Homi Kharas of Pakistan has been appointed as lead author and Executive Secretary for the High-level Panel to advise on the global development agenda beyond 2015, the target date for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The eight MDGs, agreed on by world leaders at a UN summit in 2000, set specific targets on poverty alleviation, education, gender equality, child and maternal health, environmental stability, HIV/AIDS reduction, and a ‘Global Partnership for Development.' Kharas is currently a Senior Fellow and Deputy Director in the Global Economy and Development Program of the Brookings Institution, an independent think tank in Washington, DC. He also has 26 years of experience with the World Bank. He will be responsible for the report of the High-Level Panel, tasked with providing recommendations on a global post-2015 agenda with shared responsibilities for all countries and with the fight against poverty and sustainable development at its core. In addition to its 23 members, the Panel's three co-chairs are President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia, and Prime Minister David Cameron of the United Kingdom. In addition, the Secretary-General's Special Advisor on Post-2015 Development Planning, Amina J. Mohammed, will serve on the Panel in an ex officio capacity. The Panel will hold its first meeting on September 25 on the margins of the annual high-level debate of the UN General Assembly. Its report is expected to be submitted to the Secretary-General by May 31, 2013.
