Final Communiqu�- Meeting of the High-Level Panel, Bali

We, members of the High Level Panel commissioned by the United Nations Secretary General to recommend an ambitious yet achievable framework for the world's post-2015 development agenda, met in Bali, Indonesia from 25 to 27 March 2013. We discussed how to build a global partnership and means of implementation for our development agenda.

Photo credit: Firdia Lisnawati (The Guardian)

We highly value the importance of an open, transparent and inclusive process. We seek to promote global ownership of a shared development agenda. We have therefore consulted with a range of stakeholders prior to and during our meeting in Bali on a range of development issues. We heard reports from women, youth and the informal sector, from parliamentarians and other elected representatives, the initial findings of national, regional and thematic consultations conducted by civil society, academia, the UN, national governments, the private sector, and other stakeholders. We welcome the richness and depth they have brought to the process and are committed to continuing broad consultations and to finding ways of reflecting the priorities that we have heard.

At this week's meeting, we agreed on the need for a renewed Global Partnership that enables a transformative, people-centered and planet-sensitive development agenda which is realized through the equal partnership of all stakeholders. Such partnership should be based on the principles of equity, sustainability, solidarity, respect for humanity and shared responsibilities in accordance with respective capabilities. Our vision is to end extreme poverty in all its forms in the context of sustainable development and to have in place the building blocks of sustained prosperity for all.

We realize our vision will only be possible if we define the means of implementation and encourage partnerships at all levels, throughout all development processes. A global partnership will therefore be an integral part of a new development framework after 2015. We also recognize the need to promote a single and coherent post-2015 development agenda that integrates economic growth, social inclusion and environmental sustainability. It is essential that all post-2015 intergovernmental processes and outcomes, including the Rio+20 outcomes and its follow up, are coherent and mutually reinforcing. The United Nations Secretary General has an important supportive role to play in this regard. Humbly acknowledging the many other international and regional initiatives that will take forward these issues, we highlight four key areas on which progress is needed to achieve our post-2015 vision:

Reshaped and revitalized global governance and partnerships. The challenges of our globalized world are becoming more complex and cross-cutting in nature, while stakeholders become more diverse and play more roles. Our approach to addressing such challenges should be universally applicable while at the same time implementable at the national, sub-national, community and individual levels. We therefore need to strengthen global governance to ensure it is fit for its purpose; avoid overlap and the duplication of efforts; and encourage joint work to address cross-cutting issues. This includes ensuring that the United Nations, multilateral systems, and all development actors effectively support the post-2015 development agenda, using a full array of technical exchange, trade, migration, investment and other instruments to strengthen societies and protect human rights. Enhanced and scaled up models of cooperation among all levels of governments, the private sector, and civil society at the global, regional, national, and sub-­‐national levels will be needed. The wealth of experience from the Millennium Development Goals should be a reference for our effort to help shape global governance and responsive partnerships.

Protection of the global environment. Our people-centered and planet-sensitive post-2015 agenda will need to be grounded in a commitment to address global environmental challenges, strengthen resilience, and improve disaster preparedness capacities. A more stable climate, clean atmosphere, and healthy and productive forests and oceans are just some of the environmental resources from which we all benefit. People living in poverty have been hardest hit by the degradation of the global environment. We have considered where the post-2015 development framework should help address environmental challenges by promoting global cooperation in line with each country's level of capacity and responsibility to act.

Sustainable Production and Consumption. The future development framework should consider the challenge of the predicted peak of human population to 9-10 billion in 2050 and the need to manage the world's production and consumption patterns in more sustainable and equitable ways. There should also be changed behavior in this regard in all countries in order to make more efficient use of environmental assets and resources. This speaks to the new agenda being truly universal.

Strengthened means of implementation. We agreed that a post-2015 agenda should clearly specify the means of implementation, including financing for development. A greater commitment to improving and using country systems as well as the global system in this regard is particularly important. Ownership at all levels is crucial. Adequate, stable and predictable financing, as well as efficient use of resources, is required to support development. This will require honoring international, regional, and national financing commitments, enhancing domestic resource mobilization, and multiple complementary and innovative sources of finance such as private investment, corporate social responsibility, philanthropy, North-South, South-South and triangular cooperation, public-private partnerships, debt swaps, guarantees and market mechanisms. Particularly important will be the regulation of tax havens and illicit financial flows. Enhanced knowledge sharing, capacity building, technology transfers, data collection and trade will also be key.

Data availability and better accountability in measuring progress. We need a data revolution. Too often, development efforts have been hampered by a lack of the most basic data about the social and economic circumstances in which people live. Substantial improvements in national and subnational statistical systems including local and subnational levels and the availability, quality and timeliness of baseline data, disaggregated by sex, age, region and other variables, will be needed. Stronger monitoring and evaluation at all levels, and in all processes of development (from planning to implementation) will help guide decision making, update priorities and ensure accountability. This will require substantial investments in building capacity in advance of 2015. A regularly updated registry of commitments is one idea to ensure accountability and monitor delivery gaps. We must also take advantage of new technologies and access to open data for all people.

Following this meeting in Bali, the Panel will begin to draft a final report. We are grateful to those who have provided insights and inputs through meetings, consultations, and other submissions. We will strive to ensure that the report, to be submitted to the Secretary General at the end of May 2013, responds to these aspirations, concerns and interests and is consistent with the commitments of all countries and stakeholders. We also hope that the Panel's work will promote a single and coherent post-­‐2015 development agenda.

We extend our thanks to the Government of Indonesia and the people of Bali for their warmth and hospitality.

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