New York , USA — In an informal briefing to the 193-Member Assembly, the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today presented the United Nations General Assembly with an advance version of his “synthesis report,” which will guide negotiations for a new global agenda centred on people and the planet, and underpinned by human rights. He presented his synthesis report, The Road to Dignity by 2030: Ending Poverty, Transforming All Lives and Protecting the Planet. The President of the General Assembly, Sam Kutesa also addressed delegates, describing the process of intergovernmental negotiations that fed into the report’s compilation to set the stage for agreement on the new framework at a September 2015 summit.
The synthesis report presented dignity, people, prosperity, the planet, justice and partnerships as an integrated set of “essential elements” aimed at providing conceptual guidance during discussions of the goals and the SG stressed that none could be considered in isolation from the others and that each was an integral part of the whole.
In the report’s conclusion, the Secretary-General issues a powerful charge to Member States, saying: “We are on the threshold of the most important year of development since the founding of the United Nations itself. We have an historic opportunity and duty to act, boldly, vigorously and expeditiously, to turn reality into a life of dignity for all, leaving no one behind.” He underlined that that his synthesis report “looks ahead, and discusses the contours of a universal and transformative agenda that places people and planet at the centre,” The synthesis report aims to support States’ discussions going forward, taking stock of the negotiations on the post-2015 agenda and reviewing lessons from pursuit of the MDGs.
He also welcomed the outcome produced by the Open Working Group, saying its 17 proposed sustainable development goals and 169 associated targets clearly expressed an agenda aiming at ending poverty, achieving shared prosperity, protecting the planet and leaving no one behind. Discussions of the Working Group had been inclusive and productive and the Group’s proposal should form the basis of the new goals, as agreed by the General Assembly.
The coming months would see agreement on the final parameters of the post-2015 agenda and he stressed the need for inclusion of a compelling and principled narrative, based on human rights and dignity. Financing and other means of implementation would also be essential and he called for strong, inclusive public mechanisms for reporting, monitoring progress, learning lessons, and ensuring shared responsibility. Implementation would also rely on bridging the technology gap, creating a new framework for shared accountability, and providing reliable data, which he called the “lifeblood of sound decision-making.”
Stressing his commitment to ensuring the best outcome from the post-2015 process, he underlined the need for member states to be guided by universal human rights and international norms, while remaining responsive to different needs and contexts in different countries.
(Report by: PPD Permanent Observer at the UN)