Re: Breakfast meeting UN Day 2014
Philadelphia, October 17, 2014
Dear Breakfast Participant,
I look forward to greeting you at our breakfast meeting on United Nations Day 2014. In preparation for
this breakfast meeting, I like to provide you with an update and some background information help with
the discourse.
The adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals to replace the Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs) is a process that has been in the works for years. Now, in 2014, there is one year left of
deliberation between Member States before the next development agenda, labeled the Post-2015
Sustainable Development Agenda is set, at which time it will become the responsibility of governments
around the world to dedicate financial resources and form policy to implement universal targets. The
forming of the Post-2015 Development Agenda was designed to be open and transparent and involve
the input of stakeholders at all levels. UNA-USA has been asked by our State Department to provide
input that can help with finalizing the agenda. Our chapter is one of 30 to organize consulting sessions
with the community, in our case Philadelphia. These sessions are meant to achieve the following:
1.
Gather input from the grassroots to be shared with the U.S. Department of State and U.S. UN
Mission during the final stage of negotiations
2.
Educate your Chapter’s community on the Post-2015 Development Agenda and Sustainable
Development Goals
3.
Lay the groundwork for taking action to advocate that the U.S. Congress and local governments
will be leaders in implementing the SDGs at home and abroad
Regarding # 1, please note that as the UN moves into the negotiation phase of the process, it is by no
means certain that all 17 goals outlined in the Open Working Group Document will be included in the
framework. Our event provides the opportunity to gather input on the inclusion of specific goals and
targets that can be shared with the U.S. representatives sitting at the negotiating table.
Our breakfast meeting is a consultation. Following welcome, greetings and introductions, the “meat” of
the breakfast will be an open discussion about the current list of 17 goals as been defined by UN
working groups, preceded by introductory remarks from Dr. Lucille Pilling about the role an impact of
NGO’s in the policy making of the United Nations.
For your information, the goals for the period 2015-20130 are:
1.
End poverty in all its forms everywhere
www.una-gp.org 1501 Cherry Street Philadelphia PA, 19102 info@una-gp.org
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17.
End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture
Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote life-long learning opportunities
for all
Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all
Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment
and decent work for all
Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster
innovation
Reduce inequality within and among countries
Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts*
Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable
development
Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage
forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice
for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable
development
We like to emphasize three to four goals to discuss with you at the breakfast.
Sub-goal description for these goals are forthcoming and can be send to you ahead of the breakfast
meeting if you like to receive those. We just don’t want to overburden you with too much reading.
Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or suggestions you may have.
Sincerely,
Christiaan Morssink, PhD, MPH
Executive Director
cc. Manisha Patel, Marietta Tanner, Mary Day Kent, Cynthia Hyler.
www.una-gp.org 1501 Cherry Street Philadelphia PA, 19102 info@una-gp.org