24 July 2015
Check against delivery
Remarks By
Mr. Tamer Mostafa Counselor, Egypt Mission to the UN On behalf of the Arab Group
at
IGN on the Post 2015 Development Agenda Follow up and Review Session
July 20th-24th, 2015
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Distinguished Co-facilitators,
I would like to associate my remarks with the statement made by the distinguished Permanent Representative of the Republic of South Africa on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, the statement made by the distinguished Permanent Representative of Tanzania on behalf of the African Group.
First we would like to congratulate the distinguished Permanent Representative of Korea on assuming the Presidency of the ECOSOC, and also thank him for his remarks and assure him of the group’s support for his efforts as President of ECOSOC.
Co-facilitators,
The Group believes in the need for an efficient, voluntary follow up and review process for the Post 2015 Development Agenda, a process which we believe that the High Level Political Forum “HLPF” is well suited to, consistent with its universal intergovernmental character, shall provide political leadership, guidance and recommendations for sustainable development, follow up and review progress in the implementation of sustainable development commitments, enhance the integration of the three dimensions of sustainable development in a holistic and cross-sectoral manner at all levels based on the outcome document of Rio+ 20 and the modalities of the HLPF as stated in GA resolution 67/290. We believe it is important to emphasis all functions of HLPF and that we don’t curtail that to “follow up and review” only.
The groups would also like to highlight that it might be important at this stage that member states refrain from reopening agreements and understanding that were reached both within the IGN on the Post 2015 and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, on issues such as follow up and review framework and Technology Facilitation Mechanism if we are to achieve our timetable of July 31, 2015.
Having said that allow me to provide the following proposals to the language included in the Draft presented:
1. On Para 57 (d) we propose to replace “all people and all stakeholders" with "relevant stakeholders" which is the agreed language of A/RES/67/290.
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2. On Para 58 we prefer the deletion of the language and replace it with “the global indicators are being developed within a technical process that is currently on going, and will be finalized in March 2016 when member states will consider it and adopted at that time".
3. On Para 63 we propose delete from the line before last "we encourage the HLPF, under the auspices....... until the end of the sentence. We have reiterated our position that adequate policy space should be provided for the regional organizations to consider the need to restructure existing mechanism. Furthermore, we propose replacing the deleted sentence with the following “UN regional commissions are encouraged to provide the necessary
support to efforts by the regional organizations to develop and enhance existing mechanisms, as well as efforts to ensure coherence, harmonization and alignment”.
4. On Para 65 we propose the insertion of the following sentence in the third line following “national statistical systems..... “ noting that the global indicators will provide guidance to efforts of national statistical authorities responsible for the development of national indicators, recognizing the need for respect of national policy space”.
5. We also propose on Para 65 the deletion in the third line “the HLPF will also be informed by the GSDR......, until the end of the Para and replace it with “Further discussions should be provided at the upcoming HLPF in 2016 with regards to the scope and methodology of a global sustainable development report GSDR. Noting that it has been agreed in A/RES/67/290 and Rio +20 that the GSDR will function report’s function as an assessment of assessments/ enhancing the policy-Science interface/ bringing together dispersed information and assessments/ building on existing assessments, enhancing evidence-based decision-making at all levels, but not as a monitoring tool.
6. On Para 66 we request that the language be consistent with OP 8 of
A/Res/67/290 which details the functions of the forum, therefore we propose that the first line should read as follows “shall conduct regular reviews, starting in 2016, on the follow-up and implementation of sustainable development commitments and objectives, including those related to the means of implementation”.
7. On Para 68, we propose to replace it with Para 132 of the Addis Ababa Outcome Agenda “the follow-up and review of the Financing
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for Development outcomes and the means of implementation of the post-2015 development agenda. Its intergovernmentally agreed conclusions and recommendations will be fed into the overall follow-up and review of the implementation of the post-2015 development agenda in the high-level political forum (HLPF) on sustainable development”.
8. On Para 71 while we recognize the work done by the ECOSOC on the longer term position of the UN development system, we believe that this Para should address the need to expand the follow up and review to the UN development system. We propose the following language “UN development system is requested to provide action and follow up frameworks on their efforts to achieving the goals
and objectives of the agenda, including support provided to developing countries to achieving SDGs. The governing bodies should take the necessary action to review such actions and report on progress and obstacles to achieving them. This reporting should be included in the SDG Progress report.
9. On Para 72 we support the amendment to amend the 1st sentence to read as follows “We request the Secretary General to provide a proposal, for consideration by member states, on the organizational arrangements of state-led reviews at the HLPF under the auspices of ECOSOC, including on recommendations on a possible voluntary common reporting format”.
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