The Rio+20 Bureau now invites Member States to hold the first round of ‘informal-informal’ negotiations on the zero draft. Delegations are invited to submit comments on sections III, IV and V of the document by 29 February for negotiation on 19-23 March. The zero draft of the Rio+20 outcome document is available on the official Conference website.
Following the week of ‘informal-informal’ negotiations, Member States will be joined by Major Groups and other global stakeholders for the Third Intersessional Meeting of Rio+20. Throughout the intervening weekend (24-25 March), an Expert Group Meeting retreat for Major Groups and other stakeholders will be held in New York to facilitate coalition building behind various themes of sustainable development identified in the zero draft. More information about how Major Groups are supporting the Rio+20 outcome document is available on the Conference website, please see link included below.
Voluntary associations of NGOs will lead various thematic clusters in order to present stronger advocacy and more effective engagement with the intergovernmental negotiating process. Registration for the full segment of meetings is open through the CSO Net online events registration system.
The Fiftieth Session of the Commission for Social Development took place in New York on 1-10 February
This year was the policy session on the priority theme “Poverty eradication, taking into account its relationship with social integration and full employment and decent work for all”. General discussions and a high-level panel discussion were devoted to this theme on 1 February. A Special Event on the financing of social development was organized on 3 February and a panel discussion was held as part of emerging issues on “youth: poverty and unemployment” on 6 February.
Priority theme: poverty eradication
A high-level expert panel discussion preceded the general discussions on this agenda item. Delegations expressed concern about the ongoing financial and economic crisis which could further undermine the realization of the MDGs, especially poverty and hunger eradication. Job creation, economic growth and people-centered socio-economic policies should be at the core of the current macroeconomic policies to mitigate further worsening of the negative impacts.
Addressing the main causes of poverty – unemployment, inequality, instability and armed conflicts – remained a priority. Identification of sources of innovative financing for social development globally and mobilizing domestic resources of the developing countries were named among some tools to pursue, considering the current trends to reduce public budgets. Many delegations welcomed the social protection floor initiative.
Review of relevant United Nations plans and programmes of action pertaining to the situation of social groups
The Commission heard a presentation by the Special Rapporteur on Disability, Mr. Shuaib Chalklen. The Rapporteur first briefed the Commission on his work during the past year and outlined latest steps in the promotion, monitoring, and implementation of the human rights and disability-specific instruments worldwide, with a specific focus on Africa. Mr. Chalklen stressed the need for disability to be mainstreamed into all development agendas. The upcoming UN Conference on Sustainable Development, Rio+20, to be held in Rio de Janeiro in June 2012 and the High-level Meeting of the General Assembly on Disability and Development, to be held in September 2013, provide such opportunities.
Youth: poverty and unemployment
The Commission held a panel discussion on the topic of “Youth: poverty and unemployment”, chaired by Mr. Mohamed Elbahi, Vice-Chair (Sudan). The panellists discussed social and economic policies to foster decent work opportunities for young people; EU’s work to prioritize youth employment within the G-20 agenda, in partnership with the ILO; ways to better align education programmes to match the actual demands of the labour markets; more careful data collection and monitoring of youth employment trends to ensure better policy responses; and Uruguay’s tri-fold approach involving young people, the State and private-sector companies to address youth unemployment.
Special event on financing of social development
The Commission held a special event on this topic moderated by the Director of UN DESA’s Financing for Development Office, with presentations by representatives of the IMF, ILO, civil society and the President of the National Institute of Statistics of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
The panellists discussed ways to leverage ODA for social protection systems; financing of social development as a national priority that has to be country-specific; innovative strategies that could help finance social development, such as taxing mineral exploitation, increasing social contributions, reducing non-essential spending, taxing hydrocarbon sales and cancelling debt; and finding the right balance between social and economic investments by mobilizing national resources, regulating foreign direct investment, establishing fair rules for world trade and initiating new instruments for development.
Session concludes
The Commission concluded its session by adopting seven draft resolutions for adoption by the Economic and Social Council, covering topics that ranged from the mainstreaming of disability into the international development agenda, to the priority theme for the next session.
Several of the texts approved focused on organizational matters, including the Commission’s future organization and working methods. By its terms, the Economic and Social Council would select “Promoting empowerment of people in achieving poverty eradication, social integration and full employment and decent work for all” as the priority theme for Commission’s fifty-first session.
Other draft resolutions approved focused on specific initiatives, including preparations for and observance of the twentieth anniversary of the International Year of the Family (1994), while others explored the social dimensions of existing international instruments, such as the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).
UN DESA’s Population Division organized the Tenth Coordination Meeting on International Migration at the UN from 9 to 10 February
The coordination meeting brought together representatives from UN entities, other relevant intergovernmental and regional organizations, Member States, civil society and the research community. In total, some 120 participants attended the two-day event.
The meeting discussed the contributions of relevant entities of the UN system and other organizations to the preparations of the High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development, which will be organized by the General Assembly during its sixty-eighth session in 2013.
The meeting also examined cooperation between international organizations and the 2011 and 2012 editions of the Global Forum on Migration and Development. The Global Forum is a voluntary, intergovernmental, non-binding and informal consultative process open to all Member States and Observers of the United Nations.
Experts from international organizations and academia informed participants about the latest research findings on global migration levels and trends, remittances, and the complex relationship between population, migration and the environment.
The coordination meeting allowed international organizations to exchange information on current activities and to present major new initiatives in the area of international migration. As such, the meeting provided a unique venue to enhance interagency coherence, in particular in responding to the growing demand from Member States for activities and support on issues relating to the multidimensional aspects of international migration and development.
The outcomes of the meeting will contribute to the report of the Secretary-General on international migration and development for the sixty-seventh session of the General Assembly and to the preparations for the 2013 High-level Dialogue.
In a recent message, marking the International Migrants Day on 18 December, 2011, Ban Ki-moon also highlighted the valuable role migrants play, “Migrants make vast contributions to host countries. As workers, they bring skills. As entrepreneurs, they create jobs. As investors, they bring capital…No migrant should be sent back to a place where he or she will be tortured. Every migrant woman should have access to health care, including reproductive health care. Every migrant child should be able to go to school.”
People making special contributions towards protecting forests received the Forest Heroes Award at a special ceremony hosted by the UN Forum on Forests (UNFF) Secretariat to mark the conclusion of the International Year of Forests on 9 February
The ceremony also featured the winners of the 2011 Universal Postal Union letter-writing contest, which drew entries from more than 2 million children and youth worldwide, and the announcement of the winners of the 2011 children’s art contest “Celebrate the Forests”.
Film clips from the first-ever award-winning International Forest Film Festival were also shown, as well as the launch of the commemorative book Forests for People with 75 articles from 35 countries.
Jan McAlpine, Director of UNFF Secretariat and a member of the jury panel for the Forest Heroes Awards, said the well-being of forests was a concern for everyone. “Each of us, all 7 billion people on Earth, has our physical, economic and spiritual health tied to forests. We launched the UNFF Forest Heroes Awards for the International Year of Forests 2011 to identify and honour the countless individuals around the world who are dedicating their lives to nurturing forests in quiet and heroic ways. The programme aims to spotlight everyday people working to make positive changes for forests.”
Through many activities, the 2011 International Year of Forests helped promote awareness of the issues confronting the world’s forests and the people who depend on them. Forests cover 31 per cent of the world’s total global land area, store more than 1 trillion tons of carbon and provide livelihoods for more than 1.6 billion people. Deforestation accounts for 12 to 20 per cent of the global greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming.
The UNFF Secretariat received 90 nominations from 41 countries and selected 15 finalists. After a long and difficult deliberation, the jury finally decided on the following regional winners: Africa’s Paul Nzegha Mzeka (Cameroon), Asia’s Shigeatsu Hatakeyama (Japan), Europe’s Anatoly Lebedev (Russian Federation), Latin America’s Paulo Adario (Brazil) and North America’s Rhiannon Tomtishen and Madison Vorva (United States). The jury decided to add a special award in recognition of the deceased couple José Claudio Ribeiro and Maria do Espírito Santo, two activists tragically murdered in Brazil while trying to protect their natural forests.
Each hero embodied innovative approaches and grass-roots initiatives that make a direct impact on the forests to which they have dedicated themselves.
Since its launch in February 2011, global observance of the International Year of Forests has been dedicated to raising public awareness of the vital role of people in sustainable management and catalysing actions in the development and conservation of all types of forests.
International Year of Forests closing ceremony 2011 (part 1)
International Year of Forests 2011 closing ceremony (part 2)
The fiftieth session of the Commission for Social Development (CSD) will convene at UN Headquarters in New York on 1-10 February
CSD is a functional commission of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the UN. Since the convening of the World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen in 1995, it has been the key UN body in charge of the follow-up and implementation of the Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action.
During its fiftieth session, the Commission will focus on the priority theme of poverty eradication and, in this context, will also review relevant plans and programmes of action pertaining to the situation of youth, families, older persons, and persons with disabilities.
It will also feature a special event on Financing for Social Development, scheduled for Friday, 3 February at 3:00 pm. The event will highlight effective strategies for mobilizing resources for social development and feature panellists from various regions in the world.
Also under discussion during the current session is the emerging issue related to youth poverty and unemployment. An expert panel has been put in place for 6 February to facilitate an interactive dialogue on this topic.
The Commission for Social Development (CSD) will consider the following recommendations with respect to its primary theme in accordance with the report of the Secretary-General on poverty eradication prepared for CSD:
(a) The creation of full and productive employment and decent work for
all should be at the centre of policies. Countries are encouraged to implement the principles and objectives of the Global Jobs Pact […];
(b) Countries with large agricultural sectors should focus on raising
smallholder agricultural productivity and output quality in a sustainable
manner. Increasing the productivity of smallholder farmers requires enabling their access to fertilizers, high-yielding seeds, infrastructure, information and markets[…];
(c) Recognizing that universal access to basic social protection is
necessary to break the cycle of poverty and reduce inequality, Governments may wish to consider implementing national social protection floors consistent with national priorities and circumstances;
(d) In strengthening social protection systems, and reducing
intergenerational transmission of poverty, Governments should actively pursue family-focused social transfer programmes, paying particular attention to women, children, the elderly, persons with disabilities and indigenous groups;
(e) Countries must address society-wide patterns of social and economic inequality and discrimination by ensuring that poor women and men have access to land, credit and other productive resources, housing, fair inheritance rights and justice, and that all segments of society participate in decision-making processes;
(f) The international community should support national efforts to
eradicate poverty by creating a favorable international environment and
ensuring greater coherence among macroeconomic, trade and social policies.
The International Year of Cooperatives (IYC) Secretariat will host two interactive dialogues at UN Headquarters in New York on 1 and 2 February
The International Year of Cooperatives 2012 is underway, and UN DESA’s Division for Social Policy and Development (DSDP) has continued to play its role in the promotion and advocacy of cooperatives as agents for development.
During the month of February, the Division will be using its social media outlets and blog to discuss the contributions of cooperatives to social justice. In addition, the Secretariat is working with cooperative partners to host two interactive dialogues during the Commission for Social Development which opens on 1 February at UN Headquarters in New York.
On 1 February at 1:15 pm, Cynthia Giagnocavo, research Fellow at the University of Almería, Spain will present the case of Almería’s development, and show the pivotal role of cooperatives in developing the social, economic and political well-being of the community.
On 2 February at 1:15 pm, cooperative practitioners from the United States will discuss the advantages of cooperatives as an outlet for youth to secure sustainable livelihoods through entrepreneurship.
ECOSOC will arrange an “Interactive dialogue on the current economic and financial situation” in New York on 7 February
The global economy faces acute uncertainties and volatility, which present serious concerns to all United Nations Member States. In order to better understand the structural or systemic challenges of the current global economic and financial order and to explore adequate policy responses, the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) will convene a special session to brief Member States on the current economic and financial situation. Distinguished economists are invited to provide their views and perspectives on the present situation and future prospects.
Chaired by ECOSOC President Miloš Koterec and moderated by the Director of UN DESA’s Divison for Development Policy and Analysis, Rob Vos, the event will feature keynote speakers including 2010 Nobel Laureate in Economics, Professor Peter Diamond. Discussions will focus on three main areas: 1) Unresolved structural fragilities in the global economy; 2) Alternative developmental models for sustained growth and job creation; and 3) Global policy coordination to mitigate uncertainties and reduce risk.
ECOSOC will hold a Development Cooperation Forum (DCF) preparatory meeting on “The Changing Context of Development: What does it mean for Cooperation and Global Parntership” on 9 February
The global partnership for development agreed at major UN conferences, remains the centrepiece of international development cooperation. However, in a changing development landscape, the global partnership itself is evolving as new players with new approaches to development cooperation and new aid modalities are making an increasingly important contribution to development.
Against this backdrop, ECOSOC will hold this one-day DCF preparatory meeting in New York on “The Changing Context of Development: What does it mean for Cooperation and Global Parntership”. The meeting will examine key trends in development cooperation that have emerged in recent years and how they are shaping the future of development cooperation and the institutional arrangements that govern this cooperation.
Two panel discussions will focus on “New dynamics of development cooperation: challenges and opportunities” and “Gearing development cooperation towards sustainable development” respectively.
The International Year of Forests, 2011 closing ceremony is being held on 9 February at the United Nations headquarters in New York
The event is being organized by the United Nations Forum on Forests Secretariat, which was designated as the focal point for the International Year by the General Assembly.
Throughout 2011, over a thousand events have been organized worldwide by member states, international and regional organizations and forest-related stakeholders to amplify the year’s theme of “Forests for People”. The closing ceremony marks the culmination of these events and stories.
The event will feature an awards ceremony for the five regional winners of the 2011 Forest Heroes Award, recognizing their innovative approach and dedication in nurturing and sustaining our world’s forests. Regional winners were selected from the fifteen short-listed finalists announced at Forest Day 5 alongside the UNFCC COP17 in Durban.
Children and youth have an important role in raising awareness and in inspiring public action for forests, and their contributions will be showcased at the closing ceremony. First place winners of the Universal Postal Union’s international letter-writing competition, Charlée Gittens from Barbados and Wang Sa from China, will present their compositions in which they imagine themselves as trees writing to people and explaining the importance of forest protection and conservation. Winners of the 2011 International Children’s Art Contest to “Celebrate the Forests” will be announced as part of the event. Through the contest, children between 5 and 14 years of age were asked to depict their vision of the multifaceted value of forests and the people who depend on them.
Film clips from the first International Forest Film Festival, organized by Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival and the UNFF Secretariat, will be interspersed throughout the ceremony offering glimpses of richly diverse forest stories.
The event will also serve as the book launch for Forests for People – a co-publication of the UNFF Secretariat and Tudor Rose – that features articles from over 75 authors from 35 countries.
Accreditation and registration to Rio+20 has started for relevant NGOs and other Major Groups, with a special one-time opportunity for newcomers not yet accredited
The UN Conference on Sustainable Development, Rio+20, will take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on 20-22 June with the goal of securing renewed political commitment for sustainable development, assessing the progress to date and the remaining gaps in the implementation of the outcomes of the major summits on sustainable development, and addressing new and emerging challenges.
The Conference will focus on two themes: (a) a green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication; and (b) the institutional framework for sustainable development.
Online pre-registration is open to organizations that are currently in consultation with ECOSOC as NGOs, including those on the roster through the list of the Commission on Sustainable Development. Organizations that were accredited to the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002 are also eligible to pre-register online immediately. Registration will close on 20 May 2012, and there will be no on-site registration in Rio de Janeiro.
Newcomers and organizations that are NOT yet accredited to the UN and wish to participate in Rio+20 will be offered a one-time opportunity for accreditation to Rio+20. The deadline for receiving new accreditation requests is 20 February. Once organizations have been approved for accreditation, they may begin to pre-register their delegates online until the general deadline of 20 May.
The 2012 regular session of the Committee on NGOs is taking place in New York from 30 January to 8 February, and on 17 February
The Committee is tasked with considering applications from NGOs worldwide for consultative status with the objective of enabling NGOs to: (i) contribute to the ECOSOC agenda; (ii) participate more effectively in the work of the ECOSOC including through attendance in meetings, consultations and contributions to the Secretary General’s reports; and (iii) disseminate the work of the Council, including at the country level.
To enhance the role of civil society as important partners in development, the work of the Committee is intended to strengthen their participation in the intergovernmental process and thereby facilitate the substantive contribution of civil society to the work of the UN and in the implementation of the UN development agenda.
This year, the Committee will review 190 new applications and 153 deferred applications from organizations seeking consultative status with ECOSOC. It will also review 375 quadrennial reports of organizations already in status.
The 43rd session of the Statistical Commission will be held from 28 February to 2 March at UN Headquarters in New York
Crime statistics, agricultural statistics, environment statistics and energy statistics are some of the issues that will be addressed at the 43rd session of the Statistical Commission.
As in past years, two special seminars will be organized. The first on official statistics will take place on 24 February with the theme: “Counting the 7 Billion: The Future of Population and Housing Census”. The High Level Forum will then take place on 27 February focusing on “Measuring the Unmeasurable: Challenging the Limits of Official Statistics”.
The United Nations Statistical Commission, established in 1947, is the apex entity of the global statistical system. It brings together the Chief Statisticians from member states from around the world. It is the highest decision making body for international statistical activities especially the setting of statistical standards, the development of concepts and methods and their implementation at the national and international level.
The Statistical Commission oversees the work of the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), and is a Functional Commission of the UN Economic and Social Council.
An informal meeting in preparation of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development took place at UN Headquarters on 25-27 January, with initial discussions on the zero draft of the Rio+20 outcome document
Over the course of three days, Member States devoted three sessions to general discussions and comments, and three sessions to informal negotiations on Sections I and II of the zero draft, covering the Preamble/Stage setting and the objective of Renewing Political Commitment to sustainable development. Member States were invited to submit their written comments on those Sections by 23 January.
Likewise, Member States will have until 17 February to submit comments on Sections III, IV and V of the zero draft in time for further negotiations in March. More than 200 delegates from Major Groups were registered to participate in the meeting, and many held stakeholder consultations on the margins of the informal negotiating sessions between Governments.
The High-level Panel on Global Sustainability further briefed delegates on 25 January and UN DESA hosted a series of workshops for Major Groups and other stakeholders on the margins of Member State consultations and negotiations on the zero draft of the Rio+20 outcome document.
Developed for trainers, the workshops were designed to enhance awareness of the themes of sustainable development and build stakeholder capacity to engage with the intergovernmental process. Each workshop was built on previous training and provided participants with the most current information relevant to the Rio+20 process. Workshops will be hosted in New York in January, March and April; in Porto Alegre, Brazil on the margins of the World Social Forum; and in São Paulo, Brazil in early February.
DCF Advisory Group Special Event was arranged on 29 November 2011, in conjunction with the Fourth High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Busan, Republic of South Korea
With the theme “Rethinking Development: Towards a New Sustainable Development Architecture”, the meeting was held in preparation for the 2012 DCF and as a contribution to the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20).
The event discussed the implications of the sustainable development agenda for international development cooperation. It also debated the challenges and opportunities for donor and programme countries arising from the concept of sustainable development.
Also, the potential impact of this concept on aid quantity, quality and allocation between countries, regions and sectors was discussed. Participants came from developing and developed countries, civil society, parliamentarians, and international organizations.
Member States call for inclusive and equitable development, the eradication of poverty and respect for human rights during the working session of the Third Committee that took place from 3 October to 23 November 2011
When the Committee met to discuss social development during the 66th Session of the General Assembly, many issues were put on the table for consideration. The general discussion focused on the role of volunteerism, youth, persons with disabilities, older persons, families, social integration, cooperatives, and MDGs among others.
Seven resolutions were approved and one decision taken with the over arching message that economic and financial recovery and sustainable socio-economic development could not be achieved without the full and effective participation of all groups in society, the elimination of systemic inequality through respect for human rights and the promotion of inclusive social and economic policies.
The draft resolution on policies and programmes involving youth emphasized the importance of addressing youth employment issues and ensuring the full and effective participation of young people in society as a means not only for supporting youth development, but for effecting sustainable development as a whole.
Similarly, the resolutions on ageing, family, persons with disabilities and follow-up to the World Summit for Social development, emphasised the centrality of the equality of individuals and social inclusion to strong social and economic development at all levels.
Special emphasis was placed on the inclusion of persons with disabilities in social development efforts, and the General Assembly has called for a High level Meeting on the Realization of the Millennium Development Goals and other internationally agreed development goals for person with disabilities. This event will take place on 23 September 2013, before the start of the general debate of the 68th session.
The 19 members of the ECOSOC Committee on Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) will gather for its 2012 Regular Session on 30 January – 8 February and on 17 February at UN Headquarters
The agenda will include reviewing 348 applications from NGOs from both developing and developed countries for consultative status. The areas of focus embrace a wide range of expertise including health, education, environment, human rights and gender issues, among others. As part of its monitoring role, the Committee will also review 375 quadrennial reports from NGOs in special and general consultative status to assess their contribution to ECOSOC.
In accordance with ECOSOC Resolution 1996/31, the Committee is tasked with considering applications from NGOs worldwide for consultative status with the objective of enabling NGOs to: (i) contribute to the ECOSOC agenda; (ii) participate more effectively in the work of the ECOSOC including through attendance in meetings, consultations and contributions to the Secretary General’s reports; and (iii) disseminate the work of the Council, including at the country level.
To enhance the role of civil society as important partners in development, the work of the Committee is intended to strengthen their participation in the intergovernmental process and thereby facilitate the substantive contribution of civil society to the work of the United Nations and in the implementation of the UN development agenda.
2012 has been designated as the International Year of Cooperatives to highlight the importance of cooperatives under the theme “Cooperative Enterprises Build a Better World”
Programmes during the Year seek to encourage individuals, communities and governments to recognize the agency of cooperatives in contributing to sustainable socio-economic development and achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.
Cooperatives are business enterprises owned and controlled by the members that they serve. Their member-driven nature differentiates them to other forms of business into taking decisions balanced by the pursuit of profit with the needs and interests of members and their communities.
The Netherlands-based Rabobank has earmarked $200,000 to help finance activities during the International Year of Cooperatives focused on promoting the role of cooperatives in sustainable development.
“Historically, cooperatives have found their genesis in times of economic hardship,” said Sha Zukang, UN DESA’s Under-Secretary-General and the Secretary-General of Rio+20, the 2012 UN Conference on Sustainable Development. “This is a testament to their capacity to alleviate the effects of such crises. In fact, in the wake of the 2008-2009 global financial and economic crisis, financial cooperatives proved to be more resilient than their investor-owned counterparts.”
A 2009 study by the European Association of Co-operative Banks, a non-profit organization with approximately 50 million members and with 176 million customers, found that commercial banks, and some public banks, were responsible for more than 95 per cent of bank write downs registered worldwide. Recapitalization (in particular State aid) was also massively directed towards commercial banks and some public banks.
Besides banking and credit, cooperatives are spread across a spectrum of sectors, such as agriculture, fisheries, housing, insurance, services and travel. In its 2008 Global 300 report on the largest cooperatives in the world, the International Co-operative Alliance, a non-profit group with 260 member organizations from 96 countries representing some 1 billion individuals, indicated that the top 300 cooperatives alone had an aggregate turnover of $1.1 trillion, comparable to roughly one tenth of the gross domestic product (GDP) of the United States.
Most of the 300 largest cooperatives are found in the developed economies of France, Germany, Japan, Netherlands and the United States, with 30 per cent engaged in the agriculture and food sectors, 23 per cent in retailing, 22 per cent in insurance and 19 per cent in banking.
In developing countries, cooperatives play a prominent role. In 2009, Brazil’s agricultural cooperatives exported $3.6 billion worth of produce. Cooperatives also play an important role in peacebuilding and bridging ethnic divides. In Rwanda, a credit union system was rebuilt by the World Council of Credit Unions without regard to ethnicity and there are currently 149 credit unions with an estimated 400,000 members.
The UN General Assembly declared 2012 the International Year of Cooperatives, in recognition of the contribution of cooperatives to socio-economic development, especially with regard to poverty reduction, employment generation and social integration. The objectives of the year are to: expand public awareness of the role of cooperatives, particularly in relation to the fulfilment of internationally agreed development goals, such as the MDGs; encourage the growth of cooperatives worldwide; and establish a policy and legal environment conducive to the strength and stability of the cooperative movement.
2nd Intersessional Meeting of Rio+20 was held in New York on 15-16 December
“Let us not for a moment lose sight of the gravity of the task before us. There are high expectations for Rio+20. We must resolve to deliver. Failure is not an option. At Rio+20 we must chart a clear course to the future we want,” said Rio+20 Conference Secretary-General and DESA’s Under-Secretary-General Sha Zukang as the 2nd Intersessional Meeting of Rio+20 opened.
The two day meeting focused on the compilation document and the structure and format of the outcome document. The first day, participants discussed “Compilation document: comments and guidance for the zero draft outcome document,” and on the second day, they addressed “Structure and format of the zero draft of the outcome document.”
At the opening session, Conference Secretary-General Sha Zukang introduced the compilation document to delegates, which was followed by statements from political groups including the European Union and the Group of 77 and China.
Based on a call for submissions to contributions to the compilation document, with the 1 November 2011 deadline, Members States and other stakeholders submitted over 672 contributions to this process. These will serve as a basis for the preparation of zero draft outcome document.
“We need to decide how ambitious we want to be at Rio. The Secretary-General and I have reiterated many times that for the United Nations this is a hugely important Conference. At stake is no less than the effectiveness of multilateralism in addressing humanity’s common future,” Mr. Sha stated further.
“We all know that we face huge sustainable development challenges in the coming decades. Thanks in no small part to Rio 1992, the international community has processes underway to address some of the most pressing challenges – the climate change, biodiversity and desertification conventions; the forest principles and the permanent forum on forests, to name a few.”
Mr. Sha urged for governments to be ambitious and to aim high at Rio+20. He also highlighted proposals made in the submissions, saying that “some common messages and common priorities are beginning to emerge.”
“One of the most interesting – and I dare say unanticipated – developments is the broad interest in measuring progress through a set of sustainable development goals (SDGs for short),” said Mr. Sha.
He also mentioned other priority issues with support including promoting sustainable consumption and production, energy for all, water, oceans, food security, sustainable agriculture, sustainable cities, green jobs, employment, social inclusion, disaster risk reduction, biodiversity and forests.
The Economic and Financial Committee (Second Committee), chaired by H.E. Mr. Abulkalam Abdul Momen of Bangladesh, held its 66th session from 16 September to 9 December
This year’s meeting focused on a range of macroeconomic policy questions and economic development issues, such as, financing for development, sustainable development, human settlements, poverty eradication, globalization and interdependence, operational activities for development, and information and communication technologies for development.
By the conclusion of this year’s session, the Second Committee approved a total of 46 draft resolutions. The approved texts confirmed the Committee’s resolve to address the global and financial economic crisis. Also, for the first time this year, the Committee had co-hosted two high-level joint events with the Economic and Social Council — one of which had featured Nobel Laureate Joseph Stiglitz discussing the sovereign debt crisis.
The Committee had also given a strong signal to the Seventeenth Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and to the UN Conference on Sustainable Development, Rio+20, through its agreement on a cluster of issues under the sustainable development cluster.
The Committee added the item “People’s empowerment and a peace-centric development model” to the agenda, recognizing the interconnection between development, peace, security, and human rights.
In accordance with the on-going process of revitalization of the General Assembly, the Second Committee is engaged in updating its working methods and practices in order to improve the quality of debates and the impact of their deliberations and decisions. As in previous sessions, the Committee held a dialogue with the Executive Secretaries of the Regional Commissions as well as schedule a number of side events as part of its programme of work.
The General Assembly held its fifth High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development in New York on 7-8 December
The overall theme of the meeting was “The Monterrey Consensus and Doha Declaration on Financing for Development: status of implementation and tasks ahead”. The event included a series of plenary meetings, three interactive multi-stakeholder round tables and an informal interactive dialogue of the whole.
The Acting President of the General Assembly opened the meeting, followed by the opening address by the Deputy Secretary-General and statement by the President of ECOSOC. Subsequently, in a series of plenary meetings, chaired by the Acting President of the General Assembly, on 7 December (morning and afternoon) and 8 December (morning), the heads of 55 delegations delivered formal statements.
On the second day, three multi-stakeholder round tables (morning) and an interactive dialogue (afternoon) were held as follows:
Round table 1: “The reform of the international monetary and financial system and its implications for development”;
Round table 2: “The impact of the world financial and economic crisis on foreign direct investment and other private flows, external debt and international trade”;
Round table 3: “The role of financial and technical development cooperation, including innovative sources of development finance, in leveraging the mobilization of domestic and international financial resources for development”;
An informal dialogue was also held on the theme “The link between financing for development and achieving the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals”.
Each of the four informal meetings, chaired by a Permanent Representative, featured presentations by 3-4 keynote speakers, followed by an interactive discussion. The main substantive points of the discussions, held during the plenary and informal meetings, were summarized in the concluding remarks by the Acting President of the General Assembly.
Overall, this fifth High-level Dialogue on FfD demonstrated renewed interest and commitment of Member States to the intergovernmental FfD follow-up process, including its strengthening, especially with the view of the post-2015 development framework. It was generally recognized that the Dialogue largely met its objective to reaffirm political commitment of the international community to the implementation of the agreements and commitments set out in the Monterrey Consensus and Doha Declaration on Financing for Development in the context of the continued crisis and uncertainty in the word economy.
Its outcome in the form of the summary by the President of the General Assembly will be issued as an official document and is expected to provide a substantive input into the preparations for the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20).
The Year has included well over a thousand events worldwide, including conferences, publications, art and photo exhibits, field trips and contests
Many of the events have emphasized the year’s theme of “Forests for People,” conveying humanity’s reliance on forests for our well-being and survival. Indeed, the year has provided a means to bring the many voices of the forest sector together and build momentum towards future cooperation in sustainable forest management.
2011 Future Policy Award
Celebrating innovative policies was at the heart of one such event, which challenged policy makers to consider forests as providing better living conditions for present and future generations. For 2011 Future Policy Award, the World Future Council partnered with the UNFF Secretariat, the FAO and the CBD Secretariat to honour Rwanda’s National Forest Policy with the gold medal during a ceremony on 21 September.
The country implemented rigorous policies to foster biodiversity conservation, ecotourism, green jobs and increased forest cover by 37 percent, in spite of continued population and land pressures. The silver medal is shared by the USA’s Lacey Act with its amendment of 2008 and the Gambia’s Community Forest Policy, initiated in 1995.
“Governments are rarely acknowledged for effective policy and this is one instance in which instead of criticism, they were applauded for positive change,” said Ms. Jan Mc Alpine, Director of UNFF Secretariat.
Art, writing and video competitions highlighting the year’s underlying theme have presented valuable information and perspective on forests, creating an environment for dialogue and action. Notably, the call for improvement in our actions has been heeded by future generations of forest stewards in creative and thought-provoking ways.
International Letter Writing Competition
The 40th International Letter Writing Competition organized by the Universal Postal Union, prompted youth to imagine themselves as trees writing to people, advocating protection for the world’s forests and their natural resources. The UPU received more than 2 million letters written by children from 60 of its member countries. This year’s first place is shared by Charlée Gittens from Barbados and Wang Sa from China, for what jury members called “powerful” and “well crafted” compositions. Winners were awarded in their home countries on 9 October 2011 at ceremonies held in honour of World Post Day.
Children’s Art Contest celebrating forests
The Secretariat has also partnered with the Gabarron Foundation for the 2011 International Children’s Art Contest, a program of the Queen Sofia Children’s Art Museum in Spain. This year’s theme of “Celebrate the Forests” challenges kids between 5 and 14 years of age to use imagery to conjure the ecological services provided by forests. The initiative plays an important role in raising awareness from childhood, on the benefits and safeguarding of these valuable natural resources. Since November 2002, the Queen Sofia Children’s Art Museum has created a rich legacy, collecting more than 50,000 works of children’s art from all over the world. The contest will culminate with an awards ceremony and gala in New York in February 2012.
International Forest Film Festival
The first International Forest Film Festival, organized by Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival and the United Nations Forum on Forests Secretariat was announced in October 2010 and received over 165 submissions from more than 30 countries. Winners were selected across six categories, with “The Queen of Trees” taking the award for Best of Festival.
Book presenting articles of 75 authors published
The UNFF Secretariat collaborated with Tudor Rose publishing to produce a fully-illustrated book Forests for People. It offers articles from over 75 authors, many of them senior forest leaders and environmental ministers from around the world, relating their work in sustainable forest management. Their stories draw upon global experiences, reflecting how people are changing their interaction with forests to conserve and replenish its resources. The book will be available at the start of 2012.
The International Forest Heroes Programme and Awards
Worldwide, everyday people are sustainably managing natural resources in passionate, innovative and strategic ways. Pioneered by the UNFF Secretariat, the International Forest Heroes Programme and Awards honours and celebrates the efforts of “unsung” heroes dedicating their lives to nurturing forests.
Fifteen short-listed finalists were announced at Forest Day 5 alongside the UNFCC COP17 in Durban on 4 December. They were selected in a personal capacity by a jury panel consisting of Frances Seymour of Centre for International Forestry Research, Eduardo Rojas-Briales of the Food and Agriculture Organization, Jan A. Hartke of the Clinton Climate Initiative, Emmanuel Ze Meka of the International Tropical Timber Organization and Jan McAlpine of the UNFF Secretariat.
Short-listed finalists are listed in alphabetical order:
Africa: Million Belay (Ethiopia), Mphatheleni Makaulule (South Africa) and Paul Nzegha Mzeka (Cameroon)
Europe: Karl Peter Hasenkamp (Germany), Anatoly Lebedev (Russia) and Mika Vanhanen (Finland)
Latin America and Caribbean: Paulo Adario (Brazil), Monica Hinojosa (Ecuador) and Felipe Milanez (Brazil)
North America: Fred Pinto (Canada), Rhiannon Tomtishen (USA) and Madison Vorva (USA)
Winners from each region will be announced and awarded at the Forests 2011 closing ceremony in February 2012. Their stories and work will be featured on the Forest 2011 website to continue to inspire the work of current and future heroes.
None of these initiatives would have been possible without the support from the following donors: Austria, Croatia and Norway.
Regional Preparatory Meeting for the United Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, Rio+20) for the UNECE region will take place at the Palais des Nations in Geneva on 1-2 December
About 300 delegates representing Governments, intergovernmental organizations, UN agencies, and civil society organizations will gather to identify the specific challenges and priorities of the region represented by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) with regard to the Rio+20 Conference.
The results of the meeting, including policy recommendations and good practices, will be transmitted to the global preparatory process and presented at the Second Intersessional Meeting for UNCSD to be held in New York on 15–16 December.
The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development is scheduled to take place in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) from 20 to 22 June 2012. The official discussions will focus on two main themes:
how to build a green economy to achieve sustainable development and lift people out of poverty, including support for developing countries that will allow them to find a green path for development;
how to improve coordination for sustainable development at international, regional and national levels.
The Regional Preparatory Meeting for the UNECE region was mandated by the UN General Assembly as part of the preparatory activities for Rio+20. It will be co-chaired by deputy-ministers from Poland and Kazakhstan. The Secretary-General of the Rio+20 Conference, DESA’s Under-Secretary General Sha Zukang, will participate in the meeting delivering opening and closing remarks.
The meeting will tackle the same issues as the Rio+20 Conference itself, however, with a focus on measures required and existing good practices in the UNECE region.
At the Seventh Ministerial Conference “Environment for Europe” that took place in Astana/Kazakhstan in September 2011 the Ministers of the Environment from the UNECE region declared “We agree to take the lead in the transition to a green economy and to make a substantive contribution to the discussions on green economy within the context of sustainable development and poverty alleviation at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development….”.
The Regional Preparatory Meeting will build on the Astana outcomes on green economy. It will furthermore assess how developed countries from the UNECE region can assist poorer countries in and beyond the region in their transition to a green economy.
Official commemoration of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities will be held in New York on 2 December under the theme “Together for a better world for all: Including persons with disabilities in development”
Persons with disabilities make up an estimated 15 per cent of the world’s population. Almost one-fifth of them, or between 110-190 million, encounter significant difficulties. Furthermore, a quarter of the global population is directly affected by disability, as care-givers or family members.
Persons with disabilities encounter many disadvantages in their societies and are often subjected to stigma and discrimination. They remain largely marginalized, disproportionately poorer, frequently unemployed and have higher rates of mortality. Furthermore, they are largely excluded from civil and political processes and are overwhelmingly voiceless in matters that affect them and their society.
Experience shows that when persons with disabilities are empowered to participate and lead the process of development, their entire community benefits, as their involvement creates opportunities for everyone – with or without a disability. Including persons with disabilities and their communities in developmental efforts is important to advance the development agenda.
Thus it is imperative that development efforts around the world include disability issues when determining policies, programmes, as well as allocating funds for developmental programmes and projects. Mainstreaming disability in development is a strategy for achieving equality for persons with disabilities.
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which is both a human rights treaty and a development tool, provides an opportunity to strengthen developmental policies related to the implementation of internationally agreed development goals, such as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), thereby contributing to the realization of a “society for all” in the twenty-first century.
The General Assembly in its most recent resolution 65/186, seeks to convene a High-Level meeting on disability in 2012, with a view to strengthening efforts to ensure the inclusion of persons with disabilities in all aspects of development efforts.
Themes and events for commemorating the international day
This year, DESA requested the input of its partners and the general public for suggestions on a theme for the International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2011. Many responses were received from both the UN system and civil society.
Now, for the first time, the Day will be commemorated under a general theme with supporting sub-themes to draw attention to key areas that would work in synergy to mainstream disability in all development processes.
Although the international day is on 3 December, it will be officially commemorated in New York on 2 December, where events will include an opening ceremony with Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro and a performance by students from the New York Institute for Special Education.
Panel discussions will follow on the themes Towards inclusive development: improving data and statistics on disability and Mainstreaming disability in the global development agenda: experience in other development issues. The UN Enable Film Festival will also present a series of short films.
Second Intersessional Meeting of Rio+20 will be held on 15-16 December in New York
The second round of informal discussions will focus on the objective and themes of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development, Rio+20, which has been charged by the General Assembly to see how efforts to achieve sustainable development can be scaled up, as well as to explore how countries can green their economies and to determine how to strengthen the institutional framework for sustainable development.
At Rio in June 2012, governments, businesses and civil society leaders will gather to assess progress, gaps and challenges and renew political commitment for achieving sustainable development.
The third intersessional meeting will also take place in New York on 26–27 March 2012.
Symposium was arranged in Luxembourg on 18-19 October on “Maximizing the development impact of aid”, in preparation for the 2012 Development Cooperation Forum (DCF)
The symposium focused on a critical question of how to deploy limited aid resources as a catalyst for mobilizing other financial flows such as investment, microfinance and domestic resources from taxation. This theme was also relevant to the forthcoming Busan High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness held in late November.
The meeting was opened by the Minister of Development Cooperation of Luxembourg, the Deputy Secretary-General and ECOSOC President. It was attended by some 160 participants from developing and developed countries, including a few Ministers, Directors-General of Development Cooperation, parliamentarians, international organizations (OESC/DESA and FFDO/DESA, IMF, OECD/DAC), NGOs and the private sector. The DSG’s message that commitments made must be met by all was echoed in the discussions that ensued.
A number of key messages came out of the symposium. First, the “current political economy” and rising public anger in many countries were threatening aid flows. It was imperative that these limited resources should be used in more effective manner. Second, aid should aim to mobilize the kind of financial flows that have the greatest impact on the achievement of MDGs and other internationally agreed development goals. Third, representatives of LDCs underscored that aid to their countries must, as a priority, help mobilize FDI and other resources to bolster the productive sector. However, some of the NGOs were of the view that aid had maximum impact when it is used to support social programmes such as health and education. Finally, it was reiterated that recipient countries are the ones who should decide about where to deploy aid resources.
Successor arrangements to the Busan High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness (HLF IV) were also the subject of exchanges. At this stage, it is expected that the HLF IV will be replaced by a “country heavy” and “global light” architecture for effective development cooperation. The draft Busan outcome document proposes a “Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation” which would oversee follow-up through a Steering Committee. H.E. Mr. Tae-yul Cho, Ambassador of Korea for Development Cooperation, and Mr. Talaat Abdel Malek (Egypt), who chairs preparations for Busan, both participated in the symposium. Ambassador Cho suggested a greater role for the UN at the country level. This was seen as constructive proposal that needed further carful consideration.
Overall, the debates were both substantive and lively. Many participants came from the capitals of developing countries, and were personally engaged in aid management. The participation of several Permanent Representatives to the UN in New York will enable to make the link between the symposium and NY processes. Participation of NGOs and parliamentarians also brought important ideas and candor to the discussions.
The report of the Symposium will be presented to the DCF in June/July 2012.
Second Asia-Pacific Forestry Week (APFW) will take place on 7-11 November in Beijing, China
The week, organized by FAO, is being held in conjunction with the 24th Session of the Asia-Pacific Forestry Commission and will include events in celebration of the International Year of Forests, 2011. The theme of the Week is “New Challenges – New Opportunity.” Over 1,500 participants are expected to discuss forest issues in the evolving Asia-Pacific landscape. Director of the UN Forum on Forests Secretariat (UNFFS), Ms. Jan McAlpine, will deliver a keynote speech on the International Year of Forests at the plenary session.
In celebration of the International Year of Forests, this year’s event will include film screenings from the International Forest Film Festival, launched by UNFFS in partnership with the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival.
Information sessions have been organized to raise awareness about the UN Public Service Awards 2012 open for online nominations until 31 December. The next briefing will be held on 10 November
The UN Public Service Award is an international recognition designed to promote excellence and support innovations in public service delivery worldwide under the management of DESA’s Division of Public Administration Development Management (DPADM). It is open to public organizations of all kinds, including Governments and public-private partnerships involved in delivering services to citizens around the globe.
As Mr. Sha Zukang, DESA’s Under-Secretary-General emphasized during the 2010 UN Public Service Awards ceremony in Barcelona, Spain, “The winners have shown great dedication to upholding the values and virtues of excellent public service and have provided examples of efficiency, effectiveness, transparency and accountability. In transmitting their lessons-learned they are assisting all governments in devising ways to improve the lives of citizens everywhere”.
Held annually on the 23 June, the designated international Public Service Day, the 2012 Public Service Awards will mark the 10th anniversary of the programme. The awards will be bestowed on those public institutions that have distinguished themselves in the following categories: preventing and combating corruption in the public service; improving the delivery of services; fostering participation in policymaking decisions through innovative mechanisms; advancing knowledge management in government and promoting gender-responsive delivery of public services. The awards highlight cutting edge innovations and recognize that democracy and successful governance are built on a competent civil service.
As part of its strategy to raise awareness of the programme and generate nominations for innovative projects that can provide solutions to countries facing similar challenges around the world, DESA through DPADM collaborates with multiple partners, including the UN Women, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime and UNDP country offices.
To consolidate these efforts, DESA conducts three information sessions for Permanent Missions to the UN in New York. The first of these sessions was held on 13 October, where Permanent Missions of Canada, Central African Republic, Finland, Italy, Namibia, Philippines, Republic of Korea and Romania were represented. The remaining sessions will be held on 27 October and 10 November at Two UN Plaza, Conference Room DC2 – 1949, 19th Floor East 44th Street, New York.
Second Committee focused on macroeconomic policy questions and issues on financing for development at meetings in New York on 10 and 13 October
Considering macroeconomic policy questions and sub-items on international financial system and development and external debt sustainability and development, the Director of DESA’s Financing for Development Office (FfDO) introduced the Report of the Secretary-General on “International financial system and development”. The Chief of the Debt and Development Finance Branch of UNCTAD’s Division of Globalization and Development Strategies, introduced the Report of the Secretary-General on “External debt sustainability and development”. A total of 30 countries and one specialized agency addressed the Committee.
Global economic and financial fragilities and their impact on development
Many delegations pointed to the increasing risk of a renewed global economic downturn and rising financial instabilities. They expressed concerns over the possible adverse impact on emerging economies and developing countries and called for a more rapid concerted response by the international community. In particular, the need to prevent contagion from sovereign debt problems in advanced economies, especially in the euro area, was stressed. The importance of promoting economic policy coordination, implementing growth-oriented policies, addressing global imbalances and volatile capital flows, and fulfilling ODA commitments was underscored. Concerns over high commodity price volatility, partly caused by financial speculation, were also expressed. Several delegations emphasized the central role of the UN in global economic governance.
Reform of the international financial system
Many delegations underscored that deficiencies in the international financial system and architecture were a major cause of the ongoing financial and economic crisis. The continuing need for significant reforms of the international monetary and financial system was underscored. There was also a proposal to develop a Pact on Global Regulation of the financial sector and advocacy for greater involvement of developing countries, including LDCs, in international standard-setting bodies in financial regulation and supervision.
The role of regional and sub-regional monetary and financial cooperation was also emphasized by some countries. A few countries called for a continuation of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group of the General Assembly to follow up on the issues contained in the Outcome of the Conference on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and Its Impact on Development. Member States were also urged to consider the conversion of the Committee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters to an intergovernmental body of ECOSOC.
Governance reform at the Bretton Woods institutions
A few delegations welcomed the recent governance reforms at the IMF and the World Bank. However, a number of them called for further reforms of the mandates, scope and governance structures of the Bretton Woods institutions to reflect current economic realities and ensure full voice and participation of developing countries, including LDCs. It was for instance noted that LDCs were not recognized as a special category by the Bretton Woods institutions. Delegations also called for open, transparent and merit-based selection procedures for heads and senior management of the IMF and the World Bank.
External debt sustainability and development
Delegations from developing countries stated that debt sustainability remained a critical challenge. While developing countries recognized the benefits of debt relief initiatives such as HIPC and MDRI for some countries, others remained at high risk of debt distress. LDCs and others called once again for additional debt relief, including full cancellation of multilateral and bilateral debts. Developing countries called for sovereign debt restructuring and resolution mechanisms that would take into account the multiple dimensions of debt sustainability and the role that debt sustainability played in the achievement of the IADGs, including the MDGs.
It was also noted that significant success had been achieved over the last decade on debt-related commitments, most notably through the Enhanced HIPC Initiative, the MDRI and the joint World Bank-IMF Debt Sustainability Framework. At the same time it was underscored that the international community should enhance its efforts on debt relief.
Debating follow-up and implementation of the 2002 International Conference on Financing for Development and the 2008 Review Conference
On 13 October, the Second Committee focused on the Follow-up to and implementation of the outcome of the 2002 International Conference on Financing for Development and the 2008 Review Conference. The Director of FfDO/DESA introduced the Report of the Secretary-General on “Follow-up to and implementation of the Monterrey Consensus and Doha Declaration on Financing for Development”. A total of 22 countries addressed the Committee.
Many delegations called for the full implementation of the commitments and agreements contained in the Monterrey Consensus and Doha Declaration on Financing for Development. It was pointed out that aid delivery fell short of commitments and net ODA/GNI targets of many larger donors remained below the UN target of 0.7%. Emphasis was also given to the need to enhance aid effectiveness and to align development assistance with the national priorities and needs of developing countries.
Many delegations referred to the positive contribution that innovative mechanisms of finance can make in mobilizing additional resources for development, while also emphasizing that these should not substitute or negatively affect the level of traditional resources for development. Many speakers pointed out that such financing should be disbursed in accordance with the national priorities of developing countries, while one group of countries also stressed the need for further deliberations and analyses on the potential positive and negative implications to developing countries of these schemes. It was pointed out that Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) constituted an important source of financing for development.
Several speakers stressed the importance of having a universal, rules-based, open, non-discriminatory and equitable multilateral trading system that would contribute to growth, sustainable development and employment. There were also calls for all countries to refrain from protectionist measures. Delegations also referred to the need for the international community to fulfill all commitments contained in the 2005 Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration of the World Trade Organization in favor of LDCs.
Call for reform and greater participation of developing countries
A number of countries spoke of the need for reform of existing international economic and financial systems, and for ensuring greater participation of developing countries in decision making and norm setting processes. There was a call for reforming the mandates, scope and governance of the BWIs, while appreciation was also expressed about the ongoing reforms in these organizations. Reference was also made to the need for better coordination, both between international organizations and between macroeconomic policy objectives and other areas of global governance.
Many delegations stressed the need for an effective and enhanced follow up mechanism for the Financing for Development process. Specific reference was also made to the need to seriously consider the long-standing proposal to create a functional commission on financing for development. There was also support for upgrading the Committee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters to an intergovernmental body of ECOSOC. Many delegations also emphasized the importance of the forthcoming fifth High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development in New York on 7-8 December.
Innovative mechanisms of financing for development
The Committee also held a separate meeting on innovative mechanisms of financing for development and the Director of FfDO/DESA introduced the Report of the Secretary-General on “Innovative mechanisms of financing for development”. A total of 20 countries addressed the Committee and many stressed the growing importance of raising additional resources through innovative mechanisms of financing for development in the context of the current global economic situation and the approaching MDG deadline of 2015. Several delegations advocated for the extension of innovative mechanisms beyond health and climate change to other areas, such as education, food security, sanitation and other MDGs.
Many speakers emphasized that funding from these mechanisms should be predictable, stable and effective. They also emphasized that innovative financing should be “additional” to traditional sources of development finance. Concerns were expressed over a considerable part of innovative financing being reported as ODA.
Several delegations called for developing an internationally uniform definition of innovative financing to provide the reference point for standardized reporting and accounting. Some delegations noted that the application process for funds was often complex and put additional burden on recipient countries and that countries with weaker institutional capacities failed to benefit from the innovative financing proceeds.
Many delegates stressed that the growing role of innovative mechanisms of financing for development should not weaken donors’ commitment to the UN target of 0.7 per cent of GDI and 0.20 per cent to LDCs, and that the implications of innovative financing for aid architecture and aid effectiveness required continued attention.
At the opening of the Third Committee on 3 October, Mr. Sha Zukang, DESA’s Under-Secretary-General, stressed the need to design ways of integrating social and economic policies to ensure “people-centred recovery and long-term” sustainable development
Mr. Sha Zukang, the Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs and Secretary-General of next year’s UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), urged countries to pursue economic policies that take social considerations into account to ensure that the poor, youth, persons with disability and the elderly do not continue to bear the brunt of fiscal austerity measures and unemployment in the uncertain global economy.
“Successful policies are those that promote economic and social development together with human rights protection, more [and] better jobs, social cohesion and less inequality,“ Mr. Sha said in an address to the annual opening of the Third Committee of the General Assembly, which deals with social, humanitarian and cultural affairs.
In his speech, delivered by Thomas Stelzer, the Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs, Mr. Sha stressed that the world must design ways of integrating social and economic policies to ensure “people-centred recovery and long-term” sustainable development.
The official highlighted three approaches that he said could facilitate the achievement of inclusive and sustainable development.
“First, in the current economic climate, it is important to maintain our commitment to poverty eradication and social justice. We must retain and strengthen social objectives, not to diminish them,” he said, noting that countries must safeguard growth-enhancing social expenditures even at they strive to bring fiscal deficits under control.
“Second, experience has shown that job creation is paramount. As policy responses to the current crises are developed, jobs are needed for inclusive recovery and poverty reduction.
“Third, the establishment and expansion of social protection floor is also imperative. Such a floor protects people from extreme poverty and deprivation. And it functions as an automatic stabilizer by supporting aggregate demand during economic downturns,” said Mr. Sha.
He said the Rio+20 will be an opportunity to integrate social concerns with the economic and environmental pillars of sustainable development.
“We know that a green economy must support poverty eradication. That is why we continue to explore… ways in which a green economy can create jobs for the poor and sustainable livelihoods,” added Mr. Sha.
The Government of India and the Rio+20 Secretariat jointly organized the Delhi Ministerial Dialogue on “Green Economy and Inclusive Growth” on 3-4 October in New Delhi, India
Over 150 participants, including 24 ministers (14 from developing countries) and 12 experts attended the meeting. The Dialogue advanced the understanding and promoted the achievement of consensus on key issues related to green economy and inclusive growth, with a particular focus on how green economy strategies and policies could be integrated with food security and energy security objectives.
DESA’s Under-Secretary-General and the Secretary-General of Rio+20, Sha Zukang, emphasized that Rio+20 must be about integration, implementation and coherence, and must “mobilize renewed political commitment for sustainable development.” He also commented on the importance of food production saying “to tackle the food and nutrition challenge, the best agricultural science will need to be wedded to the best traditional knowledge. And the outcome needs to benefit smallholders, especially women farmers.”
The conference on the Contribution of Forests to a Green Economy was held in Bonn, Germany on 4-7 October
The meeting was organised in support of the UN Forum on Forests, and in preparation for the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) in June 2012. The meeting was jointly organized by the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development and the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection in collaboration with the UN Forum on Forests Secretariat (UNFFS) and FAO.
The conference brought together nearly 150 forest experts from governments, the Collaborative Partnerships on Forests (CPF), intergovernmental organizations and major groups. Presentations and panel debates focused on the essential role that forests play in sustainable development.
The significant role of forests in transitioning towards green economies was stressed, noting that forests provide a variety of goods and services that support human well-being, including through poverty reduction. Nearly a quarter of the world’s population (1.6 billion people) depends on forest goods and services for livelihood and subsistence.
In her opening address, the Director of the UN Forum on Forests Secretariat, Jan McAlpine, highlighted the changes in approach and vision related to forests that have taken place in the 20 years since the first Rio Summit in 1992. She pointed out that “one size does not fit all”, and that green economies will apply differently across countries, depending on their national circumstances, priorities and capacities. She also emphasized the critical role that the International Year of Forests has played in raising awareness and visibility of forests, both in the global policy agenda, and in public media.
The conference included side events, a reception celebrating the winners of the Future Policy Awards, and the inauguration of the International Forest Days in the city of Bonn. The outcome of this conference is contained in a co-chairmen summary which will be submitted to the Rio+20 Preparatory Committee.
Briefing by the World Bank and the IMF on the Outcome of the 2011 Annual Meetings of the Bretton Woods Institutions which took place in Washington, DC, on 23-25 September
On 14 October, DESA’s Financing for Development Office (FfDO) organized a briefing by the World Bank and the IMF on the Outcome of the 2011 Annual Meetings of the Bretton Woods Institutions (BWIs), which took place in Washington DC on 23-25 September.
The briefing was chaired by the ASG Thomas Stelzer and featured the following presenters:
(1) Mr. Jorge Familiar Calderón, Vice President and Corporate Secretary, World Bank Group, on the meeting of the joint World Bank/IMF Development Committee;
(2) Mr. Elliott C. Harris, Special Representative of the International Monetary Fund to the United Nations, on the meeting of the IMF’s International Monetary and Financial Committee;
(3) Mr. Sudarshan Gooptu, Sector Manager, Economic Policy and Debt Department (PRMED), Poverty Reduction Economic Management Network (PREM), World Bank Group, on the World Economic Outlook; and
(4) Ms. Carolina Sanchez, Senior Economist, World Bank Group, on the 2012 World Development Report: Gender Equality and Development.
Mr. Familiar briefed delegations on the outcome of the meeting of the joint World Bank/IMF Development Committee, where the two principal themes were jobs and gender equality. The Development Committee also discussed the economic performance of developing countries in the current situation of the world economy and noted rising financial instabilities, fiscal strains, volatile commodity prices and pressures on food security. Members of the Development Committee committed themselves to pursuing policies that supported strong and inclusive growth and job creation. Mr. Familiar informed that the next World Development Report will be on jobs.
Mr. Harris shared with delegations the economic background analysis undertaken for the meeting of the IMF’s International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC). The world economy was in a dangerous phase, with financial instabilities, insufficient demand, and sovereign debt problems in advanced economies threatening global recovery.
Against that backdrop, IMFC agreed that advanced economies would address sovereign debt problems, pursue medium-term fiscal consolidation, ensure strong capital positions of banks, maintain accommodative monetary policies, revive weak housing markets and undertake structural reforms to boost growth and job creation. Emerging economies and developing countries would rebuild policy buffers, contain overheating and enhance their resilience in the face of volatile capital flows.
The IMFC encouraged the Fund to focus on a more effective and even-handed surveillance framework, enhancements to the global financial safety net, a review of the adequacy of Fund resources, adequate policy advice and financing to low-income countries, and further work on a comprehensive and balanced approach for the management of capital flows.
The IMFC also agreed to intensify efforts to ratify the 2010 quota and governance reform, called on the Fund to complete a comprehensive review of the quota formula by January 2013, and committed to complete the 15th General Review of Quotas by January 2014.
Mr. Gooptu provided an assessment of the global economic outlook, based on the Bank’s biannual Global Economic Prospects, which examined growth trends for the global economy and their impact on developing countries. The global economic environment for developing countries had become more precarious. Contagion from financial instabilities and economic slowdown in advanced economies, commodity price volatility, inflationary pressures and increasing precautionary savings represented significant downside risks. Market concerns about the sovereign debt crisis, in particular in the euro area, had started to adversely affect sovereign debt markets worldwide, including hitherto unaffected countries, such as lower middle-income countries. Capital flows to developing countries had started to decrease in August/September 2011.
Ms. Sanchez provided an overview of the World Development Report 2012 on “Gender Equality and Development”. In terms of economic impacts of gender equality, the report pointed to significant economic costs of persisting gender inequalities. The report highlighted the relevance, underlying reasons and policy options to deal with gender inequality.
In the ensuing discussion, delegations raised a number of issues, including the recognition of the category of LDCs at the Bretton Woods institutions and financial facilities for LDCs (Nepal), current work on commodity price volatility (New Zealand), the process of implementation of the 2010 IMF governance reforms (France), the World Bank strategy towards middle-income countries (Turkey), and ongoing work at the BWIs on the measurement of development (Denmark).
The representatives of the BWIs responded that the lack of a separate category of LDCs at the BWIs did not represent a practical disadvantage. All concessional facilities were accessible for low-income countries. The IDA crisis response window was targeted to support low-income countries. Commodity prices were being watched and related research was ongoing, focusing on mitigating the impact of price fluctuations.
The implementation of the 2010 IMF governance reforms was lagging behind. To date, only countries representing 19 per cent of quota shares had ratified the reforms, while 85 per cent were necessary for the reforms to enter into effect. The World Bank was currently reviewing its strategy towards middle-income countries. The BWIs considered multi-dimensional development indicators, including social and environmental factors, more appropriate measures of development than purely GDP-based indicators.
A wide range of issues are to be addressed by the Economic and Financial Committee of the General Assembly, also known as the Second Committee, as it begins its work on 3 October under the Chairmanship of H.E. Mr. Abulkalam Abdul Momen, Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the UN
The agenda of the Second Committee is comprised of 15 different – and wide ranging – agenda items, including eradication of poverty, macroeconomic policy questions, sustainable development, financing for development and globalization and interdependence. The first meeting will feature opening statements by the Chair and DESA’s Under-Secretary-General Sha Zukang.
The Committee will also address groups of countries in special situations, agricultural development and food security, and the permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. There is also one new agenda item during the 66th session, which is entitled “People’s empowerment and a peace-centric development model”.
In addition to the Committee’s agenda, the Chair and the Bureau have indicated that they would like to host six special events during the forthcoming 66th session of the General Assembly, which will be part of the official Second Committee programme. Most of these events would be in the nature of panel discussions during the session on the following six themes:
1. People-empowered development models for sustainable peace;
2. Financing for development;
3. Follow-up to the LDC IV Conference: Integrating its provisions into national plans and policies;
4. Alternative development strategies for job creation;
5. Food and energy security and energy efficiency; and
6. Means of implementation for sustainable development
The Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination within DESA is currently working with FAO, IFAD, UNIDO, OHRLLS and divisions within the department to coordinate the preparation of these events.
The Delhi Dialogue will take place on 3-4 October in New Delhi, India
The Government of India and the UN Conference on Sustainable Development Secretariat are jointly organizing the Delhi Dialogue on “Green Economy and Inclusive Growth”, aiming to support the preparations for Rio+20 by providing a platform for international deliberations on opportunities for a green economy to reinforce countries’ poverty eradication and social development agendas, including through enhancing, food security and energy security of the poor. It is expected that a shared vision on these issues would be the main outcome of the meeting.
The meeting will provide an informal forum for an exchange among Ministers, high-level officials, and senior policy advisors, with expert inputs on green economy, social development, food security and energy security. The deliberations will build upon the discussions held in earlier meetings related to Rio+20.
The Dialogue seeks to advance understanding and promote the achievement of consensus on key issues related to green economy and inclusive growth, with a particular focus on how green economy strategies and policies can be integrated with food security and energy security objectives.
A conference on the Contribution of Forests to a Green Economy will be held in Bonn, Germany on 4-7 October
The meeting is a country-led initiative in support of the UN Forum on Forests by the German Government in preparation for the upcoming UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20). It is being jointly organized by the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development and the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection in collaboration with the UN Forum on Forests Secretariat and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
The theme of the meeting builds on the notion that ecological stewardship and economic productivity are not mutually exclusive. Every day, forests contribute substantially to people’s well-being, through food, shelter, medicine and raw materials and support the livelihoods of 1.6 billion people around the world.
The conference will bring together government officials, members of the Collaborative Partnerships on Forests (CPF) and representatives from intergovernmental organizations and major groups. Presentations and panel discussions will focus on the essential role that sustainably managed forests play in ensuring that our planet can continue to meet human needs in the long term.
Discussions will also focus on challenges and opportunities in forest valuation and financing, effective strategies in strengthening commitment to halting deforestation, and forest-related green technologies that increase job creation while ensuring vital forest functions.
Though the principles and concepts for a green economy are still being developed, the meetings will highlight the many benefits of investing in environmentally sound economic activities.
The 21st commemoration of the International Day of Older Persons will be held at UN Headquarters on 6 October from 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm
The half-day event is being organized by the NGO Committee on Aging, in cooperation with DESA, Department of Public Information, UNFPA and UN University. The event is also sponsored by the Governments of Argentina and Qatar. The theme of the Day is Launch of Madrid Plus 10: The growing opportunities and challenges of global ageing.
The keynote speaker is Dr. Adriana Fassio, Ministry of Social Affairs, National Direction for Policies for Older Persons, Argentina. Other speakers confirmed so far include representatives of older persons’ organizations in Jamaica and the Philippines.
UNFPA will use this event to talk about their publication “State of the World’s Older Persons” which will be launched in 2012 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the Madrid Plan of Action.
The NGO Briefing of the Department of Public Information will take place on the same day in the morning and cover the issue of the human rights of older persons.
The 2011 Commemoration of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (IDEP) will be held on 17 October at UN Headquarters in New York, focusing on “From Poverty to Sustainability: People at the Centre of Inclusive Development
With global attention focused on the upcoming UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), it is critical to draw attention to the importance of poverty eradication for building sustainable futures for all. People living in poverty face increasingly difficult challenges as climate change, environmental degradation and rising food prices threaten their livelihoods and survival. The path to sustainable development must ensure that people living in poverty are included in decision-making processes, and that concrete action is taken to respond to their needs and demands.
The 2011 IDEP presents an opportunity to acknowledge the efforts of people living in poverty and to have their voices heard. It is an occasion to recognize that poor people are at the forefront of the fight against poverty and are critical partners for achieving sustainable development. The objective is to illustrate the important and tangible ways in which people living in poverty can simultaneously protect the sustainability of their environment and break the cycle of poverty, and how these efforts can be supported and scaled up.
In addition to the event in New York, celebrations of the Day are being organized worldwide. Through a resolution adopted in 1992, the General Assembly invited all States to devote the Day to presenting and promoting concrete activities with regard to the eradication of poverty and destitution.
A high-level meeting will be arranged in Luxembourg to address ways to increase development impact of aid on 18-19 October
Some 150 representatives from governments, international and regional organizations, UN system, civil society, academia and the private sector will gather for the high-level symposium of the Development Cooperation Forum (DCF) on “Working together to increase the development impact of aid”.
The symposium will reflect how best to effectively mobilize financial flows such as investment, trade and domestic revenues to maximize the development impact of aid. It will thus explore how aid can enable developing countries to mobilize investment and other types of development finance – with the goal to build their productive capacity and engage on a sustainable development path.
The two-day event is the second of several country-led meetings planned in the run up to the 2012 Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) biennial Development Cooperation Forum (DCF), to be held in New York, at the end of June. The DCF will promote development cooperation that makes tangible and concrete contributions towards improving the lives and rights of people, promoting sustainable development, and reducing inequality between and within countries – including between men and women.
The Luxembourg Minister for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs Marie-Josée Jacobs will address the meeting on Tuesday, 18 October during the opening of the event where ECOSOC President Lazarous Kapambwe and Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro are expected to speak. Liberian Minister of Finance Augustine Ngafuan, and more than 10 ministers as well as Southern and Northern policy-makers will participate.
Amidst efforts to recover from the global financial crisis, the current economic uncertainty and volatility present serious concerns to development cooperation and the achievement of the MDGs. The DCF can help mobilize countries to scale up development cooperation, making it more effective and coherent.
The event will also provide a unique opportunity to further strengthen the voice of developing countries and to promote strong national ownership and leadership in development cooperation. It will be organized around four sessions with panel discussions and interactive dialogue, addressing the following topics:
How to maximize the development impact of aid: Mobilizing development finance to achieve the MDGs;
Aid to catalyze domestic and external resources: What have we learned?;
Key messages from the Luxembourg High-level Symposium from stakeholder consultations and discussions in preparation of the Busan High-level Forum on Aid Effectiveness, to be held in November 2011 in the Republic of Korea, and the preparation for the 2012 Development Cooperation Forum, to be held in July 2012 in New York
The Government of Luxembourg is hosting the meeting. A press conference will be organized at the Centre Culturel de Rencontre Abbaye de Neumünster in Luxembourg at 11:00 am on 18 October.
Three Rio+20 Regional Preparatory Meetings will take place in October, with the first one in Cairo on 16-17 October; the second in Seoul on 19-20 October; and third in Addis Ababa on 20-25 October
The General Assembly has decided that in preparation for Rio+20, there will be regional preparatory meetings, stressing the importance of having effective preparations at the local, national, regional and international levels by governments in collaboration with the UN system, to ensure high-quality inputs without placing undue strain on Member States.
Regional Preparatory Meeting in the Arab Region, ESCWA and partners
The Arab Regional Preparatory Meeting aims to support Arab preparations for Rio+20 by offering a forum for deliberation and consensus building on a consolidated set of issues and priorities that reflect the Arab vision on the objectives and themes to be addressed at Rio+20. The meeting is organized as a collaborative effort between ESCWA, the League of Arab States and UNEP/Regional Office for West Asia.
Government representatives from the social, economic and environmental pillars of sustainable development are invited to participate in the meeting. Regional organizations engaged in Rio+20 preparations at the Arab regional level are also welcome to participate and share their experiences, including United Nations and League of Arab States specialized agencies, financial institutions, civil society, private sector, and academic institutions.
Regional Preparatory Meeting for Asia Pacific Region, ESCAP
The Asian and Pacific Regional Preparatory Meeting for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development will take place at the Lotte Hotel in Seoul. It is being hosted by the Republic of Korea, and organized by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme and the Asian Development Bank.
The meeting will prepare an Asian and Pacific Statement to the UNCSD, and will also help to build the capacity of regional actors to participate in the global process. It will result in a greater awareness of the unique challenges that face the Asian and Pacific region, the progress made by countries of the region, and the potential contributions from the region to the global debate.
Delegates will review background documents that will cover the progress on implementation of commitments to sustainable development and Asian and Pacific perspectives on the theme of green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication, and on the theme of the institutional framework for sustainable development.
Ministerial Segment of the Africa Regional Preparatory Conference for Rio+20
The ministerial policy dialogue will comprise three plenary sessions, addressing the objective and themes of Rio+20. Each session will be guided by summary reports on the subjects to be considered. The discussions will be opened by brief presentations on key findings and conclusions, highlighting the main issues arising and recommendations of the expert segments to guide the Ministerial policy dialogue.
For each session, three Ministers will be invited to intervene, taking into account gender and language considerations and geographical representation. Responses will then be invited from one representative of civil society organizations and one representative of the private sector. Following this, the floor will be opened for general discussions.
The Ministerial policy dialogue will address the following issues:
Progress in the implementation of sustainable development commitments, and new and emerging challenges;
Green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication, and the institutional framework for sustainable development; and
On 31 October, the International Year of Cooperatives (IYC) will be launched
The UN General Assembly (GA) will launch the International Year of Cooperatives (2012) at the General Assembly Hall on 31 October in New York. DESA is working on preparing for the event together with the Committee for the Promotion and Advancement of Cooperatives (COPAC).
The year will be inaugurated by two days of activities in and around the United Nations headquarters in New York, beginning with a roundtable discussion on 31 October, from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, on the theme “Cooperative Enterprises Build a Better World: Contributions to Sustainable Development“.
The official ceremony will then take place at 3:00 pm that same day in a General Assembly plenary session, with the UN Secretary-General and the President of the General Assembly formally launching the International Year of Cooperatives.
The Launch aims to increase public awareness about cooperatives and their contributions to socio-economic development and the achievement of the MDGs, and to promote the formation and growth of cooperatives worldwide. Member States, observers, organizations of the United Nations system, Cooperatives and Non-Governmental Organizations in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council are invited to participate in the IYC launch.
Cause for persons with disabilities makes great strides
The Fourth session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was held in New York on 7-9 September
The conference discussed the implementation of the Convention (CRPD), along with other governments, national human rights institutions, civil society organizations, including organizations of persons with disabilities. Over 600 attendees participated in this session that was held under the theme: “Enabling Development, Realizing the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities through Participation, Employment and International Cooperation.” The Convention was adopted by the General Assembly in 2006 and came into force in 2008. Currently, there are 104 ratifications of the CRPD and 153 signatories.
The conference was opened by high-level dignitaries and senior UN officials, including the Deputy Secretary-General Asha Rose Migrio. At the opening, Ms. Migrio said, “You and I and millions of others know, that when we respect the inherent dignity of persons with disabilities, we enrich our human family,” a common theme that resounded throughout the conference, that enabling and including persons with disabilities in society and development benefits all of humanity.
The event included a high-level segment and a general debate, two roundtables entitled “Realizing the CRPD through international cooperation” and “Ensuring effective and full participation in political and public life”, an informal meeting entitled “Realizing the right to work”, as well as an “Interactive dialogue on the implementation of the Convention”. During the high level segment, there were more than 60 States inscribed for the speakers’ list, including 10 ministerial-level participants.
The first round table on “Realizing the CRPD through international cooperation”, discussed key issues concerning article 32 of the CRPD, reaffirming and underlining the important role of international development cooperation in promoting disability-inclusive development and advancing the rights of persons with disabilities. The panel noted that a new aid architecture was emerging at the global level, allowing developing countries to set their own development priorities. The discussion also covered the mainstreaming of disability through enhancing partnerships within private and public sectors and also between the UN and other stakeholders, including organizations of persons with disabilities.
During the second round table entitled “Ensuring effective and full participation in political and public life”, panelists discussed key issues, identified progress and barriers and made strategic recommendations to realize disability-inclusive and accessible political processes including elections. Among the key issues argued was the lack of physical accessibility that continued to remain a major barrier to the full and effective inclusion of persons with disabilities in political and public life. Participants noted that a full realization of the CRPD would ensure that persons with disabilities, including persons with psycho-social or intellectual disabilities would not be deprived of their access to the political process.
An informal meeting on “Realizing the right to work and employment” was also held. Panelists noted that persons with disabilities were twice as likely to be unemployed than their peers without disability. They discussed the need for comprehensive reforms to ensure accessible labour markets and noted that a major barrier against a fully inclusive labour market was the lack of firm policy framework against discrimination, without which accessibility would not be enforced; education would not be effectively provided; and job opportunities would not be made available for persons with disabilities.
UN system organizations presented their efforts during the “Interactive dialogue on the implementation of the Convention” and showed how their programmes had been used to implement the CRPD in countries and regions around the world. They highlighted the role played by their organizations in fostering collaboration among national Governments, UN entities and civil society to further the promotion and implementation of the CRPD. UN Regional Commissions also participated via videoconference from Santiago (ECLAC), Jordan (ESCWA) and Addis Ababa (ECA).
In closing, Chair Mårten Grunditz, UN Ambassador to Sweden and Chairman of the conference, stressed that the conference had made clear that universal ratification of the Convention and the Optional Protocol is within reach and indeed a necessity, given that over a billion persons live with a disability in the world. There could be no progress on internationally agreed development goals without integrating a disability perspective in all development efforts. International cooperation could and must be a catalytic force to make those efforts inclusive. The conference has equally shown that participation of persons with disability in the labour market and in public and political life are essential features of inclusive development. The CRPD will continue to be pivotal to ensure enabling development and enjoyment of human rights by all.
A day prior to the opening of the conference, a Civil Society Forum was organized by the International Disability Alliance (IDA) with the support of DESA, focusing on the planned high level meeting on disability and development to be held next year at the 67th session of the General Assembly.
More than 40 side-events were organized by governments, regional and sub-regional governmental organizations, UN system organizations, academic institutions, international and bi-lateral development agencies, and national human rights institutions, as well as NGOs and organizations of persons with disabilities.
The Fourth session of the Conference of States Parties will take place at UN Headquarters in New York on 7-9 September
“Enabling Development, Realizing the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities”, is the theme of this conference, which is one of the largest meetings of the international community working on disability issues. Under the sub-themes “Realizing the Convention through International Cooperation”, “Political and Civil Participation” and “Work and Employment”, Member States, the UN and civil society will discuss on-going progress and will share good practices on the effective implementation of the convention around the world.
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was adopted by the General Assembly in December 2006, coming into force in May 2008 upon the 20th ratification. Pakistan is the latest country to ratify on 5 July, making 103 the total number of countries which have ratified the convention so far.
According to the convention, “the States Parties shall meet regularly in a Conference of States Parties in order to consider any matter with regard to the implementation of the present Convention.” Since 2008, three sessions have been held at UN Headquarters in New York.
The High-level Symposium on the UN Conference on Sustainable Development will take place in Beijing, China on 8-9 September
The event will be co-organized by the Government of the People’s Republic of China and the Rio+20 Secretariat in Beijing, China. It is intended to offer an opportunity for in-depth discussions among government officials, experts, and representatives from the UN system as well as Major Groups on both the objective and the two themes of Rio+20, with a view to formulating concrete proposals as a contribution to the preparation of the Conference.
The winners of the 2011 Future Policy Award, which celebrates national forest policies, will be announced on 21 September at UN Headquarters in New York
The importance of sustainable development cannot be overstated; it helps people to combat poverty, maintaining their livelihoods and cultures, and it is vital to slowing climate change. The UN’s commitment to environmental sustainability and people-centered forests has recently been expressed through the International Year of Forests (IYF).
As part of this initiative, the World Future Council, UN DESA’s UN Forum on Forests (UNFF) Secretariat, along with the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN, the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity and other partners, will award this year’s prestigious Future Policy Award to three exceptional national policies which strongly support the conservation, management and sustainable development of forests.
“Recognizing innovative forest policies is a vital component of raising awareness of the role forests play in delivering essential benefits and services for people everywhere,” says Jan McAlpine, Director of the UN Forum on Forests Secretariat. “This year’s Future Policy Award is particularly timely given its links to the first ever International Year of Forests 2011 and its message ‘Forests for People’.”
The initial 20 nominees for the Award all demonstrated innovative management strategies for forests. From those submissions, six from Bhutan, Gambia, Nepal, Rwanda, Switzerland and the USA are shortlisted. The three winning policies will be awarded at a ceremony at the Central Park Zoo, New York on 21 September 2011.
Explaining why these particular policies were selected, Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Secretary of the UN’s Convention on Biological Diversity, remarked “These six shortlisted candidates all demonstrate leadership towards the achievement of the 2020 Biodiversity targets: halving deforestation, restoring forests worldwide and ensuring that all forests are managed sustainably.”
A notable feature of many of the nominations is that they allow local communities to take control of their own resources. The Nepalese community forestry programme encourages local management, and a similar initiative in Gambia has both protected forests against illegal logging and spurred economic growth.
In Rwanda, ambitious reforestation projects have had great success, particularly in protecting indigenous species. Government policies in Bhutan and Switzerland have also significantly enhanced the prospects for sustainability; and the US has introduced new legislation to curb illegal logging abroad and timber importation in the US.
The International Year of Forests has also involved a number of other initiatives, including the establishment of a new international newsletter Regional Voices, issued by the UN Forum on Forests Secretariat; and the collaboration with the Universal Postal Union on their yearly letter writing award.
The International Letter-Writing Competition for Young People has been run since 1971. This year, participants were asked to imagine themselves as a tree, writing a letter to someone explaining why it is important to protect forests. The winning letters came from 15-year-old Charlée Gittens from Barbados and 13-year-old Wang Sa from China, whose entries stood out from over 2 million letters submitted worldwide.
Newly-established UN Office for Sustainable Development arranged a two-day seminar on 25-26 August in Incheon, Republic of Korea
The UN Office for Sustainable Development (UN-OSD), hosted by the Republic of Korea in Incheon and managed by UN DESA, inaugurated its substantive work by convening a two-day seminar at Yonsei University International Campus. Participants included government experts and international thought-leaders and knowledge providers on energy and sustainable issues drawn from the UN-system, academia and other institutions.
The objectives were to:
Explore the “knowledge map” to be developed and promoted by the UN-OSD through an on-line knowledge management portal, drawing on existing sustainable development knowledge resources and through key partnerships with other UN offices, academic, research, and non-governmental knowledge institutions;
Through the thematic lens of energy, analyze and discuss recent trends, challenges and policy implications of a transition to sustainable development.
In light of the upcoming UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) to be held in Brazil, 4-6 June 2012, the seminar presented an important opportunity for key stakeholders and thought leaders to discuss priorities and themes for the Office’s operation as a global resource centre for knowledge, research, training and communication on sustainable development. In particular, the seminar discussed the creation of a web-based knowledge portal which is expected to be a central pillar of services provided by the Office.
More than 500 young people from around the world came together to attend the High-level Meeting on Youth which opened on 25 July at UN Headquarters in New York
Member States called for the creation of a global strategy on youth employment to anticipate and offset “the negative social and economic consequences of globalization and to maximize its benefits for young people”. The outcome of the meeting noted some 17 areas of action on youth issues, including specific measures to advance inclusive job creation, skill development and vocational training designed for specific labour market needs.
The text also called for strengthening educational opportunities, promoting human rights knowledge among youth, and encouraging dialogue for mutual understanding. Governments are also urged to support the capacity of youth-led organizations so they can participate in national and international development activities.
While it was Member States that directly negotiated the text, more than 100 youth-led organizations made important contributions. These groups called for more inclusive citizenship, as well as strengthening partnerships with youth to jointly address the serious difficulties young people face.
Approximately 50 senior Government and UN officials, national youth delegates, civil society organizations and private sector representatives actively engaged in two panel discussions. These discussions were held consecutively on the first day of the meeting, addressing two themes: (i) “Strengthening international cooperation regarding youth and enhancing dialogue, mutual understanding and active youth participation as indispensable elements of efforts towards achieving social integration, full employment and the eradication of poverty,” and (ii) “Challenges to youth development and opportunities for poverty eradication, employment and sustainable development.”
Sha Zukang, Under-Secretary-General for Economic Affairs, and Secretary-General of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development, noted that challenges facing youth development – such as poverty, low-quality education and unemployment – are interrelated. Therefore, he added, “these challenges must be addressed through cross-sectoral policies and programmes that are holistic in nature. Our approach should be respectful of the rights of youth to inherit a healthy planet, and sensitive to youth needs in employment and youth diversity. In short we need to foster sustainable development for youth and their future”.
At the plenary closing session, the panel co-Chairs presented summaries of the discussions. Strengthening international cooperation for youth was highlighted, as were other ways to support the eradication of poverty, full employment and social integration. For example, participants were reminded to better integrate youth issues in national development agendas, help strengthen national youth institutions and organizations of young people, and promote efforts to enhance inclusion and the effective participation of youth.
The High-level Meeting on Youth also featured 33 side events by UN agencies, civil society, youth-led organizations, permanent missions and the private sector.
Change Your World 2011 Campaign in support of the International Youth Day 2011 will take place on 12 August
Each year, International Youth Day (IYD) is assigned a theme; a conceptual slogan that communicates the scope, direction, and objectives of the year’s youth initiatives and also provides a unifying banner under which individuals can draw inspiration to take action. This year’s International Youth Day will represent the culmination of the International Year of Youth (IYY) – designated by the UN to comprise the 12-month period between IYD 2010 and IYD 2011 – and the 25th Anniversary of the first International Year of Youth.
“Change Our World” has been chosen as the theme for IYD 2011 as it not only expresses the level of impact that young people strive to achieve, but also reflects the notion of a global community that is a core principle of the United Nations. It is meant to be a call to inspire youth initiatives at all levels with the idea that efforts at the local level can have a global impact.
Youth are well attuned to modern forms of communication that have the capacity to connect people from all over the world with ease, and at an unprecedented speed. UNPY encourages the use of social media and networking tools as platforms for raising awareness and promoting activities, empowering youth, and enabling them to quite literally change our world.
It should be stressed that “Change Your World” is a call for continual, long lasting progress in areas of societal development that concern youth. Therefore, while the support of the private sector, governments, and civil society organizations is important, what’s most necessary is that young people be actively involved and that they claim ownership of this positive effort.
On 11 August, the UN Programme on Youth is holding the International Year of Youth (IYY) Culmination Celebration, which will take the form of a panel discussion focusing on amazing girls and women who are changing the world. It will be hosted by UNPY, Monique Coleman, Youth Champion and Allykatzz.
Dialogue defines key drivers in reforming sustainable development institutions
Delegates from more than 90 member States, 30 international agencies and major groups gathered for a High Level Dialogue in Solo, Indonesia on 19-21 July
The dialogue was arranged to discuss reforms of the institutional framework for sustainable development and it helped define two key drivers in reforming sustainable development institutions: Integration and Implementation. The event featured a number of experts in sustainable development governance at international, national and local levels who were invited to present on the thematic areas of each session to start the discussions.
Each of the five sessions was co-chaired by representatives from developed and developing countries. The three-day dialogue ended with the “Solo Message”, which will feed into the Rio+20 process. The Message reflects the convergence of views discussed and focuses on two main points: (i) to integrate the economic, social and environmental pillars; (ii) to effectively implement the political commitments for sustainable development.
In particular, the Solo Message calls for an organization at the international level that enhances the integration of the three pillars – economic, social and environmental. Various options were discussed, ranging from an enhanced mandate for ECOSOC to establishing a sustainable development council. Many participants were also of the view that the environmental pillar needs to be reinforced to become balanced with the other two pillars. Strengthening UNEP will be essential in this process.
There is also a strong emphasis in the Message on the need to renew political commitment and translate it into implementation. Sustainable development governance at the local, national and regional levels needs to be reviewed and supported. At the national level, various options were discussed for more integrated support for national strategies, including the UN’s Delivering as One. In addition, the Solo Message called for innovative and additional financing to enable implementation of capacity building and technology transfer.
ECOSOC discusses global economic governance and follow-up to Istanbul
Two panel discussions on “Global economic governance and development: Enhancing the coherence and consistency of the international monetary, financial and trading systems” and “Building on Istanbul: Financial support for the development efforts of LDCs, including South-South and triangular cooperation” were held under the Financing for Development agenda item during the Coordination segment in Geneva on 11 and 12 July
Role of UN in global economic governance to be strengthened
The panel on global economic governance focused on the existing governance framework and ways to improve it. Following the financial and economic crisis, global economic governance is currently at the centre of attention, as the moderator, Mr. Sha Zukang, DESA’s Under-Secretary-General, pointed out. The current system was put in place more than 60 years ago and has become increasingly fragmented and inconsistent. In order to adequately respond to today’s challenges, a number of key issues need to be addressed, Mr. Sha said.
The UN as the only truly universal body must play a stronger role in global economic governance. UN institutions and procedures for coordination and policy-making should therefore be enhanced. Governance reforms should also be continued at the Bretton Woods institutions. Regional arrangements need to be more closely integrated in global governance. Better linkages should be developed between the informal G-20 process and existing multilateral structures. Moreover, in view of the Rio+20 process, governance for sustainable development is crucial.
Panelists supported the call for a strengthening of global economic governance. In particular the exchange rate system, global economic and financial imbalances, policy coordination and surveillance need to be addressed to improve modalities for the integration of developing countries in the world economy, said Mr. Petko Draganov, UNCTAD Deputy Secretary-General. Reforming financial regulation, in particular with regard to systemic risks, was stressed as a key action area by Mr. Andrew Cornford of the Observatoire de la Finance.
On behalf of the G-20 presidency, Mr. Christian Masset, Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of France, reaffirmed that global governance is a high priority on the G-20 agenda. Long-term issues such as the emergence of new economies and food and agriculture security will need to be effectively addressed by the governance mechanism. Improving global economic governance will be a gradual process that requires dialogue between informal and formal mechanisms. Countries stressed the need for an inclusive and transparent governance framework. In terms of the institutional set-up, an enhanced ECOSOC was considered well-placed to act as a hub for economic policy coordination in the UN system.
After Istanbul – mobilizing resources for LDCs
The Istanbul conference on the Least Developed Countries held in May was a major event to assess progress of LDCs and to adopt new measures and strategies. Building on the Istanbul Programme of Action, the panel discussed perspectives for resource mobilization for LDCs. Additional resources for LDCs are needed, involving official development assistance, but also other sources of financing such as foreign direct investment and remittances, said the moderator, Mr. Cheikh Sidi Diarra, USG and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States.
Another challenge faced by LDCs is to ensure that growing trade and financial linkages lead to structural change and growth in those countries. In the future, climate change adaptation and mitigation will require significant financing. Climate change financing is gaining traction, but only a small part of it is dedicated to LDCs. South-South and triangular cooperation is also important to further LDC development, said Mr. Diarra.
Panelists pointed to some major impediments faced by LDCs: limited productive capacities; infrastructure gaps; lack of human and social development; and prevalence of conflict or post-conflict situations. Mr. Gyan Chandra Acharya, Permanent Representative of Nepal, mentioned the financial crisis and rising food prices as additional challenges for LDCs. Extensive national effort and strong international partnerships are necessary to see more LDCs graduate. Mobilizing domestic and external financial resources and using them effectively is crucial. In addition, governments’ capacities and institutions need to be enhanced.
Mr. Jeffrey D. Lewis, the World Bank, emphasized that aid flows continue to fall short of international commitments. However, the number of donors is increasing. It is also important not to limit debt relief to official debt, but also to tackle private commercial debt of LDCs. Mr. Jean-Marie Paugam, ITC Deputy Executive Director, stressed the importance of aid for trade.
Mr. Vicente Yu from the South Centre underscored the importance of international development cooperation. In particular fulfilling ODA commitments and establishing counter-cyclical facilities are vital. Countries supported the Istanbul agenda and the need to provide targeted and effective support to LDCs. In addition, private sector development, enhancing productive capacities and technology transfer were emphasized as means to achieve progress in LDCs.
UN Public Service Day was celebrated on 20-23 June in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
The United Nations Public Service Awards was celebrated at the Mlimani City Conference Centre on 23 June, concluding the UN and Africa Public Service Forum, taking place on 20-23 June. The Forum, under the theme “Transformative Leadership in Public Administration and Innovation in Governance: Creating a Better Life for All” featured four capacity-building workshops that focused on challenges, trends, innovative practices and capacity development tools for improved public governance. Over five hundred attendees participated from sixty countries.
The Forum was organized jointly by DESA’s Division for Public Administration and Development Management, the African Union Commission, and the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania, with the assistance of UN-Women and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime.
The Opening Ceremony was attended by the Prime Minister of Tanzania, Honourable Mizengo P. Pinda; the Minister of State, President’s Office, Public Service Management, of Tanzania, Honourable Hawa Ghasia; the Chairperson of the Pan Africa Conference of Ministers of Public Service and Minister of State for Public Service, Kenya, Honourable Dalmas Otieno Anyango; and Head, Division of Governance, Democracy and Human Rights, Department of Political Affairs of the African Union, Honourable Dr. Mamadou Dia.
The Closing Ceremony was attended by the Vice President of the Republic of Tanzania, His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Gharib Bilal, who handed out the awards together with the UNDP Resident Coordinator in Tanzania, Mr. Alberic Kacou, and who officially closed the Forum.
Thirty-six public organizations from 22 countries were awarded with the most prestigious recognition of excellence in public service on 23 June, United Nations Public Service Day. Of this total, 20 awards were first place winners and 16 awards were second place winners.
The United Nations Public Service Awards programme, coordinated by DPADM, introduced two new categories in 2011, “Preventing and Combating Corruption in the Public Service” and “Promoting Gender-Responsive Delivery of Public Services”. The programme received 299 nominations this year, marking a 44 per cent increase from the 207 nominations submitted for 2010 and the 81 nominations submitted at the inception of the awards programme in 2003.
The nominations came from 57 UN Member States, with seven participating for the first time. Although the Latin America and the Caribbean region doubled its share of the nominations, the region with the highest participation continues to be Asia and the Pacific.
The Republic of Korea won the most awards, seven in total, of which two were first place and five were second place winners, followed by Oman with a total of four awards, three of which are first place and one second place.
The winners are from the following countries in 1st place and 2nd place, respectively:
First place winners: Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Egypt, India , Mexico, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Slovakia, South Africa, Tanzania, Thailand
Second place winners: Dominica, Egypt, Netherlands, Oman, Peru, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates.
The event recognized the vital importance of the United Nations Public Service Awards and Africa Public Service Day Awards along with other international, regional and national public governance reform strategies, towards the replication and transfer of good and innovative practices among the United Nations and African Union Member States, acknowledging, with appreciation, the positive outcomes of these since 2003.
It also recognized the need for governments to commit themselves firmly to good governance with deliberate focus on the formulation and implementation of pro-poor policies to foster equitable societies where all individuals have equal opportunity.
The International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples will be commemorated in New York on 9 August
In cooperation with the United Nations Department of Public Information/DPI and the NGO Committee on the International Decade of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, the Secretariat of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (SPFII) is organizing the celebration of the International day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples.
The event will take place on Tuesday, 9 August at the UN Headquarters in New York, from 2:30 pm to 6:00 pm at the ECOSOC Chamber. The theme of the year will be “Indigenous designs: celebrating stories and cultures, crafting our own future”.
The event will include the screening of a short video on the theme and an interactive dialogue to reflect this issue will be hosted. The dialogue is aimed at providing different perspectives on: the spiritual dimension of designs in traditional wear as a way of expressing identity, art, intellectual knowledge and culture.
It will also deal with the threat of appropriation of indigenous cultures and need of cultural preservation and revitalization; examples of good practices of businesses taking inspiration from indigenous peoples’ cultures and customs with emphasis on the nature and extent of involvement of indigenous peoples in this process. The focus will be on indigenous peoples’ rights and challenges in terms of ownership of their cultures, identities and traditions, intellectual property rights, and related economic development opportunities.
Previously, two Permanent Forum members, Edward John and Valmaine Toki, and SPFII staff attended the annual session of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in Geneva on 11 – 15 July. Particular focus of this year’s session was on indigenous peoples and the right to participate in decision-making. In connection with the indigenous fellowship programme hosted by OHCHR, SPFFI also conducted a training session on 19 July in Geneva.
The Small Grants Programme for the Second International Decade of the World’s Indigenous Peoples of the United Nations Trust Fund on Indigenous Issues opened its 2012 call for proposals on 1 July. It will end on 1 September. Projects focusing on indigenous peoples and education, health, environment, culture, human rights and social and economic development are accepted.
Opening with the High-level Segment on 4-8 July, the 2011 session of the Economic and Social Council will include a dialogue with the Executive Secretaries of the Regional Commissions on 8 July; a Coordination Segment on 11-14 July; Operational Activities Segment on 14-18 July; Humanitarian Affairs Segment on 19-21 July; and General Segment on 22-29 July
High-level segment focusing on education
The High-level segment will focus on the Annual Ministerial Review (AMR) turning the spotlight on actions and progress made towards achieving the agreed education goals, within the framework of the Millennium Development Goals and the Education for All agenda. The Review aims at promoting practical strategies to increase access to and quality of education around the world as the basis for poverty eradication and sustainable development. The 2011 AMR theme is “Implementing the internationally agreed goals and commitments in regard to education”. It emphasizes the catalytic effect of education on the broader development agenda, including poverty reduction and the transition towards more sustainable patterns of consumption and production.
The period since 2000 was initially one of rapid progress towards universal primary education. During this time, some of the poorest countries dramatically increased enrolment, narrowed gender gaps and extended opportunities to disadvantaged groups. However, the current pace of progress is insufficient to ensure that the education MDGs will be met by 2015.
Although access remains a key issue, policymakers are called upon to look more closely at the issues of quality and equity in education. Poor learning outcomes are often exacerbated by the inequitable distribution of education between and within countries. Increasingly, evidence shows that the completion of a full cycle of primary education does not ensure the acquisition of basic literacy and numeracy skills. For example, a recent survey of 21 developing countries showed that young adults with five years of education had a 40 per cent chance of being illiterate.
For the opening ceremony, the President of the General Assembly, the Deputy-Secretary General, and Mr. Gordon Brown have all confirmed their participation. It is also expected that President Dilma Rousseff of Brazil and President Micheline Calmy-Rey of the Swiss Confederation will partake.
The High-level segment will furthermore include National Voluntary Presentations from Bangladesh; Belarus; Germany; Malawi; Mauritius; Mexico; Pakistan; Qatar; Senegal; Turkey; and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. Their national reports offer rich information on success factors and experiences on sustainable development with a focus on education at the country level.
The Segment will benefit from the summary reports of four AMR regional consultations held in Qatar on “reaching women, girls and the marginalized”; in Thailand on “education and the MDGs”; in Togo on “reinforcing quality and equity in education”; and in Argentina on “teachers, quality and equity”. In many of the regional meetings, the limited scope of the MDG goals and indicators for education has been emphasized. Many regions have also stressed the need for improving the quality of education.
There are several important panel discussions engaging Ministers from developing and developed countries, executive heads of UN agencies, and representatives of academia, civil society and the private sector. One of those will forge the link between education and sustainable development, while others will focus on the changing needs of education for the future, education in Africa and the LDCs and mobilizing resources and partnerships for education. The General Assembly mandate for ECOSOC to discuss the critical issue of promoting sustained, inclusive and equitable growth will be carried out through a panel discussion attracting high-level resource persons.
The second Face to Face debate on “Education, human rights and conflicts” will attract experts who will highlight the challenges surrounding access to education, particularly in high-risk environments. It will also introduce new ideas about how to improve the educational system and achieve human rights and educational access, as a contribution to the Millennium Development Goal 2. This event will be broadcasted live on UN webcast and via ECOSOC’s Facebook page.
An Innovation Fair on the theme, “Education For All” will also be organized. It will showcase innovative practices, approaches and projects in education from around the world. A wide range of institutions, NGOs and private sector companies will take part in the fair and a ministerial roundtable breakfasts will also be organized from 5 to 8 July. A series of side events, organized by Member States, international and civil society organizations, will take place at lunchtime or parallel to the formal sessions.
ECOSOC Dialogue with the Executive Secretaries of the Regional Commissions
In ECOSOC decision 2004/323, the Council decided to organize annually a dialogue with the Executive Secretaries of the Regional Commissions immediately after the High-level Segment. This interactive dialogue provides an important forum for the exchange of information between Member States and the Regional Commissions on issues related to regional cooperation and emerging development priorities for the different regions. This year, the Dialogue with the Executive Secretaries of the Regional Commissions is scheduled to take place on 8 July in the afternoon.
At its organizational session, the Council decided that the theme of the interactive dialogue for 2011 will be “Regional cooperation as a catalyst for development: examples from the regions”.
During this dialogue the Executive Secretaries of the Regional Commissions will highlight key examples of regional cooperation that have provided a stimulus for development and accelerated progress towards the MDGs, including in areas related to education, in their respective regions. The presentations will also outline the actions taken and the role of the Regional Commissions in strengthening regional cooperation and in supporting South-South cooperation. High-level representatives from countries and key regional organizations will act as discussants and provide their perspective on the importance of regional cooperation and their expectations from the Regional Commissions.
Coordination Segment to follow up on gender equality and financing for development
The 2011 Coordination Segment will focus on two main substantive areas: Follow-up to the 2010 Ministerial Declaration on “implementing the internationally agreed goals and commitments in regard to gender equality and the empowerment of women” and to the International Conference on Financing for Development.
In addition, the annual overview report of the UN system Chief Executive Board for Coordination (CEB) will be presented. A special event on “The right to development and global partnership for development” will also be organized marking the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the UN Declaration on the Right to Development.
The coordination segment provides an opportunity to identify areas where the UN system should promote more comprehensive and effective approaches and to recommend ways in which support by the UN can be strengthened against the backdrop of current challenges.
On gender equality and the empowerment of women, the Council will take stock of progress made in strengthening a coordinated approach by the UN system in this field, a year after the decision by the General Assembly to create UN Women. The Council will also review how the system uses the cross-cutting issues identified in the 2010 Ministerial Declaration as leverage to accelerate progress on gender related development goals.
Operational Activities Segment to focus on funding, resident coordination system and business practices
This segment will focus on progress in implementing the General Assembly 2007 resolution on the Comprehensive Policy Review of UN system’s operational activities (TCPR). Through this review, the GA assesses the relevance, coherence, effectiveness and efficiency of operational activities and gives a detailed set of guidance on how the UN system should work in developing countries.
The funding of operational activities, the functioning of the resident coordination system, and simplification and harmonization of business practices will be central to this year’s review. Four panel discussions on some of these key issues will support the debate.
The reports of the Secretary-General show that the UN system has launched numerous initiatives to implement the GA guidance on operational activities. For example, the UN Development Group, bringing together UN system organizations with operational activities, is working towards a coherent set of priorities to implement the TCPR and make UN system support more focused and coherent.
At the same time, some important reforms are not advancing fast enough. This is the case for the reforms aimed at improving the resident coordinator system and the accountability of its key actors (resident coordinators, UN country teams, regional directors, UNDG and its management etc). Moreover, the UN system does not assess systematically the sustainability of its capacity development work nor uses sufficiently national systems. Regarding funding of the UN system, there are concerns about the continued overwhelming share of non-core resources, as well as about the predictability of resources and reliance on a limited number of donors.
The expected outcome is an omnibus resolution that will provide guidelines for the preparation of the next Comprehensive Policy Review which the General Assembly will conduct in 2012. The Permanent Representative of Peru, chairing this segment, aims to have the resolution adopted at its conclusion.
On Tuesday morning, on 19 July, the informal ECOSOC event on “The role of the United Nations and the international community in supporting the capacity of the Government of South Sudan to manage the transition”, is scheduled to take place.
Humanitarian Affairs Segment to discuss financing, strengthened coordination and response preparedness
This segment provides an important forum where Member States and humanitarian organizations discuss the challenges, opportunities and activities related to the strengthening of the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance of the United Nations.
At its organizational session for 2010, the Council decided that the theme of the Humanitarian Affairs Segment will be “Working in partnership to strengthen coordination of humanitarian assistance in a changing world”; and that it will convene two panel discussions, of which the topics will be: (i) “Preparing for the future – predictable, effective, flexible and adequate humanitarian financing and its accountable use to meet the evolving needs and challenges for the delivery of humanitarian assistance”; (ii) “Strengthening resilience, preparedness and capacities for humanitarian response”. Each panel will feature high-level participation from Member States, relevant UN agencies, NGOs and experts.
The first panel discussion will take place on Wednesday, 20 July, focusing on broader issues of humanitarian financing, to make sure that its system can support meeting humanitarian needs both in terms of ensuring rapid and well-coordinated response, as well as the ability to address emerging requirements amid a growing humanitarian caseload. Investment in preparedness, funding tools to support the transition from humanitarian to sustainable development contexts, as well as aligning humanitarian funding tools and those of international financial institutions or regional and national mechanisms, will also be explored.
The panel on “Strengthening resilience, preparedness and capacities for humanitarian response” will take place on Thursday, 21 July. The discussion will focus on improving the understanding of humanitarians’ role in preparedness, and how they can strengthen partnerships with governments, regional institutions and relevant development actors to develop response capacities. As data points to an increase in frequency and intensity of disasters, and the recent large-scale disasters demonstrating some of the limits of capacity of the international humanitarian response system, meaningfully strengthening the resilience of populations through better preparedness of countries and regions at risk is becoming urgent.
In the margins of the Segment, there will be also the annual ‘Consolidated Appeals Process (CAP) Mid-Year Review’ and several informal side events (a list of side-events will be posted shortly).
The Report of the Secretary-General on strengthening the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance of the United Nations will be presented at the Segment.
General Segment to review reports of subsidiary bodies
At the General Segment, the Council will review the reports of its subsidiary bodies and of other UN entities working in the economic and social fields. These bodies include the Council’s functional commissions, regional commissions, expert and ad hoc bodies. It will also consider the report of its Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti. A panel with members of the Committee for Development Policy (CDP) and a briefing by the Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) will also be organized during the General Segment.
The High-level Meeting on Youth will be held in New York on 25-26 July
On 18 December 2009, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming the year commencing on 12 August 2010 as the International Year of Youth: Dialogue and Mutual Understanding. With the same resolution also calling for a conference on youth to mark the year, the General Assembly will hold a High-level Meeting with the overarching theme “Youth: Dialogue and Mutual Understanding”.
The Meeting will be comprised of an opening session and two consecutive informal interactive round tables on 25 July and plenary meetings on 26 July. The round tables will be chaired by Member States at the invitation of the President of the General Assembly and will include representatives of UN entities, civil society, youth-led organizations and the private sector.
The round tables will be held to promote interactive and substantive discussions on the following themes:
Round table 1: Strengthening international cooperation regarding youth and enhancing dialogue, mutual understanding and active youth participation as indispensable elements towards achieving social integration, full employment and the eradication of poverty;
Round table 2: Challenges to youth development and opportunities for poverty eradication, employment and sustainable development.
Speaking at the opening plenary will be the President of the General Assembly, the Secretary-General and an eminent person actively engaged in youth issues and a youth representative of non-governmental organizations.
The event will result in the production of an Outcome Document, currently being negotiated by Member States, taking into account written input from over 89 youth-led organizations, which will be put forward for adoption at the General Assembly.
It is expected that between 500-700 young people and youth organizations will attend the event from all regions of the world. In addition to the events taking place on 25-26 July, three days of side events will be arranged in the lead up to and following the High-level Meeting, on 21-22 and 27 July.
The side events, organized by Member States, civil society and the UN, will encompass a variety of topics related to youth, ranging from employment, gender equality, environment, education and more.
Wednesday, 27 July will be devoted to a day-long side event on investment by the private sector and youth philanthropists as actors of development. The event is organized by DESA/Division for Social Policy and Development/Focal Point on Youth together with the NGOs Restless Development and Search for Common Ground.
Informal thematic debate of the 65th session of the General Assembly on international migration and development was held in New York on 19 May
The President of the General Assembly convened an informal thematic debate to take stock of the progress made by Governments in implementing policies that maximize the development benefits of international migration and that address its negative consequences since the 2006 High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development. The debate also launched the preparatory process leading to the second High-level Dialogue that the General Assembly will conduct in 2013.
The debate recognized that international migration had many positive consequences for the migrants themselves, their families, for host societies as well as for communities of origin. While acknowledging that the developmental impact of remittances could be improved, participants noted that remittances were private income and could not be a substitute for foreign direct investment or official development assistance. Countries of origin were strengthening their ties with nationals abroad by promoting their political participation, encouraging trade and investment linkages, and providing legal assistance. Innovative strategies to harness migrant entrepreneurship were also showcased. However, migrant entrepreneurs who had returned faced numerous practical obstacles. Some countries presented novel circular migration policies.
Examples of the adverse effects that international migration could have on families, especially on children who stayed behind in the countries of origin, were also provided. Concerns were raised about the international recruitment of skilled professionals, such as doctors, nurses and teachers, from developing countries facing serious skills shortages. Several speakers cautioned that international migration should not be considered an alternative pathway to development: Governments, not migrants, were responsible for achieving sustainable, human development. Participants underscored that migrants were first and foremost human beings with inalienable rights, which transcended their immigration status.
Cooperation at the global, regional and bilateral levels was considered an essential component of any strategy seeking to enhance the contributions of international migrants to development. Participants recognized the important role of regional consultative processes in promoting dialogue and cooperation among countries. They also acknowledged the importance of bilateral initiatives in acknowledging qualifications, facilitating the mobility of skilled migrants, supporting voluntary return, and ensuring portability of pensions and other social benefits. Greater international cooperation was required to address the root causes of international migration, including poverty, lack of employment opportunities, conflict, poor governance and environmental degradation.
International migration was increasingly being incorporated into national development plans and poverty reduction strategies. Since 2006, donor countries had allocated nearly a quarter of a billion dollars to multilateral activities on international migration and development. States had a shared responsibility in promoting safe and legal international migration, combating irregular migration and human trafficking, enhancing migrant integration, safeguarding migrants’ rights, and protecting the most vulnerable, including migrant women and children. Transnational crimes, including human trafficking and migrant smuggling, offered striking examples of policy concerns that could only be addressed effectively through collaboration at the bilateral or multilateral levels.
The State-led Global Forum on Migration and Development had much contributed to fostering cooperation, sharing good practices and promoting a constructive dialogue among Member States as well as with civil society. However, the future of the Forum was challenged by a lack of stable funding. Some Member States identified the UN– and in particular the General Assembly – as the most suitable venue to promote global cooperation and dialogue on international migration and development. Participants expressed appreciation for the increased interagency collaboration, in particular among the members of the Global Migration Group, which includes 15 entities of the UN system and the International Organization for Migration.
The debate successfully identified innovative policies, programmes and projects being developed and implemented to leverage the contributions of international migrants to development. By showcasing good practices and allowing the sharing of experience and information, the debate set a useful basis for the in-depth consideration of those issues in 2013.
The Economic and Social Council and the Peacebuilding Commission convened an informal joint event on 13 June on “Promoting Durable Peace and Sustainable Development in Sudan and South Sudan“
On 9 July, South Sudan becomes the world’s youngest state following one of Africa’s longest and deadliest civil wars. As such it faces many challenges – 90% of the population live below internationally defined income standards; 92% of women cannot read or write; one out of every seven children dies before their fifth birthday; and few children complete primary school.
As the South becomes independent, both the North and South will face a number of socio-economic challenges which require the early mobilization of the international community to ensure the development of two viable states and to consolidate the peace attained, despite recent military clashes along the border.
On 13 June, the Economic and Social Council and the Peacebuilding Commission convened an informal joint event “Promoting Durable Peace and Sustainable Development in Sudan and South Sudan“ to highlight the importance of development to peace; the need for effective international support to Sudan and South Sudan and the importance of regional cooperation.
Two panel sessions were held under the themes “Development and state-building priorities in South Sudan” and “Promoting durable peace and sustainable development in the Sudan and South Sudan: A regional perspective“.
The event featured statements by many high-level representatives including the President of ECOSOC, Lazarous Kapambwe; Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission, Eugène-Richard Gasana; President of the General Assembly, Joseph Deiss, Deputy Secretary-General, Asha-Rose Migiro; Permanent Representative of the Sudan to the United Nations, Daffa-Alla Elhag Ali Osman; and Vice-President of Southern Sudan Riek Machar.
Acknowledging that this meeting takes place at a critical time, many speakers conveyed the importance of capacity building in South Sudan and the need for efficient international cooperation and support. They also underscored the need for political stability and basic security for development, as well as the importance of national ownership and an inclusive and participatory approach to governance to restore confidence and create legitimacy of the new state.
“It is well recognized that economic and social development can only occur if basic security is provided. At the same time, a successful and rapid implementation of economic and social programmes could help to stabilize the fragile security situation. This is why this joint special event between our two bodies is so important,” said Lazarous Kapambwe, President of ECOSOC, in his opening statement.
Joseph Deiss, President of the General Assembly, also recognized that the UN and the international community face a historic moment, “in a few weeks, a new State will formally declare its independence and will become a Member of the United Nations. This is a remarkable achievement, and we must spare no effort to ensure that this process is a success. This is critical, not only for the history of Sudan and of its people, but for the entire region and the continent,” he said.
Shortly after 9 July, South Sudan is expected to become a member of the UN, making the total number of member states 193. At this time, the new state will also have a development plan ready to highlight its needs to the international community.
The one-year count-down to the UN Conference on Sustainable Development, Rio+20, was successfully marked in New York on 15 June with the screening of the animated movie “Rio”
“Rio+20 is the occasion for reinvigorating the spirit of Rio and re-launching our world on the pathway to a sustainable future,” said Mr. Sha Zukang, DESA’s Under-Secretary-General and the Rio+20 Secretary-General. “We think this film, in its own particular way, captures many of the themes that we are looking to address in Rio.”
Up to one thousand New Yorkers, including children and their parents saw the movie. Hosted by DESA and the Permanent Mission of Brazil to the UN, in partnership with Twentieth Century Fox, the screening was also attended by the director of the movie, Mr. Carlos Saldanha.
In the beginning of June, Mr. Sha also led a small mission to participate in the ceremonies held in Rio de Janeiro. In his message at the national launch ceremony, hosted by President Dilma Roussef at the Palácio do Planalto on 7 June, he stressed that the “plus” in Rio+20 should also be a plus to political commitment, development partnership and action on the ground.
Rio+20 will take place in Rio de Janeiro on 4-6 June 2012 and will have two main themes: “Achieving a green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication” and “The institutional framework for sustainable development”.
The International Forest Film Festival has been awarded the grand prize by CinemAmbiente, the leading environmental film festival in Europe and Ms. Jan McAlpine, Director of the UNFF Secretariat has been invited to receive the grand prize in Turin on 5 June
To celebrate the International Year of Forests 2011, the UN Forum on Forests (UNFF) Secretariat launched the International Forest Film Festival in collaboration with the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival. The festival received 167 films from over 30 countries and winners were selected across six categories. The winning films were first screened during the ninth session of the UN Forum on Forests and they are now being presented around the world throughout 2011 as a part of the continuing festival.
This year’s CinemAmbiente festival will open in Turin on 31 May and run through 5 June, which is also World Environment Day. The program features over 100 films to be shown in the National Competition, International Competition, and International Shorts Competition categories, thematic focuses, retrospectives, Ecokids for younger audiences and Panorama, which will probe issues on deforestation and land use.
This year’s festival is sponsored by the UN Regional Information Center (UNRIC) in Brussels. The Turin-based organization also coordinates the worldwide network of similar environmental film festivals and the Environmental Film Festival Network (EFFN).
Two panel discussions will be held examining “MDG implementation and accountability: women’s and children’s health as an engine for progress” and “Advancing the United Nations development agenda beyond 2015” on Tuesday, 14 June at UN Headquarters in New York
The President of the General Assembly, Mr. Joseph Deiss, will arrange this event on development, mandated by the General Assembly resolution 60/265 which requests that a “specific meeting focused on development, including an assessment of progress over the previous year, at each session of the General Assembly.”
DESA is providing technical and logistical support for the event, which will take the form of a formal plenary meeting and two high-level panel presentations examining “MDG implementation and accountability: women’s and children’s health as an engine for progress” and “Advancing the United Nations development agenda beyond 2015.”
In particular, the second panel will seek to inform Member States of ongoing discussions outside the UN regarding a post-2015 framework. A number of high-level and prominent personalities have been invited to contribute to the discussions in each panel.
CSD-19 focused on reducing harms of pollution and waste
The Commission on Sustainable Development held its 19th session on 2-13 May in New York focusing on transport, chemicals, waste management, mining, and a 10-year framework of programmes on sustainable consumption and production (SCP)
The High-level segment on 11-13 May gathered 60 ministers of environment and other relevant ministers, who discussed the themes in four roundtable sessions: SCP; transport; mining; and waste management and chemicals. The opening session of the High-level Segment featured three keynote speakers highlighting the importance of sustainable development and the changing patterns of consumption and production. A number of ministers also presented their views in this area.
The roundtable sessions also had experts on the thematic areas to start the discussions and were co-chaired by ministers from developed and developing countries. The Secretary-General was a keynote speaker on the last day of the Commission’s session where he talked about the importance of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development to take place next year in Rio.
CSD-19′s Learning Center offered 14 courses related to the Commission’s five themes and cross-cutting issues to more than 300 participants from national delegations, NGOs, international organizations and other institutions. The class size averaged 23 participants and was over 40 participants in some sessions. There were also forty-eight side events and twelve related activities held in connection with the session.
Key messages identified to maximize results of aid
The Government of Mali and DESA co-organized the first symposium “Gearing development cooperation towards the MDGs: Results and Effectiveness” to prepare for the 2012 ECOSOC Development Cooperation Forum (DCF) on 5-6 May in Bamako, Mali
The meeting identified a number of key messages on how to maximize the results of aid on poverty and other MDGs and it was attended by some 150 participants from over fifty developing and developed countries. Attendees included the President of ECOSOC, Ministers from Mali, DRC and Liberia, government representatives, civil society organizations, parliamentarians and local government officials.
The continued involvement of such a varied group of stakeholders is frequently highlighted as one of the key strengths of the DCF, as was also expressed during the ongoing review of General Assembly Resolution 61/16 on the “Strengthening of ECOSOC”.
On delivering results from aid, participants agreed that a focus on short-term outcomes is important to build support for development cooperation, in particular in conflict affected countries. At the same time, more attention should be paid to the medium and long-term impact of development cooperation and its sustainability. Planned results need to be developed under the leadership and inclusive ownership of developing countries. Monitoring and evaluation would need to be a shared exercise. Clear benchmarks can help to measure how aid is contributing to the achievement of national development goals and the MDGs.
The meeting also discussed ways of ensuring that actors hold each other accountable on development results and aid management. The growing number of development actors was seen as a key challenge in coordinating aid. Robust mutual accountability mechanisms between donors/providers and programme countries, based on common results frameworks were seen as an effective tool to overcome this challenge.
Multiple conditionalities on development cooperation continue to hinder national ownership and leadership. This meeting underscored that where conditionalities cannot be eliminated, they should be rooted in national strategies; agreed between donor and programme countries.
A strong message was the need to build developing countries’ capacities across the board in order to bolster national ownership. Important areas included policy making, monitoring and evaluation, statistics, coordinating aid as well as promoting greater transparency and the inclusion of civil society representatives in all phases of the development process. There was a strong emphasis on the need for “inclusive national ownership” – which engages parliaments, local governments and civil society organizations. Strengthening the capacities of these actors was also seen as critical.
In preparation of the Fourth UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC-IV), the symposium also focused on development cooperation with LDCs. Background documents show that LDCs do not only face the greatest structural needs, but they also receive aid of lesser quality than other developing countries. This compounds the delays in meeting donors’ commitment to increase aid quantity. It was therefore suggested that a framework should be developed to improve accountability between LDCs and their donors on commitments relating to the quantity and quality of aid. Such a framework would support reviews on the follow-up to the Istanbul programme of Action.
It was felt that the UN DCF has an important role in accelerating the achievement of the MDGs and in keeping under review the impact/results of aid. The outcome of the meeting, “Bamako conclusions”, was read out in summary form by the President of ECOSOC. These will be fleshed out and posted on the ECOSOC website and shared with all participants.
The results of the discussion during the symposium will feed into the 2012 DCF. It will also contribute to the OECD-DAC Fourth High-level Forum on Aid Effectiveness (HLF4) in November 2011 in Busan, Republic of Korea. The outcome of the discussion on LDCs was presented by Mali at a DCF special event at the LDC-IV conference.
Stronger accountability frameworks to enhance aid to LDCs
DESA’s Office for ECOSOC Support organized a special event on “Mutual accountability for LDCs: Aid quality and beyond” with UNDP and OECD-DAC in connection with the Fourth UN Conference on Least Developed Countries that took place in Istanbul on 9-13 May
This event took place on 12 May and examined the quality of aid to Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and how greater mutual accountability between LDCs and their donors can improve it. The discussions built on the premise that LDCs do not only face the greatest structural needs, but they also receive aid of lesser quality than other developing countries.
This compounds the delays in meeting donors’ commitment to increase aid quantity. It was therefore suggested that a mutual accountability framework should be developed to improve aid quantity and quality that builds on existing mechanisms and contributes to the follow-up to the Istanbul Programme of Action.
The special event brought together approximately sixty participants and high-level speakers from Mali, the Republic of Korea and the IBON Foundation for a lively debate. It was chaired by the President of ECOSOC and introduced by the Head of the OECD-DAC’s aid effectiveness team and DESA’s Assistant- Secretary-General for Economic Development.
Among many other suggestions, great emphasis was placed on the need for stronger global and independent monitoring mechanisms to assess progress towards better and more aid as well as mutual accountability, notably in the absence of well developed national institutions. The role of the Development Cooperation Forum (DCF) as such a mechanism and as a dialogue platform on technical aspects of mutual accountability was reaffirmed.
Participants also highlighted the need to strengthen institutional arrangements for aid management that are conducive to greater parliamentary oversight and civil society involvement. Existing mutual accountability frameworks should better take into account the concerns and needs of LDCs and be perceived in the context of broad development partnerships, including with the private sector.
In his closing remarks, the President of ECOSOC reiterated that transparent and truthful consultations and strong institutions are key to ensure that assistance provided and received produces the maximum impact for beneficiaries. He stressed the importance of enhancing mutual accountability and assured that this area of work will be continued in the context of the DCF in preparation of its next forum in 2012.
The Fifth Session of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities met in Geneva on 11-15 April
Persons with disabilities make up an estimated 10 per cent of the world’s population, eighty per cent of which reside in developing countries. The 18-member Committee was created to monitor the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities with its aim to promote, protect and ensure the human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities, in addition to promoting respect for their inherent dignity.
In a statement, Akiko Ito, Chief of the Secretariat for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities within DESA, described the department’s role and work in advancing the rights of persons with disabilities in development. She also informed that 99 countries had ratified the Convention at the time of the meeting. This number was later revised as Colombia on 10 May became the 100th country ratifying the Convention, which was adopted on 13 December 2006 and opened for signature on 30 March 2007.
“While the increase in number of ratifications… the lack of expertise in how to plan and execute government policies and strategies that address the situation of persons with disabilities remains a major challenge…The international community has reiterated that disability is a cross-cutting issue and all the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals, have relevance to disability and persons with disabilities… Mainstreaming disability in development agenda is defined as a strategy”, Ms. Ito emphasized.
Marcia Kran, Director of the Research and Right to Development Division of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, also highlighted the impressive level of ratifications that the Convention has reached in a short period of time and that this means that the work of the Committee will significantly increase.
Ms. Kran also noted that some states used lack of resources as a reason for not ratifying the Convention. However, as the Committee members illustrated that limited resources in many cases should not amount to become an obstacle to the implementation and the realization of rights of persons with disabilities.
The Committee reviewed the first country report, the initial report of Tunisia and it also established a working group on accessibility to public transportation and airline transport among other things.
The event “Gearing development cooperation towards the MDGs: Effectiveness and Results” is the first milestone in preparing for the 2012 Development Cooperation Forum and will take place on 5–6 May in Bamako, Mali
The symposium is arranged during a time when prospects for global economic recovery remain uncertain, and the world’s poorest citizens continue to suffer from delays in reaching the MDGs. The crisis is dramatically reducing commitments by OECD donors and leading them to stress the need for greater results from aid. However, sustainable results can be achieved only through developing country leadership and mutual accountability between donors and developing countries.
The Mali Symposium will allow high-level participants and practitioners from all stakeholder groups to debate how to scale up tested solutions to improve development results by improving the quality of aid, through interactive dialogue among and within different groups.
The results are expected to be agreement on: how best aid can achieve development results and how this should be measured; how broad-based country ownership can best ensure that these results are sustainable in different country contexts; proposals for a development cooperation accountability framework on aid between LDCs and their donors, in light of planned monitoring and follow-up to LDC-IV; proposals for improving country-level mutual accountability between developing countries, donors and other stakeholders; and measures to enhance accountability for development results produced by aid to education.
The recommendations will help prepare for the 2012 UN Development Cooperation Forum in late June/early July 2012, as well as provide inputs into the Fourth UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries in Istanbul on 9-13 May and contributing to the Fourth High-level Forum on Aid Effectiveness organized by the OECD-DAC in Busan, the Republic of Korea in November/December 2011.
Transport, chemicals and waste among topics for CSD-19
The 19th session of the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD-19) will take place in New York on 2-13 May
As a Policy Year for the Commission, Member States will discuss the following issues: Transport, Chemicals, Waste Management (Hazardous and Solid Waste), Mining and a 10 Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption & Production Patterns (SCP).
Current transportation development trends are not sustainable and the need to reduce pollution levels has been widely recognized. Urgent action is needed to promote integrated transport plans and to accelerate the phase-out of leaded gasoline. There is also much that remains to be done when it comes to the safe use and handling of chemicals. Two of the major problems are the lack of sufficient scientific information for risk assessment and a shortage of resources for evaluation of chemicals for which data are available.
CSD-19 will also discuss the importance of preventing the creation of hazardous wastes and rehabilitating contaminated sites, as well as solid waste management. It will moreover address priority areas for sustainable mining and transitioning to more sustainable patterns of consumption and production within a 10-year framework of programmes, also referred to as the Marrakesh Process.
CSD was established by the UN General Assembly in December 1992 to ensure effective follow-up of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), also known as the Earth Summit, held in Rio de Janeiro in 1998. Some policy documents from CSD-19 will feed into the 2012 UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) processes.
The UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC) will hold its fourth session in Istanbul, Turkey on 9-13 May
The purpose of the conference is to assess the results of the 10-year action plan for the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), which was approved in 2001 and to adopt new measures and strategies for the sustainable development of the LDCs into the next decade. The outcome of the regional and national level preparations will be included in global preparations and generate consensus ahead of the conference.
Thematic reviews at the global level will allow UN agencies and other international organizations to contribute with expert knowledge. While providing for interaction at all levels, the conference will have the following main components: Inter-governmental track involving LDC governments and their development partners; Parliamentary track concerning members of the legislature from LDCs and their development partners; Civil society track with activities by civil society organizations; Private sector track relating to private sector activities organized in cooperation with the UN.
LDC-IV high-level side events
“Macroeconomic Policies for LDCs: From Economic Recovery to Sustainable Development”
This high-level event will take place at the Tophane Hall, Istanbul Congress Centre on 10 May, 6-8 pm
Organized by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the panel discussion will deliberate the role of macroeconomic policies in promoting and fostering economic growth and sustainable development. The high-level panel will identify a set of macroeconomic policies that are particularly relevant for the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and present alternative perspectives on how sound macroeconomic policies can promote inclusive growth and sustainable development.
The event will also help inform LDC leaders about the efforts of the UN system to assist LDCs in the design and implementation of alternative and development-oriented macroeconomic policies.
“Optimizing Support Measures for LDCs: Access, Utilization and Effectiveness – Launch of the LDC Information Portal & the publication of ‘Out of the Trap’”
The event will be held on 11 May at 1-3 pm at Topkapi B, the Lutfi Kirdar Convention and Exhibition Centre
The event will feature the launch of the Least Developed Countries Information Portal – www.un.org/ldcportal – which was created to enhance LDCs’ access to information and utilization of the existing international support measures provided by development and trading partners.
The publication “Out of the Trap” will also be presented. It contains analysis of the development impact of existing international support measures and lessons for the future to assess the impact of membership in the LDC category on the development of LDCs. The Conference hopes to offer multi-stakeholders the opportunity to get a comprehensive overview of available international support measures.
The event is organized by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs/Committee for Development Policy (CDP) Secretariat and Fondation pour les Etudes et Recherches sur le Développement International (FERDI). It will also feature a panel discussion on the main findings of the two initiatives related to optimizing international support measures for LDCs chaired by Mr. Jomo Kwame Sundaram, DESA’s Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development and moderated by Mr. Richard Jolly, Member of the Eminent Persons Group for LDC IV and Honorary Professor of the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex.
“Illicit Financial Flows: Perspectives on issues and options for LDCs”
This special event will be arranged on 11 May at 6:15 pm – 8:00 pm in Istanbul, Turkey
The event, which will be hosted by the Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey, aims to sensitize participants to the issue of illicit capital flows as a development issue and the potential scale of the problem and its impact on LDC development. It will also highlight component aspects of the problem, including flows relating to tax avoidance and evasion and issues in the repatriation of assets, practical ways of addressing illicit flows and selecting and implementing appropriate responses.
A UNDP commissioned analytical study which attempts to quantify the magnitude and nature of illicit financial flows from LDC economies using one methodological approach will be presented along with some best practices to ensure that tax revenues are collected and wisely budgeted for development purposes from the “South-South Sharing of Successful Tax Practices (S4TP)” project. The UN’s Economic Commission for Africa will also present recent efforts to promote more coordinated international, regional and national efforts to address the negative effects of illicit financial outflows on the African continent.
The event is co-organized by UNDP and the Republic of Benin with support from UNDP-Special Unit for South-South Cooperation, UNDESA and UN ECA. It will be chaired by Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development Mr. Jomo Kwame Sundaram of UNDESA and feature opening remarks by Mr. Shahid Najam, RC/RR UN/UNDP Turkey; Mr. Cheick Sidi Diarra, Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for HHRLLS; Ms. Helen Clark, UNDP Administrator and Chair of the UN Development Group (UNDG) and the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey.
“Mutual Accountability for LDC: A framework for aid quality and beyond”
The special event will take place in Camlica Hall at the LDC-IV conference venue on 12 May at 6:15 pm – 8 pm
The Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination (OESC) is organizing this special event with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development – Development Assistant Committee (OECD-DAC) and the UN Development Programme (UNDP).
LDC-IV provides a unique opportunity to review how the development concerns of LDCs and MDG challenges can be better met by increasing aid, improving its quality and strengthening mutual accountability frameworks between donors and programme countries for development results. This event aims to reflect on how mutual liability between LDCs and their donors can contribute to the realization of international commitments, including those contained in the draft Istanbul Programme of Action.
The event will address aid quality and effectiveness from the perspective of LDCs and explore whether the frameworks aimed at ensuring mutual accountability between LDCs and their donors on aid commitments fully reflect the concerns and needs of LDCs. It will also build on findings of the High-level Symposium in Mali the week before on “Gearing development cooperation towards the MDGs: effectiveness and results”. The outcome will highlight issues of critical concern and ways to review and promote progress. It will also inform the next UN Development Cooperation Forum (DCF) in June/July 2012 and contribute to preparations for the fourth High-level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Busan in November 2011.
The meeting will convene under the theme “Key Education Challenges in Latin America and the Caribbean: Teachers, Quality, and Equity” on 12-13 May in Buenos Aires, Argentina
The event is arranged in preparation for the 2011 ECOSOC Annual Ministerial Review (AMR) to be held at UN Headquarters in Geneva in July 2011 on the theme “Implementing the internationally agreed goals and commitments in regard to education”.
Themes to be discussed include: educational agenda of the LAC region; teachers, teaching and its dimensions; ICTs in Education; assessment of education quality, and equity in education. The conference will assess regional progress towards the EFA goals, highlight major obstacles impeding continued progress and explore various strategies to overcome them.
The conference is hosted by the Government of Argentina, in cooperation with the UNDESA, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the UN Economic Commission for Latina America and the Caribbean (ECLAC). A diverse group of stakeholders consisting of governments, civil society, UN system institutions and the private sector will be brought together.
The 10th Session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) will take place in New York on 16-27 May
This session will be especially significant since this is the review year and since special emphasis will be placed on the implementation of UNPFII recommendations on economic and social development; the environment; and free, prior and informed consent.
Human rights issues will be addressed and the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples has been invited along with the members of Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. A plenary panel will also focus on the right to water and indigenous peoples. Other events arranged include a discussion on the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples; discussion on Rio+20; and a follow up on recommendations and actions on the various studies that will be presented during the Forum.
The special regional focus will be on indigenous peoples of the Central and South America and the Caribbean region. Other special features of the session will include a discussion on the Permanent Forum’s mission to Colombia; a half-day discussion on the right to water and indigenous peoples; discussions on a number of studies completed this year by the UNPFII.
The event is expected to attract a large number of participants representing governments, the UN, other inter-governmental organizations and Indigenous Peoples’ Organizations (IPOs), NGOs and academia. So far, 1,300 participants representing organizations and academia have pre-registered.
About 50 side events will take place during the session, organized by Member States, UN entities, other intergovernmental organizations, NGOs, the Secretariat and others. There will also be a photographic exhibition on the theme indigenous peoples and water.
Commission agrees on resolution on “Fertility, reproductive health and development”
The 44th session of the Commission on Population and Development was held in New York on 11-15 April
The work of the Commission, under the Chairmanship of Ambassador Brian Bowler, Permanent Representative of Malawi, was completed successfully with two decisions and a resolution on the session’s theme of “Fertility, reproductive health and development” being passed by consensus.
The resolution on “Fertility, reproductive health and development” provides a strong endorsement of the recommendations contained in the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and the Key Actions for its further implementation adopted at the 21st Special Session of the General Assembly. The resolution reaffirmed that gender equality cannot be achieved without promoting and protecting the right of women to enjoy the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, including sexual and reproductive health.
The resolution urges Governments to protect and promote the full respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms regardless of age and marital status, including by eliminating all forms of discrimination against girls and women, and stressed the need to strengthen health systems and ensure that they prioritize universal access to sexual and reproductive information and health-care services, including family planning, prenatal care, safe delivery and post-natal care to eliminate preventable maternal mortality and morbidity.
The need was stressed for Governments to ensure that all women, men and young people have access to information as well as to safe, effective, affordable and acceptable methods of family planning and to give full attention to meeting the reproductive health-care service and education needs of adolescents to enable them to deal in a positive and responsible way with their sexuality.
The Commission emphasized the need to strengthen policy and programme linkages and coordination between HIV/AIDS and sexual and reproductive health and their inclusion in national development plans as well as to scale up significantly efforts to meet the goal of ensuring universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. It also called upon the international community to help Governments meet the family planning needs by increasing the financial resources needed to implement the Programme of Action.
Welcoming the General Assembly’s decision last December to extend the Programme of Action adopted in Cairo at the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development beyond 2014, the Commission called on all Governments to make every effort to mobilize the required resources to ensure that its objectives were met. At the same time, the Commission reaffirmed the sovereign right of States to implement the Cairo Programme’s recommendations, in accordance with national laws and development priorities, and with full respect for religious, ethical and cultural values.
Two decisions were also adopted by the Commission. The first was the Provisional Agenda for 2012 and the second decision was that the special theme for the forty-sixth session in 2013 would be New Trends in Migration: Demographic Aspects and that the forty-seventh session in 2014 would be devoted to an Assessment of the status of implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development.
Several countries on track to achieve education goals
The ECOSOC 2011 Annual Ministerial Review Africa Regional Meeting was held on 12 April in Lomé, Togo on the theme “The right to Education for All in Africa: Reinforcing quality and equity”
The programme was set around four main sessions on: education and the MDGs; a rights-based approach to inclusive, quality education; country experiences and best practices; and key policy messages for the 2011 ECOSOC AMR. Ministers of Education and a broad cross section of regional stakeholders discussed trends, challenges, and policies and programmes on education in Africa and their impact on the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.
Among the key messages emanating from the discussion were that the situation of education in Africa is hopeful with several countries being on track to achieve universal primary education and gender equality in education by 2015. Another note was that progress in Africa remains threatened by slower economic growth, reduced public and international expenditure on education, and by the complex demands placed on systems struggling to cope with increased enrollment. Moreover, the most significant underlying causes for the current shortcomings and challenges to education in Africa are the lack of equity in the delivery of education services and the low quality of education.
Recommendations need to approach education from the perspective of a fundamental human right and focus on “including the excluded”; eliminate school fees for primary education, with additional support for the marginalized; introduce early-childhood programmes wherever possible, to give children a fair and early chance to learn; expand school feeding programmes to promote retention; and strengthen capacity to recruit and retain good teachers.
The meeting was co-organized by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs in cooperation with UNESCO, UNICEF, UNECA and in collaboration with the Government of Togo. It is part of the preparatory process for the 2011 Annual Ministerial Review on “Implementing the internationally agreed goals and commitments in regard to education”.
A summary report of the meeting is being prepared and will be presented by the Education Minister of Togo at the high-level segment of ECOSOC.
The 13th session of the Committee for Development Policy took place on 21-25 March in New York
This year, the meeting focused on the review of the 2011 Annual Ministerial Review on the Internationally Agreed Goals and Commitments in regards to Education, the UN development agenda beyond 2015, the status of Least Development countries (LDCs) and issues on international migration.
While progress has been made, the Committee concluded that more implementation needs to occur. Discussions stressed the need for quality improvements in education, attention to post-primary education and skill-training by effectively placing education policies in the broader context of microeconomic and development strategies. Regarding migration, it was urged that negative consequences be addressed and regulatory measures be improved to ensure adequate working and living conditions of migrants.
The outcome of the session is part of a larger research programme whose main conclusions and recommendations are expected to be forwarded to ECOSOC in 2012. In addition, further refinements to the indicators of LDCs will be made to better reflect the structural vulnerability of countries to climate change.
The 44th session of the Commission on Population and Development will discuss the theme of “Fertility, reproductive health and development” from 11-15 April in New York
This year’s session will discuss a wide range of issues, including the decline in fertility over the last six decades and the efforts being made to achieve universal access to reproductive health by 2015. Discussions will highlight the potential impact of existing levels of fertility if they are maintained. Efforts to rapidly reduce fertility are especially needed in fast growing countries in Africa and Asia. In both areas, particularly in Africa, current fertility levels would lead to unsustainable numbers of people in the future.
The discussion is expected to note that ensuring access to modern methods of family planning to those who need them is an effective way of improving the health of mothers and infants. This is key to making sure that people have the means to exercise their reproductive rights. Furthermore, by preventing unintended pregnancies, family planning can ultimately reduce the overall cost of providing healthcare services to mothers and newborns.
However, even as the funding levels required are greater than ever before, the financial resources actually mobilized are still not sufficient to realize the objectives of the Programme of Action and achieve the Millennium Development Goals. The decrease in the funds made available for family planning services has been of particular concern.
Items on the agenda for the Session include actions to follow-up on the recommendations of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), a general debate on national experience in population matters, world demographic trends, programme implementation and future programme of work of the Secretariat in the field of population, contribution of population and development issues to the theme of the annual ministerial review in 2011 (“Implementing the internationally agreed goals and commitments in regard to education”) and the adoption of the report of the Commission on its forty-fourth session.
The Population Commission was established by the Economic and Social Council in 1946 and renamed the Commission on Population and Development by the General Assembly in 1994. In addition to advising the Council, the Commission, as a functional commission assisting the Council, has the task of monitoring, reviewing and assessing the implementation at the national, regional and international levels of the Programme of Action of the ICPD. The Commission is composed of 47 members, who are elected on the basis of equitable geographic distribution and serve a term of four years.
ECOSOC resumes its organizational session and holds elections of subsidiary bodies in New York on 27-28 April
The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) will hold elections to the following subsidiary bodies: Statistical Commission; Commission on Population and Development; Commission for Social Development; Commission on the Status of Women; Commission on Narcotic Drugs; Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice; Commission on Sustainable Development; Commission on Science and Technology for Development; International Narcotics Control Board; Committee for Programme and Coordination; Executive Board of UNICEF; Executive Committee of the Programme of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees; Executive Board of NDP, UNFPA, UNOPS; Programme Coordinating Board of the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS; Governing Council of UN Human Settlements Programme; and Intergovernmental Working Group of Experts on International Standards of Accounting and Reporting.
The Council will also take decisions on outstanding matters from the organizational session, including themes for the Annual Ministerial Review 2012-2014; for the humanitarian affairs segment and for the item on regional cooperation of the 2011 substantive session. It will also hold the annual half-day session on the transition from relief to development.
Preparatory meeting of the Economic and Social Council on the theme “Meeting the Internationally Agreed Goals and Commitments with regards to Education” will take place in New York on 28 April
In line with the Council’s recent emphasis on giving voice to people with a direct stake in its debates and policy recommendations, it will hear the views of a range of stakeholders, including young people and students, UN system and academic experts on education, practitioners and the general public.
A range of issues affecting education, including access, innovation, quality and its relevance for capacity building, poverty reduction and sustainable development will be discussed. The meeting will also highlight some innovative solutions that are currently being tried by various governments and other stakeholders and that could be replicated or scaled up in other countries and regions.
The meeting will be divided into two parts. The first will feature a reporting back on the outcome of a Facebook e-discussion on “Building a future for today’s youth: improving access to education”, and a presentation on the results of the UN Development Group’s MDG-Net forum e-discussion on “Education: Closing the Gap”. The former will feature brief summaries by the discussion moderators from the five geographical regions of the world and the latter will present a short summary of the discussion on the themes of quality, access and innovation in education.
The second part of the meeting will be a panel discussion on “Removing barriers to education: What’s new and notable”, which will feature brief presentations by expert panelists, followed by an interactive discussion.
Intergovernmental Preparatory Meeting (IPM) of the 19th session of the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD-19) took place on 28 February- 4 March in New York
The discussions on all five themes – transport, chemicals, waste management, mining and a 10-year framework of programmes on sustainable consumption and production patterns – as well as on inter-linkages and cross-cutting issues were productive and substantial, providing a very good base for the Chair’s draft negotiating document. Each discussion started with presentations from two to three expert panelists in relevant fields, followed by interactive discussions among Member States, representatives of the UN System and Major Groups.
There were also two multi-stakeholder dialogues, one on implementation of sustainable development and the other on contributions of CSD-19 to the UN Conference on Sustainable Development. The Chair of CSD-19, H.E. Mr. László Borbély, Minister of Environment and Forests of Romania, presented the Chair’s draft negotiating document. The document will serve as basis for negotiations during CSD-19 and will be posted to the CSD-19 website after factual comments by Member States and other stakeholders have been incorporated.
The second Preparatory Committee meeting of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) took place on 7-8 March in New York
A number of publications helped propel the debate forward, including the Secretary-General’s report and Synthesis Report, the UN Environment Programme’s Green Economy Report and the report prepared by a panel of experts (coordinated by UN-DESA, UNEP and UNCTAD) on the “Transition to a Green Economy: Benefits, Challenges and Risks from a Sustainable Development Perspective.”
During discussions on the objective, many speakers referred to the gaps in the decisions made in Rio in 1992 and in Johannesburg in 2002 and the need to assess those gaps. There was significant progress made in the understanding of a green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication.
Regarding the institutional framework for sustainable development, many speakers stressed finding a balance across the three pillars and on the strengthening of ECOSOC and the Commission on Sustainable Development. They also called for the introduction of stronger mechanisms for reviewing progress of the implementation of commitment.
The meeting concluded with the adoption of a decision that gave the Bureau of the Rio+20 Preparatory Process the mandate to initiate an open, transparent and inclusive process led by Member States. The mandate also called for the preparation of a draft text based on all preparatory inputs that will serve as the basis for a conference outcome document. The text will be prepared for the Second Inter-sessional meeting to be held on 15-16 December 2011, while the zero-draft of the outcome document for consideration by Member States and other stakeholders will be presented in early January 2012, followed by a three-day discussion in January and a week-long discussion in February, March and April 2012.
High-level innovative debates on financing for development
The Special High-level Meeting of ECOSOC with the Bretton Woods institutions, the World Trade Organization and the UN Conference on Trade and Development was held in New York on 10-11 March on the theme “Coherence, coordination and cooperation on Financing for Development”
This high-level meeting of ECOSOC constitutes an intergovernmental focal point for follow up to the Monterrey and Doha Conferences on Financing for Development. The purpose is to promote an open exchange of views and experiences between the UN Delegates and the Executive Directors of the World Bank and IMF with participation of senior officials from the UN, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and WTO.
The President of ECOSOC Lazarous Kapambwe gave opening remarks, followed by the address of the Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and statements on behalf of relevant intergovernmental bodies (Development Committee, International Monetary and Financial Committee, Trade and Development Board and WTO).
The meeting was organized in four interactive debates focusing on the Millennium Development Goals, the least developed countries, middle-income countries and the role of the UN in global economic governance. It was very well attended with Executive Directors, Advisors and senior staff members of the World Bank and IMF, participating actively in the discussions and expressing genuine interest in promoting closer relations between their organizations and ECOSOC.
Intergovernmental Preparatory Meeting for the 19th session of the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD-19) will be held from 28 February – 4 March in New York
The Intergovernmental Preparatory Meeting (IPM) will prepare for the policy-year session of the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD), which will negotiate policy options related to the thematic cluster for the CSD 18-19 cycle: transport, chemicals, waste management, mining and the Ten-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns.
The IPM will include a Small Island Development States (SIDS) Special Day, consisting of interactive discussions to outline innovative policy options to support the sustainable development of SIDS, and addressing viable solutions for reducing the vulnerabilities of SIDS and for strengthening the sustainable management of chemicals, waste (hazardous and solid), mining and transport, and implementing sustainable consumption and production (SCP).
Second Meeting of the Preparatory Committee on Rio 2012 will take place from 7-8 March in New York
The UN General Assembly, in December 2009, adopted a resolution calling for a UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) to be convened in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2012 ( Rio 2012). The resolution established the dates for the preparatory committees leading to the event, and indicates the focus of the event: a green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication; and the institutional framework for sustainable development.
The Second Preparatory Committee will be held immediately after the conclusion of the Intergovernmental Preparatory Meeting (28 February – 4 March) for the 19th session of the Commission to discuss further the substantive themes of Rio 2012 and will
Preparing a blueprint for a low-carbon, sustainable future
The President of the General Assembly will host an Interactive Dialogue with the High-level Panel on Global Sustainability on 16 March in New York
On 9 August 2010, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon launched the High-level Panel on Global Sustainability (GSP) to “reflect on and formulate a new vision for sustainable growth and prosperity, along with mechanisms for achieving it”, in light of the growing strain placed on our planet by climate change, biodiversity loss, food insecurity and other interlinked challenges.
Co-chaired by H.E. Mrs. Tarja Halonen, President of Finland, and H.E. Mr. Jacob Zuma, President of South Africa, the Global Sustainability Panel (GSP) consists of 22 authoritative world figures who work together to produce a comprehensive blue print for a low-carbon, sustainable future. The Panel held its second meeting in Cape Town, South Africa, from 24-25 February.
Their final report will be issued at the end of 2011 and feed into relevant intergovernmental discussions such as the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio 2012).
The Thirteenth session of the Committee for Development Policy will be held on 21-25 March in New York
The Committee for Development Policy (CDP) is a subsidiary body of the Economic and Social Council and provides inputs and independent advice to the Council on emerging cross-sectoral development issues and on international cooperation for development, focusing on medium- and long-term aspects. The Committee is also responsible for reviewing the status of least developed countries (LDCs) and for monitoring their progress after graduation from the category.
In this year’s session the Committee will prepare for the 2011 Annual Ministerial Review on the Internationally Agreed Goals and Commitments in regard to Education and examine ways in which the links between education, especially higher education, and strategies of human resource development can be strengthened in developing countries. Issues to be discussed include, among other things, the identification, delivery and financing of types of education necessary for skill development, the problem of unemployment among workers with tertiary education and the brain drain of highly skilled professionals.
Regarding the UN development agenda beyond 2015 (Resolution A/65/L.1), the Committee will consider possible strengthening of the UN development agenda beyond 2015 by examining emerging alternative development models and assessing their effectiveness in improving human wellbeing and addressing food insecurity, trade and financial flows, climate crises and growing inequality. This is part of a larger research programme whose main conclusions and recommendations are expected to be forwarded to ECOSOC in 2012.
At its plenary session in 2010, the CDP decided to assess whether climate change and conflict constitute structural impediments for the development of the least developed countries (LDCs) and should therefore be taken into account in identifying LDCs. Furthermore, and in preparation for the 2012 triennial review of the list of LDCs, the Committee will review the criteria used for the identification of LDCs and examine whether there is a need to introduce further refinements to the indicators.
In terms of international migration in times of crisis, the Committee will examine impacts of the current economic crisis on global flows of migrant workers and make recommendations on how to address its negative consequences in both host and sending countries for the benefit of all.
Asia –Pacific Regional meeting on the theme “Education and the Millennium Development Goals” will be held on 24 March in Jomtien, Thailand
In conjunction with the 10th High-Level Meeting on Education for All (EFA), the meeting will be co-hosted by the Government of Thailand and DESA, in cooperation with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and the United Nations Economic Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).
The meeting is part of the preparatory process for the 2011 Annual Ministerial Review (AMR) on “Implementing the internationally agreed goals and commitments in regard to education”.
A broad cross section of regional stakeholders will gather to discuss trends, challenges, and policies and programmes on education in Asia and the Pacific and their impact on the achievement of the Millennium development Goals (MDGs).
Panelists and experts will examine approaches to use universal primary education as a powerful driver to eradicate poverty, reduce child and maternal mortality, promote gender equality, and ensure sustainable development. A special session will also showcase best practices and new initiatives from across the region.
ECOSOC decided on dates and topics of its forthcoming meetings
The Economic and Social Council held its 2011 organizational session from 15-18 February in New York
During the session, the Council adopted a number of decisions pertaining to the dates of its forthcoming meetings, contained in document E/2011/L.1. The Council decided that its 2011 High-level Spring Meeting with the BWIs, WTO and UNCTAD will be held from 10-11 March 2011.
The Council also decided that its substantive session for 2011 will be held from 4-29 July in Geneva, as follows: high-level segment, from 4 to 8 July (a.m.); the dialogue with the Executive Secretaries of the Regional Commissions, on 8 July (p.m.); the coordination segment, from 11 – 14 July (a.m.), the operational activities segment, from 14 July (p.m.) to 18 July (a.m.), the humanitarian affairs segment from 19-21 July; the general segment, from 22-28 July; and the closing of the session on 29 July.
The Council also decided that the 2011 operational activities segment will be devoted to the progress on and implementation of General Assembly resolutions 62/208 and relevant follow-up resolutions of the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council.
The Council also adopted decision E/2011/L.2 appointing the United States representative to the Council and the Permanent Representative of the Bahamas to its Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti.
The Council decided to postpone decisions pertaining to the themes of its 2011 humanitarian affairs segment; and the item on regional cooperation, to a later date.
During the session, the Council heard a number of briefings, including on progress in implementing General Assembly resolution 64/289 on system-wide coherence by the Deputy Secretary-General, the Executive Director of UN-Women, and the Deputy Executive Director of UNFPA.
On the “World Economic Situation and Prospects 2011” a briefing was held by the Director, Development Policy and Analysis Division, DESA and on the global food prices by FAO, WFP, IFAD and the coordinator of the UN system’s High Level Task Force on the Global Food Security Crisis. Regarding the UN System Chief Executives Board (CEB), the audience was informed by the Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs, DESA.
Commission for Social Development concluded its 49th session held in New York from 9-18 February
The Commission for Social Development wrapped up its 49th session by approving without a vote five draft resolutions calling for wide-ranging steps, from support for the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and the upcoming review of the action plan on ageing to improving the lot of youth, persons with disabilities and families.
Three of the five texts recommended specific action by the Economic and Social Council. By the terms of the resolution on the social dimensions of NEPAD, the Council, concerned that Africa is the only continent not on track to achieve any of the Millennium Development Goals by 2015 and deeply concerned how the recent economic, food and energy crises and climate change may hinder Africa’s social development objectives, would urge continued support of measures such as debt relief, improved market access, official development assistance (ODA) and technology transfer to address poverty eradication and sustainable development.
Further to that text, the Economic and Social Council would encourage all development partners to implement the principles of aid effectiveness and NEPAD into their development assistance programmes, and encourage the international community to support African countries in addressing climate change through financial and technological resources and capacity-building to support adaptation and mitigation.
The Council would also encourage African countries and their development partners to put people at the centre of Government development action and to secure core investment spending in health, education and social safety nets.
A draft on preparation for and observance of the twentieth anniversary of the International Year of the Family would have the Economic and Social Council urge Governments to view 2014 as a target year for national policies and strategies to improve the well-being of families. The Council would ask the Commission to consider several themes to guide preparation of the Year, including family poverty and social exclusion, ensuring work-family balance, and advancing social integration and intergenerational solidarity, and to review preparations as part of its multi-year programme of work until 2014.
By a text on further promotion of equalization of opportunities by, for and with persons with disabilities and mainstreaming disability in the development agenda, approved as orally revised, the Council would call upon Governments and United Nations bodies and agencies to include disability issues and persons with disabilities as they reviewed progress towards achieving the Millennium targets and expedite efforts to include in their assessment the extent to which persons with disabilities would be able to benefit from efforts to achieve the Goals. The Council would also call upon Member States to enable persons with disabilities to participate as agents and beneficiaries of development.
While welcoming the Special Rapporteur’s work on disability and noting his report, the Council would ask the Special Rapporteur to boost awareness of the Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities, the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons, and the Standard Rules; and promote the mainstreaming of disability issues in development programmes and strategies at the national, regional and international levels.
It also asked the Special Rapporteur to contribute to the preparation of the high-level meeting of the sixty-seventh session of the General Assembly and incorporate the priorities of the international community in strengthening efforts to ensure accessibility for and inclusion of persons with disabilities in all aspects of development efforts. It expressed its concern at the insufficient resources for the Special Rapporteur and asked him to submit an annual report on his activities in implementing the present resolution at the Commission’s fiftieth session.
With regard to the resolution, the European Union regretted that compromises could not have been achieved in all aspects of the text. It believed attention should be paid to all vulnerable groups, such as women and girls, and supported the inclusion of references to gender perspective in the text. It also favoured the extension of the Special Rapporteur’s mandate until 2014.
By a fourth text, on policies and programmes involving youth, the Commission urged Member States to work with youth-led organizations and stakeholders to implement the World Programme of Action for Youth as well as consider including youth representatives in their delegations at relevant discussions of United Nations bodies.
It called upon Member States to promote the well-being of youth by developing effective national policies and programmes that addressed youth poverty and unemployment, and support the creation and functioning of independent youth councils and junior parliaments. It also called on donors to contribute to the United Nations Youth Fund to expedite implementation of the action programme.
Further to that text, the Commission asked the Secretary-General to strengthen the United Nations Programme on Youth within existing resources of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, so as to meet the increased demands of the programme to support, evaluate and review youth development.
By a fifth draft, on modalities for the second review and appraisal of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, 2002, the Commission endorsed the timeline for carrying out the second review of the Madrid Plan of Action and invited Member States to identify actions they had taken since the first review, with the aim of presenting the information to the regional commissions in 2012.
It encouraged those commissions to keep aiding the review and appraisal process through several activities, such as promoting the networking and sharing of experiences and helping Governments gather and analyse information. It asked the United Nations system to keep supporting Member States by providing technical assistance for capacity-building.
It also asked the Secretary-General to submit a report to the Commission’s fiftieth session that would analyse the preliminary findings of the second review and appraisal exercise as it identified prevalent and emerging issues, and to submit a report to the Commission’s fifty-first session, to be held in 2013, that would envelope the conclusion of the second review and appraisal process.
Also during the meeting, the Commission adopted the draft report of its forty-ninth session and the provisional agenda of its fiftieth session. It took note of the Secretary-General’s report on implementation of the resolution on promoting social integration; his report on poverty eradication; the Secretariat’s note on emerging issues: social protection; the Secretary-General’s note transmitting the report of the Board of the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development; as well as his note on the nomination of members of the UNRISD Board.
After closing the session, the Commission opened its fiftieth session to elect its Bureau, re-electing by acclamation Jorge Valero Briceño as Chair, and Olisa Cifligu (Albania), Susanne Fries-Gaier (Germany), Eduardo Menez (Philippines) and Najla Abdelrahman (Sudan) as Vice-Chairs.
Adoption of forest resolution and launch of Forest 2011
9th session of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF9) was held from 24 January – 4 February in New York
Government delegates, members of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF), and representatives from intergovernmental organizations and major groups gathered at the 9th session of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF9) from 24 January – 4 February in New York. During the High-level Ministerial Segment, the International Year of Forests (Forests 2011) was launched at the General Assembly Hall; four Ministerial roundtables were held, as well as a dialogue with the Collaborative Partnership on Forests.
The main theme of the session was forests for people, livelihoods and poverty eradication. This included issues of community-based forest management, social development and indigenous and other local and forest-dependent communities, as well as social and cultural aspects. The session also assessed progress made on the implementation of the non-legally binding instrument on all types of forests and towards the achievement of the four global objectives on forests.
The key outcomes from the session were the adoption of the resolution on Forests for People, Livelihoods and Poverty Eradication and the Ministerial Declaration.
The resolution captured essential elements to achieving sustainable development, including recognizing the sustainable management of all types of forests as a critical means to eradicate poverty, significantly reduce deforestation, halt the loss of forest biodiversity and land and resource degradation, improve food security, and access to safe drinking water and affordable energy, including development of sustainable alternative energy sources and improved energy efficiency and productive agricultural land. The resolution also called for particular consideration for local livelihoods.
Ministers considered the International Year of Forests, as a landmark opportunity to raise awareness and strengthen political commitment and action worldwide, and agreed to transmit the Declaration to the Rio+20 Conference as the contribution of the UNFF.
They recognized that forests are crucial for sustainable development and the achievement of the IADGs including the MDGs, and have significant contribution in addressing the global challenges related to food security and agriculture, energy, water, mitigation of and adaptation to climate change, combating desertification and land degradation, conservation of biodiversity, watershed protection and disaster risk reduction. They stressed the need to reverse current deforestation trend that causes 13 million hectares of forest loss each year.
Launch of the International Year of Forests (Forests 2011)
The International Year of Forests was officially launched, as part of the High level Segment, on the morning of 2 February in the General Assembly hall in New York. The event was extremely well attended, with between 500-600 attendees from Member States, major groups, Collaborative Partnership on Forests members, and other major stakeholders.
The ceremony was presided over by H.E. Mr Joseph Deiss, President of the 65th session of the United Nations General Assembly. High-level speakers were interspersed with film clips from the winning films of the International Forest Film festival comprised the ceremony.
A video message from Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon opened the ceremony, recognizing the importance of the International Year of Forests and the role that forests play in the environment, the global economy and the well-being of people all over the world.
Speaking as an official emissary of President Paul Kagame, H.E. Mr. Stanislas Kamanzi, Minister of Environment and Lands, Rwanda, announced his country’s border-to-border landscape restoration initiative (long term target by 2035, forest restoration action plan by 2015).
The ceremony also featured the premiere of two films. The first was a short animated Public Service Announcement, showcasing the importance of forests in our daily lives. The second film premiered at the ceremony was a short film by International Filmmaker Yann Arthus-Bertrand, titled “Of Forests and Men,” narrated by UN Goodwill Ambassador Edward Norton. The films are now available on the official Forests 2011 website.
The ceremony closed with “Felix & Friends”, a Plant-for-the-Planet Children’s Initiative, presented by Plant-for-the-Planet’s 13-year-old founder Mr. Felix Finkbeiner. The initiative called everyone, both children and adults, to commit to planting 1 trillion trees worldwide, or 150 trees per person. Mr. Finkbeiner was joined at the podium by H.E. Mr. Deiss at the end to perform the “Stop Talking, Start Planting” message.
In addition to the launch ceremony, International Year of Forests events took place throughout the two week session of the ninth session of UNFF9.
In an outreach effort directed to both everyone on the UN grounds and the greater New York City area, the Forests 2011 logo was projected onto the side of the Secretariat building on the night of 3 February, the second day of the high level ministerial segment. The logo was projected throughout the night, visible even from Queens.
All 11 winners of the International Forest Film Festival were screened at the North Lawn Building during the second week of UNFF9. Some directors of the winning films also attended their screenings to introduce their films and provide a brief question-and-answer session afterwards. Short clips of the winning films are now available on the Forest Film Festival website.
The ceremony also featured the premiere of two films. The first was a short animated Public Service Announcement, showcasing the importance of forests in our daily lives. The second film premiered at the ceremony was a short film by International Filmmaker Yann Arthus-Bertrand, titled “Of Forests and Men,” narrated by UN Goodwill Ambassador Edward Norton. The films are now available on the official Forests 2011 website.
The International Year of Forests team also organized a video message program for the second day of the High Level ministerial segment. Working in coordination with the Department of Public Information and UNTV, ministers and high-level members of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests gave short video messages on the International Year of Forests. These messages will be edited and then posted on the Forests 2011 website.
Member states also held their own celebrations for the International Year of Forests. The United States Forestry Service held a reception at the David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center, both Croatia and Turkey held photo exhibitions.
DESA was awarded a €350,000 grant by the European Commission for supporting Major Groups and global civil society preparation and engagement for Rio 2012. The grant will ensure informed, enhanced and broadened participation of civil society representatives, including the private sector, in the Rio 2012 preparatory process and the Conference itself.
Launch of the International Year of Forests 2011 will be held on 2 February in the UN General Assembly Hall, part of the High-level Segment of the 9th session of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF9)
The President of the General Assembly, H.E. Mr. Joseph Deiss, will preside over the ceremony and the programme will open with a video message from Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon. The ceremony will also feature an array of international speakers, from government ministers to Nobel laureates and other members of the international forest community including Under-Secretary General Mr. Sha Zukang, Nobel laureate Elinor Ostrom, Nobel Peace laureate Wangari Maathai, renowned filmmaker Yann Arthus-Bertrand, and Felix Finbeiner, founder of Plant the Planet.
Communicating forest stories through the medium of film is a major component of the International Year. At the ceremony, Mr. Arthus-Bertrand will premiere his film “Forest”, a 7-minute short film made especially for the International Year of Forests. Also, clips from winning films of the International Forest Film Festival will be shown as part of the program.
In addition to the ceremony, celebrations will continue throughout the day. The Croatian government is holding a photo exhibit entitled “Through the Eye of the Forester” in the General Assembly lobby, and the Turkish government will host a photo exhibit on forests in their cultural centre in New York. Finally, on the evening of 2 February, the United States government and MillionTrees New York are hosting a reception at David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center in New York.
We depend on forests
At least 1.6 billion people directly depend on forests for their livelihoods and the majority of them are poor and live in and around forests. It is estimated that approximately 60 million people, mainly from indigenous and local communities, reside in forests. According to FAO data, the annual value of wood harvested from forests is more than $100 billion, and globally, more than 60 million people are employed by forest-based industries (wood, pulp and paper and other processing plants).
“Forests are the intersection of all aspects of human life – forest history, at its core, is about the changing relationships between people and forests,” said the Director of the UN Forum on Forests Secretariat, Jan McAlpine during the opening segment. “At this session of the Forum, we must listen to these lessons from our natural history, and incorporate the voices of the people into forest policies to build a sustainable future for both forests and people.”
Activities in celebration of the Year cover a wide range of public events from tree-plantings to concerts, and field trips to art competitions.
Measuring global trade – Do we have the right numbers?
The Global Forum on Trade Statistics, to be held in Geneva from 2 to 4 February, will gather policy makers, statisticians and other experts in the field to discuss the best mechanisms to measure trade statistics right
The Global Forum on Trade Statistics, organized jointly by DESA’s Statistics Division and the Statistical Office of the European Communities (Eurostat) in collaboration with the World Trade Organization (WTO), aims to answer the question “Measuring Global Trade Do we have the right numbers?”
This questions has become even more crucial in today’s global economy as nations depend on one another more than ever before, and thus, getting the numbers right on international trade becomes a key element for decision makers from across the world.
This year’s session of the Commission for Social Development, to be held in New York from 9-18 February in New York, will explore the most pressing issues concerning poverty
In addition to the priority theme and in accordance with the General Assembly resolution 55/46 on the implementation of the outcome of the World Summit for Social Development and of the twenty-fourth special session of the General Assembly entitled “World Summit for Social Development and beyond: achieving social development for all in a globalizing world”, the Commission will undertake a regular assessment of the implementation of the Copenhagen commitments and the further initiatives adopted in Geneva.
The session is also intended to include the review of relevant United Nations plans and programmes of action pertaining to the situation of social groups: persons with disabilities, youth, ageing, and the family.
In its resolution 2006/18, the Economic and Social Council decided to include the agenda item entitled “Emerging issues” in the programme of work of the Commission. The members of the Bureau, in consultation with their respective regional groups, agreed that the theme for discussion under this agenda item during the forty-ninth session would be social protection.
Second Decade for Eradication of Poverty
This year’s session is part of the celebration of the Second Decade for Eradication of Poverty, which was proclaimed in December 2007 by the General Assembly. The proclamation recalls the outcomes of the World Summit for Social Development and the twenty-fourth special session of the General Assembly.
The second Decade aims at supporting, in an efficient and coordinated manner, the internationally agreed development goals related to poverty eradication, including the Millennium Development Goals. It stresses the importance of reinforcing the positive trends in poverty reduction in some countries and extend such trends to benefit people worldwide.
The proclamation recognizes the importance of mobilizing financial resources for development at national and international levels and acknowledges that sustained economic growth, supported by rising productivity and a favourable environment, including private investment and entrepreneurship is vital for rising living standards.
During the celebration of the decade, particular focus is given to employment and decent work, including youth employment, working poor, social protection, in particular to vulnerable and disadvantaged groups in the light of the current global crises, support for sustainable enterprises, gender equality, standards and rights at work, and social dialogue.
In implementing these activities the UN system will work closely with social partners, NGOs, civil society, and other actors in order to support national governments to implement internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals, related to eradication of poverty.
Civil society important players for social development
The Civil Society Forum, to be held in New York on 8 February, will take place one day before the opening of the 49th Session of the Commission on Social Development. The outcome of the Forum, which is presented in the format of a declaration, will be read during the first meeting of the session. The participation of civil society has been recognized as a key element for poverty eradication, and so, this year’s forum will constitute an important step for enhancing cooperation among all relevant stakeholders.
The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) will hold its 2011 organizational session from 15-18 February considering mostly procedural decisions related to the dates and focus of its upcoming meetings
The Council will also hear a report of the Chairman of its Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti. As part of the session, a number of briefings will be organized including on the world economic situation and prospects, the world food crisis and follow-up to the General Assembly resolution 64/289 on System-Wide Coherence.
From 22 to 25 February, Chief Statisticians from member states around the world gather in New York during the forty-second session of the Statistical Commission
The United Nations Statistical Commission, overseeing the work of DESA’s Statistics Division, is the highest decision making body for international statistical activities, in particular for the setting of statistical standards, the development of concepts and methods and their implementation at the national and international level.
The Commission promotes the development of national statistics and the improvement of their comparability, coordinates the statistical work of specialized agencies, develops the central statistical services of the Secretariat and advises the organs of the United Nations on general questions relating to the collection, analysis and dissemination of statistical information.
The Statistical Commission considers special issues of concern in international statistical development, methodological issues, coordination and integration of international statistical programmes, support of technical cooperation activities in statistics and organizational matters.
This year, the commission will have before it a report of the Secretary-General describing the activities undertaken by the statistical community to mark the first World Statistics Day which celebrated the many achievements of official statistics and the core values of service, integrity and professionalism. The Commission is invited to comment on the relevance and effectiveness of the activities and the proposed options for future celebrations of World Statistics Day.
The General Assembly designated 20 October as World Statistics Day to recognize the vital role that the production of reliable and timely statistics and indicators plays in society. These facts and figures provide an important tool for assessing different situations and needs. Statistics data allow issues to become visible, thus making the identification of needs and the implementation of solutions possible.
In addition, the Commission will consider, among others, gender statistics, including violence against women, energy statistics, economic and MDG monitoring indicators as well as statistics of human development.
The four day meeting will also discuss statistical capacity-building, statistics for development, the population and housing censuses, health, education, agriculture and tourism statistics as well as the coordination of statistical activities. It will also bring up standards on data and metadata exchange as well as global geospatial information management.
DESA’s Statistics Division will also organize again an informal briefing session for those delegates who participate in the Statistical Commission for the first time. This session will take place on 21 February, from 12:00 to 1:00 pm in UN DC-2 Building Room 2330. The purpose of this informal briefing is not only to inform new members about the functioning of the Commission procedures, but also to offer a first opportunity for networking with other Commission participants.
How can we count on the philanthropic community to support education
ECOSOC will convene a special event on “Partnering with the philanthropic community to promote education for all” on 28 February in New York
The special meeting, which will count on the participation from Member States, the United Nations, Non-governmental organizations and the corporate, philanthropic and academic communities, will aim to gain the support of philanthropic institutions to achieve Education For All, review progress, identify gaps and explore collaborative opportunities in advancing progress in education around the world.
The event is also expected to make substantive contributions to the 2011 ECOSOC Annual Ministerial Review (AMR) on “implementing the internationally agreed goals and commitments in regard to education.”
The meeting will include an opening plenary session followed by two panel discussions on: Staying the course: Enabling access for both girls and boys to complete primary education and promoting education and training for tomorrow’s economy. As the titles clearly state, the key objective of the special event is to increase focus on issues central to the achievement of education for all.
Expecting definite results
The expected outcome of the discussion is three-fold. First, it is hoped to broaden the range of stakeholders involved in the work of ECOSOC, and to increase the awareness among the philanthropic community on the progress made and the challenges faced in achieving the internationally agreed goals and commitments on education.
Participants will explore ways to promote concrete initiatives by the philanthropic community and initiate new partnerships that would accelerate progress in reaching the international goals and targets related to education.
Finally, the meeting will serve as the setting to expand multi-stakeholder engagement in the international community’s efforts to help advance the progress in the area of education.
Receiving support
Announcements of contributions by the private sector/philanthropic community to educational programs around the world will be made on the day of the event. A social media campaign has been launched to gather questions from the public-at-large, to be posed at the event.
All are invited to watch a public service announcement produced by the United Nations Department of Public Information, and to submit questions online.
The event will be broadcast live via the United Nations Webcast and on the main page of the special event.
Intergovernmental Preparatory Meeting for the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD-19), to be held in New York from 28 February – 4 March, will negotiate policy options related to the thematic cluster for the CSD 18-19 cycle
The themes for the CSD 18-19 cycle are transport, chemicals, waste management, mining and the Ten-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns. During the preparatory meeting, each of the different themes will be further discussed in order to prepare solid recommendation for the next meeting of the commission, which will take place from 2 to 13 May in New York.
The meeting will include different thematic segments that are aimed at discussing policy options to address barriers and constraints taking into account lessons learned and best practices. Each of the segments will include panel and interactive discussions. On the last day of the meeting, two multi-stakeholder dialogues will be held. The first will focus on an open dialogue on “advancing the implementation of sustainable development”, and the second will open the floor to explore the “Expectations of CSD-19 within the context of Rio+20.”
Pre-registration for CSD-19 is now open
Pre-registration of accredited Major Groups’ to the 19th session of the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD-19) is now open. This meeting will take place from 2-13 May 2011 at UN Headquarters in New York.
Discussing sustainable patterns of consumption and production
Member States, Major Groups, and UN Agencies met in Panama from 13-14 January to discuss potential programs to be included in the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on SCP (10YFP) to support regional and national initiatives, the structure the 10YFP could take, and the possible visions and objectives it could serve
The meeting was chaired by the Chief Administrator of the Environment Agency of Panama, and was attended by over 110 participants, mainly governments. The Chair of the 19th Session of the Commission on Sustainable Development, the Minister of Environment of Romania also presided. It also served to provide an informal setting prior to the Intergovernmental Preparatory Meeting beginning on 28 February for Member States and Major Groups to consider the shape of the 10YFP, which they might be willing to endorse at CSD-19.
Among the aspects that were considered during the meeting were the vision and goals of the framework, the functions to be performed, the elements of the framework to deliver those functions, the criteria for programmes to add in the 10YFP and its overall structure.
The discussions on the 10YFP must now move to the formal CSD process, where governments will begin to define their negotiating positions. The Panama Intersessional was particularly useful in bringing many developing country representatives up to speed on the issues for deliberation and decision at CSD-19 if a 10YFP is to be endorsed and launched.
9th and 10th Bureau Meetings of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) were held in New York last month
The 9th Bureau Meeting of UNCSD was held on 7 January and Mr. Georgios Kostakos, Officer-in-Charge of the Secretariat of the High-level Panel on Global Sustainability, briefed on the background, composition and proposed plan of work of the Secretary-General’s High-level Panel on Global Sustainability.
At the meeting, Conference Secretary-General Sha Zukang introduced the two Executive Coordinators, Ms. Elizabeth Thompson of Barbados and Mr. Brice Lalonde of France. Both Executive Coordinators expressed their enthusiasm at being part of the process and indicated their readiness to support the intergovernmental preparations.
Although several countries have made pledges, the Secretariat shared its concerns on the lack of financial contributions to the Trust Fund. The amount received so far was only US $45,000. In fact, it was noted that lack of funds has already started to affect the planned preparatory activities.
During the Bureau’s tenth meeting, held on 11 January, participants discussed the organization and results of the first Intersessional Meeting, including feedback it had received from its constituencies. A proposal was also made to have an action-oriented roadmap for one green economy.
On the institutional framework for sustainable development, proposals ranged from strengthening the CSD and UNEP, to establishing a Sustainable Development Council, and to creating a UN umbrella body on sustainable development.
The tentative date for the next bureau meeting is scheduled for 16 February 2011.
Securing renewed political commitment for sustainable development
At the First Intersessional Meeting of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD), which took place in New York from 10 -11 January, key participants met to discuss the overarching themes of Rio+20
The purpose of this meeting was to advance the understanding of the subject matter of the conference. The panelists, Member States, UN system and Major groups engaged in lively and interactive discussions expressing their views on benefits, challenges and concerns regarding the objective and the themes of UNCSD 2012.
The intersessional meeting also served as a space to assess the progress to date and discuss the remaining gaps in the implementation of the outcomes of the major summits on sustainable development, and address new and emerging issues. The meeting also discussed the two themes of the Conference – a green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication and institutional framework for sustainable development.
2011 Regular Session of the NGO Committee will be held from 31 January to 9 February to examine applications for consultative status
The Committee on NGOs, a standing committee of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), will meet to review a record number of applications by NGOs seeking consultative status with ECOSOC. Accreditation is important to many NGOs, as it allows for access and participation in all of the subsidiary bodies of the Council, such as the Commission on the Status of Women, the Commission on Sustainable Development, and the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. In addition, ECOSOC consultative status allows for participation in the Human Rights Council and many of the human rights treaty bodies of the United Nations.
The Committee is expected to review over 170 new applications, and will also deal with an additional workload of reviewing 180 applications from NGOs deferred from earlier sessions.
Of the roughly 3,400 NGOs currently accredited to the Council, some 2,000 organizations in the highest two categories of accreditation, namely General and Special consultative status, are required to report every four years on the work they have undertaken in support of the goals of the Council and the United Nations. In January, over 200 of these reports will be reviewed.
With such a heavy work load, the deliberations of the Committee are facilitated by a unique conference services system, called the Paperless Committee. The 19 member States represented in the Committee are each provided with a laptop to review detailed documentation of each NGO being considered. The system has been recognized by the granting of the UN21 Award in 2008.
First intersessional meeting of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development will be held in New York on 10-11 January
This first meeting will update on the preparatory process leading to the UN Conference on Sustainable Development in 2012 (Rio + 20), secure renewed political commitment, discuss the Green Economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication and focus on the institutional framework for sustainable development.
The meeting will also introduce the Synthesis Report on Best Practices and Lessons Learned on the Objective and Themes of the Conference (A/CONF.216/PC/3). More than 100 member States, Major Groups’ organizations, and United Nations system entities responded to the five-part questionnaire that was proposed by the first Preparatory Committee of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) in May 2010, soliciting their views and requesting information pertaining to the objectives and themes of the Conference.
The Synthesis Report is a reflection of these responses, examining growth in political commitment to sustainable development and evaluating progress in implementation since the 1992 Rio Earth Summit; identifying new and emerging challenges; and offering opinions and suggestions that will set the foundation for future discussions and actions on the themes of a green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication (GESDPE) and the institutional framework for sustainable development. The results will continue to evolve as additional responses are compiled and synthesized as part of the UNCSD preparatory process.
High-level intersessional meeting of the Commission on Sustainable Development on a 10-Year Framework of Programmes (10YFP) on Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) will be held from 13-14 January in Panama City
Transitioning to more sustainable patterns of consumption and production is at the heart of sustainable development, and international co-operation is essential to effect that transition. Recognizing this, governments at the Johannesburg Summit in 2002 called for the development of a 10-year framework of programmes in support of regional and national initiatives to accelerate the shift towards sustainable patterns of consumption and production that will promote social and economic development within the carrying capacity of ecosystems.
This meeting is jointly organized by the Government of Panama, DESA’s Division on Sustainable Development and UNEP. It will provide a non-negotiating space for Member States, Major Groups, and UN Agencies to discuss potential programs to be included in the 10Year Framework of Programs on SCP (10YFP) to support regional and national initiatives, the structure the 10YFP could take, and the possible visions and objectives it could serve.
High Level Regional Preparatory Meeting of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) will be held on 21 January in Kenya
In support of the 2011 United Nations Economic and Social Council’s Annual Ministerial Review, an African Regional Ministerial Meeting will take place in Nairobi focusing on the theme “The Right to Education for All in Africa: Reinforcing quality and equity”. The meeting will be hosted by the Republic of Kenya in cooperation with DESA, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
The meeting will take place in the context of the International Task Force on Teachers for Education for All (EFA) International Conference on “Teachers for EFA in Africa: Collaborative action to address the teacher gap”, to be held in Nairobi on 18-20 January.
The meeting will make an important contribution to the upcoming ECOSOC Annual Ministerial Review to be held at United Nations Headquarters in Geneva in July 2011 on the theme “Implementing the internationally agreed goals and commitments in regard to education” and will bring together senior regional practitioners and experts to identify integrated approaches and concrete policy measures that ECOSOC can promote to accelerate progress on the international education goals.
Forests for people, livelihoods and poverty eradication
Government delegates, members of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF), and representatives from intergovernmental organizations and major groups will come together at the 9th session of the UN Forum on Forests (UNFF9) from 24 January – 4 February in New York
This year’s session will focus on forests for people, livelihoods and poverty eradication and include community-based forest management, social development and indigenous and other local and forest-dependent communities, as well as social and cultural aspects. Discussions will also assess progress made on the implementation of the non-legally binding instrument on all types of forests and towards the achievement of the four global objectives on forests.
During the High-level Segment on 2 February, UNFF9 will officially launch the International Year of Forests 2011, in which Heads of State and Ministers are expected to participate. It will also feature four roundtables on Forests for people, Finance for forest-dependent communities, Forests-plus: Cross-sectoral and crossinstitutional approach and Forests & green economies.
The session will also include panel discussions, including a panel on food, energy and economic challenges and opportunities with special focus on women and youth and another panel on regional and sub-regional perspectives on forests for people, livelihoods and poverty eradication.
In addition, the meeting will discuss enhanced cooperation and policy and programme coordination, including the provision of further guidance to the CPF. It will also hold an Interactive dialogue among Member States, major groups and CPF members on the agenda item on Multi-stakeholder dialogue.
More than 1,500 people attended “Forest Day 4” on 5 December, which was held in conjunction with the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16), in Cancun, Mexico
The Day featured a range of issues under discussion on the role of forests in climate change mitigation and adaptation, including forest biodiversity, as well as forest finance issues and the challenges surrounding REDD+ and sustainable forest management.
Mr. Sha Zukang, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, addressed the opening plenary session of Forest Day 4, and stressed the need to communicate the benefits of forests beyond their influence on our environment. “We need to go beyond simply touting the environmental importance of forests. I want to emphasize that a people-centered approach must become a cornerstone of any debate on forests including the debate on forests and climate change,” said Mr. Sha.
Mr. Felipe Calderón Hinojosa, President of Mexico, addressed the opening plenary session of Forest Day 4. “Here and now, it’s time for all of us to push and push hard for full incorporation of REDD+ into a long-term international climate change agreement,” President Calderón said.
The theme for Forest Day 4 was “Time to Act,” highlighting the necessity of taking action to help preserve and sustainably manage the world’s forests, the biodiversity they embrace and the people who depend on them. “We have to change the way we do things or climate change will change us,” President Calderón noted.
DESA’s UN Forum on Forests (UNFF) Secretariat co-organized a Forest Day 4 sub plenary session on “Biodiversity: Synergies in policy and practice” together with the Secretariat of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) and the Global Environmental Facility (GEF). Participants stressed that conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity are not just co-benefits for REDD+ but also provide prerequisites for the success of REDD+ initiatives.
“There is greater awareness of the benefits forests provide in stabilizing climate change, protecting biodiversity and in the livelihoods of billions,” said the Director of the UNFF Secretariat, Ms. Jan McAlpine. Forests and forest soils store more than one trillion tons of carbon– twice the amount found in the atmosphere.
The UNFF Secretariat also co-organized a learning event on “REDD+ and Forest Finance: The need for a 360 degree perspective on Forest Finance” together with UNEP/ UNREDD. Speakers stressed the need for additional financing to implement REDD+ at scale, and pointed out that financing pledges made to date fall short of estimated funding needed to stimulate and pay for early REDD+ action at scale, technology transfers, capacity building and the development of national and sub-national MRV systems.
“Forest financing can contribute significantly to the national economy and reducing poverty, proving that forests provide more than just timber and carbon,” said Ms. McAlpine.
With the International Year of Forests 2011 fast approaching, Forest Day 4 will help continue momentum towards greater action and awareness on the links between forests, biodiversity, climate change and human well-being in 2011. The event was hosted by the Government of Mexico, through the National Forestry Commission, the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF) and the Centre for International Forest Research (CIFOR).
The International Forest Film Festival
More than 170 entries for the International Film Festival were received across all six categories, from over 25 countries. The films will be reviewed over the next month, with winners’ films being screened during the Ninth Session of the United Nations Forum on Forests in New York. The submissions window for the International Forest Film Festival has closed, and the festival is currently in the judging stage.
After winners are announced, the film festival will move into the screening stage. Member states, major groups, nongovernmental organizations and the private sector are encouraged to hold screenings of films from the festival, with DVDs being provided by the Jackson Hold Wildlife Film Festival. Over 100 screening requests from around the world have already been received, and more continue to come in each day.
Launches and events
The official launch of Forests 2011 will take place at United Nations Headquarters during the high-level segment of the Ninth Session of the United Nations Forum on Forests (2 February 2011), in which Heads of State and Ministers are expected to participate.
There are some national launch events that the Secretariat has been informed of as well. Germany’s national campaign will be launched by the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection during the International Green Week in Berlin on 21-30 January 2011. Switzerland will officially launch its national campaign for Forests 2011 on 27 January 2011 during debates of the Swiss Forestry Society. Countries and organizations that have not notified the Secretariat should do so by sending an email to forests@un.org or a letter by post to the UNFF Secretariat.
“Bridging” from Biodiversity 2010 to Forests 2011
There is a clear synergy between the International Year of Biodiversity, which took place in 2010, and the forthcoming Forests 2011. To commemorate both Years, a “bridging event” was held as part of the closing ceremony of the International Year of Biodiversity in December 2010. The event featured high level speakers, including Mr. Kiyo Akasaka, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information, Ms. Jan McAlpine, Director of the United Nations Forum on Forests Secretariat and Mr. Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity. There are plans to build on the successes of the International Year of Biodiversity and carry the momentum forward into Forests 2011.
Logo translation and dissemination
After its launch in July, the Forests 2011 logo has been distributed to over 375 groups, including Member States and other organizations. It has been translated into 40 languages: Austrian, Armenian, Bulgarian, Catalan, Croatian, Czech, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, German, Greek, Icelandic, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Kyrgyz, Latvian, Lithuanian, Malay (Brunei), Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Slovakian, Slovenian, Swedish, Swahili (Tanzania), Swiss (4 languages), Turkish and Welch.
The Economic and Financial Committee – also known as the Second Committee – concluded its session on 1 December with the adoption of thirty-six resolutions by consensus, four resolutions by vote and three decisions
The Committee had also several new resolutions, all of which were adopted by consensus. The resolution on “Innovative Mechanisms of Financing for Development” stressed that innovative financing mechanisms could make a positive contribution in assisting developing countries and calls for the convening of a separate meeting of the Committee during the 66th session of the GA.
The resolution on “Promotion of ecotourism for poverty eradication and environment protection” illustrates the inter-linkages between sustainable development and the fight against poverty and hunger. The resolution on cooperative measures on waste originating from chemical munitions dumped at sea noted the importance of raising public awareness of the environmental effects related to this waste.
In the resolution on the protection of coral reefs, the Committee urges States and competent international organizations to take all practical steps to protect coral reefs and related ecosystems for sustainable livelihoods and development.
In addition, the resolution on the Second Decade on Poverty Eradication (2008-2017) emphasized the importance of education and training as critical factors, with a particular emphasis on the role played by UNESCO, UNDP and UNICEF in this regard.
The Committee sent a strong message to the sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. The Committee also decided that the 66th session of the GA will hold a one-day high-level event on desertification on 20 September 2011. The Committee further decided to proclaim two International Years: 2012 for Sustainable Energy for All and 2013 for Water Cooperation.
The Second Committee also benefited from the high-level events that took place in September on the MDGs, biodiversity and SIDS, as well as the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in October. Many of the resolutions built on their outcomes, putting them into implementation.
Finally, the adoption of the decision, “Improving the working methods of the Second Committee”, submitted by the Chair, marks an important step forward in guiding and improving the work of the Committee.
The Third Committee adopted resolution A/C.3/65/L.8/Rev.1 on 19 November in which the General Assembly decided “to establish an open-ended working group, open to all States Members of the United Nations, for the purpose of strengthening the protection of human rights of older persons by considering the existing international framework of the human rights of older persons and identifying possible gaps and how best to address them, including by considering, as appropriate, the feasibility of further instruments and measures, and requests the Secretary-General to provide all necessary support within existing resources for the duration of its mandate.”
The United Nations Climate Change Conference held in Cancun, Mexico, from 29 November to 10 December, encompasses the sixteenth Conference of the Parties (COP) and the sixth Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP)
Negotiators from 194 nations will attend the annual United Nations Climate Change Conference with expectations of reaching a new climate accord at any time far lower than they were at Copenhagen a year ago. Reality bit in Denmark over how far the world was from a meaningful agreement on the next round of global action covering the period 2013 to 2020.
United Nations remains confident about progress
Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Planning Robert Orr told journalists at United Nations Headquarters in New York on 22 November that he did not expect the conference of parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to deliver a “final answer” on solving climate change but remained positive about the possibilities.
“Significant progress is possible in Cancún,” he said. “That is not to say that we expect all issues to be resolved.” “We need a package of decisions and outcomes. One or two [agreements] won’t an outcome create.”
Mr. Orr noted that Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon will attend the high-level segment of the talks, where he will urge countries to work towards a balanced set of agreements that move the climate change agenda forward across the board.
“He will urge governments to take decisions on those issues where there is consensus – on protecting forests, technology transfer, adaptation and the creation of a new fund to house long-term financing,” said Mr. Orr, adding that the Secretary-General will also be encouraging governments to make progress on more challenging issues.
Key focus of negotiations
The areas to be negotiated are the level of emissions reductions targets and how they are shared between rich and poor countries, funding from rich countries to poor to tackle climate change, mechanisms to transfer clean technology to poorer countries, and a global mechanism to halt deforestation in poor countries.
Developing countries are demanding deeper emissions reduction targets from the developed countries, which are the nations putting most of the excess greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. The developing world wants a new, steeper set of targets from developed nations via the Kyoto Protocol, and from the US which is outside Kyoto.
Currently, the 2020 pledges in the Copenhagen Accord struck last year, from the developed world in particular, fall well short of the level needed to limit global warming to +2 degrees Celsius. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) says that the current level of pledges will lead to a 5 to 9 billion tons emissions overshoot by 2020. UNEP’s Executive Director Achim Steiner has called on the 140 nations now signed up to the Copenhagen Accord to lock in their commitments and build on them in Cancun.
Developed versus developing countries
On the big questions of targets for emissions reductions, however, the dispute between developed and developing countries in general, and the US and China in particular, has progressed very little if at all since Copenhagen.
The last UNFCCC negotiation session in the lead up to Cancun underscored the intractability of this issue with the two biggest emitter nations at loggerheads over the same old ground; the US coming good with substantial targets to reduce emissions and China being bound to meaningful curbs on its emissions growth and the transparent international verification of them.
These two nations must agree on these issues before the world can agree and before a global accord emerges. A resolution is not going to come at Cancun, but progress toward one is vital yet it is hard to see it happening.
Tackle the loss of forest
On forests, an agreement on Reducing Deforestation and Degradation and enhancing forest carbon stocks in developing countries, or REDD+, was close to agreement last year in Denmark, possibly only held back by the lack of an overall climate agreement. So an agreement to tackle the loss of forest that is responsible for at least 12 per cent of total world greenhouse emissions every year is one of the more likely success stories that could emerge.
There is still significant devilish detail to be worked out to agree a global REDD programme that is workable – with safeguards for forest communities and indigenous groups; financing mechanisms, and the balance between public funding and carbon markets; and, the significant methodological questions around monitoring, reporting and verification.
“There are enough issues that are close to resolution that give us hope that an important outcome could be achieved in Cancún,” Mr. Orr said. “Negotiators need to remind themselves that the longer we delay, the more we will pay; both in terms of lives and in terms of money.”
Forest Day 4, coinciding with the 16th Conference of the Parties for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, will take place in Cancun, Mexico on 5 December
With the International Year of Forests on the horizon, forest and climate change issues will be a large part of the discussions at the Climate Change Conference. To help foster collaboration and action on the challenges facing forests, the fourth “Forest Day” (Forest Day 4) is being held on the theme “Time to Act”, highlighting the necessity of taking action to help preserve and sustainably manage the world’s forests, the biodiversity they embrace and the people who depend on them.
The event is being hosted by the Government of Mexico, through the National Forestry Commission, the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF) and the Centre for International Forest Research (CIFOR).
The Forest Day 4 programme will feature of a variety of discussions on the role of forests in climate change and biodiversity, as well as forest finance issues and the challenges surrounding Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) and sustainable forest management. Mr. Sha Zukang, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), will address the plenary session of Forest Day 4 on “Global updates on forests and climate change”.
Each year, an estimated 13 million hectares (32 million acres) of forests are lost due to deforestation. Close to 80 per cent of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity reside in forest habitats, and global recognition on the role of forests is growing. “There is greater awareness of the benefits forests provide in stabilizing climate change, protecting biodiversity and in the livelihoods of billions,” says Director of the UN Forum on Forests Secretariat, Jan McAlpine.
Forests and forest soils store more than one trillion tons of carbon– twice the amount found in the atmosphere. As the International Year of Biodiversity 2010 transitions into the International Year of Forests 2011, Forest Day 4 will help to bridge the two years and continue momentum towards greater action and awareness on the links between forests, biodiversity and climate change in 2011.
Sub plenary and learning events will also be a large part of the Forest Day 4 programme. The UN Forum on Forests (UNFF) Secretariat, DESA, is co-organizing a sub plenary session on “Biodiversity: Synergies in policy and practice” together with the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (SCBD), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO). In addition, a learning event on “REDD+ and Forest Finance: The need for a 360 degree perspective on Forest Finance” is also being co-organized by the UNFF Secretariat together with UN Environment Programme and UN-REDD.
Last year, 1,500 people attended Forest Day 3 at COP15 in Copenhagen. This year, organizers are anticipating up to 2,000 participants.
The Committee is gearing up for the finalization of its work. As of 29 November, it has adopted 18 resolutions out of expected 41 resolutions
Under agenda item 17 on Information and communications technologies for development, L.56 on Information communications technologies for development was adopted and the Committee concluded the consideration of this item. Under agenda item 18 on Macroeconomic policy question, the Committee adopted L.44 on International trade and development [18(a)] and L.48 on International financial system and development [18(b)]. The Committee concluded its consideration of sub-item 18(a).
Under agenda item 20 on sustainable development, draft resolutions L.17/Rev.1 on Oil slick on Lebanese shores, L.28/Rev.1 on Protection of coral reefs for sustainable livelihoods and development, and L.35/Rev.1 on Global code of Ethics for Tourism were adopted. Under sub-item (b) on follow-up to and implementation of the Mauritius Strategy for the Further Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States, the Committee adopted L.46 on Towards the sustainable development of the Caribbean Sea for present and future generations. Under sub-item (c) on International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, draft resolution L.54 on International cooperation to reduce the impact of the El Niño phenomenon was adopted. Under sub-item (d) on Protection of global climate for present and future generations of humankind, the Committee adopted draft resolution L.51, and concluded its consideration of sub-item 20 (d). Under sub-item (h) on United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, the Committee adopted draft resolution L.41 and concluded its consideration of sub-item 20 (h).
Under agenda item 22 on Globalization and interdependence, the Committee adopted draft resolutions L.20 on Towards a New International Economic Order and L.50 on Culture and development. Under agenda item 23 on Groups of countries in special situations, the Committee adopted L.55 on Fourth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries. The Committee also adopted draft resolution L.47 on Groups of countries in special situations: specific actions related to the particular needs and problems of landlocked development countries. The Committee thus concluded its consideration of item 23 as a whole. Under agenda item 24 on Eradication of poverty and other development issues, the Committee adopted draft resolution L.10 on Promotion of ecotourism for poverty eradication and environment protection. Under agenda item 25, Operational activities for development: operational activities for development of the United Nations system, draft resolutions L.14 on Operational activities for development of the UN System and L.19 on Renaming of the title of the Executive Board of the UNDP and UNFPA to include UNOPS were adopted. The Committee concluded its consideration of item 25 as a whole. Under agenda item 60 on Permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and of the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan over their natural resources, draft resolution L.31 was adopted.
In order to complete its work on the rescheduled conclusion date of 1 December, it has been announced that the all draft resolutions must be submitted for processing at the latest by 4 p.m. on Wednesday, 24 November.
The Committee is currently considering its methods of work with the aim of adopting a decision before the conclusion of its work in order to make the work of the Committee more effective and efficient.
Innovative approaches in educating women, girls and the marginalized
In support of the 2011 ECOSOC Annual Ministerial Review (AMR), a regional preparatory meeting for the West Asia region will be held on 9 December in Doha, Qatar
In the Arab region, many girls and women remain excluded from learning opportunities and only nine of the twenty two Arab States have achieved gender parity in primary education. For groups most at risk of suffering from inequalities, disparities and multiple combined forms of exclusion, lack of access to education and the poor quality of the education received, remain major challenges. The underlying causes of educational marginalization are diverse and often interlinked with inequalities and marginalization in other sectors.
The ECOSOC meeting will provide an opportunity to discuss innovative approaches and policy responses that have worked to address these multiple barriers. The meeting, which will be held in conjunction with the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE), will include a ministerial working lunch to identify policy options and key messages from the region to be brought to the July 2011 ECOSOC AMR for the action of Ministers.
International Human Solidarity Day will be commemorated worldwide on 20 December
In the Millennium Declaration world leaders identified Solidarity as one of the fundamental values essential to international relations in the twenty-first century and emphasized that “Global challenges must be managed in a way that distributes the costs and burdens fairly in accordance with basic principles of equity and social justice. Those who suffer or who benefit least deserve help from those who benefit most.” In the context of globalization and the challenge of growing inequality, the strengthening of international solidarity and cooperation is indispensable for the realization of the Millennium Development Goals.
The concept of solidarity has defined the work of the United Nations since the birth of the Organization. The creation of the United Nations drew the peoples and nations of the world together to promote peace, human rights and social and economic development.
The organization was founded on a basic premise of unity and harmony among its members expressed in the concept of collective security that relies on the solidarity of its members to unite “to maintain international peace and security”. It is in the spirit of solidarity that the organization relies on “cooperation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural or humanitarian character” as well (UN Charter).
Solidarity, as a central pillar of international cooperation, acquires new meaning in the face of globalization and growing interdependence. In particular, a globalizing world offers new opportunities to forge innovative alliances that can unleash the potential for broader and faster economic and social development.
Among the more important aspects of solidarity at the international level are assistance, development aid and cooperation. “For the global community aid represents a mechanism for expressing human solidarity and for extending opportunity. Whether motivated by human rights, religious values or wider ethical systems, aid’s role in eliminating mass poverty, hunger and avoidable child deaths is a moral imperative” (Human Development Report, 2005).
General Assembly’s Second Committee held its general debate focusing on the MDG Summit implementation and on the preparations for Rio+20, debated its methods of work and discussed operational activities for development
During the Second Committee’s general debate, which took place from 4-6 October, a total of 72 delegations took the floor. Delegations expressed their views on various issues pertaining to the Committee’s work, including the world’s economic situation, global economic governance, MDG Summit implementation and sustainable development, in particular for the preparation of Rio+20. Delegates also highlighted the links between poverty, security, peace and development and focused on countries in special situation (i.e. LDC, landlocked developing countries, small island developing States), Africa and the UN Reform.
At the opening session, statements were made by the Chairperson of the Second Committee, H.E. Ms. Enkhtsetseg Ochir, and the Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, Mr. Sha Zukang, followed by a keynote address by Professor Robert J. Shiller of Yale University.
Methods of work
The Second Committee held a debate on its methods of work on 8 October. Delegations welcomed the Bureau’s initiative to consider this topic and the non-paper which had been circulated as a background paper for the discussions. The debate was concentrated around the following main conceptual issues, including the procedural aspects of the Committee’s work with implications for its substantive outcome and the established tradition of adoption of decisions by consensus.
The debate also focused on the inter-connectedness of the agenda items dealt with by the Committee and their importance for the UN’s development agenda, and the requirement for consultations among a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including line ministries in capitals, with a view to garnering the necessary technical and other inputs for effective discussions and decisions.
As a result, maintaining discipline in established timelines as well as streamlining the work of the Committee was felt by all as being of considerable importance. The Chairperson and the Bureau will convey specific proposals for short and longer-term actions on the ways forward, after distilling the main elements of the debate.
Agenda item on Operational activities for development
On 13 October, the Second Committee held a debate on operational activities for development. Delegates acknowledged the on-going reform efforts that have improved the impact of the United Nations development system at country-level. They however felt there is significant scope for improving effectiveness and efficiency. Speakers underscored the continued importance of the General Assembly’s Comprehensive Policy Review of operational activities (TCPR/QCPR) to guide UN system’s work in the countries.
Delegations were unanimous in saluting the adoption by the General Assembly of resolution 64/289 on system-wide coherence. They welcomed in particular the establishment of UN Women, and the appointment of Ms. Michelle Bachelet as its helm. Importance was attached to the speedy follow-up to the resolution.
Several delegations said that the “Delivering as One” (DaO) approach represents a major advancement towards improving the United Nations support at country-level. Speakers looked forward to the independent evaluation of the DaO initiative. G-77 and China said that any saving accrued through increased coherence should be re-invested into the development cluster of the UN.
The report of the Secretary-General on the analysis of the funding of operational activities for development of the United Nations system for 2008 was very well received. On the positive side, many speakers welcomed that contributions received by the United Nations system reached the highest level ever in 2008. However, delegations expressed concern at the continued imbalance between core and non-core (extrabudgetary) resources. They felt this imbalance erodes the priorities set by Member states. It also contributes to complexity and fragmentation within the system, leading to high transaction costs and heavy administrative burdens.
Committee’s work in November
The agenda items that will be considered by the Committee in November include sustainable development, UN Habitat, the permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people, International trade and development. The Committee will also have a dialogue with the Executive Heads of the Regional Commissions.
The Committee aims to conclude its work on 23 November 2010.
At the 65th session of the General Assembly, twenty United Nations Member States included one or more youth delegates in their official delegations
Youth delegates took part in the deliberations of the Third Committee of the General Assembly and addressed issues under the agenda item of social development. While in New York, 14 of the youth delegates delivered statements to the Third Committee on behalf of their Member States and represented the view of young people in their countries.
A majority of the youth delegates highlighted the International Year of Youth, which began in August 2010, and the importance of engaging young people both when it comes to young people’s inclusion in decision-making processes, and also to see young people as important partners in the work of Member States and the United Nations work for achieving the Millennium Development Goals.
Some of the main concerns addressed by the youth delegates were the alarming rise of youth unemployment, the need for universal access to both formal and non-formal education, young people’s participation in the work of achieving the MDGs and sexual and reproductive rights. The youth delegates highlighted the fact that young people need to be included in developing strategies for curbing the high unemployment levels among young people, and should also be key partners in designing poverty reduction strategies to ensure their effectiveness.
Additionally, youth delegates participated in the general work of their Missions by attending a range of meetings and informal consultations on various resolutions. They also organized many side events on a variety of issues related to the International Year of Youth. The topics of the side events varied from youth employment in times of crises, global initiatives on cultural dialogue, youth participation in environmental policies, dialogue and mutual understanding and the role and participation of youth in sustainable development. Youth delegates also met with the President of the General Assembly to discuss young people’s role in the UN and to gain deeper knowledge of the Member States work in decision-making processes.
The work of the youth delegates is, however, not only limited to their time in New York during the General Assembly. Most of them have been selected for a term of one year, which includes traveling their own countries to interact with young people from different parts of society to gather opinions and concerns on the issues highlighted at the General Assembly. With the International Year of Youth, the youth delegates have an important role to play in the success of the Year, which includes raising awareness in their countries and encouraging young people, Governments and other stakeholders to take advantage of the Year and to increase their commitment and investment in young people.
The youth delegate programme is coordinated by the UN Programme on Youth (UNPY), with the aim to strengthen young peoples participation in decision-making processes at all levels in order to increase their contribution to national and international development. The UNPY provides youth delegates with information and advice to the youth delegates and Member States before, during and after their stay in New York.
There are 650 million persons, 10 per cent of the world’s population, with disabilities; disability could be associated with 20 per cent of the global population living in poverty. Moreover one household in every four include a person with disability which indicates that 2 billion people are directly and indirectly affected by disability worldwide
The United Nations has been working to promote disability inclusive development for the past quarter of a century. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has provided a legal framework, an impetus and unique platform for advancement of the international disability rights agenda in development. There is growing recognition that disability is a cross-cutting issue and that the international commitment to development for all the peoples of the world hinges on making the Internationally Agreed Development Goals including the Millennium Development Goals inclusive of and accessible to persons with disabilities.
There was a rise in the number of countries ratifying the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) that was adopted by the General Assembly in 2006 and came into force in May 2008. As of 15 September, there are 91 ratifications and 146 signatories of the Convention and there is increasing demand from stakeholders, including UN country teams, governments and civil society organizations for guidance to support the implementation of the CRPD at the country level.
Recognizing these demands, the General Assembly through its resolutions 64/131 and 64/154 urged the United Nations system to make a concerted effort to integrate disability into its work. In 2009 a United Nations Development Group task team was established to develop guidelines and a toolkit to support United Nations country engagement in the implementation of the CRPD. The guidance note and accompanying appendices is now complete and was officially endorsed by the UNDG on 6 October 2010.
Below are a few examples of how the United Nations country offices’ engage at the country level to promote the rights of persons with disabilities in line with the goals and objectives of the Convention.
The 2006 Common Country Assessment for Moldova illustrates the level of exclusion faced by persons with disabilities particularly children with disabilities. For example, an estimated 16,000 children of school age have disabilities. The majority of these children do not attend school whilst an estimated 5,000 are enrolled in institutionalized care centers. Also in Moldova in 2004, there were 146,000 adults with disabilities — and of these only 14 % were employed.
As a result of UNICEF’s engagement with civil society and the government of Moldova, the situation of children with disabilities is now more visible on the national agenda.
Another example from Uganda highlights the leadership of UNDP in assisting landmine survivors. In 2008, a baseline study was conducted to establish the needs of landmine survivors. There are over 2,000 estimated victims of antipersonnel mines living in Uganda. UNDP’s project on Return and Resettlement of Landmine Victims from Internally Displaced Camps in Uganda has been effective in supporting the successful return of internally displaced landmine victims to reintegrate into their communities.
The guidance note should meet the need of Country Offices to be able to advocate for a shift from a medical to a social rights based approach to disability to ensure that disability issues and persons with disabilities be included in all aspects of their work.
The Economic and Financial Committee – also known as Second Committee – will begin its work in the morning of 4 October
The first meeting of the Second Committee of the 65th session of the General Assembly took place on 17 September 2010 for the purpose of adopting the programme of work (A/C.2/65/L.1). The Committee is chaired by H.E. Ambassador Enkhtsetseg Ochir (Mongolia). The other Bureau members include Vice-Chairpersons, Mr. Erik Lundberg (Finland), Ms. Csilla Wurtz (Hungary) and Mr. Jean Claudy Pierre (Haiti). A Rapporteur remains to be elected from the African Group.
The Bureau also agreed on the following designation of responsibilities for clustered agenda items: (1) Ambassador Ochir (Chair) – General debate; Revitalization of the work of the General Assembly; Programme planning; (2) Mr. Lundberg – Macroeconomic policy questions; agriculture and food security; Financing for development; (3) Ms. Wurtz – Sustainable development; Human settlements; (4) Mr. Pierre – ICT; Globalization and interdependence; Operational activities for development.
The Committee decided to begin its work in the morning of 4 October by discussing its methods of work. In the afternoon of 4 October, the Committee will start its general debate by hearing opening remarks by the Chair and Under Secretary-General Mr. Sha Zukang, followed by a keynote speech by Prof. Robert Shiller of Yale University. The general debate will conclude on 6 October. The Committee has set itself the target date of 23 November for conclusion of its work.
During this session, the Second Committee will deal with issues related to economic growth and development, such as macroeconomic policy questions (including international trade, international financial system, debt and commodities), financing for development, sustainable development, human settlements, globalization and interdependence, poverty eradication, operational activities for development and agriculture development.
The Second Committee will also consider issues related to Groups of Countries in special situations – such as the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs). It will also consider the item on permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and of the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan over their natural resources.
As in previous sessions, there are four side events planned to take place during the course of the Second Committee. They cover the topics of poverty, Rio + 20, climate change with a special focus on Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and the Least Developed Countries (LDCs).
The sixty-fith session of the Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Affairs Committee starts on 4 October in New York and focuses on advancement of women on 11-13 October
The General Assembly allocates to its Third Committee agenda items relating to a range of social, humanitarian affairs and human rights issues that affect peoples all over the world. An important part of the Committee’s work focuses on the examination of human rights questions, including reports of the special procedures of the Human Rights Council.
The Committee discusses social development, advancement of women, refugees, human rights, promotion and protection of the rights of children, indigenous issues and the elimination of racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia. The Committee also addresses questions related to the right to self- determination, promotion and protection of human rights, crime prevention and drug control.
Agenda item 28 on Advancement of Women will be taken up on 11-13 October, under the chairmanship of H. E. Mr. Michel Tommo Monthe, Permanent Representative of Cameroon to the United Nations. Three reports were prepared by the Division for the Advancement of Women (now part of UN Women) to facilitate discussions – “Intensification of efforts to eliminate all forms of violence against women” (A/65/208), “Trafficking in women and girls” (A/65/209), and “Measures taken and progress achieved in follow-up to the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the outcome of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly” (A/65/204).
DESA in collaboration with the Government of Thailand, UNESCO and ESCAP is organizing on 22-23 October an ECOSOC High-Level Regional Meeting on “Education and the achievement of the MDGs” for Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok, Thailand, in preparation for the 2011 Annual Ministerial Review on the theme: “Implementing the internationally agreed goals and commitments in regard to education”.
The Meeting will be held in the context of the UNESCO-APEID conference (21-23 October) on “Education for Human Resource Development”.
The Second Committee of the General Assembly is scheduled to debate international migration and development on 27 October
The Secretary General’s report on international migration and development (A/65/203) highlights that globally the number of international migrants in 2010 is estimated at 214 million, up from 195 million in 2005. Females account for 49 per cent of the total. Six out of every 10 international migrants (128 million) reside in developed countries and the majority (74 million) originated in developing countries. Although the economic crisis has slowed down the increase in the number of international migrants in developed countries, new migrants have continued to arrive: 12.8 million between 2000 and 2005 and 10.5 million between 2005 and 2010.
While the economic crisis has implied rising unemployment for everyone, unemployment rates among foreign-born workers have risen faster than those among native workers in developed countries, partly because the main employment sectors for migrants ─ construction, manufacturing and finance ─ have been particularly affected. Yet, most migrants are staying in their countries of residence and return flows have been moderate.
Despite recent economic difficulties, the international community has continued to pursue strategies that leverage international migration for development, including by lowering the transfer costs of remittances and fostering the involvement of expatriate communities in promoting investment and entrepreneurship in countries of origin.
The report documents the activities of the 14 members of the Global Migration Group (GMG) and other relevant stakeholders to expand their engagement with Member States in order to mainstream international migration into poverty reduction strategies, to protect the rights of all migrants, to combat human trafficking and migrant smuggling, and to build capacities for improving the evidence base for the formulation of policies that maximize the benefits of international migration. The report shows that at least US$ 240 million have been allocated to multilateral activities on international migration and development since 2007.
The Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD), a State-led, informal consultative process that emerged from the 2006 High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development has met three times since 2007. Of the 114 recommendations produced by the Forum since 2007, 27 have been followed up by one GMG member and 75 by two or more members. The number of follow-up actions per recommendation increased from 2.4 in 2007 to 2.6 in 2008 and further to 3.9 in 2009, a sign of growing GMG engagement.
With the attention that Member States are giving to international migration, efforts to improve the statistics on international migration are gaining momentum. The availability of databases compiling information on the stocks, flows and characteristics of international migrants has increased and there is great potential for using the results of the 2010 round of population censuses to obtain a global characterization of international migrants that would lay the groundwork for assessing the impact of migration during the second High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development that the General Assembly will hold in 2013.
High-level review of the Mauritius Strategy of Implementation
On 24-25 September, the 192-member United Nations General Assembly came together to review the progress made in addressing the vulnerabilities of Small Island Developing States in achieving sustainable development through the implementation of the Mauritius Strategy
The event was attended by close to twenty heads or deputy heads of State and Government, heads of many UN agencies and regional commissions, and approximately seventy Major Groups.
Highly vulnerable to climate change, natural disasters, and the vagaries of international finance and trade, Small Island Developing States (SIDS) face unique challenges as they seek to promote economic growth, improve the quality of life, and protect their distinct environments.
The high-level review session provided the international community with an opportunity to discuss the way forward based on the assessment of the progress made, lessons learned and constraints encountered in the implementation of the agenda agreed five years ago in Mauritius.
At the event, countries discussed ways and means of strengthening the resilience of SIDS noting the efforts the small islands have made on their own initiative, while stressing the need for the international community to play an even more critical role in helping the islanders make progress in addressing their vulnerabilities and in supporting their sustainable development efforts through more targeted assistance and partnerships.
The meeting began with a high-level opening session, in the General Assembly Hall, and was followed by two multi-stakeholder roundtables, on “Reducing Vulnerabilities and Strengthening Resilience of SIDS” and “Enhancing International Support for the SIDS”, and thereafter by an interactive dialogue on cross-regional perspectives led by panelists from the three main SIDS’ regions to ensure cross-regional representation. The interactive dialogue addressed common cross-regional issues and priorities for the way forward.
The highlight of the event came during the closing session, when the General Assembly adopted the Political Declaration. The Declaration acknowledges the commitment demonstrated by SIDS to promote sustainable development over the past five years, and also recognizes the important role that the international community has played in this regard.
However, the Declaration also highlights that many challenges that still affect SIDS. Through the Declaration, both SIDS and the international community commit to continue to work together in addressing these constraints, including in priority areas such as climate change, energy, food security, tourism, biodiversity, and conservation of coastal and marine resources.
In closing, the Declaration also requests the Secretary-General to conduct a comprehensive review and examine ways to enhance the coherence and coordination of the United Nations system’s support for SIDS.
States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities will gather from 1-3 September in New York for the third time
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was adopted by the General Assembly in its resolution 61/106 of 13 December 2006. Article 40 of the Convention stipulates that “The States Parties shall meet regularly in a Conference of States Parties in order to consider any matter with regard to the implementation of the present Convention.”
The first meeting of States Parties was held on 31 October and 3 November 2008, where the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was formally established and its members elected. The Conference also considered matters related to the Convention, and held a panel discussion on “The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities as a human rights instrument and a tool for achieving the Millennium Development Goals”. The Committee’s membership comprises of 12 independent experts tasked to monitor the implementation of the Convention.
The States Parties to the Convention convened their second conference from 2-4 September. The participants in the conference discussed legislative measures to implement the Convention. Non-governmental organizations participated along with Governments in an informal session on emerging issues related to the global economic crisis, poverty and the implementation of the Convention.
The third session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities will be held under the theme: “Implementing the Convention through Advancing Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities”, and will begin with the election of members of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and include substantive roundtable discussions and an interactive informal session with civil society.
Elections of the members of the Committee will be held in accordance with article 34 of the Convention. As the total number of ratifications has passed 80, the membership of the Committee will increase by six to a total of 18 members. Additional elections will be held for the six members whose term expires in 2010.
Please note that the upcoming election of the members of the Committee is being coordinated and administered by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Office of Legal Affairs.
General debate which provides Heads of State and Government the opportunity to express their views on major international issues, gets underway on 23 September in New York
With only five years left until the 2015 deadline to achieve the MDGs, the Summit held on 20-22 September “will be a crucially important opportunity to redouble our efforts to meet the Goals,” said Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon referring to the targets adopted at the UN Millennium Summit of 2000, aimed at slashing poverty, hunger, disease, maternal and child deaths and other ills by the 2015 deadline.
The High-level Plenary Meeting on MDGs will consist of six plenary meetings, on the basis of two meetings a day, and six interactive round-table sessions to be held in concurrence with plenary meetings regarding several topics: poverty, hunger and gender equality, health and education, promoting sustainable development, addressing emerging issues and evolving approaches, addressing the special needs of the most vulnerable and widening and strengthening partnerships.
The MDG Summit will be followed by the General Debate on the theme “Reaffirming the central role of the United Nations in global governance” on 23-25 September and 27-30 where Heads of State and Government will express their views on the theme.
High-level meeting on Biodiversity
In addition to the MDG Summit, a High-level meeting of the General Assembly as a contribution to the International Year of Biodiversity will be held on 22 September. The meeting will be chaired by the President of the 65th session of the General Assembly. The panels will be co-chaired by Heads of State and Government at the invitation of the President of the 64th session on the basis of equitable geographical representation.
The President of the General Assembly will prepare a summary of the discussions during the high-level meeting for presentation at the closing plenary meeting and for transmission, under his authority, to the 10th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity.
Mauritius Strategy +5 Review
The Mauritius Strategy +5 Review (Five-year review of the Mauritius Strategy for the Further Implementation of the Barbados Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States) will be held on 24-25 September.
The review should provide the international community with an opportunity to conduct a thorough assessment of the progress made, lessons learned and constraints encountered in the implementation of the Mauritius Strategy for Implementation and to agree on what needs to be done to further address the vulnerabilities of small island developing States.
65th session of the General Assembly
At its 65th session, the Assembly will address the promotion of sustained economic growth and sustainable development, maintenance of international peace and security, development of Africa, promotion of human rights, justice and international law; effective coordination of humanitarian assistance efforts, disarmament; drug control, crime prevention and combating international terrorism in all its forms and manifestations; and other organizational, administrative and other matters.
Second and Third Committee
The Economic and Financial Committee (Second Committee) and the Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee (Third Committee) will discuss the items on the agenda related to economic questions and social and humanitarian issues, respectively. The Committees seek where possible to harmonize the various approaches of States, and present their recommendations, usually in the form of draft resolutions and decisions, to a plenary meeting of the Assembly for its consideration.
The Assembly’s Second Committee – dealing with the economic and financial aspects of development – will convene starting on 4 October. DESA’s has planned a number of side events including panel discussion. The Assembly’s Third Committee – dealing with social, humanitarian and cultural matters – will also convene on 4 October to discuss items questions relating to advancement of women, youth, ageing, the disabled, humanitarian assistance and related issues.
The Assembly is the chief deliberative, policymaking and representative organ of the UN, a forum for multilateral negotiation. While it is empowered to make only non-binding recommendations to States on international issues within its competence, it has, nevertheless, initiated actions – political, economic, humanitarian, social and legal – which have affected the lives of millions of people throughout the world. The Millennium Declaration, adopted in 2000, and the 2005 World Summit Outcome Document, for example, reflected the commitment of Member States to reach goals to achieve development, poverty eradication, promote the rule of law, meet the special needs of Africa and protect the environment.
The event will be held on 9 August in New York and is organized by the Secretariat of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in cooperation with the NGO Committee on the International Decade of the World’s Indigenous Peoples
The theme of the observance at UN Headquarters will be “Celebrating Indigenous Filmmaking.” The event will take place from 2 – 5 pm in Conference Room 1 and compulsory registrations need to be submitted by 6 August, through an email with full name to indigenous_un@un.org. Holders of valid UN grounds passes do not need to register.
The programme of the event is not yet ready but will include messages from the Secretary General, the Under-Secretary General for Economic and Social Affairs and the Chairperson of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. In addition, there will also be a screening of films made by indigenous filmmakers and a question and answer session with an indigenous film maker will take place.
The International Year of Youth will begin on the United Nations International Day of Youth, 12 August 2010 and continue until 11 August 2011
The General Assembly adopted resolution 64/134 in December 2009, proclaiming the Year beginning on 12 August as the International Year of Youth. Under the theme “Dialogue and Mutual Understanding,” the Year aims to promote the ideals of peace, respect for human rights and solidarity across generations, cultures, religions and civilizations.
The Year calls upon Governments, the United Nations system, and civil society to recognize the contributions that youth make to society and to address the challenges they face. It encourages young people to dedicate themselves to fostering progress, including the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and to devote their energy, enthusiasm and creativity to the promotion of inter-generational and cultural understanding.
On this year’s annual International Youth Day, 12 August 2010, the United Nations will launch the International Year of Youth at UN Headquarters in New York. It is a collaborative event organized by UN entities working in the field of youth and will consist of presentations by high-level Government and UN officials, youth leaders and activists as well as performances by young artists committed to the ideals of the UN and the empowerment of young people towards positive social change.
UN offices around the world will hold events on 12 August to demonstrate the UN system’s commitment to youth development, signifying the global spirit of the Year by showcasing youth contributions to development and promoting the implementation of the World Programme of Action for Youth.
In the frame of the General Segment of the ECOSOC Substantive Session 2010 in New York, a Joint Special Event took place on 19 July 2010 about MDGs in countries emerging from conflict
Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro told the audience at the event hosted by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) on 19 July that “the devastating effects of conflict on development are evident…It is not surprising that the majority of countries lagging furthest behind in achieving the MDGs are countries emerging from conflict”. She noted that reaching a particular development objective could lead to tackling inequalities that trigger conflicts.
Maternal mortality rates in countries affected by violence is typically very high, while infant and child mortality rates also increase during conflict and very low life expectancy rates persist years after the end of fighting. However, the good news is that many countries are moving forward, including some of the poorest, which demonstrates that the MDGs are achievable when appropriate policies, prudent planning, good governance and adequate resources are underpinned by political commitment.
Ambassador Peter Wittig of Germany, the Chair of the PBC, told the forum that there was an obvious interdependence between the MDGs and peacebuilding. “Many of the areas most commonly identified as peacebuilding priorities by post-conflict governments are a crucial foundation for progress towards the MDGs”, he said. As well as the issues of safety and security, there are others like restoring core government functions at the national and subnational levels; supporting economic revitalization and creating employment for young people and former combatants; and rehabilitation of basic infrastructure.
Panelists, consisting of the Minister of Economic Affairs of Liberia, high level representatives from UNDP and the World Bank as well as a professor for development studies underlined that more needs to be done to systematically mainstream security concerns into development strategies, and vice versa.
They stressed that countries emerging from conflict faced risks that stretched beyond their capacity to deal with them, including drug trafficking. Consistent ODA was crucial for complementing national budgets and mobilizing resources from other actors was necessary. The UN system entities working on the ground need countries emerging from conflict to do more to use MDG-based strategies to successfully foster peacebuilding.
The outcome of the discussion will be submitted to member states and aims at contributing to the preparatory process of the high-level MDG Summit scheduled for September. The meeting also aimed at strengthening the cooperation of ECOSOC and the PBC in the area of development in post-conflict countries and was the 2nd joint event of the two bodies.
Many member states welcomed this increased cooperation and suggested that the subjects of youth employment and the delivery of key services such as health and education in post-conflict countries were themes that could be addressed in future joint events.
AICESIS and UN used the General Assembly of AICESIS to strengthen cooperation with DESA at the meetings on 6 and 7 July at UN Headquarters in New York
The International Association of Economic and Social Councils (AICESIS) held its General Assembly at the UN Headquarters. The Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon stated in his speech that he encourages AICESIS to continue the cooperation with DESA. He said that the exchange of letters of July 2009 between AICESIS and the USG of DESA, Mr. Sha, formed an excellent basis on which to work on participative governance and to enhance the role of ESC in Africa.
In addition, the Secretary-General underscored the necessity that Economic and Social Councils (ESC) help to achieve the MDGs. While governments and even he himself are often bound to role and other requirements, ESC can express opinions and proposals more often and he hopes that ESC will use this opportunity to help advance further towards the MGDs.
While some countries seem to be satisfied with AICESIS as a political network, others have higher expectations and proposed a more intensive and targeted cooperation. For UNDESA, both the political dialogue with AICESIS and all its members and a stronger result oriented technical cooperation are useful and, thus, the relationship will continue, although with emphasis on results for better development management.
Ongoing technical cooperation between DESA and AIECIS include: (1) A first stage of a knowledge base which consists of ESC profiles was jointly developed by DESA and AICESIS and its printout was distributed to participants. (2) The regional workshop for Africa in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, aimed at capacity building and knowledge sharing among ESC.
DESA and AIECIS are making in the preparation of development of a management tool for ESC in Africa, training of ESC staff in Africa on knowledge management, and DESA contribution to an AICESIS/ILO seminar on the employment pact in Africa.
After the meeting of AICESIS, the Director and staff from DESA met on 8 July with a delegation of the Economic and Social Council of Brazil to explore future cooperation.
Global public health and financing for development
Highlights of the 2010 Coordination Segment held on 6-8 July 2010 during the ECOSOC Substantive Session in New York
At its 2010 Coordination Segment, ECOSOC focused on two main substantive areas–the follow-up to its 2009 Ministerial Declaration on “Implementing the internationally agreed goals and commitments in regard to global public health” and the follow-up to the International Conference on Financing for Development.
Within the context of the follow-up to its 2009 Ministerial Declaration, two panel discussions were held, on “Towards a United Nations comprehensive policy response to global health challenges” and on “Coordinating efforts for achieving the health-related MDGs”.
The first panel took stock of efforts undertaken by the UN system in follow-up to the Ministerial Declaration, considered progress achieved and discussed gaps and challenges that remained and which needed to be addressed in order to ensure a further coordinated, collaborative and multi-sectoral response by the system as a whole. Panelists included the executive heads of UNICEF, UNFPA and UNAIDS, as well as the Deputy Director-General of WHO.
The second panel examined how efforts undertaken by stakeholders, including the UN system and health alliances could be better coordinated to achieve the health-related MDGs by their 2015 target date. Represented on that panel were the heads of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and the GAVI Alliance, WHO, the World Bank and the Special Advisor to the UN Secretary-General on Innovative Financing for Development. The Personal Representative of the Prime Minister of Canada for the G-8 and G-20 Summits served as discussant.
Under the financing for development agenda item, the Council considered the President’s Summary of the special high-level meeting of the Council with the Bretton Woods Institutions, the WTO and UNCTAD, held in April 2010, as well as a report of the Secretary-General entitled “Recovering from the Crisis: a Global Jobs Pact”. Two panel discussions were also held, on “South-South Cooperation and Financing for Development: Investment, Trade and Technology Transfer”, and “Global Economic Governance”.
The Ministerial Roundtable Breakfast on “The Role of Information and Communication Technologies in Empowering Women with Disabilities” took place during the ECOSOC High-Level Segment on 1 July
The roundtable was organized by Global Initiative for Inclusive Information and Communication Technologies (G3ict) and the Executive Coordinator of the Global Alliance on ICT and Development (GAID) spoke at the opening while a representative of DESA’s Division for Public Administration and Development Management (DPADM) made a presentation on the role of ICTs in empowering women with disabilities. A representative of DESA’s Division on Social Policy and Development (DSPD) chaired one of the panels.
In consideration of the theme of this year’s Annual Ministerial Review segment is on “Implementing the Internationally Agreed Goals and Commitments in regard to Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women.” the roundtable discussion focused on topics including the role of accessible Internet resources for work, health, education and social networking, how accessible mobile phones change the lives of women with disabilities, breaking disabled women’s isolation using ICTs, Accessible workplaces and accessible financial services, as well as Success stories, pending issues, and new solutions offered by industry and service providers.
A White Paper, by the G3ict, a flagship partnership initiative of GAID, will be published summarizing the presentations and conclusions reached during the exchanges among participants.
Second Development Cooperation Forum (DCF) of ECOSOC took place on 29 -30 June with a considerable participation of Ministers, Vice-Ministers, Permanent Secretaries and Director-Generals
The level of engagement of Member States from South and North was among the salient features of this year’s DCF, with a large number of Ministers, Vice-Ministers, Permanent Secretaries and Director-Generals present. Non-executive stakeholders were represented in this truly multi-stakeholder forum through the Inter-Parliamentary Union; NGOs such as CIVICUS, ActionAid, ITUC and others and the Organization United Cities and Local Governments.
The debates confirmed the deep concern that aid commitments are not being met, although several speakers reiterated their government’s commitments to increase aid. Considerable attention was paid to the catalytic role of aid in increasing other sources of development finance. It was underscored that all policies of developed countries need to be coherent with development objectives. Alignment with developing countries’ national development strategies was seen as critical in ensuring policy coherence. There was a concern that a greater share of aid should go to countries with the greatest development needs and financing gaps.
Several speakers encouraged to engage more countries and stakeholders in processes on aid effectiveness and mutual accountability. Better use of country systems, more aid predictability and reporting of aid on budget, require more balanced aid relationships with more robust government systems to process aid monies. It was felt that the aid effectiveness agenda should be broadened to include concerns such as conditionality or flexibility to combat exogenous shocks. On South-South cooperation, a number of positive experiences were shared.
In addition, some speakers pointed to the role of the DCF to continue addressing issues such as policy coherence, trends in development cooperation and mutual accountability, among others.
The key messages of this second DCF will inform the negotiation process of the MDG Summit’s outcome document. DESA will also launch an “International Development Cooperation Report” during the MDG Summit that will draw together the analysis produced for the 2010 DCF, with a particular focus on the views of various stakeholders and independent analysts. The report, which will place a focus on accountability and transparency, will in itself be a tool for accountability. Its launch will reinforce the position of the DCF as a key forum for analysis of accountability and transparency in development cooperation.
United Nations 2010 Public Service Day & Awards took place in Barcelona, Spain from 21 – 23 June and 23 winners were recognized for their public services
Government officials from over 70 countries gathered for the United Nations Public Service Awards Ceremony and Forum. The Forum focused on key public administration thematic areas, including transparency and accountability, innovation in public service delivery, citizen engagement and e-government development. Participants shared best practices, including how technologies and innovations are being applied around the world to help meet internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). An expert group meeting on the delivery of services in crisis situations was also held during the Forum and brought together experts and practitioners.
The Awards were presented at the end of the three-day international meeting on the role of public service in achieving the MDGs. The parallel capacity development workshops resulted in a set of recommendations on how to promote innovation in government, which was presented to a ministerial round table. Over 15 ministers discussed how to strengthen governance and public administration to promote development and achieve the MDGs.
In total, 23 winners — from Albania, Australia, Bahrain, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Japan, India, Italy, Republic of Korea, Lebanon, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Tanzania and Tunisia — received a Public Service Award. The event resulted in a better understanding of how government leadership can be more effective in pursuing the MDGs and in increased knowledge of innovative solutions to complex governance challenges, particularly in crisis situations.
Second biennial Development Cooperation Forum (DCF) took place as part of the ECOSOC High-level Segment on 29 and 30 June in New York
The forum addressed an array of challenges the international community is facing to ensure greater progress in international development cooperation and towards the MDGs. The 2005 World Summit outcome mandated ECOSOC to convene the DCF to review trends in international development cooperation, including strategies, policies and financing; promote greater coherence among the development activities of different development partners and strengthen the normative and operational link in the work of the United Nations.
The first DCF held in 2008 represented the first decisive step in positioning ECOSOC as a key venue for global policy dialogue on international development cooperation. As a result of the first DCF in 2008, the outcome document of the Doha Review Conference on Financing for Development acknowledges the role of the DCF as focal point within the United Nations system for holistic consideration of development cooperation with participation by all relevant stakeholders.
What makes the DCF stand out?
The most valuable asset of the DCF is its support by Member States of the United Nations and relevant stakeholders engaged in development cooperation. In order to live up to its vast mandate and large expectations in the development community, DESA facilitated an effective consultative and preparatory process based on solid substantive and technical inputs, that helped the Forum to establish its comparative advantage in producing high quality analysis, organizing balanced North-South discussions about development cooperation, and involving all necessary stakeholders in consultations on aid issues.
Both preparatory symposia in 2009 (in Vienna) and 2010 (in Helsinki) were multi-stakeholder events with the participation of senior technical experts in aid management and development cooperation from governments, parliaments, local governments, civil society organizations, foundations and the private sector. By giving voice to these stakeholders, the DCF encourages participatory multi-stakeholder dialogue on major development cooperation issues – which is the second key value added of the forum.
What were expectations for the 2010 DCF?
Since the first forum, the global economic landscape has changed dramatically. A confluence of crises still threatens to derail the development process and signs of recovery are timid at best. Hard-won development gains are still showing reversals. Yet, there are stories of progress, and the MDGs can and must be achieved. Political momentum and a focus on turning pledges into implementation are urgently needed.
Accountability on commitments made is key if acceleration of progress is to happen. With limited resources and competing demands, any type of development assistance must show tangible results at the national and local level. In this new landscape, the Development Cooperation Forum has a unique value as a universal and authoritative forum where the various stakeholders can come together.
Against this backdrop, the 2010 Forum will be structured around the following themes: (i) Promoting greater coherence; (ii) Accountable and transparent development cooperation; (iii) The role of various forms of cooperation including South-South, triangular and decentralized cooperation; (iv) The impact of multiple crises and aid allocations; and (v) Improving development cooperation to accelerate progress towards the MDGs by 2015.
The policy dialogues brought together key players in international development cooperation, including from relevant line ministries in South and North, parliamentarians, and civil society to identify ways to enhance development cooperation to accelerate progress towards the MDGs. The outcome of the forum, in the form of an official summary by the ECOSOC President, presents an important contribution of relevant development cooperation actors to the United Nations September 2010 Summit on the MDGs.
Discussions in this second DCF aimed to establish consensus on priority actions to advance the implementation of commitments on development cooperation, which will be used as guidance for the work of the United Nations System with partners on the ground.
Along the DCF, this year’s high-level segment of ECOSOC features the Annual Ministerial Review from 28 June to 1 July
The event draws on the Beijing+15 global review, assessing the progress made in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, adopted in 1995, and it contributes to the 2010 High Level Plenary Meeting of the 65th General Assembly, to be held in September.
As part of the Review, thirteen developing and developed countries, Australia, Brazil, France, Guatemala, Moldova, Mongolia, Namibia, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Republic of Congo, Republic of Korea and United States, report on the progress they have made towards advancing gender equality and empowerment of women.
The related thematic discussion highlights the role of women in countries in special situations. The debate focuses on the interconnections between gender equality and empowerment of women, ensuring food security, tackling climate change, and addressing the global financial crisis and gives special attention to improving the lives of women in countries in special situations and in conflict/post-crisis zones.
The high-level segment also includes keynote addresses by Michelle Bachelet, former President of Chile, Andrew Mitchell, Secretary of State for International Development, United Kingdom, Celso Amorim, Minister of External Relations, Brazil, Moshira Khattab, Minister of State for Family and Population Affairs, Egypt and Frances Stewart, Chair of the Committee for Development Policy.
Representatives of the international financial and trade institutions will gather in the Council on 2 July for a policy dialogue on the state of the world economy and its implications for the achievement of the MDGs. The dialogue, which will be moderated by DESA Under-Secretary-General, Mr. Sha Zukang, features Reza Moghadam, Director of the IMF’s Strategy, Policy and Review Department, Otaviano Canuto, Vice President of Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Network of the World Bank, Clemens Boonekamp, Director, WTO and Supachai Panitchpakdi, Secretary-General of UNCTAD. The high-level segment will conclude on 2 July with the adoption of a Ministerial Declaration.
The 2010 Coordination Segment will be organized from 6 to 8 July 2010 and focus on implementing the internationally agreed goals and commitments in regard to global public health and on financing for development
In its consideration of these issues, the segment provides an opportunity to assess the UN system role and activities in a broad range of policy areas relevant to development, identify areas where the UN system should promote more comprehensive and effective approaches, and recommend ways in which support by the UN system in the areas of global public health and financing for development can be strengthened against the backdrop of current challenges.
The Secretary-General’s report on “the role of the United Nations system in implementing the internationally agreed goals and commitments in regard to global public health” will provide the background analysis for the debate on that issue.
In addition, the annual overview report of the UN system Chief Executive Board for Coordination (CEB) will be presented to the Council.
The segment will also review progress made by the Council in promoting the integrated and coordinated implementation of and follow-up to the major UN Conferences and Summits. An updated report of the Secretary-General will be presented under this item.
Under the financing for development agenda item, the Council will consider the Summary by the President of the Council of the special high-level meeting of the Council with the Bretton Woods institutions, the World Trade Organization and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, held in April 2010, as well as a report of the Secretary-General entitled “Recovering from the Crisis: a Global Jobs Pact”.
The work of the Coordination Segment will be complemented by the following panels:
Towards a United Nations comprehensive policy response to global health challenges
Coordinating efforts for achieving the health-related Millennium Development Goals
Operationalizing the UN system’s short and long-term response to the economic and financial crisis: Progress towards implementing the Social Protection Initiative and the Global Jobs Pact
South-South Cooperation and Financing for Development: Investment, Trade and Technology Transfer
Global Economic Governance
The Council will also hear an address by Mr. Antonio Marzano, President of the International Association of Economic and Social Councils and similar Institutions (AICESIS).
Operational Activities Segment
This segment of ECOSOC’s substantive session is where the Council provides guidance on the implementation of General Assembly policy orientations on UN operational activities for development. The segment of this year will be held from 9 – 13 July.
It will be opened by Mr. Sha Zukang, USG for Economic and Social Affairs, and chaired by H.E. Mr. Alexandru Cujba, Vice President of ECOSOC. Prior to the segment, there will be an informal roundtable discussion among the heads of development cooperation ministries and agencies from programme countries.
Preparations for the Segment are well underway. 4 reports of the Secretary-General have been prepared to aide the Council’s deliberations. A briefing on the Segment was held on 17 June.
Delegates envisaged that the informal consultations on the outcome of the Segment would start the week of 5 July on the basis of a draft prepared by DESA to avoid overlaps with other intergovernmental processes. The negotiations will be facilitated by Switzerland.
Humanitarian Affairs Segment
This segment, which will take place from 13 – 15 July, provides an important forum where Member States and Humanitarian Organizations discuss the challenges, opportunities and activities related to the strengthening of the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance of the United Nations.
At its organizational session for 2010, the Council decided that the theme of the Humanitarian Affairs Segment will be “Strengthening of the coordination of humanitarian assistance” and that it will convene two panel discussions, of which the topics will be “Humanitarian assistance operations in highly hazardous, or insecure and unsafe environments” and “Strengthening preparedness for humanitarian emergencies and the coordinated provision of humanitarian assistance, in particular addressing the humanitarian needs of the affected populations and the factors that increase susceptibility to humanitarian emergencies” (Council decision E/2010/L.3). Each panel will feature high-level participation from Member States, relevant UN agencies, NGOs and experts.
The panel discussion on “Humanitarian assistance operations in highly hazardous, or insecure and unsafe environments” will take place on Wednesday, 14 July 2010. The discussion will focus, from an operational perspective, on how to maintain the ability of humanitarian organisations to operate in insecure and high-risk environments and look at issues such as risk and security management for humanitarian operations, coordination with national and local authorities and management of perceptions and acceptance at all levels.
The panel on “Strengthening preparedness for humanitarian emergencies and the coordinated provision of humanitarian assistance, in particular addressing the humanitarian needs of the affected populations and the factors that increase susceptibility to humanitarian emergencies,” will take place on Thursday, 15 July 2010. The discussion will focus on how to better support governments and the humanitarian community in addressing more systematically humanitarian needs that arise from chronic and acute vulnerabilities, and look at issues such as improved monitoring of humanitarian needs in developmental and slow-onset disaster contexts, preparedness for response and strengthened partnerships with non-traditional humanitarian actors.
Scheduled for Tuesday afternoon 13 July, in between the Operational and Humanitarian Affairs Segments, is the informal ECOSOC event on “Transition from relief to development, lessons learned from the experience in Haiti”. This event will provide an opportunity to take stock of the recovery efforts in Haiti, draw lessons learned and discuss good practices and remaining challenges.
In the margins of the Segment, there will be also the annual “Consolidated Appeals Process (CAP) Mid-Year Review” and informal side events on durable solutions for internally displaced persons, on cities at risk, on gender mainstreaming in humanitarian work, on environmental emergencies and on the special procedures of the Human Rights Council.
General Segment
At this segment, to be held from 16 to 22 July 2010 in New York, the Council will review the reports of its subsidiary bodies and of other United Nations entities working in the economic and social fields. The subsidiary bodies include the Council’s functional commissions, regional commissions, expert and ad hoc bodies.
A series of events will be held during the General Segment. A joint meeting of ECOSOC and the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) will take place on the theme of “Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Conflict”. The objective of the meeting is to offer a joint analysis to Member States on how countries in or emerging from conflict could be supported to achieve the MDGs. A Briefing on cybersecurity and a panel on Small Island Developing States (SIDS) will also be organized during the Segment.
Honouring excellence and innovation in public service
On Public Service Day, 23 June, the United Nations presented awards to 23 public institutions in Barcelona
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in his message for the Day, stated that “through this year’s United Nations Public Service Awards competition, we can see that innovation is thriving throughout the world”.
Among the winners are an Indian initiative allowing citizens to air their grievances directly to the Chief Minister and to get timely answers regarding the provision of public services at the state level, and a programme enabling Italian secondary students and their teachers to be actively involved in the law and decision-making processes in the local assembly.
This year, for the first time, the United Nations Public Service Day and Awards Ceremony were held away from United Nations Headquarters, in Barcelona, Spain, co-organized by the government of Catalonia. The Directorate General for Civic Participation of the Government of Catalonia, Spain, won the United Nations Public Service Award in 2008.
The Awards were presented at the end of a three-day international meeting on the role of public service in achieving the Millennium Development Goals. The meeting, which was followed by a ministerial round table, made recommendations on how to promote innovation in government. Participants shared best practices, including how technologies and innovations are being applied around the world to help meet internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals.
In total 23 winners — from Albania, Australia, Bahrain, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Japan, India, Italy, Republic of Korea, Lebanon, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Tanzania and Tunisia —received a Public Service Award. They are distinguished by their creativity and innovation in improving delivery, transparency, accountability and responsiveness in public service and for advancing citizens’ participation in policymaking decisions. They are also being honoured for knowledge management in government.
“The winners have shown great dedication to upholding the values and virtues of excellent public service,” said Sha Zukang, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs. “They have provided examples of efficiency, effectiveness, transparency and accountability.”
Special Awards for e-Government
In addition to the Public Service Awards, United Nations e-Government Special Awards were bestowed on the Governments of the Republic of Korea, United States and Canada. These are the three top countries that, according to the biennial United Nations e‑Government Survey, have ensured the continued availability of robust telecommunications infrastructure, excellent human capital capacity, e‑services and e‑content.
Also honoured by the e-Government Special Awards are 3 of the top 20 countries that have made significant progress in improving their e-service delivery and strengthening their citizens engagement through e-participation. The three countries are Singapore, Spain and Bahrain.
The e-Government Special Awards recognizes the success of each world region by distinguishing the top-ranked countries from Africa (Tunisia), the Americas (United States), Asia (Republic of Korea), Europe (United Kingdom) and Oceania (Australia).
The United Nations e-Government Survey presents rankings on a national and regional basis in two major categories: e-readiness — provision of government services and products online, combined with the extent of telecommunications infrastructure and public education in the country — and e-participation, or the degree to which government opens itself to interaction with its citizens through the Internet.
Background
The Public Service Awards programme, established in 2003, aims to reward excellence and promote professionalism in the public sector around the world. It is the most prestigious recognition of excellence in public service. Public organizations and agencies at national or subnational levels, as well as public-private partnerships, can enter the Awards competition.
There are four categories: improving transparency, accountability and responsiveness in the public service; improving the delivery of services; fostering participation in policy-making decisions through innovative mechanisms; and advancing knowledge management in government.
Source: United Nations Press Release Note No. 6264
Helsinki Symposium was held on 3 and 4 June in preparation for the second ECOSOC Development Cooperation Forum (DCF)
The symposium entitled “Coherent Development Cooperation: Maximizing Impact in a Changing Environment“ had the primary purpose to advance the understanding of the issue of policy coherence for development. The meeting was opened by the Foreign Minister of Finland and co-chaired by Finland’s Under Secretary of State for Development Cooperation and DESA’s Under-Secretary-General. The symposium concluded with a High-level Seminar on how to enhance development cooperation through more policy coherence.
The meeting was attended by some 165 participants from developing and developed countries, including a large contingent of parliamentarians and civil society organizations. The involvement of such a varied group of stakeholders has been a hallmark of the DCF. Participants were all senior officials engaged in development cooperation, which made for a very informed and lively debate.
On policy coherence, the meeting reiterated that policies in areas such as trade or agriculture have a major impact on development objectives. A number of initiatives have been taken in OECD and the European Union to promote “policy coherence for development”. But there was the feeling that political will is lacking to make headway in this area.
The meeting also discussed how best to ensure that the activities of foundations and civil society organizations complements the development cooperation work of other actors and are aligned with national development plans. A key message was the importance of assuring accountability of civil society organizations. Foundations also emphasized the need for a forum for their views to be shared in a systematic way.
One panel was also dedicated to ways of ensuring that partners in development cooperation hold each other accountable on development results and aid management. Currently, programme countries have difficulties holding developed countries accountable for the way they deliver their aid (e.g. its predictability and use of country systems).
Oversight of parliaments and civil society over development cooperation is also limited. A survey conducted in 70 countries by DESA together with UNDP confirmed this situation. It was very well received, leading to recommendations for a greater role of the UN and the Development Cooperation Forum in mutual accountability on development cooperation.
Participants also discussed the relationship between development cooperation and gender equality and the empowerment of women. It was pointed out that many commitments have been made in this area and solutions are known. Little is known however about how much aid impacts on gender equality. It was felt that better data and indicators were needed to track progress.
Overall, the symposium put forward a number of ideas on areas which the Development Cooperation should explore, at its meeting on 29 and 30 June or between 2010 and the next DCF in 2012.
Second High-level Symposium in preparation of the 2010 Development Cooperation Forum (DCF) will be held from 3-4 June in Helsinki
Jointly organized by DESA with the Government of Finland, the event is to promote pragmatic solutions to make development cooperation more coherent and to develop key messages for the upcoming 2010 United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) to be held later this month. The theme of this symposium will be “Coherent Development Cooperation: Maximizing Impact in a Changing Environment”.
Against the backdrop of multiple crises, it aims to foster discussions among a wide range of stakeholders on issues that can significantly improve the impact of development cooperation on the internationally agreed development goals, including the MDGs.
Furthermore, the Helsinki High-level Symposium will promote Policy Coherence for Development to ensure synergies between development objectives and other policies. The symposium will discuss the multifaceted challenges in building coherence in the range of policies affecting development. Stakeholders will share experiences on how different policies can have a significant impact, either positive or negative, on development and the MDGs.
The Helsinki High-level Symposium will also highlight the significant role of foundations, civil society and the private sector in development cooperation; discuss the positive impact that national mutual accountability mechanisms can have on effective aid delivery and development partnerships; and promote a more concerted effort in achieving gender-related development goals.
The discussions and key messages of the Helsinki Symposium will be captured in a report to inform the ongoing consultative process and analytical work of the DCF.
Civil society and private sector to prepare for MDG Summit
Informal Interactive Hearings of the General Assembly with Non-governmental organizations, Civil society organizations and the Private sector will be held in New York from 14-15 June
2010 will be a critical year in determining which development pathways our world will pursue. In 2000, UN Member States agreed to the Millennium Declaration and committed themselves to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015.
On 20-22 September 2010, the General Assembly will hold, in New York, a High-level Plenary Meeting, also referred to as the “MDG Summit”. The Summit’s main focus will be to build on what we have learned during the past 10 years since the adoption of the Millennium Declaration and how to accelerate progress towards the internationally agreed development goals, in particular the MDGs. The Summit will take stock of the successes, best practices, lessons learned, obstacles and gaps related to the MDGs and other development goals.
As a part of the process leading to the Summit, the General Assembly will also convene interactive hearings with representatives of NGOs, civil society and the private sector from 14-15 June. The outcomes of these hearings will provide an input to the preparatory process for the Summit and be issued as an Assembly document.
The President of the General Assembly would preside over the informal interactive hearings and encouraged Member States to actively participate in the hearings at the ambassadorial level to facilitate interaction between the Member States and the representatives of non-governmental organizations, civil society organizations and the private sector.
Following an opening plenary meeting, four sequential informal interactive sessions will take place and also include a closing of the hearings. The themes for the hearings will be based on the comprehensive report of the Secretary-General “Keeping the promise”. The four sessions will be held in the General Assembly Hall and devoted to the following themes: (1) Building a better tomorrow: local actions, national strategies and global structures; (2) Equal and inclusive partnerships: Accountability in the fight against poverty; (3) Sustaining development and withstanding crises; (4) From voice to policy: 1660 days left.
Over 700 NGO, civil society and private sector representatives have registered their interest to speak at the Hearings. As a result of the consultations 52 speakers and discussants most of them from developing countries have been selected.
United Nations Public Service Day and Awards Ceremony will be held from 21-23 June in Barcelona
For the first time this year, the Service Day and Awards Ceremony have been organized in collaboration with a previous award winner: the Directorate General for Participation of the Government of Catalonia of Spain.
Also for the first time this year, it will not be held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York but rather in Barcelona, Spain, as kindly offered by the Government of Spain, which is intended to increase the awareness of the event at the regional level. Indeed, 600 participants are expected to attend this year’s Awards Ceremony as compared to 400 last year.
The purpose of the event is to celebrate Public Service Day and to recognize the winners of the 2010 United Nations Public Service Awards (UNPSA), as well as the winners of the 2010 United Nations e-Government Awards through a high-level ceremony. The theme this year will be “The Role of Public Service in Achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs): Challenges and Best Practices.”
The Awards Ceremony will be followed by a Ministerial Roundtable on how to promote excellence and innovation in government. Participants will include the Deputy Prime Minister of Spain, the Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations, ministers from all regions of the world, senior government officials, mayors, civil society representatives, the academia, and the private sector, as well as representatives of international organizations.
This event will also provide the opportunity for in-depth discussion and analysis of policies and strategies, innovative practices, and tools in four key thematic areas of public administration through substantive parallel capacity development workshops and an expert group meeting.
The workshops will focus on: 1) Promoting Innovation in Public Service Delivery for Achieving the MDGs; 2) Engaging Citizens in Development Management and Public Governance for the Achievement of the MDGs; 3) Advancing e-Government Development and Knowledge Management; and 4) Developing Institutional Capacities of Public Administration for the Achievement of MDGs in Post Conflict and Crisis Situations: Challenges, Best Practices, and Lessons Learned in Preparedness, Prevention, and Reconstruction.
A special meeting on “Sharing Knowledge among Public Service Awards Programmes” will also be organized within the context of this Forum.
The Economic and Social Council’s high-level segment unfolds in New York from 28 June to 2 July
The Council gets into high gear with the second biennial Development Cooperation Forum taking place alongside the Annual Ministerial Review and other significant policy dialogues. At the Annual Ministerial Review, from 28 June to 1 July, thirteen developing and developed countries will report on the progress they have made towards implementing the internationally agreed goals and commitments in regard to gender equality and the empowerment of women.
Keynote addresses by Michelle Bachelet, former President of Chile (tbc), Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Prime Minister of Turkey, Zoleka Capa, Mayor of the Tambo district of South Africa and Frances Stewart, Chair of the Committee for Development Policy will focus on gender equality and empowerment of women. The related thematic debate’s dialogue on 30 June will highlight the role of women in countries in special situations.
The Development Cooperation Forum takes place on 29-30 June with discussions of coherence, accountability, role of various forms of cooperation, impact of multiple crises and achieving the MDGs by 2015. Since the first DCF in 2008, the development landscape has changed significantly with the confluence of multiple crises.
Against this backdrop, the 2010 DCF represents an important opportunity to assess progress and challenges in moving towards the MDGs through global partnerships for development. The 2010 DCF will be structured around the following themes: (i) Promoting greater coherence: how can all policies be geared towards development goals? (ii) Accountable and transparent development cooperation: how can we build more equal partnerships? (iii) The role of various forms of cooperation including South-South and triangular cooperation. (iv) Impact of multiple crises: Allocating resources among competing needs; and (v) Achieving the MDGs by 2015: an agenda for more and improved development cooperation. Some eighty ministers or directors-general responsible for gender and development in developing and developed countries are expected to attend the high-level segment.
In addition to the opening of the segment, Council President, Hamidon Ali, and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will also open the DCF. DESA’s Under-Secretary-General, Sha Zukang, will introduce the main reports. Representatives of the international financial and trade institutions will gather on 2 July for a policy-dialogue on the state of the world economy and its implications for the achievement of the MDGs.
The dialogue, which will be moderated by DESA Under-Secretary-General, Mr. Sha Zukang, features Reza Moghadam, Director of the IMF’s Strategy, Policy and Review Department, Otaviano Canuto, Vice President of Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Network of the World Bank, Pascal Lamy, Director-General of WTO (tbc) and Supachai Panitchpakdi, Secretary-General of UNCTAD. The high-level segment will conclude on 2 July with the adoption of a Ministerial Declaration.
Preparations for the DCF are well underway, highlighting recent trends in development cooperation and the impact of the current crises, as well as the quantity and quality of various forms of development financing, including aid and other flows. Special attention has been given to improving policy coherence and to building a more inclusive and transparent development.
The outcomes of the multi-stakeholder consultations, notably the High-level Symposium in November 2009 in Vienna, Austria and a High-level Symposium to be hosted by Finland early June will constitute an important input to the Council’s deliberations.
Achieving green growth through better management of materials throughout their life cycle will be central to this year’s session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD-18) that will take place in New York from 3-14 May
The Commission starts a new two-year cycle that will review themes of waste management, transport, chemicals, mining, and the 10-year framework of programmes on sustainable consumption and production. It will also discuss sustainable development in Small Island Developing Countries.
Transport
Transport is the largest end-use of energy in developed countries and the fastest growing one in most developing countries. Furthermore, adequate, efficient, and effective transport systems are important for access to markets, employment, education and basic services critical to poverty alleviation.
However, current patterns of transportation development are not sustainable and may compound both environmental and health problems. There is, therefore, a need for urgent action, ranging, inter alia, from the promotion of integrated transport policies and plans, the accelerated phase-out of leaded gasoline, the promotion of voluntary guidelines and the development of partnerships at the national level for strengthening transport infrastructure, promoting and supporting the use of non-motorised transport and developing innovative mass transit schemes.
During the Commission’s ninth session in 2001, countries agreed that international co-operation is required in order to ensure transport systems support sustainable development. Countries stressed the importance of efficient and affordable transport systems for poverty alleviation and the need to mitigate adverse externalities to health and the environment. Support for greater use of public and non-motorized transport was expressed.
Chemicals
A substantial use of chemicals is essential to meet the social and economic goals of the world community, and these can be used with a high degree of safety when best practices are followed. Two of the major problems, particularly in developing countries, are lack of sufficient scientific information for the risk assessment, and lack of resources of assessment of chemicals for which data are at hand.
Gross chemical contamination, with grave damage to human health, genetic structures and reproductive outcomes and the environment, has been continuing within some of the world’s most important industrial areas, and restoration will require major investment as well as the development of new techniques.
This session thus will focus on expanding and accelerating international assessment of chemical risks, harmonization of classification and labelling of chemicals, and prevention of illegal international traffic in toxic and dangerous products among others.
Solid and hazardous waste
At the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002, Governments reaffirmed the importance of solid waste management. They called for priority attention to be given to waste prevention and minimization, reuse and recycling. They also called for the development of environmentally sound disposal facilities, including technology to convert waste into energy.
“Environmentally sound management of hazardous wastes” is crucial for sustainable energy efficiency. Effective control of the generation, storage, treatment, recycling and reuse, transport, recovery and disposal of hazardous wastes is, according to Agenda 21, “of paramount importance for proper health, environmental protection and natural resource management, and sustainable development.”
The session will try to preventing or minimizing the generation of hazardous wastes as part of an overall integrated cleaner production approach; and eliminating the export of hazardous wastes to countries that prohibit such imports among other objectives.
Solid wastes include all domestic refuse and non-hazardous wastes such as commercial and institutional wastes, street sweepings and construction debris and, in some countries, human wastes. Hazardous waste is frequently intermixed with other waste, posing particular management challenges.
Mining
Minerals are essential for modern living, and mining is still the primary method of their extraction. To date, it appears that the main constraints to sustainability in the mining sector derive from the ever-increasing demand for mined resources, the consumption of resources (mostly energy and water) needed to extract and process metals, and the increasing pollution generated by the extraction process.
This holds true for both large-scale, often multinational corporate, operations as well as for small-scale or artisanal ventures. Mining will, therefore be a focus of CSD deliberations and one of the five themes reviewed during CSD-18/19 biannual cycle.
Partnerships Fair and Side Events
The Partnerships Fair will provide registered “Partnerships for Sustainable Development” with the opportunity to showcase progress, network, identify partners, and create synergies between complementary initiatives and finding opportunities for replicability and scaling up.
As CSD-18 will review progress in the areas of Transport, Chemicals, Waste Management (Hazardous & Solid Waste), Mining, and the 10 Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption & Production Patterns, the Secretariat is particularly encouraging partnerships working in these areas to take advantage of the CSD Partnerships Fair activities to share their experiences.
Side events sponsored by major groups, governments, UN agencies and other international bodies have already an established place at the sidelines of the official meetings of CSD.
The side events provide an informal opportunity for a broader exchange of information, experience and diverse views, and will be organised during the lunch and evening breaks of the 18th session of CSD.
Addressing vulnerabilities of Small Island Developing States
CSD-18 SIDS Day on 10 May will serve as prep com for the Mauritius Strategy +5 High-level Review in September 2010
In accordance with UN General Assembly Resolutions, a high level meeting is to be convened during the sixty-fifth session of the General Assembly to carry out a five-year review of the progress made in addressing the vulnerabilities of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) through the implementation of the Mauritius Strategy for Implementation (MSI).
The high-level event is preceded by three regional review meetings, one for each of the SIDS regions. The outcomes of these review meetings will inform SIDS Day during CSD-18, which will serve as the Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) for the high level review in September 2010.
SIDS Day will also consider progress towards the sustainable development of SIDS within the framework of the thematic cluster under review by the Commission.
The Secretary-General’s Report “Review of Implementation of the Mauritius Strategy” (E/CN.17/2010/9) will be presented at SIDS Day. The objective of the report is to provide an initial global synthesis of the national and regional MSI+5 reviews, in order to inform deliberations of member States at the SIDS Day during the 18th session of the Commission for Sustainable Development. Based on the recommendations expressed by member States, a refined report will be submitted for the consideration of Member States at the 65th session of the General Assembly in September 2010.
First Preparatory Committee for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD 2012) will be held from 17-19 May in New York
At the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio, the international community adopted Agenda 21, an unprecedented global plan of action for sustainable development. Ten years later, the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation was adopted highlighting concrete steps for better implementing Agenda 21. However, the progress has been slow in achieving internationally agreed goals, and challenges remain in achieving the goals of the three pillars of sustainable development, particularly in the context of the current global crises.
On 24th December 2009 the UN General Assembly adopted a Resolution A/RES/64/236, agreeing to hold the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) in 2012 – also referred to as ‘Rio+20′ or ‘Rio 20′.
The Conference will aim at securing renewed political commitment to sustainable development, assessing the progress and implementation gaps in meeting already agreed commitments, and addressing new and emerging challenges.
The Member States have agreed on the following two themes for the Conference: green economy within the context of sustainable development and poverty reduction, and institutional framework for sustainable development.
The first meeting of the Preparatory Committee will discuss the substantive themes of the Conference and pending procedural matters, and will also elect the Bureau.
The Conference will bring together a range of participants, including heads of State and Government, national delegates and leaders from non-governmental organizations (NGOs), businesses and other major groups to focus the world’s attention and direct action toward addressing difficult challenges our planet is facing, including reducing poverty, conserving our natural resources, overcoming financial and economic crisis.
2010 Resumed Session of NGO Committee will be held in New York from 26 May to 4 June to examine applications for consultative status and consider reclassifications and quadrennial reports
The Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) is a standing committee of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), established by the Council in 1946. The main tasks of the Committee are the consideration of applications for consultative status and requests for reclassification submitted by NGOs, the review of quadrennial reports submitted by NGOs in General and Special categories and the implementation of the provisions of Council resolution 1996/31 and the monitoring of the consultative relationship.
The Committee reports directly to ECOSOC, and the two reports of its annual regular session (usually at the end of January) and resumed session (in May) include draft resolutions or decisions on matters calling for action by the Council.
At the 2010 resumed session, the Committee will have before it 104 new applications from NGOs seeking consultative status with ECOSOC and 145 deferred applications, as well three reclassifications. The Committee will also consider 214 quadrennial reports from NGOs in Special and General consultative status.
On 22 April, the Economic and Social Council convened a Global Preparatory Meeting for both its Annual Ministerial Review (AMR) and Development Cooperation Forum (DCF) to be held during the Council’s 2010 substantive session
Chaired by the President of the Council, H.E. Mr. Hamidon Ali (Malaysia), the morning session focused on the theme of the AMR: “Implementing the internationally agreed goals and commitments in regard to gender equality and the empowerment of women”, and featured a panel discussion on the issue of “Who feeds the world in 2010 and beyond?–Rural women as agents of change and champions of global food security”.
The meeting was co-organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the International Fund for Agricultural Development, with support from the World Food Programme and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, as well as a number of other United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations. Panelists included H.E. Ms. Florence Chenoweth, Minister of Agriculture of Liberia, Ms. Carol Kramer-LeBlanc, Director for Sustainable Development, Office of the Chief Economist, United States Department of Agriculture, Ms. Myrna Cunningham, Director, Center for Indigenous People’s Autonomy and Development and Ms. Carmen Griffiths, Coordinator, GROOTS, Jamaica, and was moderated by Ms. Marcela Villarreal, Director, Gender, Equity and Rural Employment Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
The meeting highlighted the critical contribution of rural women to poverty reduction, food security and economic and social development. Panelists stressed that, on a global scale, women make up a substantial proportion of the agricultural workforce and produce more then half of all the food being grown. It was noted, however, that they face tremendous challenges; women farmers often suffer from ill health, have less access to land and financial resources, experience limitations on their mobility outside of their homes, and are often not included in community-level decision making or in decision making within producers’ organizations.
Panelists underlined the fact that gender equality and women’s empowerment is no longer purely a moral issue. Their increased access to resources such as land, credit, technology, training and marketing can lead to improved agricultural productivity and production. Women’s education was underscored as a critical prerequisite. Increases in incomes and overall improvements in women’s lives in turn have an immediate positive impact on the well-being of household members, particularly on the nutritional status and education of children.
The panel called the Council’s attention to the need for concrete, priority actions to support the role of rural women as major stakeholders and agents of change. In particular, it urged the development of appropriate legal frameworks and a policy environment that allows tapping into the agricultural productivity potential of this critical 50% of the overall population.
Other highlighted recommendations included the adoption of a comprehensive approach to rural women’s empowerment that addresses access to resources, safety nets, health education and the issue of violence against women in an holistic fashion; to promote country-led investment plans in agriculture that prioritize women, including their specific technological needs; to adopt cross-cultural planning tools that can help address and integrate women’s needs and their ethnical diversity into policy-decision; to make visible the contribution of rural women’s to the economy by ensuring gender-sensitive collection and desegregation of data; to ensure rural women’s participation and representation in all policy decisions regarding agriculture and food security; and to develop a strategic agenda and adequate government institutions that can effectively promote gender equality and empowerment of women. The adoption of these recommendations were pivotal for strengthening the role of women in agricultural development.
Towards achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment
54th session of the Commission on the Status of Women was held in New York from 1-12 March
Thousands of government officials and representatives from civil society and the media converged at UN Headquarters in New York to assess what progress has been achieved, since the historic Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995, in the promotion of gender equality and women’s empowerment.
The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action – the comprehensive global policy framework to achieve the goals of gender equality and empowerment of women – covers twelve critical areas of concern: women and poverty, education and training of women, women and health, violence against women, women and armed conflict, women and the economy, women in power and decision-making, institutional mechanisms for the advancement of women, human rights of women, women and the media, women and the environment, and the girl-child.
The contributions of senior UN Officials, including the Secretary-General and the Deputy Secretary-General, the Under-Secretary-General of DESA, the President of ECOSOC and the Assistant Secretary-General, Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women, placed strong emphasis on implementing commitments and ensuring that all opportunities would be seized in 2010 to give new impetus to the promotion of gender equality and women’s enjoyment of their human rights. The Commission was also introduced to the new Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict by the Secretary-General.
The event allowed Member States, along with representatives of non-governmental organizations and many UN entities, to share experiences, good practices and lessons learned in the implementation of the Platform for Action in a series of high-level round tables and interactive panel discussions, and in many parallel events organized by Member States, entities of the UN system, and civil society. The participation of civil society was impressive, with 3440 representatives from 463 NGOs from all regions of the world attending.
On 2 March 2010, the Commission adopted a Declaration on the occasion of the fifteenth anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women, in which Governments reaffirmed the Platform for Action and pledged to undertake further actions towards its full implementation. The Declaration represents a strong political message to achieve the goals of gender equality and the empowerment of women.
The Commission also adopted seven resolutions. They cover the following areas: women, the girl child and HIV/AIDS; the release of women and children taken hostage, including those subsequently imprisoned, in armed conflicts; the situation of and assistance to Palestinian women; women’s economic empowerment; eliminating maternal mortality and morbidity through the empowerment of women; ending female genital mutilation; and strengthening the institutional arrangements of the UN for support of gender equality and the empowerment of women by consolidating the four existing offices into a composite entity.
Moderator’s summaries for all panel discussions highlight main issues and recommendation, and four of these will be transmitted to the ECOSOC Annual Ministerial Review. This outcome will also contribute to the High-Level Plenary on the MDGs that will be held in September 2010 in the context of the 65th session of the General Assembly.
43rd session of the Commission on Population and Development will discuss the theme of “Health, Morbidity, Mortality and Development” from 12-14 April in New York
The Population Commission was established by the Economic and Social Council and later it was decided that the Council and the Commission should constitute a three-tiered intergovernmental mechanism. The Commission is composed of forty-seven Member States elected by the Economic and Social Council for a period of four years on the basis of geographic distribution. Representatives usually have a relevant background in population and development. The Commission met typically every two or three years until 1994, after which it has met once a year.
This year’s session will cover a broad range of issues including the major shifts in mortality since 1950, causes of death, health and development, the need for health workers, prevention and treatment of communicable diseases and maternal conditions, preventing injuries and the role of primary health care.
The shifting burden of disease from communicable to non-communicable diseases and the interrelations between health and development are also going to be part of the discussion. The Population Programme also emphasizes on improved maternal health and reduced morbidity and mortality.
It focuses on activities related to maternal and newborn care, investing in family planning and midwifery, enhancing reproductive health commodity security, preventing and treating obstetric fistula, abandoning the practice of female genital mutilation/cutting, eliminating gender-based violence, addressing adolescent pregnancy and child marriage, preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV, comprehensive condom programming to prevent unintended pregnancy and HIV infection and providing reproductive health services in emergency situations.
It points out that reproductive ill health impacts mortality and accounts for a large share of the global burden of disease, particularly among women and children. The most cost-effective interventions to reduce maternal mortality are family planning, skilled birth attendants during delivery and emergency obstetric care.
Items on the agenda for the Session include actions in follow-up to the recommendations of the International Conference, general debate on national experience in population matters, programme implementation and future programme of work of the Secretariat in the field of population, contribution of population and development issues to the theme of the annual ministerial review in 2010 and adoption of the report of the Commission on its forty-third session.
9th session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) with the theme “Indigenous peoples: development with culture and identity; articles 3 and 32 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples” will take place between 19-30 April in New York.
The UNPFII meets for 10 days each year and is high-level advisory body that deals with indigenous issues related to economic and social development, culture, environment, education, health and human rights.
In addition to these six areas, each session has thematically focused on a specific issue. During the Forum’s first six sessions, a specific theme was discussed each year. Since the sixth session, the forum has decided on a bi-annual working method of one year of policy discussion and the second year dealing with implementation. The implementation sessions do not have a theme.
The Provisional Agenda of the upcoming session will include a discussion on the special theme for this year, the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, a dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights and a half-day discussion on North America.
This year’s session will also focus on a comprehensive dialogue with six United Nations agencies and funds, future work of the Permanent Forum including issues of the Economic and Social Council and emerging issues, a draft agenda for the 10th session of the Permanent Forum and adoption of the report of the Permanent Forum on its 9th session.
The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) will meet on 22 and 27 April to address gender equality, empowerment of women and development cooperation
In preparation for the substantive session in July this year, the Council will organize a series of meetings. The first one is scheduled for 22 April from 10:00 – 1:00 p.m., which is being organized by FAO and IFAD, in collaboration with WFP, the World Bank, UNIFEM, Heifer International, WOCAN, and the Hunger Project. It will address the topic “Who feeds the World in 2010 and Beyond: Rural women as Agents of Change and Champions of Global Food Security”.
The objective of the session is to increase awareness and understanding of the critical role of rural women in agricultural development and food security for the achievements of IADGs, in particular the MDGs.
In addition, it is expected that the meeting will generate a critical mass for action and collaboration through broader engagement and dialogue on rural women’s economic and social roles among various stakeholders (governments, UN agencies, civil society, private sector, foundations) and strengthen ECOSOC’s role as a strategic and pro-active intergovernmental forum at the forefront of global policy making.
The meeting will also serve to highlight areas for further work with respect to the Council’s Ministerial Declaration of 2003 on Rural Development.
The second meeting, which will take place on 22 April, from 3 to 6 p.m. and serve as a preparatory event for the Development Cooperation Forum. DESA’s Under-Secretary-General Sha Zukang will open the meeting, which will explore the role of aid in mitigating the impact of the financial and economic crisis on achieving national development goals and the MDGs.
It will initiate a multi-stakeholder dialogue on questions such as decisions on aid allocations in the context of multiple crises, the possible cost of marginalizing “aid orphans” in favor of “aid darlings”, and the need for a renewed firm commitment by donors to restore stability and prosperity in the global economy. Key policy messages and good practices emanating from this discussion will serve to inform the consultative process and analytical preparations for the 2010 DCF and beyond.
The third meeting, in preparation for the Annual Ministerial Review, on the theme of Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women will take place on 27 April, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The meeting will bring together the Presidents of the ECOSOC and the Security Council and the Chairpersons of the Organizational Committee of the Peacebuilding Commission and the Commission on the Status of Women to discuss “Mainstreaming a gender perspective in Conflict and Post-Conflict Situations”.
The session will examine how the United Nations as a whole is addressing women’s unique needs in conflict and post-conflict situations. The debate will focus on how the respective recommendations, mandates and strategies are being implemented, what the remaining gaps and challenges are, and how they should be addressed in an integrated manner.
Special High-level Meeting of ECOSOC with the Bretton Woods institutions (BWI), the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) was held on 18-19 March in New York
In accordance with ECOSOC resolution 2009/30, this year’s meeting was held 5 weeks before the BWI Spring Meetings in April, in contrast to previous years, when ECOSOC meetings were usually held immediately following those of the BWIs. The historically one-day meeting was also extended to two days this year and organized using innovative modalities in the form of three informal interactive debates.
Following presentations on behalf of the heads of the intergovernmental bodies of the relevant institutions (Development Committee, IMFC, Trade and Development Board and WTO), each debate sought to promote, through strict time management, an open and constructive exchange of views and experiences among various stakeholders of the FfD process.
Despite the changed timing, an unprecedented number of 26 Executive Directors, Alternates and Advisors from the World Bank and IMF participated actively in the discussions and expressed commitment to promoting closer relations between their organizations and ECOSOC.
The Dean of the Board of Executive Directors of the World Bank extended an invitation to the President of ECOSOC to present the results of this meeting to the Development Committee of the BWIs next April, which was accepted by the President. This is an important step towards increasing relevance and visibility of ECOSOC as well as enhancing UN-BWI cooperation at the intergovernmental level. It was also emphasized that a regular ongoing dialogue between the BWIs and ECOSOC was needed.
The overall theme of the meeting was “Building on Monterrey and Doha: achieving the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals”. The three interactive thematic debates focused on: 1) “Mobilizing domestic and international resources to fund existing and emerging MDG implementation gaps”; 2) “Supporting rehabilitation, recovery and development efforts of developing countries with special needs and those facing humanitarian emergency situations”; and 3) “Enhancing coherence and consistency of the international monetary, financial and trading systems in support of development”. Each debate featured two senior staff of the World Bank, UNCTAD and DESA presenting preview of their respective flagship publications, followed by an interactive discussion.
The main substantive points of the discussion were summarized by the President of ECOSOC in his concluding remarks. The President’s summary will be issued at later date and will be available at the same website.
High-level Dialogue of the General Assembly on Financing for Development was held on 23-24 March in New York on the overall theme “The Monterrey Consensus and Doha Declaration on Financing for Development: status of implementation and tasks ahead”.
The President of the General Assembly opened the meeting, followed by the opening address by the Secretary-General. Then, the messages on behalf of the heads of the major institutional stakeholders were delivered by: Mr. Otaviano Canuto, Vice President and Head of Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Network of the World Bank; 2) Ms. Rebeca Grynspan, Associate Administrator of UNDP; 3) Mr. Petko Draganov, Deputy Secretary-General of UNCTAD; and 4) Mr. Shishir Priyadarshi, Director of the Development Division of WTO. During three plenary meetings on 23 March (morning and afternoon) and 24 March (morning), the heads of more than 70 delegations delivered formal statements.
On the second day, three multi-stakeholder round tables (morning) and an interactive dialogue (afternoon) were held as follows: RT1 on “The reform of the international monetary and financial system and its implications for development”; RT2 on “The impact of the current financial and economic crisis on foreign direct investment and other private flows, external debt and international trade”; RT3 on “The role of financial and technical development cooperation, including innovative sources of development finance, in leveraging the mobilization of domestic and international financial resources for development”; and Informal Interactive Dialogue on “The link between financing for development and achieving the Millennium Development Goals: the road to the 2010 high-level event”. Each of the four informal meetings, chaired by a Minister or Vice-Minister, featured presentations by 2-3 keynote speakers, followed by an interactive discussion.
Due to rescheduling of the meeting, participation at the ministerial level suffered. Nevertheless, one Prime Minister (Tajikistan), two ministers (Samoa and United Kingdom) and 6 vice-ministers (Egypt, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, United States and Venezuela) participated.
The main substantive points of the discussion were summarized by the President of the General Assembly in his concluding remarks and are available on the FfD website. The President’s summary will be issued at later date and will be available at the same website.
Overall, this fourth High-level Dialogue on FfD demonstrated a robust and inclusive intergovernmental process at work towards realizing international commitments on financing for development and meeting the MDGs. It was generally recognized that the Dialogue largely met its objective to provide an important substantive input to the preparations for the September Summit on the MDGs and to make its outcome more meaningful and action-oriented.
15-year review of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (1995) and the outcomes of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly (2000) will be undertaken at this year’s Commission on the Status of Women from 1-12 March in New York
Government officials, representatives of civil society and the media, as well as the private sector will assess what has been achieved since the historic Fourth World Conference on Women, held in 1995 in Beijing, share experiences and good practices, with a view to overcoming remaining obstacles and new challenges, and contribute to shaping a gender perspective towards the full realization of the MDGs.
Since the Beijing Conference, progress has been made in a number of areas, most significantly in education. For example, over the last decade, access to education has increased globally for girls at all levels, particularly in primary education. In 2007, there were 96 girls for each 100 boys enrolled in first grade, compared with 92 girls in 1999.
On the other hand, illiteracy remains a serious constraint for women, who, for the last 20 years, have accounted for nearly two thirds of the currently 776 million illiterate adults in the world. It is particularly prevalent among women who are older, poor, disabled, from ethnic minorities or from rural areas.
Little progress has been made on reducing maternal mortality rates. Every year, 536,000 women and girls die as a result of complications during pregnancy, childbirth or following delivery, the overwhelming majority in developing countries. Most of these deaths are preventable.
While gender-sensitive legislation and policies have addressed inequalities and discrimination against women, overall progress in implementation remains uneven. Disparities exist between regions and within countries. Global averages also hide differences among women based on location, economic status, ethnicity, age, disability and other factors.
It is not enough to adopt laws and policies; they have to be effectively implemented. Measures that help ensure successful implementation of laws and policies include training public officials and raising women’s awareness of their legal rights, as well as allocating adequate resources for implementation. The share of budgets and of development assistance specifically dedicated to gender equality and women’s empowerment, through both gender mainstreaming and women-targeted activities, should be increased.
To accelerate progress in implementation, strengthened efforts are needed to address persistent gaps and challenges and emerging obstacles, as well as to build on achievements, lessons learned and good practices in implementation in relation to all critical areas of concern in the Platform for Action.
Furthermore, across all critical areas, the importance of increasing the participation of women in decision-making processes is emphasized, both as a right in itself and as a means to ensure the incorporation of gender perspectives and to facilitate positive outcomes in decision-making processes at all levels.
Political will and leadership are critical for generating determined action for gender equality and empowerment of women and for progress in development, peace, security and human rights. Only then will States be able to finish the agenda to which they committed 15 years ago in Beijing, achieve the Millennium Development Goals and respond effectively to global crises.
48th session of the Commission for Social Development was held in New York from 3-12 February, adopting the first time a resolution on social integration
This year was the policy session in the two-year cycle of the Commission’s work on the priority theme of “Social Integration”, with ten ministers in attendance. The Commission held a high-level panel discussion on the theme in addition to its general debate. It also reviewed relevant United Nations plans and programmes of action pertaining to the situation of social groups.
Under the agenda item “emerging issues”, the Commission considered policy responses on employment and the social consequences of the financial and economic crisis, including its gender dimension. It also held a high-level panel discussion to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the World Summit for Social Development.
The Commission adopted four resolutions by consensus: methods of work; ageing; social integration and; mainstreaming disability in the development agenda by 12 February and resumed on 19 February to conclude its work, including the adoption of a resolution on the social dimensions of NEPAD.
It is the first time since the World Summit for Social Development that a resolution on social integration, one of the three pillars of social development, was adopted, setting the course to further advance social integration. The Commission also decided that the priority theme of its next two-year cycle will be “poverty eradication”, and that the officers elected to the bureau of the Commission will serve for a term of office of two years to enhance the effectiveness of the work of the Commission.
General Assembly held its first informal session of its 64th session on 4 February, providing an opportunity for Member States to express their expectations about the priorities and outcomes of the consultative process
Prior to the session, H.E. Mrs. Tiina Intelmann, Permanent Representative of Estonia and H.E. Mr. Ghazi Jomaa Permanent Representative of Egypt have been appointed to facilitate the informal consultations.
In opening the consultations, the President of the General Assembly highlighted the importance of system-wide coherence and invited all Member States to engage in an open, transparent and constructive manner in the consultations towards concrete outcomes. The Secretary-General presented his two recent reports with actionable proposals to improve the governance and funding of UN operational activities for development as well as modalities to establish the composite gender entity.
Member States thanked the Secretary-General for the substantive work of the Secretariat in support of the consultative process, while expressing the expectation to see progress on all areas of work within the current legislative session. A number of Member States encouraged the Secretary-General to start consultations on the candidate for the Under-Secretary-General leading the composite gender entity.
In follow-up to the first informal consultations, Member States met on 12 February to discuss the workplan as well as the linkages between governance and funding. The Co-Chairs informed that further informal consultations will be conducted in five clusters, namely governance, funding, gender, independent evaluation of “Delivering as One” and system-wide evaluation. There was a strong sense of urgency to move forward on the issue of funding, based on updated and disaggregated analysis of the financing of UN operational activities for development.
In the upcoming 3 months, the Assembly plans to hold a series of plenary informal consultations, drawing on the outcome of the substantive work undertaken by smaller inter-governmental working groups, with a view to achieving significant consensus on most of the areas by May 2010.
Social integration is the priority theme of the 48th session of the Commission for Social Development to be held from 3-12 February in New York
This year will be the policy session in the two-year cycle of the Commission’s work and its deliberations will focus on policy options and practical measures to implement the goal of enhancing social integration and to overcome challenges in that area as well as its relationship with poverty eradication, full employment and decent work for all. The outcome is expected to be an action-oriented resolution addressing policy measures for promoting social integration.
The Civil Society Forum will take place on 2 February and the outcome of the meeting will be presented to the opening session of the Commission.
There will be two high-level panel discussions. The first panel in the afternoon of 3 February will be devoted to commemorating the 15th anniversary of the World Summit for Social Development and will focus on framing the way forward for the social development agenda given the mixed progress that has been made in achieving the Summit goals. The second panel on the priority theme in the morning of 4 February will address the challenges and lessons learned from promoting social integration and its linkages with the goals of eradicating poverty and promoting full employment and decent work.
The Commission will also discuss emerging issues with the theme “Policy responses on employment and the social consequences of the financial and economic crisis, including its gender dimension.”
In addition, the Commission will review the relevant United Nations plans and programmes of action pertaining to the situation of social groups, especially youth, persons with disabilities, the family and older persons, namely the modality of the second review and appraisal of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing. The Special Rapporteur on Disability will make a presentation.
It will also consider future organization and methods of work of the Commission and will make a decision on a priority theme for the 2011-2012 review and policy cycle.
A number of side events have also been planned throughout the two-week period.
The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) will host a special event on 22 February in New York
This event, organized by DESA and the United Nations Office for Partnerships (UNOPs) in collaboration with the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy (CECP) and the United Nations Fund for Women (UNIFEM), is part of the preparatory process for the 2010 ECOSOC Annual Ministerial Review (AMR) on the theme, “Implementing the internationally agreed goals and commitments in regard to gender equality and empowerment of women”. The programme will also take place on International Corporate Philanthropy Day in the United States.
Chaired by the President of ECOSOC, with the participation of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the special event will gather a roster of foundations (corporate and non-corporate), private sector companies and civil society representatives that have a particular interest in the areas of gender empowerment and women’s equality.
The event will start with an opening plenary on “Strengthening partnerships in support of achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women”, to be followed by break-out sessions on the themes, “Ending violence against women and girls” and “Promoting women’s economic empowerment”.
The audience will be comprised of Member States, representatives of the United Nations system, senior giving officers from philanthropic organizations and the private sector, as well as other civil society organizations.
The key objectives of the special event are to promote concrete initiatives by the philanthropic community and to initiate new partnerships that would accelerate progress in reaching the targets in MDG 3. The event will also expand multistakeholder engagement in the United Nations Secretary-General’s UNiTE To End Violence Against Women Campaign and provide a platform for all actors involved in the work of ECOSOC to increase awareness among the philanthropic community on the progress made and the challenges faced in the achievement of Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 3 – to promote gender equality and empower women.
Pathways to Partnerships
Gender inequality deprives countries of a critical resource in the struggle to end poverty and attain stability. Women and girls continuously lack the same access as men to education, health care, food, jobs, property and decision making powers in the political, social, and business sectors.
Economists confirm that women’s empowerment is a central engine for development – if they cannot participate, the targets governments and the United Nations set will continue to go unmet. The Nobel Prize winning economist, Professor Amartya Sen, speaks of more than 100 million “missing women” in developing countries who die of cumulative neglect because they are continually treated differently than men, especially in health care, medical attention and access to food and social services. Other studies speak of 60 – 101 million missing women on the basis of ratios of women to men.
Every year, at least another 2 million girls die worldwide because of inequality and neglect. Moreover, women and girls become victims of gender-based violence, which entails severe physical and mental health implications and, consequently, enormous social and economic costs. The current economic and financial crises deepen gender inequality as economic recession affects women and men, girls and boys differently.
There are mechanisms in place to support women’s economic and social empowerment and innovative programmes are producing remarkable results. The last 20 years have also seen unprecedented progress in the political attention paid to violence against women and girls, as well as in the number and scope of laws and policies to prevent and respond to gender-based violence. First results are encouraging but still apply only to a small number of places. The effort is woefully under-resourced, much more needs to be done to implement laws and commitments, and all actors have to work closely together.
Public-private sector partnerships
Over the past decade, public-private sector partnerships have become a creative and sophisticated mechanism for addressing priority challenges and to leverage the skills and resources of the private sector and civil society toward the goals of the United Nations. Through the work of UNOP that provides strategic advice on partnerships between the private sector and the United Nations system, the Organization has increasingly engaged the private sector and civil society as a partner in helping to achieve its goals, in particular, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Specialized agencies, funds and programmes of the United Nations system, such as UNIFEM, have established partnerships to integrate the private sector’s perspective, its networks and expertise in their work, in order to effectively implement the international development policies and make change happen, where it is most needed.
As the complexity of economic and social issues affecting local and global communities continues to escalate, it has become increasingly clear that no single actor in the philanthropic realm can hope to match the impact of funders and humanitarian organizations working together. Each change agent has unique skills and resources to bring to bear on today’s most difficult challenges. Non-profit organizations and other independent players have the on-the-ground knowledge, theories of change and the local manpower to ensure that the right services are delivered with integrity.
Private foundations bring subject matter expertise and funding. Community members add a nuanced understanding of the cultural strengths that can be harnessed to turn challenges into opportunities. In addition to funding, corporations bring expertise in marketing, logistics, research and development and project management. The United Nations provides unparalleled access to leaders and policy makers and, most importantly, the ability to unite and coordinate those seeking to make a difference. By fitting these pieces together, the result is much more than the sum of the individual parts.
There are two areas where the philanthropic community and the private sector can make a difference, namely on ending violence against women and girls and promoting women’s economic empowerment. They can support existing programmes (UN or country-led as well as other independent stakeholders) and help to scale up best practices both in-country or to other countries and regions that that would help achieve progress on MDG 3.
Ending Violence Against Women
On average, at least one in three women is beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused by an intimate partner in the course of her lifetime. Violence against women is the most common but least punished crime in the world and it poses an enormous obstacle to achieve gender equality worldwide.
Forms of violence against women include sexual, physical, or emotional abuse by an intimate partner; physical or sexual abuse by family members or others; sexual harassment and abuse by authority figures (such as teachers, police officers or employers); trafficking for forced labour or sex; and such traditional practices as forced or child marriages, dowry-related violence; and honour killings.
Violence against women not only constitutes a gross violation of human rights but also has enormous social and economic costs, and poses a serious threat to the achievement of the internationally agreed development goals, including the MDGs.
Promoting Women’s Economic Empowerment
Women in developing countries are greatly disadvantaged in almost all parts of society and the global outlook continues to be alarming. It is estimated that approximately 2-2.4 billion women around the world are living in relative poverty.
This is further compounded by the fact that 60% of the world’s 135 million children who are not receiving education are girls and that 60% of the working poor earning less than US$1 per day are women. Women can provide a huge spurt to economic growth and development if measures are to ensure appropriate access of women to education and employment opportunities.
These issues will be discussed further in the context of the preparations for the 2010 ECOSOC Annual Ministerial Review on “Implementing the internationally agreed goals and commitments in regard to gender equality and empowerment of women” and in preparation for the MDG Summit in September 2010.
Second Committee adopted 43 resolutions
Conference on Sustainable Development at the highest level in 2012, a review of the Mauritius Strategy in 2010 and a follow-up conference on financing for development by 2013 were decided by the Committee
The Second Committee (Economic and Financial) of the General Assembly concluded its session on 11 December 2009. Forty-three resolutions were adopted (six resolutions were voted upon – the oil slick on Lebanese shores, Permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people, agricultural technology for development, towards a New International Economic Order, unilateral economic measures, and international trade and development).
The resolution on the implementation of Agenda 21 decided to hold the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development at the highest level in 2012 in Brazil and detailed the preparation process. The Committee also decided to convene the Fourth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries in the first half of 2011 in Istanbul, Turkey.
In addition, the Committee reaffirmed the Assembly’s decision to convene a two-day high-level review of the Mauritius Strategy in September 2010 as part of the Assembly’s sixty-fifth session as well as the one-day high-level meeting on biological diversity close to the opening of the general debate as a contribution to the International Year of Biodiversity.
With regard to Financing for Development, the Committee adopted a consensus resolution, which reaffirmed the need for a strengthened and more effective inclusive intergovernmental process to follow-up on financing for development. The resolution recalled the decision to consider holding a follow-up conference on financing for development by 2013. The Committee could not reach a consensus on the Trade and Development resolution for the fifth consecutive year.
This year, with the initiative of the Chairperson of the Committee, ten special events were organized on key issues relevant to the Committee’s work. The Committee benefited from a series of stimulating discussions during these special events on issues pertaining to the Committee’s programme of work.
Agriculture, trade, gender, economic and financial statistics, data dissemination and property price indices are among the priorities in the Statistical Commission from 23-26 February in New York
The United Nations Statistical Commission brings together Chief Statisticians from member states from around the world. It is the highest decision making body for international statistical activities, in particular for the setting of statistical standards, the development of concepts and methods and their implementation at the national and international level.
The Statistical Commission oversees the work of DESA’s Statistics Division, and is a Functional Commission of the United Nations Economic and Social Council.
The Commission promotes the development of national statistics and the improvement of their comparability, coordinates the statistical work of specialized agencies, develops the central statistical services of the Secretariat and advises the organs of the United Nations on general questions relating to the collection, analysis and dissemination of statistical information.
The 40th session this year will focus on the advancement of the global statistical system, statistical capacity development and the coordination of international statistical programmes.
Prior to the official opening, a seminar on Emerging Trends in Data Dissemination and Communication will be held on 19 February and provide a discussion forum for statistical managers to share experiences on new approaches in the way National Statistical Offices and International Agencies disseminate their data to users and engage actively in communication with them.
The official opening of the Commission will be take place on 23 February and will hold a lunchtime seminar on Measuring Property Prices on that day. Organized by Statistics Norway, the seminar will provide a forum to discuss measurement issues related to the compilation of property price indices. The recent financial crisis, housing price bubbles and the subsequent collapse of housing markets point to the importance of compiling accurate and comparable property price indices across countries.
On the same day, a meeting of the Friends of Chair working group will focus on the global strategy to improve agricultural and rural statistics and an afternoon event will discuss the preparation for the international conference on agricultural statistics.
Another lunch time seminar on the following day will present the key outcomes from the recent Conference on Modernization of Statistical Production, organized by Statistics Sweden, as well as the experiences of two statistical offices, those of New Zealand and United Kingdom, which have embarked on extensive programmes of production modernization.
On 25 February, the Commission will hold a briefing on the work of the Interagency Group on Economic and Financial Statistics and at the same time on statistical indicators on violence against women. A lunchtime seminar will focus on population censuses in post-conflict countries. The afternoon of this day will discuss international trade statistics and identify answers for a changing world, new challenges and opportunities.
United Nations Climate Change Conference – COP 15 concluded on 18 December with 128 heads of State or Government participating in the two-week-long event
The Secretary-General welcomed the outcome of the fifteenth meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP-15) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the fifth meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol. He thanked the Government of Denmark for hosting the Conference and leading the negotiations to a successful conclusion with substantive outcomes.
The collected decisions of the parties fulfill in large part the benchmarks for success laid down at the September 2009 Summit on Climate Change at United Nations Headquarters. The Secretary-General particularly appreciates the many Heads of State and Government who have demonstrated their global political leadership to make this deal possible.
Among the outcomes of the Conference, the Copenhagen Accord marks a significant step forward in negotiations for the first truly global agreement that can limit and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, support adaptation for the most vulnerable and help to establish a new era of environmentally sustainable growth.
Parties to the Accord agreed to work towards a common, long-term goal to limit global temperature rise to below 2° Celsius. Developed countries have committed to establish and implement targets for greenhouse gas emissions, and a number of developing countries, including major emerging economies, have agreed to implement nationally appropriate mitigation actions and communicate their efforts every two years.
In this Accord, countries also agreed on the importance of acting to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, and also agreed to provide comprehensive support to the most vulnerable to cope with climate change. The Accord specifically calls for immediate establishment of a mechanism including REDD-plus, to enable the mobilization of financial resources from developed countries.
In addition, the Accord also establishes three new bodies: a High-Level Panel under the COP to study the implementation of financing provisions, the Copenhagen Green Climate Fund and a Technology Mechanism. The establishment of the High-Level Panel could be a major development in involving business and private sectors in climate change policy setting processes.
To support these priorities, countries pledged up to $30 billion a year between 2010 and 2012, to be disbursed through a Copenhagen Green Climate Fund. Countries also backed the goal of mobilizing $100 billion a year by 2020 for developing countries.
On 16 December 2009, the United States, Australia, France, Japan and Great Britain together pledged $3.5 billion over three years to “slow, halt and eventually reverse” deforestation in developing countries. These pledges build on the $1 billion contribution that Norway pledged in 2008.
In the coming months, the Secretary-General will work with Member States to ensure that the commitments enshrined in the Copenhagen Accord can be converted into a global, legally binding treaty as soon as possible in 2010.
Technology transfer – time for action
Following the UNFCCC COP13 in Bali, the United Nations Chief Executives Board (CEB) declared technology transfer as one of the focus areas of the UN system’s work on climate change. The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and DESA have been assigned the task of co-convening a process to support UN system-wide coherence and international cooperation on climate change-related technology development and transfer.
In this capacity, the COP 15 Side Event on International Cooperation on Technology Transfer: Time for Action held on 16 December was co-organized by UNIDO and DESA’s Division for Sustainable Development and chaired by Sha Zukang, Under-Secretary-General of DESA. Since, low-carbon technologies are central to addressing climate change and development, the event focused on actions and strategies to hasten the transfer of clean technologies world-wide as well as the promotion of energy for sustainable development.
The event brought together heads of major United Nations organizations and other agencies to discuss the role of international cooperation in accelerating the global development and deployment of climate friendly technologies, particularly in developing countries. It featured statements and input from the heads of DESA, UNDP, GEF, WIPO, UNIDO, UNEP, IRENA and the UN Foundation. H.E. Mr. Jairam Ramesh, Minister, Ministry of Environment and Forest, Government of India participated as a special guest.
Forest Day 3
DESA’s United Nations Forum on Forests Secretariat (UNFFS) co-hosted the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF) Forest Day 3 event on 13 December 2009. Close to 1,500 representatives from government delegations, international organizations and civil society gathered at Forest Day 3, to ensure that forest-based climate change solutions remained high on the agenda at the UNFCCC COP 15 discussions. The event featured luminaries such as Gro Harlem Brundtland, Nobel laureates Elinor Ostrom, Rajendra Pachauri and Wangari Maathai and a video message from former US President Bill Clinton.
UNFFS co-hosted two key events at Forest Day 3, a learning event on strategies for increasing financing for forests and climate change and a sub-plenary session on Forest Degradation which highlighted the importance of degraded forests (the second “D”) in REDD+.
Ms. Jan McAlpine, Director of the UN Forum on Forests Secretariat, chaired and facilitated the learning event discussion on financing for forests and climate change. The main message from this event was that REDD+ could provide 30% of the global abatement potential by 2020and that financing in the order of 25 billion Euros per year from all sources is needed. REDD+ initiatives must include attention to the social, economic and environmental aspects and start in a phased approach immediately; delaying action until 2015 would “cost” 16 giga tons of carbon lost.”
The sub-plenary session on degradation was moderated by Fiona Harvey of The Financial Times. The main message from the sub-plenary session was that improved forest governance is a prerequisite to reversing degradation and that forest restoration provides an immense opportunity to address the widespread degradation of forest lands and significantly enhance carbon stocks and also provides important opportunities for adaptation.
Based on Press Release SG/SM/12682 and UN News (21 December 2009)
2010 Regular Session of NGO Committee will be held from 25 January to 3 February to examine applications for consultative status and consider reclassifications and quadrennial reports
The Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) is a standing committee of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), established by the Council in 1946. It reports directly to ECOSOC, and the two reports of its annual regular session (usually at the end of January) and resumed session (in May) include draft resolutions or decisions on matters calling for action by the Council.
The Committee, mandated with the responsibility to monitor the evolving relationship between NGOs and the United Nations, will have a heavy agenda and examine 140 new applications from NGOs seeking consultative status with ECOSOC. The Committee will also consider around 170 submissions of quadrennial reports from NGOs in Special and General consultative status.
The Committee has 19 members who are elected on the basis of equitable geographical representation: 5 members from African States; 4 members from Asian States; 2 members from Eastern European States; 4 members from Latin American and Caribbean States; and 4 members from Western European and other States. The term of office of its members is four years. The current terms of reference of the Committee are set out in Resolution 1996/31 of 25 July 1996. In its proceedings the Committee is guided by the rules of procedure of the Council.
The main tasks of the Committee are the consideration of applications for consultative status and requests for reclassification submitted by NGOs, the review of quadrennial reports submitted by NGOs in General and Special categories and the implementation of the provisions of Council resolution 1996/31 and the monitoring of the consultative relationship.
“Improving the quality of life of a growing population in a sustainable manner remains the most urgent development priority for the international community,” stressed United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in his report on the strengthening of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
The United Nations is calling for nominations for the UN Public Service Awards 2014. This is an international contest designed to promote and support innovations in public service delivery worldwide. The award is open to public organizations of all kinds, including Governments and public-private partnerships that are involved in delivering services to citizens around the globe.
The world has changed significantly since the adoption of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2000. Many challenges that require truly global responses, such as climate change, environmental degradation, demographic dynamics and rising inequalities among countries have become only more pressing. The development landscape has also changed. Southern economies are playing a larger role in development cooperation, as are other actors, including the private sector, philanthropic organizations, civil society organizations and local authorities. 
In collaboration with the Permanent Mission of Austria to the United Nations, DPADM organized a high-level Panel on Safeguarding Financing for Sustainable Development in New York on May 28, 2013. 
The meeting gathered high-level representatives of Governments, UN system, Major Groups, civil society and the private sector to examine how integration of the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development can lead to triple-win solutions in the energy and agriculture sectors. In this regard, participants made recommendations for policy convergence and scaling up initiatives for sustainable development. 
The session focused on food security and nutrition, sustainable agriculture, desertification, land degradation, drought and water and sanitation.
The Council will have before it a report of the Secretary-General on further progress achieved in strengthening the work of the Committee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters and its cooperation with concerned multilateral bodies and relevant regional and sub-regional organizations.
At this special event, discussing the role of foundations in international development cooperation, philanthropic organizations agreed to further engage in shaping a shared vision of the post-2015 development agenda and the renewal of the global partnership for development.
The central feature of the meeting focusing on the “World economic situation and prospects in the wake of the world financial and economic crisis”, was accompanied by debates on financing sustainable development, leveraging private capital, outcomes of the Rio+20 and global partnerships. 
The session ended with an agreement on a series of measures aimed at improving sustainable management of forests and ensuring that forest issues will continue to have priority in the process to define the United Nations development agenda after 2015. 
Questions addressed topics ranging from the sustainable development goals (SDGs); how to ensure government and private sector accountability, to safeguarding human rights and gender equality.
Aimed at bringing the voices of youth into the important discussions and decisions of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) ahead of its annual meeting in July, and to engage young people on how STI and culture can facilitate change, ECOSOC gathered youth representatives, young corporate leaders and opinion leaders for a Youth Forum Event on 27 March. 
The Population Commission was established by the Economic and Social Council in 1946 and later renamed to the Commission on Population and Development in 1994. Its primary role is to follow-up on the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and as a functional Commission assisting the Council, to monitor, review and assess the implementation of the Programme of Action at the national, regional and international levels. 
The Equinox is the time when the Northern and Southern Hemispheres get the same amount of sunlight and days and nights are equal in duration. “It conjures a vision of equality and balance in nature,” said Mr Seth. “We need this equilibrium between human economic and social aspirations as well as the Earth’s carrying capacity and ecological boundaries,” he stressed.
The meeting commenced with opening remarks by General Assembly President Vuk Jeremić and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The Secretary-General stressed the urgency of the OWG’s task. 
The year 2013 is a year of transition. Time is fast closing to the end of the period the international community assigned to itself to implement the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) while discussions on the contours of UN development strategy for the post 2015 era have already started. 
This new global celebration of forests builds on the successes of the International Year of Forests in 2011, and provides a platform to raise awareness of the importance of all types of forests and of trees outside forests.
CSocD is a functional commission of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Since the World Summit for Social Development took place in Copenhagen in 1995, the Commission has been the key UN body in charge of the follow-up and implementation of the Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action. As a result of the Summit, the mandate of the Commission was reviewed and its membership expanded from 32 to 46 members in 1996.
The 30-member working group, consisting of countries from all regions, will prepare a report containing a proposal on the SDGs that the 193-member Assembly will consider and act on at its 68th session, which begins in September. 
“We hope to bring views from all corners of the world together because what we are striving for is an agenda that will take us to a shared, secure and sustainable global development for all, our generation and all future ones,” said Rob Vos, Director of DESA’s Division for Development Policy and Analysis (DPAD).
Human life on earth would depend on the formulation of a set of sustainable development goals built on an ambitious vision, Kate Raworth, Senior Researcher for Oxfam GB, told the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) on 16 October as it held a panel discussion on this topic.
This year’s theme links to the observance of the United Nations International Year of Cooperatives (IYC). It seeks to encourage the growth and establishment of cooperatives all over the world, and to recognize the actions of cooperatives in helping to achieve internationally agreed upon development goals, such as the Millennium Development Goals.
The Conference gathered more than 40,000 people, including UN officials, chief executive officers and civil society leaders and over 100 Heads of State and government. The event followed on from the Earth Summit in 1992, also held in Rio de Janeiro, during which countries adopted Agenda 21 – a blueprint to rethink economic growth, advance social equity and ensure environmental protection.
The UN Conference on Sustainable Development – known as Rio+20 – will take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on 20-22 June with the goal of securing renewed political commitment for sustainable development, assessing the progress to date and the remaining gaps in the implementation of the outcomes of the major summits on sustainable development, and addressing new and emerging challenges.
The coordination meeting brought together representatives from UN entities, other relevant intergovernmental and regional organizations, Member States, civil society and the research community. In total, some 120 participants attended the two-day event.
The ceremony also featured the winners of the 2011 Universal Postal Union letter-writing contest, which drew entries from more than 2 million children and youth worldwide, and the announcement of the winners of the 2011 children’s art contest “Celebrate the Forests”.
The event is being organized by the United Nations Forum on Forests Secretariat, which was designated as the focal point for the International Year by the General Assembly.
Government delegates, members of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF), and representatives from intergovernmental organizations and major groups gathered at the 9th session of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF9) from 24 January – 4 February in New York. During the High-level Ministerial Segment, the International Year of Forests (Forests 2011) was launched at the General Assembly Hall; four Ministerial roundtables were held, as well as a dialogue with the Collaborative Partnership on Forests.
The ceremony also featured the premiere of two films. The first was a short animated Public Service Announcement, showcasing the importance of forests in our daily lives. The second film premiered at the ceremony was a short film by International Filmmaker Yann Arthus-Bertrand, titled “Of Forests and Men,” narrated by UN Goodwill Ambassador Edward Norton. The films are now available on the official Forests 2011 website.
The ceremony also featured the premiere of two films. The first was a short animated Public Service Announcement, showcasing the importance of forests in our daily lives. The second film premiered at the ceremony was a short film by International Filmmaker Yann Arthus-Bertrand, titled “Of Forests and Men,” narrated by UN Goodwill Ambassador Edward Norton. The films are now available on the official Forests 2011 website.
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