Draft Agenda for Major Groups and Other Stakeholders Briefing Day 1
Friday 20 September - 2 to 6pm
UN headquarters, Conference Room 2 (conference building)
Objective: This event will assess the progress of the Rio+20 outcomes and entry points in
the follow-up processes. In particular participants will be briefed on how the high-level
week of the 68th General Assembly will advance the post-Rio+20 processes as well as the
post-2015 development agenda, review lessons learned from the Commission on
Sustainable Development (CSD) and propose new models of stakeholder engagement for
the High Level Political Forum (HLPF).
Format: This Briefing will be provided in two one-half day sessions broken down into a
number of formats, including: short presentations, panel discussions, Q&A with the
audience and working groups. Each half day will have two co-facilitators.
1. Welcome/opening remarks
2:00-2:15
 Opening Remarks: Farooq Ullah (Stakeholder Forum) and Nikhil Seth (DESA)
(10 minutes)
 Welcome: A Major Group OP (possibly Louise Kantrow) and a southern
representative from Beyond 2015 (Another possibility is Vladamir Cuk,
International Disability Alliance) will open the event and act as meeting
facilitators. (5 minutes)
2. Review of the Rio+20 commitments
2:15-2:50 pm (5 minutes factored in for panel set-up and introductions)
Presentations on the status of the conference outcomes:
 Marion Barthelemey (UNDESA) to provide a broad overview of all the Rio+20
outcomes (5 minutes)
 Amy Cutter (Stakeholder Forum) and Jacob Scheer/John Romano (NRDC) to
present their Beyond Rio+20 report which provides a status update of the
negotiated and voluntary outcomes (10 minutes)
 Ola Goransson (UNDESA) to present report on voluntary commitments and
partnerships for sustainable development (5 minutes).
Discussion with the audience moderated by the co-facilitators (10 minutes).
3. An overview of the opening of the 68th session of the General Assembly, including key
processes (Post-Rio+20 and Post+2015) and their associated timescales
2:50-3:40 pm (5 minutes factored in for panel set-up and introductions)
Panel discussion on how the opening session of the 68th General Assembly will
advance certain Rio+20 outcomes (HLPF and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs))
plus an overview of the timescales for the processes on Sustainable Development
Financing and the post-2015 development agenda.
Panelists:
 Jeannet Lingan (Stakeholder Forum) to present the timeline of post-Rio+20
and Post-2015 processes from June 2012 through September 2015, with a
particular focus on the SDGs and the HLPF at the 68th General Assembly.
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(7 minutes)
A Major Group’s Organising Partner to provide an overview of
intergovernmental Expert Committee on a Sustainable Development
Financing Strategy (7 minutes)
A representative from Beyond 2015 to provide an overview of the post-2015
development agenda (7 minutes)
Chantal Line Carpentier (DESA) to explain the interlinkages between all of
these processes and the relevance of the high-level segment of the opening
of the General Assembly. This presentation could also include logistical
information on which meetings Major Groups and other Stakeholders can
attend (7 minutes)
Governments to comment:
 Nigeria or Finland to comment on the intergovernmental Expert Committee
on a Sustainable Development Financing Strategy (5 minutes)
 President of the General Assembly (John Ashe or Jorge Laguna Celis)
(5 minutes)
Discussion with the audience moderated by the co-facilitators (10 minutes)
4. Break
3:40-3:55
5. Overview of the High Level Political Forum,
3:55-4:45 (5 minutes factored in for panel set-up and introductions)
A panel will provide a history of sustainable development governance from Rio 1992
to Rio+20 and review the General Assembly’s recent resolution on the format and
organization of the High Level Political Forum (HLPF). Talking points will focus on
stakeholders’ participation in sustainable development governance and the lessons
learned from Agenda 21, the Major Groups’ structure and the CSD.
Panelists:
 Federica Pietracci (DESA) to provide a history of sustainable development
governance from Rio 1992 to Rio+20 (7 minutes)
 Jeffrey Huffines (CIVICUS) to provide an overview of the General Assembly´s
recent resolution on the format and organization of the HLPF (7 minutes)
 Joop Theunissen (DESA) to debrief participants on the activities of the HLPF
taking place at the opening session of the 68th session and the means for
stakeholder engagement (7 minutes)
 Barbara Adams to review the lessons learned from stakeholder engagement in
the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD). A key part of Barbara´s
presentation will be to review DESA/DSD’ 19 recommendations for
stakeholder participation in UN processes on sustainable development.
(10 minutes)
Governments to comment:
 Brazil or Italy (5 minutes)
Discussion with the audience moderated by the co-facilitators (15 minutes)
6. Developing new modalities for enhanced stakeholder engagement for the HLPF
4:45-5:40 (5 minutes factored in for panel set-up)
The presentation will review the Major Groups current involvement with the HLPF and
how it can be expanded. The presentation will also review best practice examples of
stakeholder engagement in UN led processes. In addition participants will be informed
of an advocacy strategy for advanced models of stakeholder engagement with the HLPF.
Panelists:
 Thomas Forster (International Partners for Sustainable Agriculture) to review
best practice models of stakeholder engagement within UN led processes,
particular attention Forster will be given to the Committee on World Food
Security. (7 minutes)
 Chantal Line carpentier (DESA) to debrief participants on how they can submit
their own proposals for enhanced stakeholder engagement with the HLPF.
This presentation will also provide an overview of how the 19
recommendations from Barbara´s report can be used as a framework to
develop further proposals. (7 minutes)
 Jan-Gustav Strandenaes (Stakeholder Forum) to provide strategic advice on
how the proposals will be used in an advocacy strategy to lobby the HLPF for
advanced models of stakeholder engagement. Jan-Gustav will also conduct a
planning session with the audience on what process is necessary to develop a
position on new modalities of stakeholder engagement for the HLPF and the
associated advocacy strategy that is needed. (15 minutes)
Discussion with the audience moderated by the co-facilitators (20 minutes)
7. Closing Remarks and next steps
5:40-6:00 (3 minutes factored into panel set-up and introductions)
 Dhananjayan Sriskandarajah (CIVICUS) and Chee Yoke Ling (Third World
Network) to provide closing remarks (10 minutes)
 Co-facilitators to summarize session, provide information about Sunday
session, thank relevant individuals and organisations and close session.
(5 minutes)
Draft Agenda for Major Groups and Other Stakeholders Briefing Day 2
Sunday 22 September - 10 to 1 pm
UN headquarters, Conference Room 1 (conference building)
Objective: This event will focus on the current state of the Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs) process and the post-2015 development agenda, what happens next including the
planning of the two intersessionals and morning meetings with the Open Working Group
(OWG) on SDGs and advocacy planning for the February-September drafting process of the
SDGs. In addition the event will explore linkages between the post-2015 development
agenda and SDGs, the ultimate convergence of these two processes and implications for
Major Groups and other stakeholders.
Format: This session will be broken down into a number of formats, including:
Presentations, panel discussions, mini briefings and dialogue with the audience.
1.
Welcome/opening remarks
10:00-10:15
 Welcome: A Major Group OP (possibly Louise Kantrow) and a southern
representative from Beyond 2015 will open the event and act as meeting
facilitators. (5 minutes)
 Opening Remarks: Farooq Ullah (Stakeholder Forum) and David O’Connnor
(UNDESA) to provide opening remarks (10 minutes)
2.
SDGs process to date
10:15-10:35 (5 minutes factored into panel set-up and introductions)
A presentation on the current state of the Sustainable Development Goals process
and the linkages to the Post 2015 agenda.
Presenters:
 Matt Simmons (ITUC) to provide an overview of the SDGS to date
(7 minutes)
 A representative from Beyond 2015 to provide a presentation on how the
SDGs relate to the post-2015 development agenda (7 minutes)
Discussion with the audience moderated by the co-facilitators (11 minutes)
3.
Entry points into the process on SDGs
10:35-11:25 (5 minutes factored into panel set-up and introductions)
The first half of the session will provide an overview of the Major Groups´ system and
current stakeholder engagement mechanisms for the SDGs. The second half of the
session will provide a planning session to coordinate advocacy activities and review
informal entry points into the SDGs.
Presenters:
 Sascha Gabizon (Women´s Major Group Organizing Partner) to provide an
overview of the Major Groups’ structure and current stakeholder engagement
mechanisms for the SDGs (morning meetings with the Open Working Group
on Sustainable Development Goals and the intersessional). (7 minutes)
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Ola Gorranson (DESA) to provide a tutorial on how to use the knowledge
sharing platform to participate in the steering committee for the
intersessional and morning meetings with the Open Working Group on
Sustainable Development Goals (7 minutes)
Beppe Lovoi (DESA) to facilitate a planning session for advocacy activities
around the intersessional and morning meetings with the OWG on SDGs.
(7 minutes)
Jeannet Lingan (Stakeholder Forum) or Priscilla Achakpa (Field Hearing
partner) to provide an overview of the informal entry points into the process
on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs e-Inventory, Field Hearings etc.)
(7 minutes)
Possible governments to comment:
 Hungary or Kenya (5 minutes)
Discussion with the audience moderated by the co-facilitators (12 minutes)
4.
Mini briefings on the thematic areas being discussed for the SDGs
11:25 – 12:05 (5 minutes factored into panel set-up and introductions)
Participants will be debriefed on the primary thematic areas being discussed for the
SDGs. Experts from the audience will provide updates on roughly 10 theamtic areas
under consideration for the SDGs.
Possible presenters:
 Jeffrey Huffines (CIVICUS) to provide an overview of the primary thematic
areas being discussed for the SDGs and to present the idea of having Major
Groups and other stakeholders form thematic based groups to inform the
Open Working Group on the thematic areas to be discussed in their
forthcoming meetings (7 minutes)
 Participants (to be identified) to provide individual updates on the thematic
areas being discussed for the SDGs. In total there will be 10 updates lasting 2
minutes each (20 minutes)
Discussion with the audience moderated by the co-facilitators (8 minutes)
6.
Convergence
12:05-12:45 (5 minutes factored into panel set-up and introductions)
A panel discussion on how to help support the convergence of the post-2015 and SDG
processes by addressing existing tensions and using joint advocacy for both
processes.
Possible presenters
 Bernadette Fischler (CAFOD) to review synergies between the two processes
(7 minutes)
 Jeannet Lingan (Stakeholder Forum) to talk about the need for one unified
sustainable development framework for poverty eradication and to provide an
overview of how the two processes could converge (7 minutes)
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Major Groups’ Organizing Partner to discuss strategies for joint advocacy for
the two processes, with a focus on the drafting of the SDGs between February
and September 2014 (7 minutes)
Possible governments to comment:
 Brazil or EU (5 minutes)
Discussion with the audience moderated by the co-facilitators (9 minutes)
8.
Closing Remarks
12:45-13:00 (3 minutes factored into panel set-up and introductions)
 Kumi Naidoo (Executive Director, Greenpeace) or Amina Mohammed (Special
Adviser to the Secretary General on the Post-2015 Development Agenda)
(7 minutes)
 Co-facilitators to summarize session, thank relevant individuals and
organisations and close session (5 minutes)