Council of the European Union Conclusions on post-2015 agenda
Brussels, 16 December 2014
The Council adopted the following conclusions:
"1. In the post-2015 agenda we have a great opportunity to address some of the key global issues facing the world today in a truly transformative manner. As the Council has emphasised in previous conclusions
Achieving a transformative agenda
The Council adopted the following conclusions:
"1. In the post-2015 agenda we have a great opportunity to address some of the key global issues facing the world today in a truly transformative manner. As the Council has emphasised in previous conclusions
1, foremost among these issues are the
interrelated challenges of eradicating poverty and achieving sustainable
development in all its three dimensions (environmental, social and economic).
To address these challenges in a coordinated and coherent manner, we need an
ambitious agenda, which leaves no-one behind. It should be truly global and
universal, with all countries and stakeholders playing their full part. These
Council conclusions consider the progress so far and the opportunities ahead,
as we enter the next stage of the international process.
2. Achieving a transformative agenda is a key
priority and the EU and its
Member States stand ready to engage in an open and constructive dialogue with
all partners and stakeholders to this end.
3. The EU and its Member States remain strongly
committed to the Millennium Declaration, to accelerating efforts to achieve the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and
to ensuring that the post-2015 agenda provides a comprehensive follow-up to
Rio+20 and addresses the structural causes of poverty, inequality, climate
change, and environmental degradation.
4. The EU welcomes the range of inputs
into the international process, including the many contributions from
stakeholders and the global thematic consultations organised by the United
Nations, that have helped engage an unprecedented number of people across the world.
Further to the Report of the High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the
Post-2015 Development Agenda and the outcome document of the MDGs Special
Event, the Council welcomes the Report of the Intergovernmental Committee of
Experts on Sustainable Development Financing (ICESDF) and the proposal from the Open
Working Group (OWG) on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which shall be the
main basis for integrating sustainable development goals into the post-2015
development agenda, while recognizing that other inputs will also be
considered, as set out in UN General Assembly resolution
68/309.
1 Council conclusions of 25 June 2013 on
The Overarching Post 2015 Agenda (doc. 11559/13) and Council conclusions of 12 December 2013 on
Financing poverty eradication and sustainable development beyond 2015 (doc.
17553/13). EU priorities for the 69th session of the UNGA (doc. 10856/14).
5. The Council welcomes the presentation
by the UN Secretary General on 4 December 2014 of his Synthesis Report on the
Post-2015 Agenda "The Road to Dignity by 2030: Ending poverty,
transforming all lives and protecting the planet". The report, by bringing
together various elements needed for a successful agenda, provides a key
contribution for the upcoming intergovernmental processes in the run-up to the
September 2015 Summit.
6. We welcome the opportunity the Third
International Financing for Development Conference in July 2015 provides to
address both enabling policy frameworks and the mobilisation and effective use
of financial resources for the achievement of the post-2015 agenda.
7. We emphasise the importance of the
ongoing negotiations to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and of
reaching an ambitious legally binding agreement applicable to all Parties in
Paris in December 2015.
8. We note the importance of the upcoming
negotiations for a Post-2015 framework for Disaster Risk Reduction at the Sendai
Conference in March 2015.
9. The previous Council Conclusions and
the Commission Communication "A Decent Life for All: From Vision to
Collective Action" 2 are important contributions to further developing the
position of the EU and its Member States in the run-up to the summit in
September 2015.
Guiding
principles
10. The Council reaffirms the vision and
priorities of the EU and its Member States as set out in its Conclusions of
June 2013 and emphasises that poverty
eradication and sustainable development are mutually reinforcing and
intrinsically linked. The post-2015 agenda should therefore integrate the
three dimensions of sustainable development in a balanced way across the
agenda; ensure coherence and synergies; and address inter-linkages throughout
the goals and targets. It is
also crucial to ensure that the agenda has a rights-based approach encompassing
all human rights and that it respects, supports, and builds on existing
multilateral agreements, conventions, commitments, and processes.
11. The universality
of the agenda is fundamental. The agenda should be global in coverage and universally
applicable, while taking into
account levels of development, national contexts and capacities and respecting
national policies and priorities. It should overcome traditional divides and
recognise that all countries have common challenges and opportunities and a shared
future.
12. The post-2015 agenda must reflect the
complexity of sustainable development and poverty eradication. At the same time
a clear and concise framework is also essential
for ownership and effective implementation by all governments and all relevant
stakeholders. A framework that can easily be communicated and understood is
crucial to success and to ensuring public support for the agenda.
13. The post-2015 agenda should be guided
by the principle of accountability, the fundamental requirements of which are
ownership of the whole agenda by all countries, transparency and effective and
efficient monitoring and review of progress. It should also significantly
increase people's ability to effectively and meaningfully participate in and
contribute to the policy choices affecting them and to hold governments and
other actors accountable for progress.
2 Doc. 10412/14 + ADD 1 - COM(2014) 335
final.
14. Business as usual is no longer an
option, whether in terms of human dignity, equality or sustainability. The new
agenda should aim to eradicate poverty in all its forms and to achieve sustainable
development in its three dimensions in a balanced and integrated manner. It must
steel our determination to end extreme poverty in one generation, building on
and completing the unfinished business of the MDGs. We note with concern that
conflict-affected and fragile states are still lagging behind. The agenda must
also recognise that environmental sustainability is fundamental to ensuring the
sustainable prosperity and wellbeing of all people within planetary boundaries.
It must unlock the drivers of the green economy, make our economies and
lifestyles more equitable and sustainable and more effective in reducing
poverty. The new agenda must
be people-centred, based on human rights, and combat discrimination, including
gender inequality and gender based violence. It should address the structural
causes of poverty, inequality and violence including by strengthening effective inclusive and
democratic institutions, good governance and rule of law. Only by addressing
all these elements will the new agenda be transformative.
Achieving a transformative agenda
15. The agenda should address the
challenges and opportunities as set out in the OWG
proposal, i.e.: poverty; hunger, food
security, nutrition and sustainable agriculture; health and well-being;
education; gender equality and women's empowerment; water and sanitation; energy;
inclusive and sustainable growth, employment and decent work; infrastructure, sustainable
industrialisation and innovation; inequality; cities and human settlements; sustainable
consumption and production patterns; climate change; oceans, seas and marine resources;
terrestrial ecosystems, forests, desertification, land degradation and
biodiversity;
peaceful and inclusive societies, access
to justice and accountable institutions; means of implementation and the global
partnership for sustainable development.
16. The UN Secretary-General’s synthesis
report presents a vision for carrying forward a universal transformative agenda
for the next 15 years and beyond, underpinned by human rights and aimed to end
poverty, transform lives, and protect the planet. We welcome the innovative approach
to use an integrated set of six essential elements to facilitate discussions in
order to frame a sustainable development agenda; an approach focused around:
ending poverty and fighting inequality; ensuring healthy lives, knowledge, and
the inclusion of women and children; growing a strong, inclusive, and
transformative economy; protecting our ecosystems for all societies and our
children; promoting safe and peaceful societies, and strong institutions; and
catalysing global solidarity for sustainable
development.
17. The agenda should tackle cross-cutting issues which should
be mainstreamed throughout, including disaster risk reduction and resilience. In addition, well-managed migration
and human mobility should be fully recognised in the agenda as potential
development enablers, acknowledging the need to address also the opportunities
and challenges of migration. We acknowledge the natural and cultural diversity
of the world, and recognise that culture, including world cultural heritage and
creative industries, can have an important role in achieving inclusive and
sustainable development.
18. We stress the importance of
maintaining in the agenda the integrated approach of the OWG proposal for SDGs,
which bring together the many interrelated challenges and opportunities. We
highlight the need to maintain and strengthen synergies, coherence and
inter-linkages across the whole agenda.
19. The agenda should leave no one behind.
In particular, it must address, without any
discrimination, the needs of the most
disadvantaged and vulnerable, including children, the elderly and persons with
disabilities, as well as of marginalised groups and indigenous peoples; and it
must respond to the aspirations of young people. We should ensure that no person
– wherever they live and regardless of ethnicity, gender, age, disability,
religion or belief, race, or other status is denied universal human rights and
basic economic opportunities. We emphasise the critical importance of quality
education, universal health coverage, and social protection for all, which are
central for the achievement of sustainable development. We further reiterate
the need to eliminate malnutrition in all its forms.
20. We reiterate that the empowerment and
human rights of women and girls, and ending both discrimination in all its
forms and violence against women and girls, must be at the core of the
post-2015 agenda. Goals,
targets and indicators across the framework should address legal, social and
economic barriers to gender equality. We recognise the importance of involving
men and boys in advancing gender equality. We remain committed to the promotion,
protection and fulfilment of all human rights and to the full and effective implementation
of the Beijing Platform for Action and the Programme of Action of the International
Conference on Population and Development and the outcomes of their review conferences
and in this context sexual and reproductive health and rights.
21. We highlight the opportunities for
building an inclusive green economy. The agenda must lead to a transition
towards sustainable consumption and production patterns which also fosters
resource efficiency and prevents and minimises pollution, including through sustainable
management of chemicals and waste.
22. We highlight the need to prominently
address peaceful and inclusive societies, democratic governance and the rule of
law. Progressing these issues successfully is a key part of making the
post-2015 agenda transformative. Human
rights and fundamental freedoms must be respected, protected and fulfilled,
including freedom of expression, association and the media. Strengthening civil
society and ensuring an enabling environment for civil society actors is
essential. We need to ensure that institutions, including security and justice institutions,
are legitimate, accountable, and efficient and act in accordance with the rule
of law. We need to effectively address the drivers of violence and conflict in
all societies and to tackle issues that hamper good governance such as
corruption and exclusion.
23. We reiterate that the post-2015 agenda
must be fully coherent and supportive of climate objectives, and these should
be visible within and across the agenda. This should support the UNFCCC without
opening up parallel climate negotiations.
24. We recognise that biodiversity is a
critical foundation of the earth’s life support system on which our present and
future welfare depends as emphasised by the Convention on Biological Diversity.
We support the integration and mainstreaming of biodiversity in the post- 2015
agenda. Meeting the Aichi Biodiversity Targets will contribute significantly to
broader global sustainable development priorities.
25. The EU and its Member States welcome
the OWG proposal. An important area for further work will be to ensure well-defined
indicators, allowing for implementation and monitoring of a final set of
targets that are specific, measurable, and achievable, preserving the important
political balance that the OWG proposal represents. Targets should have a
transformative impact, avoid duplication and be consistent with UN standards
and agreements, and with international legal frameworks. In particular, we
emphasise full compliance with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which
provides the legal framework within which all activities in the oceans and seas
must be carried out.
A new global partnership
26. The strongly interlinked challenges of
poverty eradication and sustainable development are both common – since they
are of universal concern and relevance to all people – and global, since in an
interdependent world many challenges call for collective action and global solutions.
The implementation of the post-2015 agenda requires a global partnership for
sustainable development based on the guiding principles of universality, shared
responsibility, mutual accountability, consideration
of respective capabilities, and the adoption of a multi-stakeholder approach.
We need to develop a stronger, more accountable and inclusive global
partnership to mobilise action by all countries and stakeholders at all levels. It is essential to have a more
comprehensive, coherent and effective approach, enabling the implementation of
the agenda through various means while addressing the special needs of the
least developed countries and people most in need.
27. We have a unique opportunity to make a
difference together, with a
new global partnership that is based on multi-stakeholder cooperation, which
provides a high level of exchange and collaboration can achieve higher levels
of ambition and innovation. The global partnership needs to promote and
learn from the experience of existing partnerships, such as the Global Partnership
for Effective Development Cooperation and 10-Year Framework of Programmes on
Sustainable Consumption and Production. The private sector and civil society
will have a key role to play in the implementation of the agenda and we recall
the importance of the
principles set out in the Global Compact
and UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
28. The EU and its Member States recognise
that universality will require ommitment
from all. In this context, the post-2015 agenda
should be reflected in the internal and external policies of the Member States
and of the EU, including the renewed EU Sustainable Development Strategy3, and
the Europe 2020 strategy and related policies. The EU and its Member States commit
to playing their full part in all aspects of the agenda including means of implementation,
and will also expect other partners - including new and emerging actors – to contribute
their fair share. We need to frame
appropriate and ambitious commitments
for all, taking account of levels of development, national contexts and
capacities. National ownership and accountability will be of key importance for
the post-2015 agenda and its implementation, including through
sustainable development strategies or commitments at the appropriate levels.
29. We must ensure a policy environment
conducive to the success of the framework. All countries should promote policy
coherence for sustainable development at all levels and review and assess their
policies, as appropriate, in order to support the successful implementation of
the framework. We note in particular the importance of sound policies inareas
including trade, science, migration, technology and innovation, knowledge and expertise
sharing. The EU and its Member States also remain fully committed to ensuring Policy
Coherence for Development (PCD) as a key contribution to the collective effort towards
broader policy coherence for sustainable development.
30. We recall previous Council Conclusions
on the Annual Report 2014 to the European Council on EU Development Aid
Targets4, including that development cooperation remains a key priority for the
EU, which has formally undertaken to collectively commit 0.7% of GNI to official
development assistance by 2015, thus making a decisive step towards achieving
the MDGs, and by which the EU and its Member States reaffirmed all their
individual and collective Official Development Assistance (ODA) commitments,
taking into account the exceptional budgetary circumstances.
3 Doc. 10117/06
4 Council conclusions of 19 May 2014 on
the Annual Report 2014 to the European Council on EU Development Aid Targets
(doc. 9989/14).
31. In a changing global context, the
financial resources required for poverty eradication and sustainable
development remain significant and will have to be addressed in a holistic, coherent
and comprehensive manner. We welcome that the ICESDF report highlights the importance
of a comprehensive approach to sustainable development financing including mobilisation
and effective use of domestic resources, international public finance, private finance
and innovative financing from domestic and international sources as well as the
fight against illicit financial flows. We note the need for the gradual elimination of
environmentally harmful subsidies that are incompatible with sustainable
development, including for fossil fuels. We recall previous Council
conclusions on Financing poverty eradication and sustainable development beyond
2015, and we recognise
that ODA remains an important and catalytic element in the overall financing
available for developing countries, in particular to those most in need.5
32. The EU and its Member States consider
that preparations for the Third International Conference on Financing for
Development in July 2015 and the Post-2015 Summit in September should reinforce
each other. The Financing for Development Conference should address the range
of means of implementation for the post-2015 agenda, including both enabling
policy frameworks and mobilisation and effective use of financial resources
thereby making a positive contribution to the Post-2015 Summit. The outcome of
these and related processes should result in one single agenda.
33. A solid, efficient and effective
approach to the review,
monitoring and accountability of the post-2015 agenda at national, regional and
global level will be crucial in order to assess progress towards the
achievement of goals and targets. It
should be based on effective multilateralism, openness, meaningful
participation, transparency and mutual accountability, including an element of
peer review. It should benefit from the necessary support from an efficient and
effective UN system as well as from other relevant institutions, and involve
all partners and stakeholders including civil society, the scientific
community, media and the private sector. An effective monitoring and
accountability framework should be developed within the upcoming
intergovernmental processes, including a key oversight role for the High Level
Political Forum (HLPF) in the follow-up and review of progress of the post-2015
agenda at global level. Existing
mechanisms and processes should be used in a coordinated manner wherever
possible to avoid duplication and limit administrative burden. The EU remains
committed to transparency and accountability, and in this context, the Council welcomes
the 2014 EU Accountability Report on Financing for Development.
34. Robust and measurable indicators,
with a focus on results, will be essential for reporting and should if not
yet available be developed taking account of experience, best practice and expert
knowledge as well as citizen voices for accountability. It will be crucial to strengthen the
use of existing data and ensure that higher quality data is collected in a
coordinated manner, and to capitalise on new information technologies. In this
regard the Friends of the Chair group on broader measures of progress and the
Independent Expert Advisory Group on a Data Revolution for sustainable
development have made a useful contribution. As emphasised in the OWG proposal,
disaggregation of data by income, gender, age, and other factors will be
essential to ensure that targets are met by all relevant groups and that no one
is left behind. We must recognise the need to look beyond Gross Domestic
Product (GDP) to broader measures of progress, including social, human and
natural capital, to address a more comprehensive idea of sustainable
livelihoods and well-being. We recognise the importance of developing
statistical capacities, especially in developing countries, to enable effective
accountability. We also note that Eurostat and Member State statistical offices
will have a significant role to play in supporting the evolving process of
sustainable development monitoring.
5 Council conclusions of 12 December 2013
on Financing poverty eradication and sustainable development beyond 2015 (doc.
17553/13).
35. The most essential element for a truly
transformative post-2015 agenda is its effective implementation which mostly
takes place at the country level. National ownership and leadership will be of
key importance. National efforts need to be reinforced by cooperation and
partnership on regional and global levels, including multi-stakeholder
cooperation and partnerships. Ongoing work to make the UN development system
more "fit for purpose" at headquarters as well as at country level is
important for achieving the agenda. The EU and
its Member States recognise that advancing
sustainable development also depends on our own domestic action and on
developing our own set of implementation measures.
36. The Council invites the Commission to
propose a concrete way forward on the global partnership, including the various
elements addressed above, based on continued consultative work including with
Member States.
Next steps
37. The EU and its Member States will
continue to play an active and constructive role in all ongoing processes and
support their convergence in order to achieve a single overarching post-2015
agenda. For this purpose, the EU and its Member States will continue to develop
and update common positions in order to effectively engage in a unified manner
in the upcoming intergovernmental negotiations.
38. The EU and its Member States will
continue to work constructively and inclusively with all partners and with
stakeholders, including civil society, parliaments, scientific and academic institutions,
local authorities, the private sector, philanthropic and social partners throughout the preparation of the
post-2015 agenda as well as during its implementation.
39. The EU and its Member States will
continue to engage in regular dialogue and outreach on these issues. In
particular, we will build on joint initiatives and declarations and continue to
work with regional partners. The EU and its Member States are committed to
playing an active role in building the necessary consensus to establish and
implement an ambitious, transformative and inclusive post-2015 agenda."
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