High-level Panel on Post-2015 Development Agenda

High-level Panel on Post-2015 Development Agenda
Name	High-level Panel on Post-2015 Development Agenda
Formation	2012
Type	International advisory panel
Purpose	Review of the Millennium Development Goals and recommendations for a post-2015 development framework
Leader title	Co-chairs
Leader name	Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, David Cameron, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
Location	United Nations Headquarters, New York City
Affiliations	United Nations, United Nations Development Programme, United Nations General Assembly

High-level Panel on Post-2015 Development Agenda was an international advisory group convened to advise Ban Ki-moon and the United Nations General Assembly on priorities for a successor framework to the Millennium Development Goals. The Panel produced a synthesis report synthesizing proposals from member states, United Nations Development Programme, civil society, and expert commissions, aiming to inform negotiations toward the Sustainable Development Goals and the Rio+20 follow-up processes. Its work intersected with efforts by national leaders, multilateral institutions, and thematic commissions addressing global challenges such as climate change, poverty, and gender equality.

Background and Mandate

The Panel was established by Ban Ki-moon in 2012 to respond to calls from the United Nations General Assembly and outcomes of the Rio+20 for a global review of the Millennium Development Goals and a new agenda for the period after 2015. Its mandate included synthesizing inputs from the High-level Panel on Global Sustainability, the Synthesis Report of the UN Secretary-General, and reports by the UN Millennium Project, the Owens Commission, and commissioned experts such as the Easterly Report contributors. The mandate required engagement with representatives from Brazil, Germany, South Africa, Japan, and United Kingdom, reflecting an effort to bridge perspectives from the G20, African Union, and the Commonwealth of Nations.

Membership and Leadership

Co-chaired by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (former President of Liberia), David Cameron (then Prime Minister of the United Kingdom), and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (then President of Indonesia), the Panel included heads of state and government, ministers, and high-profile figures from across continents. Members represented countries such as Brazil, India, France, Germany, Nigeria, Mexico, Turkey, and Indonesia, alongside leaders with backgrounds linked to institutions like the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, African Development Bank, and the Asian Development Bank. The membership drew parallels with panels chaired by figures such as Kofi Annan and Gro Harlem Brundtland in prior UN reform initiatives.

Key Recommendations and Report

In 2013 the Panel issued a report outlining a qualitative shift from the Millennium Development Goals to a comprehensive, universal agenda emphasizing prosperity, sustainability, and equity. Key proposals included integrated goals addressing climate change resilience, sustainable energy access, and inclusive infrastructure investment linked to references from the Sustainable Development Solutions Network and the High-level Panel on Global Sustainability. The report recommended measurable targets, data-disaggregation for vulnerable groups including references to frameworks used by UN Women and the World Health Organization, and financing mechanisms invoking instruments associated with the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. It proposed priorities later echoed in drafts produced during negotiations in New York City and at the United Nations General Assembly.

Consultation Process and Stakeholder Engagement

The Panel conducted extensive consultations with states and non-state actors, convening sessions that included representatives from civil society, private sector delegations such as executives from multinational firms headquartered in Tokyo, Paris, and London, and experts drawn from think tanks like the Brookings Institution and the Overseas Development Institute. It engaged with thematic commissions including the High-level Commission on Health Employment and Economic Growth and educational experts referenced by the UNESCO. Regional outreach involved meetings with bodies like the African Union Commission, the Organization of American States, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Influence on the Sustainable Development Goals

The Panel’s synthesis influenced intergovernmental negotiations that culminated in the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015. Elements from its recommendations were reflected in several goals addressing health, gender equality, clean water and sanitation, and affordable and clean energy, and in the agenda’s universal approach that drew on precedents set by the Rio+20 outcome document. The Panel’s emphasis on data, accountability, and financing shaped technical discussions within the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals and negotiations led by delegations from United States, China, and India.

Criticism and Reception

Reactions to the Panel ranged from support by leaders in European Union capitals to critique by activists and scholars associated with movements connected to the Global Justice Movement and the People’s Summit that argued the Panel favored market-centered financing models influenced by institutions like the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Some civil society commentators cited concerns about insufficient attention to rights-based approaches championed by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, while development economists influenced by Joseph Stiglitz and Amartya Sen debated the Panel’s metric choices.

Legacy and Follow-up Actions

The Panel’s legacy includes its role in accelerating consensus on a universal, integrated development agenda and informing the design of monitoring frameworks adopted under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Subsequent mechanisms, including the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, national implementation plans of countries such as Brazil and South Africa, and technical collaborations with agencies like the United Nations Development Programme and UN Women, reflect traces of the Panel’s recommendations. Its reports remain cited in evaluations by scholars at institutions like Harvard University and London School of Economics assessing the transition from the Millennium Development Goals to the Sustainable Development Goals.

Category:United Nations Category:International development