13.06.2013 Important dialogue in Latvia with Andris Piebalgs on the next global development agenda European Commissioner for Development, Andris Piebalgs, will participate on June 14 in a debate organised by the Latvian Platform for Development Cooperation (LAPAS) in Riga, on the priorities for the Development Agenda after 2015, once the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) reach their target date. Speaking ahead of the event, Commissioner Piebalgs said: "We owe a lot to the MDGs. Today there are half a billion fewer people living with less than $1.25 a day, and child death rates have fallen by more than 30%. But the world has simply changed too much and to fulfill our vision of promoting sustainable development, we must go beyond that. We have a real chance to eradicate poverty by 2030. In order to achieve this, the new agenda should apply to every country and every citizen; it should be truly universal in its application and coverage. " For the first time Latvia will play important role at global scale by giving input in the debate on post-2015 framework from EU12 perspective. Entitled "Towards Post-2015 with Unique Experiences: Is there anything to contribute from EU12 perspective?”, the debate will take place in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 14th June from 11:30 till 15:30. Special guests European Commissioner for Development Andris Piebalgs and René Mauricio Valdés, Chief of Staff, One UN Secretariat for the Post-2015 UN Development Agenda, will present recently adopted UN High-level Panel recommendations on the post-2015 development agenda. The presentations will be followed by the reactions from NGO platforms from Finland, Chezh Republic, Slovenia, Sweden and Latvia and open debate with 70 participants from NGOs, public administration, international organisations, foreign guests and academia. EU12 debate on post-2015 agenda is crucial due to few reasons. First, EU12 countries after joining European Union from development recipient countries became donors themselves. Second, countries have transition experience which can be helpful to all those countries who are still going through democratization processes, for instance in EU Neighborhood countries. Third obstacle is very important and it should be taken into account when framing the new global development agenda after 2015: human rights, human security and securitability. LAPAS director Inese Vaivare will also address national perspective on post-2015 framework: “Looking from the perspective of individual, we have to be aware that development cannot be narrowed to economic breakthrough only – we already face growing inequalities and urban poverty in our society. I hope the debate will open the discussion on human as the center of development in Latvia”. Debate is organized with financial support of Nordic Council of Ministers Office in Latvia, Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, TRIALOG – Development NGOs in the enlarged EU, UNDP. Latvian Platform for Development Cooperation LAPAS represents 31 NGOs working in field of development and global education. For more information please contact Evija Goluba (LAPAS project manager): [email protected], +371 29660930. Useful links: HLP report: http://www.post2015hlp.org/the-report/ Campaign by civil society: http://www.beyond2015.org/ LAPAS: www.lapas.lv .