In the final phase of the process, UN General Assembly intergovernmental negotiations on the post-2015 development agenda (IGNP) took place at UN headquarters in New York between January and July 2015. Member States agreed an outcome document, Transforming our world: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, that will be adopted at a Summit at Heads of State and Government level between 25 and 27 September 2015.

The outcome document includes sections on:

·         Preamble

·         Declaration

·         Sustainable development goals (SDGs) and targets

·         Means of implementation and the global partnership

·         Follow-up and review

Co-facilitators - Macharia Kamau and David Donoghue, respective Permanent Representatives of Kenya and Ireland to the United Nations - were appointed to lead open, inclusive and transparent consultations with the objective of agreeing an ambitious and transformative agenda to eradicate poverty and achieve sustainable development by 2030.

In accordance with General Assembly resolution 68/309, the proposal of the Open Working Group “shall be the main basis for integrating sustainable development goals into the post-2015 development agenda”, while other inputs in the process will also be considered.

The process of arriving at the post-2015 development agenda is Member State-led with inputs from relevant stakeholders, including major groups, civil society, scientific and knowledge institutions, parliaments, local authorities and the private sector.

Building on the Monterrey Consensus (2002) and the Doha Declaration (2008), the third International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD3) from 13-16 July 2015 in Addis Ababa is expected to play a fundamental role in the achievement of a transformative post-2015 development agenda. The outcome document of FfD3, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, constitutes an important contribution to sustainable development, determining to a large extent the means that will assist countries in implementing the SDGs.

Ahead of the 3rd session of intergovernmental negotiations scheduled between 23 and 27 March, Member States received technical advice on an indicator framework to support their decision-making. Co-facilitators called on the UN Statistical Commission (UNSC) - an intergovernmental body advised by UN statistical experts - to present “for reflection” a draft set of indicative global indicators for the measurement and monitoring of the SDGs, and their implementation. In March 2015 an Inter-Agency and Expert Group on SDG Indicators was formed by the UN Statistical Commission (UNSC) tasked with developing an indicator framework to measure and monitor the SDGs. Composed of Member States with regional and international organizations participating as observers, the Group will meet in Bangkok on 26-28 October before agreeing on a final set of indicators to propose to the 47th session of the UNSC in March 2016.

FAO and the United Nations system have played a facilitating role in the global conversation on the post-2015 development agenda and supported broad consultations. By providing evidence-based inputs, analytical thinking and field experience, FAO will continue to support Member States in monitoring and implementation of the global goals, FAO will, in particular, support the work of the UN Statistical Commission by providing technical advice on existing and potential indicators. FAO’s Chief Statistician, Pietro Gennari, co-chairs the Committee for the Coordination of Statistical Activities (CCSA) that supports the Commission and is building consensus on a feasible set of meaningful indicators for policymakers.