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WHAT'S ON TAP
Weekly Newsletter from the Transparency, Accountability & Participation (TAP) 
Post-2015 Network 

VOL. 4, ISSUE 1
5 JUNE 2015
Message from the TAP Coordinators: Mobilizing around the Post-2015 Zero Draft

Dear TAP Friends,

The next key moment we've all been looking forward to has arrived this week, with the Post-2015 "Zero Draft" circulated by the co-facilitators of the Post-2015 negotiations - thus starting a new phase the negotiations where our direct advocacy and ongoing engagement matters more than ever. Our initial work to put together a response to the Zero Draft from the TAP Network is underway, and we will be in touch middle of next week with a draft for your organization's comments and edits. 

On top of the process for negotiations on the Post-2015 outcome beginning this week, an equally important process was launched this week, with the convening of the First Meeting of the Interagency and Expert Group on SDG Indicators (IAEG-SDGs) meeting in New York. With the critical task of putting forth recommended priority indicators for measuring SDG progress at the global level, this group will have a direct impact on how we go about our work in following up on the Post-2015 agenda for the next 15 years. This IAEG-SDGs will be a key process for us to input into, with all of the time and work we have collectively put in to the Goal 16 targets and indicators discussions thus far. You can find our full briefing notes from the IAEG-SDGs meeting this week on our website here. 

There are undoubtedly some critical opportunities for our advocacy to increase the level of ambition through the Zero Draft, particularly around the Declaration and the chapter on follow-up and review. Additionally, the numerous entry points that we have for our inputs on the SDGs/Goal 16 Indicators front are encouraging, and we are delighted that dozens of you have signed up to be a part of the TAP Network's Indicators Working Group. This is a critical part of our work, and we as the TAP Coordinators are working very hard behind the scenes here in New York to lay the foundation for our work on this front, to ensure that we have every opportunity and entry point to contribute to these discussions. And as always, we look forward to taking this very important work forward with all of you.

Thanks once again as always for your keen and eager engagement with our collective work together, and we very much look forward to receiving your inputs around the Post-2015 Zero Draft and around the Indicators discussions over the next week or so! 

Best Regards,
TAP Coordinators
John & Liam
www.tapnetwork2015.org
TAP NETWORK UPDATES

SIGN-UP TAP Network Indicators Working Group

Turning our focus to the Interagency and Expert Group on SDGs (IAEG-SDGs) meeting and the upcoming Praia City Group on Governance Statistics ahead of us in June – and with our position paper on SDG/Goal 16 Indicators in circulation – we have put together a TAP Network Indicators Working Group that will help guide the work of the Network on the issue of SDGs and Goal 16 Indicators over these very important months ahead of us. We have been invited to be members of the Praia City Group, including engaging and speaking during the first meeting of the Praia City Group in June in Cabo Verde, so it is absolutely imperative that we have everyone on board that is interested in engaging on the Indicators front – so we can discuss how we engage in the work of the Praia City Group going forward, including in this first meeting coming up.

Please fill out the following google form ASAP if you are interested in contributing to the work of the TAP Network Indicators Working Group going forward: http://goo.gl/forms/njzJiPChPQ

As there will be multiple opportunities for advocacy on the Indicators front over the next several months, including some in our immediate future, we hope to convene the first meeting of this Indicators Working Group sometime in the next week or so – so your timely response is very much appreciated! 

Please let us know if you have any questions at all, and we look forward to taking this very important work forward with all of you!
Volunteer to draft TAP Network Response to Post-2015 "Zero Draft"

Please fill out the following google form ASAP if you are interested in helping draft the TAP Network “Zero Draft” Response: http://goo.gl/forms/1vNa336GMg

For Inputs: TAP Network Compendium of Language Edits for Post-2015 Zero Draft

The TAP Zero Draft Response drafting group is putting together an initial draft of the TAP Network’s response to the Zero Draft, and we will circulate a draft for comments/edits from TAP organizations middle of next week. 

For your reference, you can find a word version of the Post-2015 Zero Draft attached here, which may make it easier for you to work with going forward. 

In addition to the joint Post-2015 Zero Draft Response, we would like to compile all of your own organization’s suggested language edits/suggestions for the Zero Draft – just as we have done previously for the FfD3 Zero Draft. This way, we can reference this full compendium of TAP organization’s inputs in the TAP joint response, and have it as a resource available for Member States to complement this joint response. 

You can contribute your organization’s concrete language suggestions for the Post-2015 Zero Draft here: http://bit.ly/1dSbiBV

Thanks in advance for your time and contributions, and we’ll be in touch in the next handful of days with the TAP Network joint response to the Post-2015 Zero Draft, for your comments and edits.
UPDATES/INTEL

The Inter-Agency Expert Group on SDG Indicators (IAEG-SDGs), to be held in New York from 1-2 June 2015 in Conference Room 3 at UN Headquarters

More information on the 1-2 June IAEG meeting is available here: http://unstats.un.org/sdgs/first-iaeg-sdgs-meeting/

Summary of key highlights:

  • Election of Co-Chairs of IAEG-SDGs for 1 year term:
    • Ms. Fabiola Riccardini, Italian National Institute of Statistics (Istat)
    • Ms. Lisa Grace S. Bersales, National Statistician Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)
  • Clear disagreement on methods of work, voting procedures, process of selecting indicators and the role of CSOs and Observers in providing inputs into the IAEG-SDGs among member states.
  • Very vocal discontent from many Member States, including some who were participating from the UN Missions in New York, on the lack of definition on the late notice they received for the meeting, its working methods, and how the group will engage with non-member countries.
  • Co-chairs proposed to set up two work streams:
    • Work stream on Interlinkages
    • Work stream on General Framework for indicators
  • The IAEG-SDGs will conduct online consultations with its Members and agree/conduct their method of work through an electronic platform setup and managed by UNSD.
  • UN Secretariat and UNSD will provide a summary of proposals made during the First meeting of the IAEG-SDGs by the end of June 2015 to member states.
  • All outstanding issues (methods of work, voting procedures, workstreams, process of selecting indicators and the role of CSOs and Observers) will be decided through electronic consultations. Member States will have two weeks to respond to the Co-Chairs communicated proposals on the work streams.
  • Disagreement on the key dates to report back to Member States and the political process, as some believed they should stick to the original timeline of March 2016 to produce the final set of indicator recommendations, and some proposing to report back periodically with drafts to the political process
  • Next meeting of the IAEG-SDGs meeting to be tentatively held 12-16 October 2015. 
Proposed timeline:
  • June/July 2015: First round of consultations
  • July 2015: Review of status of discussion and decision on next steps
  • August/September 2015: Second round of consultations
  • September 2015: Discussion of open issues
  • 25–27 September 2015: UN Summit to adopt the post-2015 Development Agenda
  • October 2015: Third round of consultations
  • October/November 2015: Second meeting of the IAEG-SDGs – Finalization of the indicator proposal
  • 8–11 March 2016: 47th Session of the UN Statistical Commission
  • March 2016: Third meeting of the IAEG-SDGs
Full briefing notes and other resources can be found on our website: http://bit.ly/1BKy2cj
Zero Draft of Post-2015 Agenda Outcome Document

The zero draft outcome document for the post-2015 summit has been posted at:  https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/post2015

The draft outcome document will be the subject of intergovernmental negotiations at the UN from 22-25 June, 20-24 July and 27-31 July. The programme for the session has not yet been released by the co-facilitators.

Post-2015: Provide feedback on the zero draft outcome document

Non-governmental organizations, civil society organizations and organizations participating in the Major Groups may contribute feedback on the zero draft by completing the form here:
http://bit.ly/post2015-zero-draft-submit-feedback DEADLINE: 21 JUNE 2015

Please provide specific suggestions of text edits or amendments for the elements of the zero draft. You may contribute for one or more elements. Please feel free to copy a paragraph and indicate your text edits [within brackets].

Kindly note that the Means of Implementation proposed under each Sustainable Development Goal will also be considered in depth at the Third International Conference on Financing for Development, taking place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 13-16 July 2015. More information: https://un.org/ffd3

Feedback submitted via this form can be viewed here:
http://bit.ly/Post-2015-zero-draft-feedback-received

UN-NGLS and DESA-DSD will produce a compilation document of inputs received and make it available to the UN system, UN Member States, and all stakeholders.

Post-2015: themes of the six post-2015 Summit interactive dialogues

The post-2015 co-facilitators containing the themes for the six interactive dialogues to be held during the post-2015 Summit has been posted at: https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/post2015. 

The modalities for how these six interactive dialogues will be organized are outlined in General Assembly resolution 69/244 (annex II): http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/69/L.43&Lang=E
Please find available resources on TAP Network activities and outputs on our official website at http://www.tapnetwork2015.org
Follow us on twitter @TAPNetwork2015: 
Please follow TAP Network Twitter account at @TAPNetwork2015. We will update this twitter feed regularly and we will use it to share relevant information or resources, and possibly even live-tweet from negotiation sessions, with statements on TAP issues from Member States.
Download the TAP Network Calender of Post-2015 Events
Upcoming United Nations Meetings/Events:
 
June 2015

July 2015
 
1 July: TAP Network side-event during the HLPF "Transparency, Accountability and Participation: Building a Post-2015 Review Architecture that is Fit for Purpose"
13-16 July: Third International Conference on Financing for Development Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
20-24 July: Post-2015 intergovernmental negotiations (Intergovernmental negotiations on the outcome document)
27-31 July: Post-2015 intergovernmental negotiations (Intergovernmental negotiations on the outcome document)
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