Issue 1 - June 2014

Welcome to our first SD2015 e-newsletter. 

This e-newsletter will share with you the latest updates on our SD2015 projects and the most recent information on different post-2015 activities and processes.
 
For more regular SD2015 updates and insights we encourage you to follow our website: www.sd2015.org

SAVE THE DATE 

**NEW** POST-2015 ADVOCACY TOOLKIT AND MEDIA GUIDE
SD2015 has recently released two new practical resources to help you actively participate in and influence the post-2015 development agenda.

Our 'Advocacy Toolkit' offers an overview of key post-2015 processes and equips you with relevant information and tools to enable you to develop and implement an effective post-2015 advocacy strategy. You can either follow its step-by-step approach or simply consult the tips, tools and case studies most relevant to your existing activities.
 
The accompanying 'Engaging with the Media Guide' provides advice on the strategic use of the media and social media in the context of post-2015 advocacy.
 
Translations of both the toolkit and guide into French, Spanish and Portuguese will be made available later this month on the SD2015 website. 


MEET OUR 12 SD2015 NATIONAL PARTNERS
Following our call for proposals and a very difficult selection process due to the exceptional quality of applications, we are delighted to announce the 12 national partners that will be supported by our SD2015 team to develop national level advocacy plans on the post-2015 development agenda.
 
Our 12 partners come from 6 global regions and have already started planning their advocacy activities over the coming months. If you want to find out any further information on advocacy activities our partners will be conducting in your region then please contact us for further information: post2015@civicus.org

JOIN THE GLOBAL ACTION/2015 CAMPAIGN
There have now been two ACTION/2015 campaign meetings held in Istanbul and Johannesburg, and momentum is building for a global civil society movement to show world leaders that there is a need for a transformative and accountable post-2015 development agenda.  
 
At these meetings an ACTION/2015 Campaign Vision has been agreed- please see the attachment to this email. If you support this vision and want to register as a participant in the campaign then please complete this registration form.
 
Registration is open and free to any organisation that supports the Campaign Vision. As a participant you will receive all the latest news and updates on the campaign, with further information on how you and your organisation can get more involved.

LATEST POST-2015 NEWS AND EVENTS
There is a lot happening at the UN level with meetings nearly every other week that all aim to influence the post-2015 outcomes - it is hard to keep track! For a full overview of these processes refer to the first part of our SD2015 'Advocacy Toolkit'.
 

**NEWSFLASH**

In the last few days, the government led Open Working Group (OWG) on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has released its latest working document  that proposes 17 possible goals and accompanying targets. Governments will discuss this draft at their next session in New York (16-20 June) with the aim of prioritising and reducing the number of goals and targets. These proposed goals and targets are set to form the basis of formal negotiations begin between governments from September 2014 until September 2015 on the content of the SDGs.
 
To ensure that you are up to speed on the latest post-2015 news and events and to find out how you can engage in and influence these UN meetings, we encourage you to sign up for the NGO UN Major Group regular updates by contacting Jeffery Huffines, one of the NGO Organising Partners based in New York, with your email address: jeffery.huffines@civicus.org
 
The official UN website with all of the latest news from across post-2015 processes is www. sustainabledevelopment.un.org and you will also be able to find regular updates and news on our SD2015 website.

CALL FOR ENDORSEMENTS: ‘HUMAN RIGHTS FOR ALL POST-2015 LITMUS TEST’
As negotiations over the post-2015 sustainable development framework move into their final phase, there is a serious threat that national governments' rhetorical commitments to human rights will be watered down. Over the past few months, the Post-2015 Human Rights Caucus, a global coalition of development, environment, trade union, feminist and human rights organisations, has been pushing for the full incorporation of human rights in the new development agenda. The Caucus has prepared a Human Rights for All Post-2015 Litmus Test as a unique tool to evaluate whether proposals for the post-2015 framework respect and reflect pre-existing human rights norms, standards and commitments.
 
Contact CESR Communications Coordinator Luke Holland at: lholland@cesr.org to know more about the Litmus Test. Endorse the Human Rights for All Post-2015 Litmus Test here by 6pm EST on Monday 9 June.

2015: EUROPEAN YEAR FOR DEVELOPMENT
In May, CONCORD (the European NGO confederation for Relief and Development) organised a one-day conference in Brussels, Belgium, gathering over 100 attendees from European civil society, member states’ representatives and European Institutions. The objectives were to inform civil society on the European Year of Development 2015 (EYD2015), to make it the biggest development education activity in Europe.
 
The EYD2015 seeks to stimulate active interest of European citizens in development cooperation and foster a sense of responsibility and opportunity in policy formulation and implementation. It will be organised under the slogan “our world, our dignity, our future” and the main emphasis will be placed around the principles of universality, solidarity, partnership, engagement and interconnectedness. It will also offer an opportunity to discuss the future of the development sector.
 
If you want to find out more about this initiative and get involved then follow this link .