Eradicating poverty and achieving sustainable development are fundamental global challenges affecting the lives of current and future generations and the future of the entire planet. These challenges are universal and interrelated and need a global response. This agenda needs to be fit to address our globalized and inter-linked world, since business as usual is no longer an option whether in terms of human dignity, equity, equality or sustainability. The EU and its Member States have emphasized their commitment to work inclusively with all partners and stakeholders to build consensus for a new transformative post-2015 agenda.

In the ongoing work at the UN Open Working Group (OWG) on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the EU has been providing, and will continue to provide, input on the way forward through interventions by the EU and by the Member States that are members of the OWG. This Communication builds on the existing EU position, as laid down in the Council Conclusions of June 2013. It seeks to further elaborate key principles, to set out possible priority areas and potential target topics for the post-2015 framework, to propose options to cluster these priority areas and addresses the need for a new global partnership. Land degradation, including desertification and drought are areas of global pressing concern and are exacerbated by climate change. The priority is to achieve a land-degradation-neutral world.