National Consultation Early ChildHood Development Meeting 25.01.2013

" National Consultation Early ChildHood Development On The Post 2015 Agenda” Meeting Has Been Held With The Cooperation of UNICEF-Turkey and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and With The Support of UCLG-MEWA in Istanbul Dedeman Hotel.

Experts and practitioners who came together from Turkey and neighbouring countries, invited world leaders to put Early Child Development at the centre of sustainable and equitable global development.

The appeal is contained in the Istanbul Declaration, which was approved on 24-25 January 2013, in Istanbul on the theme of “Early Childhood Development: The Future We Want for All Children”.

The meeting forms part of a broad United Nations-led global consultation process on what is known as the Post-2015 Agenda – that is, the new international development priorities and goals to be set following the Millennium Development Goals deadline in 2015.

Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Dr. Kadir TOPBAS told the Istanbul gathering that he would present the Istanbul Declaration at the forthcoming meeting of the UN Post-2015 Development Agenda High-Level Panel meeting in Liberia. The High-Level Panel, of which Mr Topbaş is a member, advises the UN Secretary General. The mayor added that he also took it as his duty to promote Early Childhood Development efforts in Turkey.

Speaking at the same event, UNICEF Turkey Representative Dr. Ayman ABULABAN explained that investment in early childhood guaranteed the principles of equality/equity in social and economic development and would ensure the sustainability of investments in human development. Both the economic and the scientific data were robust, he noted. He added that these principles also formed the basis of the world we want for our children and all humanity.

The Secretary General of UCLG-MEWA Mehmet DUMAN chaired “Early Childhood Development and Post 2015 Agenda” session and he expressed that as UCLG-MEWA, they continue to work in a different approach like this important meeting, to provide a more open and comprehensive negotiation environment between national stakeholders and to support the global common vision “ The Future We Want”  with inputs and ideas.

Post-2015 Agenda

The member states of the United Nations initiated the Post-2015 Development Agenda process at the Millennium Development Summit in September 2010. As part of this process, a wide range of stakeholders including non-governmental organisations, universities, the private sector and public institutions have been discussing what global development will look like after the Millennium Development Goals. In short, they are seeking an answer to the question: “What future do you want?”

The Millennium Development Goals have succeeded in reducing poverty and child mortality, improving children’s nutrition and expanding the provision of basic education. However, these achievements need to be consolidated, both in Turkey and in the World. Moreover, further effort is needed to create an inclusive social and economic development model to eliminate inequalities. Poverty, for example, continues to affect the physical, mental, social and emotional development of many children.

National consultation meetings on the Post-2015 Development Agenda have been taking place in more than 50 countries including Turkey. The national consultation reports are to be presented to UN Secretary General by March 2013.