Economic and Social Council

2014 Substantive Session

8^th Meeting (AM)

Economic and Social Council Selects Theme for Second Meeting

 

Of High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development

The Economic and Social Council today decided the theme for the next meeting of the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, to be convened for the first time under its auspices from 7 to 9 July 2014.

Acting by consensus, the Council decided that the theme would be “Achieving the Millennium Development Goals and charting the way for an ambitious post-2015 development agenda, including the sustainable development goals”.

Council President Martin Sadjik ( Austria) called the decision “forward-looking”, saying it would allow the High-level Political Forum to guide the elaboration of the post-2015 development agenda at a time when the Council would be moving from the stocktaking and review phase into negotiation mode.  “I am confident that this decision will facilitate consensual agreement on a single Ministerial Declaration to be adopted by the High-level Political Forum”, and subsequently, the Council, he said.  “I strongly believe that the Forum can benefit from the Charter authority of ECOSOC [Economic and Social Council].”

Sacha Sergio Llorentty Solíz (Bolivia), speaking on behalf of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China, said the Forum was a universal body and should decide the themes of its future sessions.

Olivier Marc Zehnder ( Switzerland), speaking also for Liechtenstein and Norway, sounded a similar note, emphasizing that the decision should not create a precedent.

Also today, the Council decided the theme for the thematic discussion to be held during its first-ever integration segment, from 27 to 29 March 2014 — “Effective governance, policymaking and planning for sustainable urbanization”.  The President expressed hope that the discussion would result in a set of inputs that would help in shaping the post-2015 agenda. 

Finally, he announced that the Council would elect the respective memberships of its subsidiary bodies during its first coordination and management meeting, to be held from 23 to 25 April, when it would also consider the report of the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations on its 2014 session.

The High-level Political Forum replaced the Commission on Sustainable Development.  Established at the 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, its central role is to coordinate the creation and implementation of the post-2015 development framework, notably by providing political leadership and recommendations.  It is expected to meet under the Council’s auspices for eight days every year, including a three-day ministerial segment.

The Economic and Social Council will reconvene on a date to be announced.

* *** *

For information media • not an official record