Response to the outcome document “Transforming Our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

On the occasion of the adoption of the Post-2015 Development Agenda, we, as the Post-2015 Women’s Coalition, reiterate our concern that the Sustainable Development Goals, Targets and Means of Implementation continue to fall short of a global agenda that addresses systemic imbalances, inequalities, and discrimination, rooted in gender equality principles that deny the basic human rights of women and girls.

There have been substantial strides towards a more inclusive process, and the Coalition welcomes the commitment of the Co-chairs, member states, Major Groups and other stakeholders since the commencement of the Open Working Group Process, which has created a new tool for realising gender equality and women’s human rights. Despite contentious issues that prolonged debates during the July-August 2015 Intergovernmental negotiations, the consensus document reflects emerging development challenges, tackles short falls of the MDGs, and takes concrete steps by the international community towards an action agenda.

This agenda is more inclusively defined and envisioned, although it still falls short of creating a holistic agenda for feminist development as sustainable development. Moving forward, we remind the international community that gender equality and women’s participation and human rights must be at the centre of all implementation efforts for sustainable and gender equitable development and peace.

Read more