Commonwealth Heads of Government on the United Nations Post-2015 Development Agenda

Statement of Commonwealth Heads of Government on the United Nations Post-2015 Development Agenda

1. We, Leaders of the Commonwealth, representing over 2 billion people and over one quarter of the United Nations membership in our 53 member states, with extensive diversity in our growth and development, present the following shared views on the Post-2015 Development Agenda.

    

2. Our perspectives on the Post-2015 Development Agenda are based on our shared values and principles as expressed in the Commonwealth Charter as well as our individual experiences. We welcome the inclusive inter-governmental process in the United Nations to achieve a concise, compelling, ambitious and balanced development agenda beyond 2015, building on and reinforcing existing agreements, and recognising the many outcomes that may feed in to the intergovernmental process.

    

3. We welcome the contributions made by the UN Secretary-General’s High Level Panel of Eminent Persons, the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals, the Intergovernmental Committee of Experts on Sustainable Development Financing and the UN Conference on Sustainable Development.

    

4. We draw attention to, and endorse, the specific work of specialised Commonwealth institutions and of our ministerial groupings on Post-2015, including: Ministers of Education, Women’s Affairs, Health, Youth Affairs, Environment, Finance, Law, and Small States.

    

5. We recognise poverty eradication as the overarching focus of the Post 2015 Development Agenda and reaffirm our commitment to sustainable development. The new agenda must tackle the causes of poverty, exclusion and inequality. We acknowledge the importance of sustainable development for all individuals, and have committed ourselves to eliminate disparities and make growth more inclusive for all, including women and girls, youth, vulnerable groups and people with disabilities.

    

6. The Post-2015 Development Agenda should address the importance of peaceful and stable societies, and effective and accountable institutions at all levels, for poverty eradication and sustainable development.

    

7. We call for a strong and inclusive global partnership to support the means of implementation of the Post-2015 Development Agenda, which optimises the mobilisation of all forms of development finance and ensures their effective use for sustainable development. We draw particular attention to the importance of the Post-2015 Development Agenda being supported by international structures and collaboration that promote, inter alia: a rules-based, transparent, free and fair multilateral trading system that enhances our trade liberalisation and developmental objectives, while taking into account the vulnerabilities and special requirements of Small Island Developing States, Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and fragile states; a stable and effective global financial system that encourages long-term investment; and access to science, technology, innovation, and development data.

    

8. We recognise the importance of the private sector in creating jobs and making the investments necessary for balanced, sustainable, inclusive and equitable growth with full and productive employment.

    

9. We will continue to work towards the successful conclusion of the UN process in 2015, and offer our full support for implementation of decisions made. As Leaders of the Commonwealth, we encourage others to approach the forthcoming inter-governmental negotiations in an ambitious and collaborative spirit to achieve a concise, compelling and balanced Post-2015 Development Agenda.