Overview I News on Post-2015 I Resources and Think Pieces I FAQs
Overview
Enormous progress has been made towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals, (MDGs). Global poverty continues to decline. More children than ever are attending primary school. Child deaths have dropped dramatically. Access to safe drinking water has been greatly expanded. Targeted investments in fighting malaria, AIDS and tuberculosis have saved millions.
The MDGs are making a real difference in people’s lives, and this progress can be expanded in most of the world’s countries by the target date of 2015 with strong leadership and accountability. After 2015, efforts to achieve a world of prosperity, equity, freedom, dignity and peace will continue unabated.
With the MDGs concluding at the end of 2015, world leaders have called for an ambitious, long-term agenda to improve people’s lives and protect the planet for future generations. This post-2015 development agenda is expected to tackle many issues, including ending poverty and hunger, improving health and education, making cities more sustainable, combating climate change, and protecting oceans and forests.
Governments are in the midst of negotiating, and civil society, young people, businesses and others are also having their say in this global conversation.World leaders are expected to adopt the agenda at the Special Summit on Sustainable Development in New York in September 2015.
The UN is working with governments, civil society and other partners to build on the momentum generated by the MDGs and carry on with an ambitious post-2015 sustainable development agenda that is expected to be adopted by UN Member States at the Special Summit on Sustainable Development in September 2015.
Key events in 2014 - 2015 (*Subject to change)
In the lead up to the Special Summit on Sustainable Development, the Secretary-General and UN System will keep supporting UN Member States as intergovernmental deliberations continue. Requested by UN Member States to pull together inputs from all strands on post-2015, the Secretary-General’s synthesis report, The Road to Dignity by 2030, channels the results of an unprecedented open and transparent global conversation and intergovernmental process that considered a broad range of recommendations, key reports, peoples’ voices and viewpoints from a wide swath of sectors and stakeholders. The report presents a vision for UN Member States to consider carrying forward in negotiations. Next September, world leaders are expected to agree on an historic and far-reaching agenda for the next 15 years. By 2030 we can end poverty and transform lives while protecting the planet.
- High-level Stocktaking Event on the Post-2015 Development Agenda (September 2014)
- Special Session to Follow Up Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (September 2014)
- Report of the Independent Expert Advisory Group on the Data Revolution for Sustainable Development (2014)
- The Secretary-General’s synthesis report (2014)
- World Economic Forum (January 2015)
- High-level thematic debate on the means of implementation for the post-2015 development agenda (February 2015)
- Commission on the Status of Women [Beijing+20] (March 2015)
- High-level thematic debate on advancing gender equality and the empowerment of women in the post-2015 development agenda (March 2015)
- Spring Meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund (April 2015)
- High-Level Thematic debate on the peaceful settlement of disputes and strengthening cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations (April or May 2015)
- High-level event on combatting climate change (June 2015)
- Millennium Development Goals Report 2015 (July 2015)
- Third International Conference on Financing for Development (July 2015)
- Millennium Development Goals Gap Task Force Report 2015 (September 2015)
- Special Summit on Sustainable Development (September 2015)
The Global Conversation
To foster an inclusive global conversation, the UN Development Group has coordinated national, global and thematic consultations. To date more than 100 consultations, involving partnerships with multiple stakeholders, including local ministries, businesses and civil society groups, have been supported by the UN with more planned. Civil society organizations from all over the world continue to engage in the post-2015 process, while academia and other research institutions, including think tanks, remain particularly active.
Through the MY World survey, the United Nations global survey for a better world, millions of people have already voted on which six development issues most impact their lives, and the number of voters continues to grow. Complementing MY World is the World We Want online platform, where citizens have engaged further in the various consultations on the post-2015 development process.
Background
At the September 2010 MDG Summit, UN Member States initiated steps towards advancing the development agenda beyond 2015. In June 2012 at Rio+20, the UN Conference on Sustainable Development, UN Member States adopted ‘The Future We Want’ outcome document, which set in motion many of the inter-governmental processes for the post-2015 development agenda, including the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals, the Intergovernmental Committee of Experts on Sustainable Development Financing, and the High-level Political Forum.
Inputs from the global conversation, consultations and other events have been included amongst the following reports presented to the UN Secretary-General and Member States:
- UN System Task Team: ‘Realizing the future we want for all’ (2012) | ‘A renewed global partnership for development’ (2013)
- The report of the High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda (2013)
- UN Development Group: ‘A million voices: The world we want’ (2013)
- UN Global Compact: ‘Architects for a better world’ (2013)
- Sustainable Development Solutions Network: ‘An action agenda for the sustainable development’ (2013)
- ‘A regional perspective on the post-2015 development agenda’ (2013)
These reports and others informed the Secretary-General’s report, “A Life of Dignity for All,” which provides a vision for bold action to achieve the MDGs and calls for a new and responsive sustainable development framework that meets the needs of both people and planet.
The Secretary-General presented his report to Member States at the Special Event towards achieving the MDGs, which was hosted by President of the UN General Assembly on 25 September 2013. In the Special Event’s outcome document adopted by Member States, world leaders renewed their commitment to meet the MDG targets and agreed to hold a Special Summit on Sustainable Development in September 2015 to adopt a new set of goals for the post-2015 development agenda. Since September 2013, many post-2015 events occurred, including:
- Consultations coordinated by the UN Development Group focusing on financing and other means of implementation at the national, regional and global level.
- The President of the General Assembly held six events – three thematic debates and three high-level events -- on the post-2015 development agenda from February through June 2014.
- The High-level Political Forum met at the ministerial level as part of the high-level segment of the Economic and Social Council in July 2014.
- Sessions of the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals concluded in July 2014 with a proposal of sustainable development goals for Member States to consider.
- The report by the Intergovernmental Committee of Experts on Sustainable Development Financing was presented to the UN General Assembly in August 2014.
- The Secretary-General’s synthesis report was presented informally to Member States in December 2014.
Negotiations by UN Member States will take place regularly throughout 2015 leading up to the Special Summit on Sustainable Development, which is where world leaders will adopt the post-2015 development agenda.
For more information on the post-2015 development agenda, visit the news and resources page.