President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has been appointed to co-chair the High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons under the post 2015 development agenda drawn up by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon as an effort to accelerate measures and discussions on post 2015 development agenda after the Sustainable Development Summit (Rio+20).
This appointment was announced by the UN Secretary General in a briefing during the informal meeting of the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, 9 May 2012 at the UN Headquarter, New York.
British PM David Cameroon and Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf have also declared their willingness to co-chair the high panel. Members of the panel will then be decided by the UN Secretary General, taking into consideration the geographical, gender, generation and constituent proportions, which will be announced after Rio+20 on 20-22 June 2012 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Following this announcement, President SBY, PM Cameroon and President Johson-Sirleaf wrote a joint statement expressing their readiness to cooperate in order to realize the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and draw up the post 2015 development agenda.
“The panel requires supports from all parties, especially the UN member states. So that the work of the Panel can benefit everybody, especially in assuming a constructive role to encourage efforts from the UN member states to draw up the post 2015 development agenda,” said Ambassador Yusra Khan, acting as Indonesian Charge d’Affaires Ad Interim and Deputy Permanent Representative to UN in the meeting.
Similar message was also conveyed by British and Liberian Ambassadors to UN who highlighted that the effort and initiative by UN Secretary General require supports from its member states.
Yusra added, “Drawing up the post 2015 development agenda needs to consider the latest challenges in development. It also needs to take into account experiences from the MDGs implementation, both good and bad, particularly on the issues of developing countries such as health, education for the poor and proportion between relevant policies and sustainable development of the environment as well as economic growth.”
The UN Secretary General also requested the Head of the UN Development Group and the Executive Committee on Economic and Social Affairs (ECESA) to mobilize supports for this cause. He will also appoint new Assistant to the UN Secretary General whose special portfolio is to help him promote the post 2015 development agenda. (Source: Indonesian Permanent Representative in New York)