News

Did you know…

• That a new development framework of global priorities is being developed? This provides us all, as women’s rights, gender equality and HIV advocates with an opportunity to make sure these issues are among the global priorities.

Global goals will be set…

• The development framework will be composed of a series of Sustainable Development Goals, also known as SDGs. Find out more at http://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/ This process of developing a new development framework is being referred to as “post-2015”.

Governments of the world are discussing…

• A 30-member Open Working Group (OWG) of the United Nations General Assembly is tasked with preparing a proposal on the SDGs. Membership of the OWG is made-up of Member States, the full list of which can be seen at http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/67/L.48/Rev.1&Lang=E
• As part of its agreed working methods, the OWG meets periodically to discuss and prepare a proposal on the SDGs.The 12th session of the Open Working Group (OWG12) will take place from 16th to 20th June in New York. During this session, the OWG will review the wording for each SDG and related targets.
• The last meeting of the Open Working Group (OWG13) will take place from 14-18th July in New York. Following this, a report will be prepared, putting forward a proposal on the SDGs, and will be submitted to the United Nations Secretary General.

There are ways in which you can participate…

• While the OWG are not open for overall community participation, there are a number of thematic “Major Groups” that can participate. This includes a Women’s Major Group, which has the role of assuring effective public participation of women's non-governmental groups in the UN policy processes on sustainable development. The Women’s Major Group is an open-ended group of organisations which work on women’s rights, sustainable development and environment themes. To sign-up to the Women’s Major Group list-serve, visit http://www.womenrio20.org/index.php 
• In the context of post-2015, the Women’s Major Group is calling for gender equality to be cross‐cutting across all sustainable development goals, strategies, and objectives, as well as a stand-alone goal to achieve gender equality and the full realization of women’s human rights. The recommended Goal they propose is: Achieve Gender Equality and the Full Realization of Women’s Human Rights.
• Would you like to see the Women’s Major Group policy statement on the proposed goal, engage with the Women’s Major Group or find out more? Visit http://www.womenrio20.org/policy_statements.php or contact the Women’s Major Group at contact@WomenMajGrp.org

And call for gender equality, women’s rights and HIV to be amongst the global goals!

• The OWG also provides an opportunity for advocacy: reach out to your country representatives by contacting your Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mission representatives in New York and UNAIDS country office, and let them know what you want to see in the post-2015 framework!
• A stand-alone goal on gender equality
• Gender mainstreaming throughout the framework
• A commitment to ending the AIDS epidemic, including three targets: reducing new HIV infections, discrimination and AIDS-related deaths to 10% of 2010 levels.
• Leaving no one behind is contingent upon rights-based and gender transformative action on the social, political and economic determinants of HIV. 
• Inclusive accountability mechanisms should be strengthened to enable broad participation and ownership in implementing and monitoring the post-2015 agenda.

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