Inclusive, people-centric universal agenda stressed

Campaigners for socioeconomic progress called for adopting a strong, inclusive and people-centred post-2015 framework of action for a complete success of the Millennium Development Goals, as world leaders are going to meet at the UN for making decisions.  
They said new development framework has to ensure meaningful participation of all concerned stakeholders, including the civil society, in the process leading up to Post-2015 Summit.
Leaders of civil-society groups made the suggestions at a press conference titled 'A Transformative Post 2015 Development Agenda: Citizens' Demands and Expectations" held Friday at the Dhaka Reporters Unity auditorium. It was organized by a rights group VOICE and Beyond 2015.
President of Karmajibi Nari and former senior research fellow of BIDS Pratima Paul Majumder, Executive Director of VOICE Ahmed Swapan Mahmud, Director of Supro and also member of Beyond 2015 Alison Subrata Baroi and Chief executive of Online Knowledge Centre Prodip Kumar Roy spoke at the press meet.
The 69th United Nations General Assembly 2014 next week in New York would focus on the theme 'Delivering on and implementing a Transformative Post-2015 Development Agenda'.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will attend the general assembly of nations.
Ahmed Swapan Mahmud read out a written statement that said post-2015 framework must address the multifaceted challenges like current trajectory of increasing consumption, accelerating climate change combined with increasing inequality, deteriorating global social cohesion and routine disregard for human rights and human security.
"There is no way ahead until these are considered to resolve," he said. He mentioned that full access and meaningful participation of all groups is essential for the transparency and integrity of the forthcoming negotiations next week in New York.
The post-2015 framework must reinforce international human rights commitments, laws and standards, fight injustice and address how its goals will allow for a progressive realization of rights.
"It must embrace a rights-based approach to development based on equality, equity and non-discrimination, and ensure the rights of people to participate fully in society and in decision-making," the statement stressed.
Mr. Mahmud said developed countries must comply with their commitment to providing 0.7 per cent of their gross national product (GNP) and the unfinished business and they should align and harmonize their activities to avoid competitions and to be refraining from service overlapping.
There should also be more transparency and accountability in delivering services to the communities for whom development is meant.
Pratima Paul Majumder said the United Nations must emphasize women rights in the post-2015 development framework.
She also demanded that government include gender equality and women rights as priority areas in new framework.
Also, the post-2015 framework must recognize the global resource constraints and aim at a more equitable distribution of resources, including how it meets the rights and needs of future and present generations.
She called for ensuring decent work environment and living wages for the female labour.
She questioned the present mode of corporate-based development which is unfavorable for realization of women rights. "This model has particularly worsened life and livelihood of rural, indigenous and migrant women."
The post-2015 framework must be underpinned by the strongest, most robust and comprehensive accountability framework possible.
Alison Subrata Baroi focused on reducing inequality within and among countries, which is essential for transformation.
He proposed ensuring progressive taxation and tax governance as a way out of challenges mobilizing own resources for financing development in the post-2015 times.
Alison also said that the post-2015 framework cannot afford an approach that promotes growth at all costs, without considering human rights and environmental implications.
"The framework must demonstrate coherence and integration across the environmental, economic and social dimensions of different goals and targets," he said.
He also emphasized access to justice and governance that should be enshrined in the post-2015 framework.
Prodip Kumar Roy pointed out climate change as a serious threat to countries like Bangladesh and said governments should take into consideration the matter of asserting the rights of the climate victims, especially for the climate migrants.
He pleaded that the post-2015 framework should explicitly specify that no target should be considered met unless it has been met for all, including the poorest and most marginalised groups.
"This will help build a global partnership towards achievement of the SDGs that makes all actors - governments, civil society and private sector - accountable."
Speakers also expressed expectations that global leaders, including Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the delegations from Bangladesh, will address the issues concerned in the forthcoming United Nations General Assembly in New York for a just and transformative post-2015 development framework.     
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