The 2nd UN High Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda took place in London from 29 October to 2 November hosted by the British Prime Minister David Cameron. Dr. Kadir Topbaş, Mayor of Istanbul and President of UCLG, voices the views of local and regional governments in this important forum which will play a key role in defining the international development agenda for the coming decades. The London debates paid special attention on poverty eradication, job creation and the promotion of sustainable development.
The previous and first meeting of the High Level Panel was held in New York on 25th September and highlighted the need to identify catalyst that will enable achieving the targets set by the existing Millennium Development Goals in 2015 but that will also contribute to the definition of the new development agenda. The second meeting of the Panel in London stressed the need to work towards “an open, transparent, and inclusive Post 2015 process”.
The London meeting stressed the need to target individual and household level poverty. UCLG´s President stressed the importance of addressing inequalities at local level, through the provision of basic services, adequate infrastructures and the definition of local development strategies. Dr. Kadir Topbas declared: “many of the challenges we face require an integrated territorial approach and the improvement of urban planning.” He further stressed : “Territorial inequalities should be addressed by the future Post 2015 agenda”,
UCLG President further underlined the need to build on the Rio+20 outcome document which acknowledges the work conducted at sub-national and local levels, recognizing their role in public service delivery, poverty alleviation, and risk management: “the definition of concrete goals and targets in the Post 2015 process should build on the outcomes of Rio +20” and put the needs of the people and communities at the heart of the agenda”.
Following up his commitment to represent the broad constituency of local and regional authorities and their diverse networks, the UCLG President has invited local government sister organizations to join a Task-force that will prepare inputs for the 2015 process.
He further proposed the High Level Panel to have a dedicated sub-group on sustainable urbanization which will address development targets from the holistic approach of cities and will path the way for the new Urban Agenda to be defined at the Habitat III Conference.
The next meetings of the High Level Panel are due to take place in Monrovia and Bali in the first quarter of 2013. The final meeting is envisaged to take place in New York in May. This will be the occasion in which the Report to the UN Secretary General will be delivered.
For more information, please check UCLG dedicated webpage for Post-2015 process