Welcome to the DEVCO UN Working Groups' platform on Capacity4Dev!

Dear colleagues,

In 2015, UN Member States reached historic agreements for development, in particular the 2030 Agenda, which provides all of us with a new common roadmap for tackling global challenges - achieving sustainable development and eradicating poverty - for the next 15 years.

2016 now offers a "huge opportunity to make real progress" in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Because of the interlinked nature of the 2030 Agenda, it will also be important for us all to ensure that our policies and actions in different fields coherently support sustainable development in the three dimensions of sustainability (economic, social and environmental).

We, the EU, have the opportunity to influence UN discussions and processes, for an effective and efficient UN Development System and, ultimately, an effective and efficient implementation of Agenda 2030. To do so, we need to mobilize all the expertise available across DEVCO and join forces to maximize our impact on UN discussions.

The EU is expected by many of its partners to play a leading role in the implementation of the Agenda, as well as in cooperating with and supporting them in this endeavor. Whether you are in the operational, thematic or policy areas, you will play a vital role.

At UN level, work is still continuing to operationalise the follow up and review framework or the 2030 Agenda (work on indicators and preparation of a report by the UN Secretary General with proposals on follow up and review at the global level). This will feed into the next meeting of the High Level Political Forum in July 2016.

In Unit A3, "International cooperation and dialogue", we coordinate DEVCO's work in and with the UN. We regularly organize meetings of the DEVCO UN Working Group and value exchanges in this framework. That is why we have set up this on-line platform on Capacity4Dev, as the on-line sister of the physical "DEVCO UN Working Group".

The aim is to facilitate internal coordination on major UN discussions. On this page, you can see major upcoming UN events and processes where the EU is involved. You can also find an overview of how we work in and with the UN, together with key reference documents that guide this work. We hope that this Group will become a useful platform for consultation and exchange on UN matters.

We would like to draw on your operational experience and different backgrounds to feed our action in and with the UN. We also welcome your ideas for new actions or initiatives and your comments on issues that should be addressed and monitored. We count on your experience, expertise and commitment to support a fruitful partnership between DEVCO and the UN.

This Group is yours – use it and keep it alive!

Barbara Luecke,

Head of Unit DEVCO/A3