Despite the significant advances made by the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) initiative since its inception in 2000, much is still needed to build on the momentum created by the project and ensure sustainable development in emerging regions.

The Commonwealth is an association of 54 countries united both by shared values and by great diversity.

In 2015, the current global development agenda, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) will come to an end.

As online consultations move forward regarding the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) post-2015 framework, civil society, academia, governments and the UN continue to grapple with what priorities to set for an agenda that will be a no-holds-barred assault on poverty.

This is the second Thematic Think Piece on Disaster Risk and Resilience developed by UN entities to support discussions on the post-2015 development agenda.

The political talks towards new global goals are on.

Several world leaders, including Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia, among others are said to be gearing up to attend the third High Level Panel Meeting on the Post-2015 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Monrovia from January 30 to February 2, 2013.

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were adopted in 2000 and are supposed to have been attained by 2015, that is, in two years’ time.

In 2000, the international community approved the most ambitious consolidated development agenda in history in the form of the Millennium Development Goals.

The High-level Panel on the Post-2015 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) will meet in Monrovia, Liberia from 30 January to 2 February 2013, where the focus will be on 'National Building Blocks for Sustained Prosperity.

Experts from developing countries will gather in Dhaka early next week to talk about agendas and targets to set following completion of millennium development goals (MDGs) in 2015.

Youth from China, Japan, the Republic of Korea and Mongolia adopted a declaration on the post-2015 development agenda, at the conclusion of the North-East Asian Youth Consultation on the Post-2015 Agenda, held in Seoul, Republic of Korea.

"Just when we thought they had reached top speed, debates on the post-2015 development agenda continue to intensify – with the UN High Level Panel on post-2015 reporting as early as May this year, and the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals due to kick off soon.

When the General Assembly wound down its 67th session in late December, it underscored the key role for energy in the U.

The UN High Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post 2015 agenda has invited inputs from Civil Society Groups on what the future framework for the Millennium Development Goals would look like.

In accordance with Resolution ACHPR/Res.

  French | Spanish Deadline extended! CIVICUS – FACTS Reports Special Issue: Local Democratic InnovationsCIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation, in partnership with the FACTS Initiative, is pleased to announce a call for proposals on local democratic innovations.

BackgroundAs a worldwide alliance of citizens and civil society organisations based in the global South, CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation (CIVICUS) is committed to strengthening youth participation in civil society.

If current trends in consumption continue, by 2030, the world would have the impossible task of producing at least 50 per cent more food, 45 per cent more energy and 30 per cent more water just as arable land, energy sources and clean and safe water shrink at historic rates.

CIVICUS calls for immediate release of Iranian activist Nasrin Sotoudeh African youth: Fulfilling the potential - Jay Naidoo CIVICUS: Reprisals against Bahraini human rights defenders must end Addressing conflict and violence from 2015: Saferworld issue papers Addressing conflict and violence from 2015: Saferworld issue papers Bahraini civil society leaders meet in The Hague and call for international support to stop repression and promote respect for human rights in Bahrain Bono and Jim Kim discuss steps to end poverty Philippines: President Aquino praises NGOs Russia: What changes lie in store for Non-Profit Organizations? Sierra Leone: Civil Society slams illegal detention of NEC staff The CIVICUS Secretariat is expanding - apply for a job now! Research Manager (application deadline 23 Nov 2012) United Nations (UN) Advocacy Officer (Application deadline 23 Nov 2012) Research Officer (Application deadline 23 Nov 2012) Senior Communications Officer (application deadline 30 Nov 2012) Senior Convening Officer (application deadline 30 Nov 2012) Senior Resource Mobilisation Officer (application deadline 30 Nov 2012) Read this issue online or subscribe to recieve all future issues.

The Consul-General of South Korea in Lagos, Pilcheen Pak and the Chief Resident Representative, Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), Nigerian Office, Abuja, Mr.

In her guest blog about the launch of Bread for the World’s 2013 Hunger Report, Asma Lateff argues that the MDGs have been remarkably successful in focusing the world’s attention on hunger and poverty.

The high-level panel appointed by the UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, to draw up a post-2015 development agenda might well be casting envious backward glances at the small team that drafted the Millennium Development Goals.

The Global Youth Forum, held from 4-6 December in Bali, Indonesia, is a joint effort of the UN, NGOs, young people and the private sector to give young people a stronger voice in the ICPD2014 Operational Review process.

The core team of the UN System Task Team is organizing a Facebook chat on the post-2015 development agenda on Tuesday, 27 November 2012, 9.

 Unravelling the significance of Rio+20 and the multi-stakeholder approach - Akashni Pillay, Akashni Pillay, Policy and Advocacy Intern at CIVICUS CIVICUS Board Member wins Minerva Award Add your voice to our growing global alliance - join CIVICUS today CIVICUS urges the Sri Lankan Government to reconsider rejection of UPR recommendations and stop persecution of civil society International CSOs urge the Ethiopian Prime Minister to make essential reforms before joining UN Human Rights Council Stakeholder Forum launches website to connect stakeholders on beyond 2015 agenda Cambodia: ASEAN adopts ‘flawed’ Human Rights declaration Ethiopia: German NGO pulls out India: Rise of civil society activists Philippines: Thoughts on NGOs/CSOs Russia: Putin to review foreign NGO law Empowering civil society is right approach to disaster recovery How much do non-profits budget for technology annually? Please participate in sector research State of the third sector in Belarus in 2009-2011: Data of monitoring carried out by United Way Belarusian National Non-Governmental Organization Exploring Sustainable Development: A multiple-perspective approach Job: CIVICUS - Research Manager (application deadline 23 Nov 2012) Job: CIVICUS - United Nations (UN) Advocacy Officer (Application deadline 23 Nov 2012) Job: CIVICUS - Research Officer (Application deadline 23 Nov 2012) Job: CIVICUS - Senior Communications Officer (application deadline 30 Nov 2012) Job: CIVICUS - Senior Convening Officer (application deadline 30 Nov 2012) Job: CIVICUS - Senior Resource Mobilisation Officer (application deadline 30 Nov 2012) Read this issue online or subscribe to recieve all future issues.

Will Barack Obama live up to Civil Society expectations? by Mandeep Tiwana, Policy and Advocacy Manager Human rights defenders in Bangladesh are at constant risk: An interview with Adilur Rahman Khan on Bangladeshi CSO Odhikar Add your voice to our growing global alliance - join CIVICUS today Join up to the Ottawa Declaration: Recognition for volunteering on the global development agenda Join the Discussion: Global Thematic Consultation on Addressing Inequalities in the post-2015 development agend Burma: Civil Rights are key for democracy said the 88 Generation Students platform Egypt: The nationalisation of Egypt’s civil society Laos: International civil society warns nations of ‘resource grabbing’ Tajikistan: Closure of the NGO "Amparo" Reaching for the sky: The importance of women's leadership Register Your Organization with the Youth Division of the AUC South African Civil Society Information Service (SACSIS) Job: CIVICUS - Research Manager (application deadline 23 Nov 2012) Job: CIVICUS - United Nations (UN) Advocacy Officer (Application deadline 23 Nov 2012) Job: CIVICUS - Research Officer (Application deadline 23 Nov 2012) Job: Greenpeace - Chief Operating Officer (application deadline 20 Nov 2012) Read this issue online or subscribe to recieve all future issues.

Many members of civil society felt that the Rio+20 final outcome document was a disappointment, but many also believed that the call to establish sustainable development goals (SDGs) creates an important and potentially transformative opportunity to positively shape the global human development agenda.

The event 'Post-Rio to Post-2015: Planning International Stakeholder Engagement' brought together Major Groups and Stakeholders to identify entry points for their involvement in the follow-up processes of Rio+20 and discuss ways to enhance multi-stakeholder engagement in the Post-2015 development agenda.

UNGA Update - 9 November 2012 Member States mandated 12 intergovernmental processes to implement Rio+20 outcomes to be established this fall by the 67th session of the UN General Assembly where NGOs and Major Groups have no official means to interact with Member States.

Global Environmental Health and Sustainable Development Innovation Collaboration Webinar Series IOM webinar series organized with support from:The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and The Pan American Health Organization PAHO/WHO Webinar #2"INTEGRATING THE MDGS WITH THE PILLARS AND PRINCIPLES OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT" November 15, 2012 – Time: 11:00 am – 12:30 pm EDT ( Washington DC USA) To check local time in WDC against your time zone, see the World ClockThis Webinar will be delivered in English with simultaneous translation to Spanish and close-captioned for the hearing impaired Webinar Goals and Objectives:• Discuss how the global development framework may evolve to include environmental, economic, and social goals of sustainable development.

We are pleased to share with you the Beyond 2015's paper for the UN thematic consultation on inequalities (see English version here- French and Spanish versions will be available soon).

Climate Action Network (CAN) International will be the lead agency for the new UN thematic consultation on Energy.

As many of you know, Beyond 2015 is coordinating campaign input into the consultations in order to influence the official UN process and to help us build our own civil society position on the content of a post-2015 framework.

Beyond 2015 is providing a platform for civil society to contribute to the nine thematic consultations being organized by the UN on the post-2015 framework.

Watch out for a live chat on DESA's Facebook page on the post-2015 development agenda on 20 November from 9:00 to 11:00am.

The World Bank's Global Monitoring Report (GMR) Team recently announced the launch of MDGs and Beyond, a monthly newsletter focused on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and what comes after.

 The Stakeholder Forum has announced the launch of a new project in partnership with the German Council for Sustainable Development (RNE) to develop a Global Network of National Councils for Sustainable Development (NCSDs).

As the UN General Assembly's Third Committee opened its session on 8 October; voices and concerns of young people from across the globe were conveyed.

Inequality in developing countries is twice as high among children as among the general population, as this report reveals, with new quantitative analysis of 32 countries.

The International Disability and Development Consortium (IDDC) and the International Disability Alliance (IDA) have recently drafted a position paper on the post-MDG framework.

The panel tasked with advising on the global development agenda beyond 2015, the target date for achieving the anti-poverty targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), reaffirmed its commitment to work together on a framework to combat poverty in a High Level Panel Meeting in London.

Through this summary report, the Education Caucus provides a detailed account of their many successes at the conference, lessons learned, and partnerships made.

In this 2 day highly interactive conference, the EU Sustainable Lifestyles Roadmap and Action Plan to 2050 will be presented for the first time.

Dr.

This note provides a brief overview of the first meeting of the Secretary General's High Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda, on 25 October 2012.

The UK hosted the first high-level panel last week on what comes after the millennium development goals (MDGs).

Civil Society Organizations and social movements from the Global South have banded together and pledged to Campaign for Peoples Goals for Sustainable Development (CPGSD).

What are the lessons of the Millennium Development Goals process? What has been their impact on aid and on decision making by national governments? This discussion paper seeks to inform the post-2015 debate by examining these questions.

This call for inputs opens the opportunity for all participating organizations in the Beyond 2015 Campaign to collaborate in the framing and content of our joint position paper on Governance and Accountability.