Online Survey on the High-Level Political Forum and Post-2015 Sustainable Development Governance

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About the SD2015 HLPF consultation
This online survey is a part of a wider consultation on the HLPF that SD2015 is carrying out in March-June 2015. The purpose is to make use of this crucial opportunity for members of major groups and other civil society stakeholders to shape engagement in the HLPF. We will share the findings of this consultation in a report, which will be made available in June-July 2015.

The consultation on the HLPF is run together with the HLPF Working Group of Major Groups and Other Stakeholders and is a part of the SD2015 programme, with support from the governments of Switzerland and Finland. Co-sponsors include: Brazil, Canada,and Liechtenstein. The SD2015 project is managed by CIVICUS in collaboration with UNDESA, supported by the European Commission.

In late 2014, CIVICUS and SD2015 programme partners set out to assess and evaluate civil society experiences at the Open Working Group (OWG) on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 63 percent of the respondents felt that their experience of engaging with the OWG were positive or very positive and that the modalities implemented during the OWG to enable civil society engagement should be strongly considered and the modalities even enhanced for the HLPF. 75 percent of the respondents are encouraged about the role of civil society in the HLPF, based on their experiences and engagement with the OWG. These findings of the OWG survey gives us a momentum for this HLPF survey.

In 2014, CIVICUS also carried out a survey on a number of selected Intergovernmental Organization’s (IGOs) engagement with civil society as a part of the State of Civil Society Report 2014. The outcome reflected the following concerns and obstacles to civil society engagement with IGOs:

1. Member states overriding civil society voices;
2. Consultations without concrete outcomes;
3. Need for better outreach mechanisms.

We hope that by major group and other civil society stakeholders being active in their support of, and engagement with the HLPF they can strengthen it so it becomes a unit within the UN providing a real opportunity for successful civil society engagement with the sustainable development, including the post-2015 agenda.

The HLPF civil society stakeholder consultation will be carried out in March-July 2015 and is constituted by the following parts:

• 27 March – 15 May 2015, Online survey, hosted on the SD2015 webpage.
• 27 March 2015, Side-event to launch the consultation at the UN Headquarters in New York
• April-May 2015, Regional SD2015 HLPF side event consultations in Africa, Asia, Latin America, Europe and the Middle East. Please see here, for dates and information about each of the regional consultations:
• July 2015, A consultation report will be made available at the HLPF meeting, putting forward the findings of the consultations and key positions of the major groups and other civil society stakeholders. An expert options paper will also be published detailing various options and recommendations to ensure that the HLPF and its functions are as open, inclusive and participatory as possible.
• July and September 2015, Side events to present the findings of the consultation at HLPF meeting in July and at Post-2015 Summit in September (UN HQ, NY).

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Background Information about the HLPF
The High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), established in July 2013 is expected by many to be the pre-eminent unit within the United Nations system to review sustainable development processes in the future, including the sustainable development goals (SDGs). The UN General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution 67/290, outlines the shape, structure, purpose and functions of the HLPF, and gives the representatives of major groups and other relevant stakeholders a number of specific participatory privileges and responsibilities.

In 1987, the Brundtland Report defined sustainable development as "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs" . The ultimate goal of sustainable development is to improve the quality of life for all members of a community and, indeed, for all citizens of a nation and the world, while ensuring the integrity of the life support systems upon which all life, human and non-human, depends.

In 2012, the Rio+20 outcome document acknowledged the need to further mainstream sustainable development at all levels, integrating economic, social and environmental aspects and recognising their interlinkages, so as to achieve sustainable development in all its three dimensions - the social, economic and environmental It also called upon the HLPF to further mainstream the three dimensions of sustainable development throughout the United Nations system.

According to the resolution, the agreed purpose of the HLPF, is:
“to provide political leadership, guidance and recommendations for sustainable development; follow up and review progress in the implementation of sustainable development commitments; enhance the integration of the three dimensions of sustainable development in a holistic and cross-sectorial manner at all levels and have a focused, dynamic and action-oriented agenda, and; ensure the appropriate consideration of new and emerging sustainable development challenges.”

The resolution also states that:
“Major groups and other civil society stakeholders active in areas related to sustainable development will autonomously establish and maintain effective coordination mechanisms for participation in the high-level political forum .”

The HLPF’s substantive functions include:  

• Agenda-setting
• Integration of objectives
• Implementation of goals
• Monitoring and reviews, including the annual Global Sustainable Development Report
• Identifying emerging issues
• Strengthening the science-policy interface
• Promoting evidence based decisions

This online survey represents a vital opportunity for major groups and other civil society stakeholders to provide their views and recommendations on their participation and engagement with the HLPF .  This is a chance to bring in the explicit voice of major groups and other civil society stakeholders on how to support a well-functioning HLPF, to ensure strong institutional governance around sustainable development and the sustainable development goals (SDGs), for successful implementation, monitoring and review.

Member States have decided that the HLPF, under the auspices of the ECOSOC, shall conduct regular reviews, starting in 2016, on the follow-up and implementation of sustainable development commitments and objectives, including those related to the means of implementation, within the context of the post-2015 development agenda. These reviews shall provide a platform for partnerships, including through the participation of major groups and other relevant stakeholders.