As you know, the 2015 target date for achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is fast approaching. Already civil society, academics, governments and the UN system are thinking about what the next era of development should look like, while keeping a firm focus on achieving the current unfinished business of the MDGs.
One of the contributions of the UN System to the post-2015 debate it to catalyze multi-stakeholder country and global thematic consultations over the next several months. These will be a major opportunity for a wide variety of stakeholders to influence the shape of the next agenda from both a country and global perspective. Within the UN system, various UN organizations have agreed to co-lead the planning processes for the nine thematic consultations which will cover the following subjects:
· Inequalities;
· Population;
· Health;
· Education;
· Growth & Employment;
· Conflict & Fragility;
· Governance;
· Environmental Sustainability;
· Food Security and Nutrition.
UN Women and UNICEF have agreed to co-lead on the Inequalities Consultation . To help frame that debate, individuals, academics and organizational partners are invited to submit theoretical papers, to present findings from completed research or to present on-going work that raises methodological or conceptual issues. Proposals are also invited that present robust findings from policy and field research that demonstrate sustainable strategies for resolving specific inequalities, including gender inequality, and addressing their root causes. The proposals will be reviewed by UNICEF, UN Women and other members of an Advisory Group (currently being established) to guide the Inequalities Consultation. The selected and completed papers will be used to stimulate the online global conversation and made available online as background for a concluding leadership meeting in early 2013. The selected papers will also be published as a compendium and concrete output of the consultation.
Papers can be submitted either in English, French or Spanish.
Proposals are invited that focus either on the theme of inequalities in general, including the intersecting nature and relationships between different forms of inequality; or on specific manifestations and forms of inequality, such as those related to: income/wealth; gender; location, disability; ethnic, minority or indigenous status; age; sexual orientation; and others.
Proposals for Full Papers should be 250-300 words in length.
Final papers are expected to be around 5,000 words in length.
Proposals for papers should be made by email to: soshea@unicef.org.
Submission deadlines:
· Proposal for full paper submitted by 20 July 2012
· Notification of outcome to authors by 15 August 2012
· Completed Paper due from author(s) by 15 October 2012
Please contact Shannon O’Shea at UNICEF (soshea@unicef.org) or Laura Turquet at UN WOMEN (laura.turquet@unwomen.org).