Summary of Stock taking meeting of Intergovernmental Negotiations on the Post Development Agenda

Transcription

1 Summary f Stck taking meeting f Intergvernmental Negtiatins n the Pst Develpment Agenda Nte: As infrmal summary f the discussins held frm January 2015, please find belw the cncluding remarks/bservatins made by the C- Facilitatrs f the negtiatins, Ambassadr David Dnghue, Permanent Representative f Ireland t the UN, and Ambassadr Macharia Kamau, Permanent Representative f Kenya t the UN. These remarks/bservatins are meant t cnvey nly selected highlights f the discussins and are by n means intended as an exhaustive recrd f the discussins. Cncluding remarks fr the Stcktaking sessin f the negtiatins n the pst 2015 develpment agenda 21 January 2015 Remarks delivered by Ambassadr David Dnghue, Permanent Representative f Ireland t the UN Ladies and gentlemen, my fellw c- facilitatr Ambassadr Kamau and I wuld like t make sme cncluding remarks n the extremely valuable and wide ranging discussins that we have had ver the last three days. First we feel we have made an excellent start t negtiatins with this stcktaking meeting. There is clearly very high interest in this prcess and the presence f ur clleagues frm civil sciety and majr grups this afternn and earlier this week in large numbers is psitive and encuraging. The PGA, SG and President f ECOSOC prvided us with a very clear picture as t the challenges ahead and the issues we must address. The PGA reminded us that we have less than 250 days left t achieve the MDGs and he called fr a final push t achieve these gals. The SG nted the verall imprtance f this year with the three critical prcesses f Pst 2015, FFD and Climate change which can usher in a new era f shared prsperity and a sustainable future fr all. The President f ECOSOC emphasised the rle f the HLPF and ECOSOC in mnitring the implementatin f this agenda, and the need fr a renewed glbal partnership. We had sme very interesting and helpful inputs frm ur initial speakers this week and we thank them fr that. Their cntributins will be available nline. We als heard ludly and clearly the vices f member states. Yu have demnstrated, thrugh high quality and fcussed interventins frm Mnday nwards, yur cmmitment t engaging cnstructively in this prcess s as t ensure the best pssible utcme fr yur Heads f State t adpt next September. We thank yu fr ding s. Civil Sciety and majr grups have als been with us. We just had a very valuable sessin which cvered a lt f grund and we lk frward t pursuing that dialgue.

2 On the different cmpnents f ur negtiatins, we heard a wide range f views and prpsals which will infrm this prcess ver the cming mnths. The Secretariat will circulate a shrt summary f these discussins, bearing in mind als that the statements delivered will be available in full nline. What I am ding nw n behalf f the c- facilitatrs is simply nting sme f the key pints which struck us in the exchanges. I. Integrating sustainable develpment gals and targets int the pst develpment agenda On Gals and targets, we feel that member states are united in recgnising the OWG Prpsal, which is f curse the main basis fr the integratin f SDGs and targets in the pst develpment agenda, is a far reaching and ambitius achievement, ne which integrates the different dimensins f this agenda in a very effective and balanced way, and which has captured a very careful plitical balance. Many member states have stressed that the prpsal f the OWG is the utcme f an pen, transparent and inclusive intergvernmental prcess, ne that als bradly engaged multiple stakehlders and thus enjys brad legitimacy. It is clear that there is n supprt fr re- pening the exhaustive negtiatins we all had in the OWG. It is clear, hwever, that there are sme divergences n what is being described as technical prfing. Sme fear that technical prfing risks undermining the delicate plitical and substantive balance struck by the OWG prpsal and that we culd end up re- pening the substance f the that prpsal. Others feel that we shuld take up the UN Secretary General n his ffer t have the UN Task team carry ut a technical prfing f the gals and targets. They feel that, in the prcess f agreeing the OWG prpsal last July, we may have slipped belw existing internatinal standards in relatin t sme targets, and that in the case f thers, language was perhaps used which makes a cmmn understanding difficult t achieve. Sme member states have suggested criteria t guide a technical prfing while thers prpse strict parameters fr that exercise. Linked t this is the issue f glbal indicatrs. Fllwing the mandate we received frm yu at ur last meeting in December, the c- facilitatrs made cntact with the UN Statistical Cmmissin wh will present t us fr ur reflectin in advance f the March meeting, a draft set f indicative glbal indicatrs which wuld accmpany the SDGs and targets. These indicatrs will, f curse nt be negtiated in this intergvernmental prcess. Indeed, it will prbably nt be pssible t cmplete the wrk n them in the time between nw and September. The material we receive frm the Statistical Cmmissin will help us t address the issue f glbal indicatrs. In preparing this, the Cmmissin will necessarily examine the targets cntained in the OWG prpsal. They will als be wrking with the UN Task Team and ther stakehlders. It culd be that they will draw attentin t ne r ther pint f a purely technical nature which will need cnsideratin at ur March meeting.

3 Our expectatin is that the Cmmissin will check t see whether any targets fall belw already existing agreements and internatinal law; whether any targets duplicate thers r are incnsistent with thers; r whether the targets are specific, measurable and actin rientated. That is all they will d. I shuld pint ut that member states will have plenty f time during the March sessin t respnd t the pints made by the Cmmissin. In March, we will tgether cnsider the input frm the Cmmissin and we will tgether decide hw t g frward. II. Declaratin Turning t the Declaratin, this week s meeting was the first pprtunity t hear the detailed views f member states in this regard. We heard a range f suggestins abut hw the Declaratin might be prepared and abut the substance it might cver. If member states agree, and taking int accunt what we have heard, the c- facilitatrs wuld envisage circulating in advance f the February meeting, a shrt paper prpsing elements fr ur declaratin. Frm the discussins this week, we have nted cnvergence n a number f issues related t the Declaratin: Many member states feel it culd draw n sme key dcuments such as the Millennium Declaratin, the Ri+20 utcme dcument, the OWG reprt, the UNSG s Synthesis Reprt; and this list is nt exhaustive. Many wuld like t see the Declaratin reflect the integrated nature f the sustainable develpment agenda, its fcus n peple and planet; Many wuld like it t reaffirm cre values and principles; a number f such principles were mentined such as universality, mutual accuntability, shared respnsibility, cmmn but differentiated respnsibilities, sustainability, human equality and dignity, and respect fr human rights. Again this list is nt exhaustive. Many wuld like the Declaratin t reflect the universality f the agenda as well as the need fr a differentiated apprach t its implementatin and fr cnsideratin t be given t the needs f cuntries in special situatins; Overall, the preference seems t be fr a Declaratin which is cmprehensive in scpe but which is cncise, inspiratinal and visinary in its terms. These are simply initial impressins which we drew frm the very rich and thught prvking discussins n that pint. III. Means f implementatin and glbal partnership fr sustainable develpment On Means f Implementatins and Glbal Partnerships, ne verriding message we heard is that it will be impssible t deliver n the ambitin f the SDGs withut an even higher level f ambitin in terms f means f implementatin and glbal partnership. We were very grateful t hear frm Ambassadrs Talbt and Pedersn, the c- facilitatrs f the FFD prcess, as well as Mr Hmi Kharas.

4 The presentatin frm the tw Ambassadrs, we felt, brught hme the inherent intercnnectedness f ur tw prcesses. The parallels between the tpics cvered in Gal 17 and the main chapters f the Mnterrey Cnsensus and Dha Declaratin were highlighted. It was helpful t hear abut areas n which greater emphasis will be placed in the Addis track. It is clear that we must d everything pssible t maximise cherence between these tw prcesses, and this is smething t which we will be returning. IV. Fllw- up and review Tday was the first time when member states had the pprtunity t share their thughts n fllw up and review in sme detail. There were interesting presentatins frm three distinguished speakers. Amng the pints we nted frm tday s discussins were the fllwing: Many member states reiterated the imprtance f an pen, transparent and inclusive fllw up and review framewrk fr the delivery f the pst develpment agenda; Many emphasised that, fr the agenda t have legitimacy, multiple stakehlders must be invlved in the review prcess. Sme were cautius abut the use f terms such as accuntability, mnitring etc. Sme emphasised that n target shuld be cnsidered met unless met by all relevant incme and ther grupings. Many suggested that the framewrk fr reviewing pst 2015 cmmitments must be universal, vluntary and nn- selective. It shuld be built upn existing review mechanisms and prcesses. And many highlighted the rle f the UN System in fllwing up n the Agenda. The HLPF has an imprtant rle t play in that regard. On prcess Finally, n prcess, we heard very clearly that yu wuld like sufficient ntice f the prgramme fr each f ur sessins and that yu want the prgramme t allw sufficient time fr member states t prvide their inputs. We als nted the request that develping cuntries, especially LDCs, be prvided with resurces t supprt their participatin in these negtiatins and the Secretariat referred t that issue earlier tday. We heard als yur emphasis n the need fr cherence with ther prcesses including FFD and Climate Change. Unfrtunately it was nt pssible fr Minister Vidal f Peru t brief us n the Lima Cnference, but we will hwever seek t arrange updates n that prcess fr later sessins.

5 We will shrtly circulate fr yur cnsideratin a very shrt and simple decisin which will address the budgetary implicatins relating t the prductin f the utcme dcument fr September s summit. We wuld ask yu t submit t the Secretariat yur statements which yu delivered ver the curse f the three days. Finally, n behalf f the c- facilitatrs, I wuld like t thank the interpreters, the Secretariat, the speakers and all f yu mst sincerely fr yur engagement. I lk frward t seeing yu all again in February. Remarks delivered by Ambassadr Macharia Kamau, Permanent Representative f Kenya t the UN I wuld like t jin Ambassadr Dnghue in thanking yu all. I wuld like t tuch n a few ther pints. The rle f experts and the need t find a balance between thse wh want t receive expert cntributins and thse wh want t fcus directly n the negtiatins. We appreciate the cncern f member states t allw ample time fr dialgue amng yurselves. We have als heard sme suggest that yu may wish t have the benefit f expert views n specific tpics. Please infrm us f any experts wh yu think may be able t enrich ur wrk. The rle f civil sciety and majr grups. This was a gd exercise and signals the way t g fr the future. We were especially encuraged t see s many member states in the rm listening t and dialguing with these stakehlders. The c- facilitatrs are cncerned abut the level f public awareness abut the SDGs and civil sciety has a rle t play in raising awareness prir t the Summit in September. The need fr flexibility in preparing and planning these negtiatins. It is difficult t predict when we will need t make adjustments t ur radmap, t change curse. That depends n hw the negtiatins unfld, s we cunt n yur indulgence if and when adjustments may be needed. We shall f curse keep in mind yur strng request fr adequate time fr preparatin and cnsultatin with capitals in advance f all meetings.