CARE International welcomes the report of the High Level Panel (HLP) on the Post 2015 Development Agenda and is particularly encouraged by the ambition to end, not just reduce, extreme poverty by 2030; the call for a single sustainable development agenda post 2015 that brings together on-going discussions on development, sustainable development and climate change; and the recognition of the need to have gender equality and women’s empowerment as a stand-alone goal and to address women’s and girl’s rights across all sectors. The report also rightly recognizes the need to address conflict and peace, and to focus on the core human rights principles of accountability, participation, transparency and non-discrimination.
For all the positive aspects of the report, we also identified shortcomings that need to be addressed in the further work ahead, most notably, to tackle inequality in a more comprehensive manner, including income inequality; to put in place the necessary implementation mechanisms and make specific commitments to translate the Panel’s ideas into actual and effective progress to those suffering from poverty and exclusion; and to develop a clear monitoring and accountability system at all levels that allows us to track progress and take corrective measures.
CARE believes that one of the main challenges will be to ensure that the recommendations of the High Level Panel are not watered down during the negotiation process. We thus developed detailed comments and recommendations addressed to different actors, in particular Governments who will be involved in the design of the new framework that will guide sustainable development after 2015. The comments identify specific recommendations of the HLP report that need to be maintained in the next steps of the process and issues that need to be strengthened, in the following areas of CARE International’s work: gender equality and women’s empowerment; sexual reproductive and maternal health; hunger and food security; climate change and environmental sustainability; countries in conflict; inclusive growth and financial inclusion; and participation and accountability.
Download CARE's detailed comments here. Continue reading here to find out more about our advocacy initiatives worldwide.