Modalities Resolution agreed by the UN GA on 2015

The modalities resolution has now passed the UN General Assembly for the 2015 process. There are some key aspects that are worth mentioning.

The first and most important is that:

(b) the co-facilitators will ensure the engagement of the relevant stakeholders including major groups, civil society, scientific and knowledge institutions, parliaments, local authorities and the private sector, and seek their views, building upon the practices of the Open Working Group on sustainable development goals and in accordance with resolution xxx on the organization of the United Nations Summit for the adoption of the post 2015 development agenda;

This ensures a positive space for stakeholders to engage in the process.  How the co-facilitates interpret this will be vital but it will also require a responsible approach by stakeholders. There were a couple of incidents in the SDG OWG which cannot be repeated next year.

To help new people engaging in the process there will be a training put on by the UN Division on Sustainable Development and me the evening of the 19th of January 6-8pm. More details on this to come.

Another issue I would draw people’s attention to is the now confirmed structure of the outcome document it the resolutions says it: may include the following main components

Declaration;

Sustainable Development Goals and targets;

Means of Implementation and Global Partnership for Sustainable Development; and

Follow-up and review;

If you are preparing input then think what you want in the Declaration. Look back at the Millennium Declaration for ideas and txt.

The modalities resolution also says that the “main basis for integrating sustainable development goals into the post-2015 development agenda, while recognizing that other inputs, will also be considered;” It is unclear that means reopening the SDGs and Targets my guess is they will be a technical review against previous agreements to ensure they are in line and perhaps there were a few missed out those that dealt with interlinkages were mentioned in the recent EU Council decision. I would also add now with two major reports out (WHO, KPMG) on Antibiotic Resistance that should be additional target. Well done to the World Animal Protection for raising the issue and the government of Sweden.

Finally I would draw your attention to this part of the resolution:

“the initial draft of the outcome document on the post 2015 development agenda shall be prepared by the co-facilitators  on the basis of views provided by member states and taking into account substantive discussions in the process of intergovernmental negotiations, and shall be presented to member states by May 2015 for the intergovernmental negotiations;”

So the May session of the negotiations will have text so if you are working on this the important meetings are January, February and March. As the text starts to take shape the ability of stakeholders to impact reduces. 

Full resolution below:

Decision adopted by the General Assembly on …December 2014 on modalities for the process of intergovernmental negotiations on the post-2015 development agenda

  

The General Assembly,

Recalling its resolutions 55/2 of 8 September 2000 on the United Nations Millennium Declaration, 60/1 of 16 September 2005 on the 2005 World Summit Outcome, 56/210 B of 9 July 2002 on the Monterrey Consensus of the International Conference on Financing for Development  and 64/193 of 21 December 2009 on follow-up to and implementation of the Monterrey Consensus and the outcome of the 2008 Review Conference (Doha Declaration on Financing for Development),  66/288 of 27 July 2012 on the Outcome Document of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development entitled “The Future We Want” and 68/6 of 9 October 2013 on the Outcome document of the Special Event to follow-up on efforts made towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals,

Also recalling its resolutions 68/309 of 10 September 2014 on the report of the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals established pursuant to General Assembly resolution 66/288,  69/106 of 8 December 2014 on the report of the Intergovernmental Committee of Experts on Sustainable Development Financing established pursuant to General Assembly resolution 66/288, 67/290  of 9 July 2013 on the format and organizational aspects of the high-level political forum on sustainable development, 61/16 of 20 November 2006 on the strengthening of the Economic and Social Council and 68/1 of 20 September 2013 on review of the implementation of the General Assembly resolution 61/16 on the strengthening of the Economic and Social Council,  68/310 of 15 September 2014 on four one-day structured dialogues on possible arrangements for a facilitation mechanism to promote the development, transfer and dissemination of clean and environmentally sound technologies, 68/279 of 30 June 2014  on modalities for the third International Conference on Financing for Development, 69/xxx of xxx December on implementation of Agenda 21, the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21 and the outcomes of the World Summit on Sustainable Development and of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development,

Further recalling its resolution 69/xxx of xxx December 2014 on the organization of the United Nations Summit for the adoption of the post 2015 development agenda, and the decision xxx of xxx December 2014 on dates for the meetings of the process of intergovernmental negotiations on the post-2015 development agenda,

1.       Notes the Synthesis report of the Secretary-General on the post-2015 development agenda “The Road to Dignity by 2030: Ending Poverty, Transforming All Lives and Protecting the Planet;

 2.       . Decides that:

(a) the process of intergovernmental negotiations on the post-2015 development agenda will be in accordance with the rules of procedure and established practices of the General Assembly and open, transparent and inclusive, consistent with the resolution xxx of xxx December 2014 on the organization of the United Nations Summit for the adoption of the post 2015 development agenda;

(b) the co-facilitators will ensure the engagement of the relevant  stakeholders including major groups, civil society, scientific and knowledge institutions, parliaments, local authorities and the private sector, and seek their views, building upon the practices of the Open Working Group on sustainable development goals and in accordance with resolution xxx on the organization of the United Nations Summit for the adoption of the post 2015 development agenda;

(c) the outcome document to be prepared for adoption at the Summit in September 2015 may include the following main components: Declaration; Sustainable Development Goals and targets; Means of Implementation and Global Partnership for Sustainable Development; and follow-up and review;

 (d) in accordance with General Assembly resolution 68/309, the proposal of the Open Working Group 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;

(e)in accordance with resolution xxx on the organization of the United Nations Summit for the adoption of the post 2015 development agenda and resolution 68/279, every effort shall be made to ensure effective coordination between the intergovernmental negotiations on the post-2015 development agenda and the preparatory process for the third International Conference on Financing for Development and other relevant United Nations intergovernmental processes in order to promote coherence, build synergies and minimize duplication of effort;

(f) the initial draft of the outcome document on the post 2015 development agenda shall be prepared by the co-facilitators  on the basis of views provided by member states and taking into account substantive discussions in the process of intergovernmental negotiations, and shall be presented to member states by May 2015 for the intergovernmental negotiations;

 3. Further decides on the following provisional indicative roadmap:

(a) 19-21 January 2015 [3 days] – Stocktaking

(b) 17-20 February 2015 [4 days] – Declaration

(c) 23-27 March 2015 [5 days]  Sustainable Development Goals and targets

(d) 20-24 April 2015 [5 days] - Means of Implementation and Global Partnership for Sustainable Development

(e) 18-22 May 2015 [5 days] – Follow up and review

(f) 22-25 June 2015 [4 days] – Intergovernmental negotiations on the outcome document

(g) 20-24 July 2015 and 27-31 July 2015 [10 days] – Intergovernmental negotiations on the outcome document.

 4. Underlining the importance of achieving a consensus outcome, decides that the outcome document of the post-2015 development agenda should be adopted by consensus;

5. Decides that the interactive dialogues of the Summit shall have an overarching theme of ‘Transforming the world: Realizing the post-2015 development agenda, and that the themes for the six individual dialogues will be decided through the process of intergovernmental negotiations of the post-2015 development agenda;

6. Also decides that these modalities will be flexible and reviewed as necessary.