The Inter Agency Expert Group (IAEG) held in Bangkok has concluded with a tentative agreement on 224 indicators.   159 of which are mostly agreed (green), and 65 of which will undergo further discussion (grey) . Further discussion on the 65 grey indicators ( if needed  further discussion) is proposed to take place between December 2015-February 2016.

As agreed at the 2nd IAEG-SDGs meeting in Bangkok, an open consultation will take place on the proposed SDG Indicators that were coded as “green” ahead of the meeting. As indicated by the co-chairs of the IAEG-SDGs, additional comments on the indicators coded as “green” during the meeting can also be submitted. The consultation will be open from Wednesday, 4 November 9 am EST to Saturday, 9 am 7 November EST.

The consultation is open to observers (non-IAEG Member States and representatives of regional commissions and regional and international agencies) and other stakeholders (civil society, academia and private sector) for technical comments.

The inputs provided will be considered by the IAEG-SDGs Members in their final phase of preparation of the set of indicators to be submitted to the Statistical Commission.

The final decision on the number, type and formulation of the indicators in the global indicator framework proposal will be taken by the IAEG-SDGs Members. The IAEG will finalize their report for submission to the UN Statistical Commission (UNSC). These indicators will go forward to the UNSC with additional explanation.

An IAEG work stream on disaggregation will continue until late November to prepare ‘chapeau text’ for the report, identify targets where particular population groups are mentioned and prepare proposals for disaggregation of current indicators.

The IAEG work plan until March 2016 follows:

• 29 Oct. – 20 Nov. 2015: Consultation for IAEG Members on green indicators
• 1 Dec. – 15 Feb. 2016 : Work on grey indicators based on work plan agreed by IAEG Members for inclusion in background documents for Statistical Commission
• 29 Oct. – 20 Nov. 2015: Work stream on disaggregation: Preparation chapeau and identification of targets where particular population groups are mentioned – proposals for disaggregation of current indicators.
• 30 Nov. –7 Dec. 2015: Draft Report circulated to IAEG Members
• 7 Dec. – 16 Dec. 2015: Report for Statistical Commission is finalised for submission
• 8 December 2015: Update indicators related to climate change based on outcome of COP 21/Paris
• Mid-January 2016: meeting of the High Level Group where the IAEG-SDG co-chairs will participate
• March 2016: 3rd meeting of the IAEG-SDGs

Dr. Joe Thomas
Executive Director
Partners in Population and Development (PPD)

The 193 Member States of the United Nations reached a consensus on the outcome document that will constitute the new sustainable development agenda for the 2015-30 period. The Outcome document concluded a negotiating process that has spanned more than two years including an unprecedented participation of member countries, intergovernmental organizations, and civil society organizations. The outcome document featuring an ambitious agenda with 17 new sustainable development goals (SDGs), aims to end poverty by 2030, promote shared economic prosperity, social development and environmental protection.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the agreement and said it “encompasses a universal, transformative and integrated agenda that heralds an historic turning point for our world.  This is the people’s agenda, a plan of action for ending poverty in all its dimensions, irreversibly, everywhere and leaving no one behind.  It seeks to ensure peace and prosperity and forge partnerships with people and planet at the core.”

The Outcome Document of the new agenda will be formally adopted at the ‘Sustainable Development Summit’ to be held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York between 25 to 27 September where more than 150 world leaders are expected to attend. The new agenda builds on the success of the Millennium Development Goals, which helped more than 700 million people escape poverty.  The new goals, and the broader sustainability agenda, go much further, addressing the root causes of poverty and the universal need for development that works for all people.  The preamble of the document underscores the collective commitment, “We are resolved to free the human race from the tyranny of poverty and want and to heal and secure our planet. We are determined to take the bold and transformative steps which are urgently needed to shift the world onto a sustainable and resilient path.  As we embark on this collective journey, we pledge that no one will be left behind.”

The Intergovernmental Process: At the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) in 2012, Member States agreed to launch a process to develop a set of sustainable development goals that would build upon the Millennium Development Goals.  The Millennium Development Goals have proven that goal-setting can lift millions out of poverty, improve well-being and provide vast new opportunities for better lives.  It was agreed that the new goals would be global in nature and universally applicable to all countries while taking into account different national realities, capacities and levels of development and respecting national policies and priorities. The inclusive and transparent consultations by Member States, with the strong engagement of civil society and other stakeholders, have served as a basis for the conclusion of the intergovernmental negotiations on the emerging universal and people-centred agenda.

Core Elements of Outcome Document

The outcome document highlights poverty eradication as the overarching goal of the new development agenda and has at its core the integration of the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development.  The emerging development agenda is unique in that it calls for action by all countries, poor, rich and middle-income.  Member States pledge that as they embark on this collective journey, no one will be left behind.  The “five Ps” — people, planet, prosperity, peace and partnership — capture the broad scope of the agenda.

The 17 goals and 169 targets aim at tackling key systemic barriers to sustainable development such as inequality, unsustainable consumption and production patterns, inadequate infrastructure and lack of decent jobs.  The environmental dimension of sustainable development is covered in the goals on oceans and marine resources and on ecosystems and biodiversity, bringing core issues into the goal and target framework.

The means of implementation outlined in the outcome document match its ambitious goals and focus on finance, technology and capacity development.  In addition to a stand-alone goal on the means of implementation for the new agenda, specific means are tailored to each of the sustainable development goals.

Member States stressed that the desired transformations will require a departure from “business as usual” and that intensified international cooperation on many fronts will be required.  The agenda calls for a revitalized, global partnership for sustainable development, including for multi-stakeholder partnerships.  The agenda also calls for increased capacity-building and better data and statistics to measure sustainable development.

An effective follow-up and review architecture — a core element of the outcome document — will be critical to support the implementation of the new agenda.  The High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, set up after the Rio+20 Conference, will serve as the apex for follow-up and review and will thus play a central role.  The General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council and specialized agencies will also be engaged in reviewing progress in specific areas.

Based on the outcome document, the agenda will include a Technology Facilitation Mechanism to support the new goals, based on multi-stakeholder collaboration between Member States, civil society, business, the scientific community and the United Nations system of agencies.  The Mechanism, which was agreed at the Addis Conference in July, will have an inter-agency task team, a forum on science, technology and innovation and an online platform for collaboration. The successful outcome of the Addis Conference gave important positive momentum to the last stretch of negotiations on the post-2015 development agenda.

Partners in Population and Development is observing Safe Motherhood Day in collaboration with Channel I today Thursday, 28 May 2015 at Channel I Campus.

During this Occasion, PPD conducted an Advocacy Booth at Channel I premises to promote its activities towards population and RH particularly FP, Maternal Health, Adolescent Health, Aging and HIV/AIDS as well as to promote ICAAP12 among the electronic media, print media and people of Bangladesh to support PPD and Govt. of Bangladesh to host the ICAAP12 successfully in Bangladesh. ICAAP12 is only the international event to be held in Bangladesh from 20 to 23 November 2015 and expected 3 to 4 thousand representatives from 56 countries of the world. The experts from world and community groups will attend the event and discuss about the recent issues related to HIV/AIDS field and development in the context of SDG. The gaps in responding HIV/AIDS will be discussed along with the best practices in the field will be shared during the congress. The booth represented by PPD staff.

H.E. Mohammad Nasim, PPD Board Member and Honorable Health Minister, Mr. Hasanul Haq Inu, Honorable Information Minister, Mr. Syed Mohsin Ali, Social Welfare Minister, H. E. Mr. Zahid Maleque, Honorable State Minister of Health; Mrs. Meher Afroz Chumki, Honorable State Minister of Women and Children Affairs Honorable Health Secretary along with Senior Media personality from Channel i and representative from different print and electronic media and dignitaries from various organizations visit the booth.

The Executive Director of PPD Dr. Joe Thomas welcomed the honorable ministers and other dignitaries.

And

The Chair of the PPD Board H. E. Dr. Li Bin, Honorable Minister, National Health and Family Planning Commission of Government of China has been elected as Vice President of the World Health Assembly. The 68^th Assembly opens on 18 May 2015 in Geneva.

The Sixty-eighth session of the World Health Assembly is taking place in Geneva from 18–26 May 2015. More than 3000 delegates from 194 Member States including a large proportion of the world’s health ministers as well as representatives from many agencies, organizations, foundations and other groups that contribute to improving public health attended the Health Assembly and begun their annual review of the activities of World Health Organization (WHO) and set new priorities for the future. On 18 May 2015, the first day of the Assembly, elected H. E. Jagat Prakash Nadda, Honorable Health Minister of Government of India as its new President and Dr. Li Bin, Honorable Minister, National Health and Family Planning Commission of Government of China as its Vice President.

Both the Honorable Health Minister of India and the Honorable Minister of National Health and Family Planning Commission of China are the Vice Chair and the Chair of the PPD Board respectively. We are very proud of our Chair and Vice Chair who have been elected for their technical expertise and global leadership role in the health sector.

We wish that through their leadership role, the South South Cooperation would be globally recognized and supported by North as the alternative mechanism and financial model in the SDG for addressing the population and health issues in the developing world.

2nd of February, PPD Secretariat:  Two days long Partners Country Coordinator (PCC) meeting of PPD has started in Shanghai, China from today 2^nd of February 2015. The theme of the meeting is ‘Accelerating the gains, closing the gaps’. During the meeting a high level consultation will take place to finalize the 5-YearStrategic Plan of PPD.

The meeting is graciously hosted by the Honourable Chair of PPD Board, Dr. Li Bin, Honorable Minister, National Health and Family Planning Commission, Government of the People’s Republic of China. The logistic support will be provided by China Training Center of Reproductive Health and Family Care (CTC). Dr. Joe Thomas, Executive Director of PPD is leading the delegation of PPD Secretariat. The Partners Country Coordinators (PCC) from China, Tunisia, Mali, India, Kenya, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Ghana and Pakistan will join in the discussion.

For more information please visit

http://www.mediafire.com/view/xstjof4bfimp60y/PPD_SBP_2015-2019_EN.pdf

http://www.partners-popdev.org/mis/PCCMeeting_March2015_China_Agenda.pdf

http://www.partners-popdev.org/mis/PCCMeeting_March2015_China_LogisticNotes.pdf

Brief about the writer:

Prof. Lawrence O. Gostin is a University Professor, Founding O’Neill Chair in Global Health Law, Faculty Director, O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law and Director, World Health Organization Collaborating Center on Public Health Law & Human Rights.

Short Description on the Book:

The international community has made great progress in improving global health. But staggering health inequalities between rich and poor still remain, raising fundamental questions of social justice. In a book that systematically defines the burgeoning field of global health law, Lawrence Gostin drives home the need for effective global governance for health and offers a blueprint for reform, based on the principle that the opportunity to live a healthy life is a basic human right.

Gostin shows how critical it is for institutions and international agreements to focus not only on illness but also on the essential conditions that enable people to stay healthy throughout their lifespan: nutrition, clean water, mosquito control, and tobacco reduction. Policies that shape agriculture, trade, and the environment have long-term impacts on health, and Gostin proposes major reforms of global health institutions and governments to ensure better coordination, more transparency, and accountability. He illustrates the power of global health law with case studies on AIDS, influenza, tobacco, and health worker migration.

Today’s pressing health needs worldwide are a problem not only for the medical profession but also for all concerned citizens. Designed with the beginning student, advanced researcher, and informed public in mind, Global Health Law will be a foundational resource for teaching, advocacy, and public discourse in global health.

Click here to download the flyer of the book