The United Nations has already set-up a task team on advancing a Post 2015 Development Agenda and a High Level Panel on Post 2015; co-chaired by the Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia and the UK Prime Minister David Cameron. The Panel is expected to submit a final report by the end of May 2013, which in turn will inform the UN-Secretary General report on MDGs performance and recommendations for the Post 2015 development framework.
The first meeting of the High Level Panel (HLP) was held at the end of September 2012 in the margins of the United Nations 67th General Assembly in New-York and concluded with a promise to work together to fight global poverty and the aspiration to end extreme povertywithin a lifetime. The second meeting, held in London, UK, at the beginning of November 2012, focused on: (i) defining the overall vision and main questions that will frame the HLP report; and (ii) discussion on individual and household level poverty. These discussion topics included: human development, and jobs, livelihoods, and how to reach the poorest and most marginalised.
At the third meeting to be held in Monrovia, Liberia, early February 2013, the High Level Panel members will discuss national growth, economic transformation, and development. This will be followed by global partnership and implementation methodologies at the fourth meeting in Bali, Indonesia.
In London, the panelists decided on 24 framing questions to guide the work of the HLP and to inform consultative processes with a view to producing the HLP report. CSOs are invited to respond to the same questions that the HLP members are considering. Its Secretariat, led by Pakistani Homi Kharas, is therefore collaborating with the United Nations Non-Governmental Organisation Liaison Service (NGLS) and other stakeholders including the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, and the Global Compact to reach out to a broad range of civil society, scientific and private sector stakeholders across the world.
Programme
The HLP will meet in Monrovia over 5 days:
Day 1: meeting of technical experts, members of the Secretariats and Drafters
Day 2: meeting of the HLP members without the co-chairs, with an emphasis on the thematic position papers
Day 3: official meeting of the HLP with the 3 co-chairs
Day 4: CSO outreach day where the African CSO Secretariat and partners will actively lobby to engage with HLP members
Day 5: debriefing day for the HLP Secretariat and Drafters
Main theme and sub-themes
The main theme is Economic Transformation with five +1 sub-themes:
- Enablers and barriers to economic transformation
- Equitable and sustainable outcomes
- Role of the Private Sector
- Partnerships
- Conflict and fragility
- African perspective and position
Objectives and outcomes
This third meeting of the HLP will aim to develop a clear vision for eradicating poverty and achieving long-term sustainability and identify key pillars for sustained development. They will not aim to come up with indicators, as the brief for the HLP is to address the broader questions around vision and strategy. All of this will hinge on the main theme of 'economic transformation'.
Civil society participation and attendance
The African CSO Secretariat is actively working with African CSOs and the HLP Secretariat to make sure civil society organisations will have sufficient space and time to engage with the HLP members, Day 4 the February meeting being a key opportunity for African CSOs.
The African CSO Secretariat will engage HLP members based on the African People's Narrative and key findings of its various consultative processes.