The new European Consensus on Development – EU and Member States sign joint strategy to eradicate poverty

Background
The 2030 United Nations Agenda for Sustainable Development, a universal framework which aimed at helping eradicating poverty and achieving sustainable development by 2030, was adopted at a special UN Summit on 25 September 2015.

Nearly 200 nations adopted the plan, which included a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, combat inequality, protect human rights, promote gender equality, and create conditions for sustainable growth and shared peace and prosperity.On 7 June 2017 the European Union and its Member States signed the New European Consensus on Development, a strategic blueprint outlining the future of European development policy. It represented a new collective vision and plan of action to eradicate poverty and achieve sustainable development.

The new European Consensus on Development constituted a comprehensive common framework for European development cooperation. For the first time, it would apply in its entirety to all European Union Institutions and all Member States, which committed to work more closely together. The European Parliament and the Council of the European Union had recently endorsed the initiative.

It was seen as the EU's response to today's global trends and challenges, aligning EU external action to the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The European Commission had put forward its proposal for a new European Consensus on Development in November 2016.

• Primary Source

European Commission: DG Communication: STATEMENT/17/1547, 07.06.17: Joint public statement: Adoption of the new European Consensus on Development http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_STATEMENT-17-1547_en.htm

European Commission: DG Communication: MEMO/17/1505, 07.06.17: Questions & Answers: The new European Consensus on development http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-17-1505_en.htm

ESO: Background information: European Development Days focus on "Investing in Development" - #EDD17 http://www.europeansources.info/record/european-development-days-2017/

ESO: Key source: Sustainable Development http://www.europeansources.info/record/sustainable-development-4/

Council of the European Union: Press Release, 07.06.17: Joint statement on the adoption of the new European Consensus on Development http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2017/06/07-european-consensus-development/

Council of the European Union: Press Release, 07.06.17: The new European Consensus on Development – EU and Member States sign joint strategy to eradicate poverty http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2017/06/07-joint-strategy-european-consensus-development/

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