Sixth Session of the Open Working Group (OWG) of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

On means of implementation (MOI), some speakers suggested that each goal should be paired with MOI targets, while others emphasized that this topic should be the subject of a stand-alone goal. Speakers highlighted capacity building needs for national administrative and technical capacity, including tax administration and reform. The OWG was encouraged to focus on the “nuts and bolts of targets” and then assess what those targets collectively tell us about global goals.

During the afternoon, Paul Polman, CEO, Unilever, emphasized the need to work with the private sector, recommended that every SDG be supported by a partnership, and said governments must take the lead in creating an enabling environment for investment, marked by transparency, absence of corruption, and a regulatory and legal framework, while the private sector must create confidence through transparency. Gargee Ghosh, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, highlighted the successes of the MDGs in creating enabling environments for well-coordinated partnerships, and stressed that the post-2015 development agenda must build on these commitments.