THE POST-2015 AGENDA: ESSENTIAL INFORMATION The UN, governments and civil society jointly redesign the global agenda for sustainable development

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1 THE POST-2015 AGENDA: ESSENTIAL INFORMATION The UN, governments and civil society jointly redesign the global agenda for sustainable development The year 2015 will bring on a new global development agenda. We shall have both the renewal of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the establishment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), making up the socalled Post-2015 Development Agenda. This will be also a year of key-decisions in negotiations on climate change. All these important processes are already underway, and there are many paths for contributing to them, in order that they may reach significant results. This publication has the aim of stimulating and supporting involvement by the civil society in activities towards this Post-2015 Agenda. We have tried to offer a clear and objective synthesis of the various processes currently underway, of the subjects under discussion, and of the different mechanisms of participation from the standpoint of a non-governmental organization committed to sustainability, justice, democracy and citizenship in the widest sense. Comments and suggestions are thoroughly welcome, and may be forwarded to the address comunicacao@vitaecivilis.org.br. Have a good reading! The information presented on this publication represents the situation as of 02/18/2013. Visit for an updated and fuller version. What is the Post-2015 Agenda? The year 2015 has central importance for the future of the United Nations activities, as well as for other multilateral organizations, governments and civil society entities working with issues related to development, poverty and sustainability. In order to better understand this, it is necessary to take a look at three major processes that will have 2015 as their decisive moment: the renewal of the Millennium Development Goals and the establishment of the new Sustainable Development Goals, both of them making up the so-called Post-2015 Agenda, and the talks related to climate change which, while taking place at the same time, may very well come to interact significantly with the Agenda. We present below each one of these processes, together with their mutual relationships. Renewal of the Millennium Development Goals In the year 2000, the United Nations established a series of goals to be accomplished by governments all over the world, with the aim of reaching substantial progress in parameters related to the nations integral development. These have been called the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The goals are divided into eight major groups: i) Eradicating extreme poverty and hunger; ii) Achieving universal primary education; iii) Promoting gender equality and empowering women; iv) Reducing child mortality; v) Improving maternal health; vi) Combating HIV/Aids, malaria and other diseases; vii) Ensuring environmental sustainability; viii) Establishing a global partnership for development. Since the MDGs have caused relevant impact, and since a considerable part of the objectives is being attained by several countries (this subject will be better discussed below, in the section headed Main points of debate), they will be renewed in However, it is to be hoped that this second cycle may overcome a series of limitations and weaknesses found in the original goals themselves. With that aim, the UN has already started several rounds of debate, consultation and analysis. The main official processes related to the MDGs renewal already underway are: Consultations with civil society: the United Nations and several governments have been conducting thematic consultations, on national, regional and global levels, to collect ideas and proposals from civil society. More information on how to participate and have access to the results is presented in the section headed Civil society participation; some thoughts on the relevance of these processes may be found in the section headed Main points of debate. High-Level Panel on the Post-2015 Development Agenda: since July 2012, a group of 27 heads of state, ministers and civil society leaderships has been working on a report with a series of recommendations for the post-2015 period. This report will be completed in May 2013, and the group may remain active after its publication. More information is available at UN System Task Team on the Post-2015 Development Agenda: since the decisions related to the Post-2015 process will affect the whole UN system, an inter-agency task team has been created, offering contributions to coordinate the activities. More information is available at and an initial report, with recommendations, may be found at 1

2 It is important to note that all three above-mentioned processes will likely come to influence the ultimate definition of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs, presented below), although it is not yet clear how this will happen. For instance, there is an increasing consensus towards the idea of joining the MDGs and the SDGs in a single process of negotiation, devising a single set of global development goals. A more detailed discussion of this subject is presented in the section headed Main points of debate. Establishment of the Sustainable Development Goals One of the main legacies of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development Rio+20, held in June 2012 in Rio de Janeiro, has been the choice of the year 2015 for the definition of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Sharing in the spirit of the MDGs, but focusing more on sustainability issues and environmental aspects (which received but little attention in the original set of goals), the whole SDG idea is to provide a series of objectives to be accomplished by all countries in order to ensure that poverty and inequality are reduced without overstepping the planet s environmental limits or throwing ecosystems out of balance. In January 2013, an Open Working Group with representatives of 70 governments has been formed to work on an initial proposal for the SDGs (more information at This initial proposal is to be submitted to the UN General Assembly in September 2013, and must be devised with mandatory participation by civil society and scientific community members although, again, it is not yet clear how this will happen. The group s first formal meeting was held in March One relevant fact about its composition is noteworthy: although 70 countries have been involved, there are only 30 official seats interest for the SDGs has been such that limiting the number of members proved all but impossible, and various seats are now being shared by up to four different countries, which coordinate participation among themselves. The list of members may be found at Regarding the goals themselves and their contents, UN organisms and civil society organizations have been stressing the importance of subjects such as climate change, energy, forests, biodiversity, oceans, water, food security, sustainable production and consumption patterns and sustainable cities. Debates between governments are just beginning and nothing has been settled on yet, but these are matters that have been gathering remarkable support. It is important to note that the Rio+20 outcomes should have provided more definitions on the SDGs as well as financing channels to activities related thereto. Regrettably though this has not happened entailing doubts and leading to delays. Finally, one more process related to the SDGs which must be mentioned is the creation of a High Level Political Forum for Sustainable Development at the UN yet another outcome of Rio+20 that will prove a new institutional instrument for global governance. This will replace the current Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) and will have the responsibility of integrating the three dimensions of sustainable development the economic, the social and the environmental ones into the whole UN system, working towards better coordination and efficiency in UN s sustainability-related activities. Negotiations towards definitions related to this Forum have begun in January 2013 and must be concluded by May, so that the first meeting may take place simultaneously to the UN General Assembly in September. The section headed Main points of debate offers more information on the possible relevance of this Forum, and on the challenges surrounding its constitution. Negotiations related to climate change As mentioned above, the multilateral negotiations related to climate change are not part of what has been called the Post-2015 Agenda. However, they will face a decisive moment in 2015 too, and may well come to interact significantly with this agenda. As defined in the 17th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework on Climate Change (COP 17, in South Africa), a new global climate agreement is to be signed in 2015, consolidating in one single document the various matters under negotiation (such as adaptation, mitigation and financing, among others). The agreement will be binding to all UN member states. For that reason, and considering the increasing urgency of climate-related problems, this particular juncture is commanding considerable attention. There is as yet no direct relationship between the climate talks and the processes related to the MDGs renewal (and to the new SDGs for that matter), and it is fairly possible that a formal linking between them will never come about. However, from the political standpoint, it is inevitable that matters get connected: the climate changes are pointed out by many (including the UN itself) as one of the major challenges to development in our times, and are already directly affecting attainment of the MDGs. Therefore, it is not feasible to talk about the Post-2015 period without having this issue on the table, even more so considering that the SDGs will precisely attract renewed attention to environmental issues. 2

3 Post-2015 Calendar Below are presented some of the main events already scheduled pertaining to the Post-2015 processes. Regarding the official calendar, few things have been settled on what is to take place after the 68th session of the UN General Assembly, to be opened in September On that occasion, member states will jointly define the paths to be followed, after analyzing the outcomes of consultations, researches and reports currently in the making. As to events led by NGOs and social movements, intense debate and various activities are already underway in Europe and North America, whereas in developing countries civil society is still poorly engaged (this issue is further explored on the section headed Civil society participation). For that reason, not many such events have been scheduled yet. March, 24 th -27 th, 2013 March, 31 st, 2013 March, 26 th -30 th, 2013 Third meeting of the High-Level Panel on the Post-2015 Development Agenda Bali, Indonesia May 2013 (date pending confirmation) Meeting of the High-Level Panel on the Post-2015 Development Agenda, with disclosure of final report New York, USA Final deadline for contributions to the National Post-2015 Consultation in Brazil. Material on the consultation is available at pos2015consultanacional May, 6 th -10 th, 2013 World Social Forum Tunis, Tunisia More information at 20 th session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (UN CSD), which is to be replaced by the High Level Political Forum for Sustained Development (presented above in What is the Post-2015 Agenda?) New York, USA More information at September 3 rd, 2013 September, 24 th -26 th, 2013 September, 24 th to October, 4 th, 2013 High-Level Meeting of the UN General Assembly on the MDGs New York, USA More information at: Publication of the 5 th Assessment Report on the physical science basis of climate change, by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) More information at November, 11 th -22 nd, th session of the UN General Assembly, with High-Level event on the MDGs and the Post-2015 period New York, USA More information at: 19 th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework on Climate Change (COP 19) Warsaw, Poland More information at Main points of debate Have the Millennium Development Goals made any difference? Are they worth renewing? There is a huge debate on the MDGs relevance. Many have pointed out their success in appreciably rising the amount of attention devoted by national governments and societies as a whole to the problems they address, besides bringing about a noticeable increase in the volume of resources invested to face such problems on the part of international donors of all kinds (countries, foundations, NGOs or the private sector). In addition, many countries have made significant progress in several of the aims established since the year 2000 Brazil, for instance, has achieved remarkable success. However, there is good reason for worries and doubts. On the one hand, many other countries are far from performing so well. On the other, among those which could boast significant progress, it is difficult to ascertain how much of that progress can be attributed exclusively to the existence of the MDGs and how much would take place regardless of their existence. Besides, ever since their advent, there has been questioning as to the basic approach: sectored-out and unrelated to commitments assumed in UN conferences of the 90s (such as Agenda 21). 3

4 In order to further the debate, it is also important to keep in mind significant issues that have not been duly addressed in the MDGs, and should receive fuller treatment in the Post-2015 years. Among other things, the original set of goals practically does not devote any attention to matters such as inequality, transparency and accountability, to the quality of the measures employed to reach the goals themselves (for instance, quality of education, not just number of students) or to the possibility of partial adaptation of the goals to each country s realities. Besides, the original goals have been tailored as it were to developing countries, with the developed ones mainly taking on the role of donors but the fact of the matter is that, even in developed countries, there remain severe unaddressed poverty and inequality problems, as well as resistance to financial cooperation with poorer countries. Many civil society organizations have already called attention to these and other weaknesses, and it is paramount to ask for changes in order to widen and strengthen the MDGs transforming power and to ensure social and environmental justice. Generally speaking, it is possible to say that the MDGs have had a relevant impact in terms of the attention devoted to key development issues. Notwithstanding, the outcomes do vary significantly among different countries, it is difficult to measure the MDGs influence in the formulation of public policies, and there are indeed serious criticisms and ample room for adjustments. It is important to remember, though, that the Post-2015 Agenda goes beyond the mere renewal of the MDGs, and that the new SDGs may bring significant changes to this scenario. What new things can the Sustainable Development Goals bring? The inclusion of the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Post-2015 Agenda is deeply changing a discussion that had been, so far, limited to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). In the first place, the SDGs may well bring socio-environmental sustainability issues to the center of global development priorities. The MDGs have attracted major attention and resources to key poverty-related problems, but aspects of socioenvironmental sustainability have never received as much attention even with one of the goals being, precisely, ensuring environmental sustainability. Therefore, there is a possibility of introducing goals that might take us beyond the paradigm of growth at any cost, that might stimulate governments all over the world to conciliate reduction of poverty and inequality and respect to environmental limits matters that, as is well-known, cannot go separate ways, being dependent upon each other. Besides, while the MDGs had a focus on developing countries, the new SDGs should be truly universal, bringing on changes on developed countries too. It is a well-known fact that production and consumption patterns in developed countries are the main culprits for environmental degradation, and these same countries are capable of providing important resources, knowledge and technology to overcome the challenges we face today. Therefore, the SDGs have the potential to reduce inequalities among nations and stimulate greater international cooperation in matters related to sustainability, affecting the relationship between rich and poor countries in a way that the MDGs have not been capable of. Is it better to have one single set of universal goals, or to keep MDGs and SDGs separate? Although many government and civil society representatives have already spoken in favor of joining the MDGs and SDGs into a single set of universal goals, there is as yet no official decision in that sense. The Brazilian government is one of the few actors that has not yet taken a public stance in favor of this proposal and, until quite recently, used to defend the idea of keeping the two sets of goals separate (although, more recently, signs have been given of a reconsideration in this position). The main argument for separation is that, while the MDGs are more directly linked to the realities of developing countries, the SDGs have a different nature, more directly related to the developed countries, in which case, in order to keep a clear focus and adequately assess commitments, it would be more advantageous to keep both processes separate. But the arguments in favor of a single set of goals are strong too. First, one of the core ideas of sustainability is the fact that it is not feasible to treat social, economic and environmental aspects separately everything must be seen in an integrated way. Secondly, having a single set of goals ensures greater synergy and integration in the activities, besides making for easier monitoring and enhancing transparency. Lastly, there is the argument related to human and financial resources: having two simultaneous fronts of negotiation and implementation will demand much more from governments, from the UN, from everyone taking part in the effort. For all these reasons, a single set of goals seems much more advantageous than keeping the MDGs and SDGs separate. This will happen in all likelihood and, until the UN General Assembly convenes in its 68th session, to be held in September 2013 in New York, definitions on the matter must be reached. If the development goals are indeed united in one single set, it is also possible that the Open Working Group, currently responsible for devising the initial proposal for the SDGs, will become the main negotiation forum for the whole process naturally so, since it is already operating, and to create a new structure would demand precious time and resources. 4

5 The 68 th session of the UN General Assembly will be an important moment of convergence for everything pertaining to the MDGs and SDGs. All the consultations, research outcomes and reports will be summarized and presented to the representatives of the member states, who will proceed to define the next steps to follow. Regarding a possible formal, more direct connection between the climate change talks and the development goals to be established for the Post-2015 years, it is not as yet clear how it might happen. However, as already mentioned in the section headed What is the Post-2015 Agenda?, it is no longer possible to talk about development without addressing the impacts of climate changes therefore, it is paramount that these matters be clearly linked. Do the UN consultations with civil society have any real relevance? How can civil society make a difference beyond these consultations? One major criticism of the original MDGs points the fact that these have been established with little transparency and participation, by a small group of individuals. The scene has changed remarkably for the Post-2015 debate: following an increasing trend in favor of participatory processes, the UN has been conducting several consultations and surveys on national, regional and global levels for the definition of the new goals. This change is certainly welcome, as it is important to contribute to such initiatives so that they can be further amplified and perfected. One of the current problems though is that these consultations are being made by and other forms of electronic participation, without personal questionnaires and direct surveys. Such electronic means are not always the ideal tools to capture and debate the views of different social groups on these issues. There are other caveats too: the existence of the consultations themselves does not ensure that their results will be taken into consideration. Regardless of the fact that some of them are too generic or even superficial, all consultations will in due time yield reports containing syntheses of their recommendations, to be forwarded to the UN Secretary General. He, on his turn, will also prepare a report, with a synthesis of the syntheses as it were, to be delivered to the member states. Finally, at the General Assembly, representatives of the various governments will decide on what to do with that mass of information, which might result in more or less attention being paid to the voices of all who contributed. We hope that, throughout the whole process and in each one of these stages, the outcomes will be made available to the public, but there are as yet no such guarantees. Participation of the civil society cannot be limited to such consultations, although they do indeed open up important channels for demanding and monitoring the process. It is necessary to include alternative forms of pressure, influence and mobilization, as already developed by coalitions such as those mentioned in the section headed Civil society participation. What is Brazil s role in the Post-2015 processes? Brazil has an enormous potential to make a great difference in the Post-2015 process, but our government must take on a more active, leading role in favor of truly transforming proposals if this is to occur. Brazil s position, as with other emerging countries such as India, China and South Africa, has been carrying more and more weight in the international scenario. If our negotiators choose to assume a leading role towards bold and transforming goals, instead of committing rather timidly as they have been doing so far, they may be able to contribute a lot for significant results. While the government must do its part, Brazilian civil society must keep equally alert and active. On the one hand, presenting viable alternatives in consultations and debate forums; on the other, actively monitoring the proceedings, and developing its own autonomous participation processes. The Post-2015 process also offers great opportunities for cooperation among developing countries, or South-South cooperation. If we take advantage of this moment to strengthen our ties and commit ourselves to mutual help (either between governments or civil society elements), there is potential for hugely relevant partnerships towards attainment of the MDGs and SDGs. Finally, it is well to say that the Brazilian government already enjoys a privileged position in the debate. Brazil has been responsible for leading the Open Working Group for establishment of the new SDGs, where it currently has a special role as facilitator, besides co-facilitators Hungary and Kenya (it is not as yet clear what this special role means in practice, but officially the position is due to the fact that Brazil has hosted the Rio+20 conference). The country also shares with Italy the position of co-facilitator in the negotiations related to the High-Level Political Forum for Sustainable Development (see below). 5

6 What role can the new High-Level Political Forum for Sustainable Development take at the UN? One of the decisions made at the Rio+20 conference has been the creation of a High-Level Political Forum for Sustainable Development at the UN, to replace the current Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD). The new SDGs, as well as other outcomes of the Rio conference, likely will be at the center of debates in this organism. Negotiations to define the Forum s characteristics have begun in January 2013, and must be concluded by May, so that its first meeting may occur together with the UN General Assembly in September. Few things have been established yet regarding the organism s format and the power attributed to it. While some member states support the idea of an organism operating uninterruptedly, and therefore capable of providing the various UN agencies with an agenda, others have taken a far more conservative stance, suggesting less frequent meetings and a much more consultative profile (as opposed to a more proactive one). Members of UN s civil society Major Groups (presented in the section headed Civil society participation) defend that this Forum may interact directly with the UN General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) while maintaining its autonomy, without submitting to the ECOSOC. In addition, they demand that an outstanding role be given to civil society representatives, on the basis of successful past experiences at the UN. The Major Groups proposal can be read in detail in the document available at Civil society participation As mentioned above, various NGOs and social movements are already devoting considerable attention to the Post-2015 processes. At the present moment, mobilization is stronger in Europe and North America, and it is essential that representatives of Latin America and of developing countries in general also engage, that our voices may be heard. There are two major paths to participation: autonomous processes led by civil society organizations and movements, and consultations and surveys promoted by the UN and by national governments. Civil society processes Presented below are some of the main civil society coalitions and networks involved in the Post-2015 debates: Civil society Major Groups at the UN - The Major Groups have been civil society s official participation channel in UN processes since the Rio-92 conference. They comprise a total of nine groups, divided by sectors, self-managed and open to any interested individual, organization or movement: Children and Youth; Farmers; Indigenous Peoples; Local Authorities; NGOs; Scientific and Technological Community; Workers and Trade Unions; Women; Business and Industry. More information available at (on this webpage, one can select the segment of interest, find contact information for focal points and ask for inclusion in the listings). Beyond The largest coalition of civil society organizations specifically working with Post-2015 issues, Beyond 2015 counts more than 570 members scattered through 95 countries. Information about how to engage may be found at In Brazil, the coalition s focal point is the Brazilian Association of Non-Governmental Organizations (ABONG), and contact data are available at Climate Action Network (CAN) - Connecting more than 700 NGOs and social movements working on climate change issues all over the world, Climate Action Network (CAN) is a key-actor in climate negotiations and has been enthusiastically participating in Post-2015 activities. More information is available at Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) - The largest civil society international coalition for poverty and inequality issues, GCAP has been taking an important role in debates on the Post-2015 process. More information available at Campaign for People s Goals for Sustainable Development - With the aim of bringing an independent and alternative view to what has been discussed in the Post-2015 official processes, connecting organizations and grassroots movements in order to challenge governments and the whole multilateral system to take a more progressive stance, the People s Goals campaign is an important space for civil society articulation. More information available at Civicus - A global alliance of individuals and organizations working to strengthen citizen action and civil society participation in political processes, CIVICUS has been fulfilling a significant role in the search for a louder voice for NGOs, social movements and citizens in the Post-2015 processes. More information available at 6

7 Coalition of Brazilian Youth for the Post Active since the end of 2012, this coalition is the main space of convergence for Brazilian youth interested in getting involved in the Post-2015 process. Interested parties can join their activities through the listing their website and also at It is well to note that the above list is by no means exhaustive, that many other networks treating specific themes are also highly active in the debate. Therefore, interested parties are recommended to look for information with organizations and movements working on their respective fields. UN and government-led processes The UN, with the support of national governments, has been promoting a series of consultations with civil society to collect ideas and proposals related to the Post-2015 development goals. These consultations are presented below, and a debate on the relevance of such surveys may be found in the section headed Main points of debate. A partial report about the consultations, published in March 2013, is available at Thematic consultations - The UN is conducting 11 thematic consultations on key-issues for the future of the MDGs, taken either personally or online, and open to all interested parties. Their themes are: Inequalities, Health, Food Security and Nutrition, Energy, Governance, Education, Conflict, Violence and Disaster, Water, Growth and Employment, Environmental Sustainability and Population Dynamics. More information on these consultations, as well as reports on previous ones already conducted, are available at even after conclusion of the proceedings, debates are to continue on this website. National consultations - National consultations are being promoted in more than 80 countries to collect civil society s opinion on what must be contemplated by the new MDGs. In Brazil, interested parties can participate up to March, 31 st 2013, through the website More information on these consultations, as well as reports on previous ones already conducted, are available at Regional consultations - The United Nations regional organisms have been promoting their own consultations. In Latin America and the Caribbean, the responsible organism is the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin American and the Caribbean (ECLAC), and the consultation has been performed in March, in an event in Colombia. More information on what has been discussed there can be found at (in Spanish) and (in English). Global consultation - Through the MyWorld global survey, the UN has been asking citizens all over the planet about their priorities for the Post-2015 years. Partial results have been feeding discussions in the High-Level Panel on the Post-2015 Development Agenda (presented in the section headed What is the Post-2015 Agenda?), and the consultation must continue open until Tens of thousands have already given their opinions interested parties can contribute at and partial results can be followed at IMAGE INTERNET 7

8 Where to find more information on the Post-2015 process In addition to the participation channels already mentioned, we offer below some websites and listings with constantly updated information on the subject: World We Want 2015 ( - A UN website gathering the results from all national and thematic consultations on the Post-2015 process, as well as presenting dates and information on events related to the official discussions. United Nations Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform ( - This UN platform, as of this moment more focused on the High-Level Political Forum for Sustainable Development and other outcomes of the Rio+20 conference, offers UN-produced content as well as contributions from civil society organizations taking part in the Major Groups. Beyond 2015 ( - The website of the largest international coalition of NGOs and social movements working in initiatives related to the Post-2015 process. Excellent resource for news, analyses, studies and general information on related events. Post2015.org ( - A website coordinated by the Overseas Development Institute (ODI), a British research center gathering documents, reports, studies, research and briefings on the Post-2015 process. On their website, interested parties may find a database with all the proposals issued by UN organisms, national governments and civil society on the new global development goals: Sustainable Development Goals e-inventory ( - This online inventory, coordinated by Stakeholder Forum, an international NGO, is a crowdsourcing platform to collect and organize civil society proposals for the new SDGs, with the aim of influencing negotiators of UN member states. IISD Post2015-L ( - This listing, moderated by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), offers contents provided by civil society organizations (also, directly, by UN agencies) and distributes information on events, reports and other Post-2015 activities. IMAGE INTERNET Additional references Below are some further important references, directly or indirectly related to the Post-2015 process: The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) website on the MDGs: home/mdgoverview/ The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) website: The United Nations Millennium Campaign website: The Brazilian Government website on the MDGs: Realizing the Future We Want For All, a report from the UN System Task Team for the Post-2015 Development Agenda: The Global Conversation Begins, a report with partial results of all consultations promoted by the UN on the Post-2015 process: Publication Data: Document prepared in March, 18 th, Text: Pedro Telles Collaborators: Gustavo Ferroni and Rubens Born Copy-editing: Márcia Melo Translation: André Alonso Layout: Nathany Paola da Silva Produced by: Sponsored by: Vitae Civilis Institute thanks their institutional partners: 8