During the 69th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, Member States and policy-making bodies of the UN discussed the transition period from the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Lessons learned from the MDGs were reflected in the draft agenda. Considering the transformative characteristics of education during this transition period, the Journalists and Writers Foundation and Peace Islands Institute organized the UNGA High-Level Reception titled “Education for Sustainable Development – The Role of Public-Private Partnerships” in 2014.
Sustainable development refers to economic, social, and environmental development that meets the needs of present generation without depletion of scarce resources. To achieve this, it is acknowledged that development at all levels, economic, social and environmental (three dimensions of sustainable development), should be interlinked. In this notion of sustainable development, people are considered in the center of the agenda.
The UN Post-2015 Development Agenda strives for a just, equitable and inclusive world. It aims to do so by creating a set of measurable, concrete and actionable goals and targets backed by a robust review and monitoring mechanism implemented by the UN Member States. The Agenda adopts the motto “Leave No One Behind” and at this stage of negotiating the SDGs, UN Member States propose to collect disaggregated data, goals, and targets that are measurable and adaptable.
The Member States and civil society organizations (CSOs) argue that the SDGs should be inclusive of all marginalized and vulnerable groups of population, including migrants, indigenous people, people with disabilities, the elderly and youth.
It is admitted across the board that the Post-2015 Development Agenda should be transformative, universal and human rights-based. Therefore, the future that the SDGs envision affirms the importance of freedom, peace, security, human rights, and inclusion. In this people-centered approach to development, mobilization and engagement of CSOs is essential.
The future we want can only come through the alliance of people, governments, and the launch of successful Public and Private Partnerships (PPPs).
As the draft SDGs is being finalized in the process of continuous multi-stakeholder dialogue among the UN agencies and Member States, private sector and CSOs, UNGA High-Level Reception 2015 aims to contribute to the UN Post-2015 Development Agenda by promoting the role of PPPs. By bringing the Heads of Delegations and Ministers together with the CSOs and the private, the Reception assures the active participation of the civil society and private sector in all phases of UN Post-2015 Development Agenda.
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