Australia
Post 2015 Stocktaking Session: Global partnership, means of implementation and follow up and review
Statement by Kushla Munro, Assistant Secretary, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
As delivered
Thank-you Mr Co-facilitators.
As we and many others have reiterated, our collective capacity to implement the new agenda is as important as the global goals that we agree. To be successful, we need a revitalised global partnership that recognises all actors and marshals all the tools available to implement the new agenda.
Our approach to discussions on the global partnership and means of implementation should minimise duplication between processes through strong coordination and careful sequencing.
To that end, we support the Financing for Development Conference in Addis Ababa as providing the basis for finalising agreement on the means to implement the post 2015 agenda. The Financing for Development discussions will build on the Monterrey Consensus and the policy options outlined in last year’s Intergovernmental Committee of Experts on Sustainable Development Financing.
As Ambassadors Pederson and Talbot reminded us yesterday, the Monterrey Consensus provides a comprehensive basis for discussion on means of implementation as it covers all financial and non-financial means, including capacity building, technology transfer, and systemic issues in the domestic, international, public and private domains.
As with our discussions on all elements of the post-2015 agenda, we should adopt an iterative approach that provides flexibility to revisit topics as our understanding grows.
Turning to follow-up and review, there is no question that the accountability framework will be critical to the effectiveness of the post-2015 agenda, but the accountability framework is not an end in itself. It must provide practical help to policy makers and practitioners, generating information that increases our capacity to target, prioritise and coordinate investments.
Given this focus on a framework that is fit for purpose, Australia views the following five principles as critical to our deliberations
– first, any effort we invest must produce information which helps us target investment to improve development outcomes
– second, we must focus our efforts to ensure the framework and related processes do not divert scarce resources from the delivery of the agenda
– third, we must not impose an unmanageable reporting burden on countries, particularly those with low capacity
– fourth, the framework should be based on existing processes, forums and reporting arrangements in the UN system and beyond, building on good practise that emerged through the MDG era. In this respect, Australia welcomes the statement made by Ambassador Otto on behalf of the Pacific Island Forum on the existing regional monitoring and reporting mechanisms in the Pacific
– finally, it must track the progress of women and girls, persons with disabilities, and those most marginalised, through appropriate disaggregation of data.
This framework will frame global discussions about the success or failure of development over the next fifteen years. Given the scope and ambition of the OWG proposal, it is worth taking time to ensure the technical validity of the targets and to develop robust indicators.
Co-facilitators, over the last three days, we have made a constructive and positive start to negotiations. We support and look forward to your continued guidance as we navigate the coming sessions.
Statement by Kushla Munro, Assistant Secretary, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
As delivered
Thank-you Mr Co-facilitators.
As we and many others have reiterated, our collective capacity to implement the new agenda is as important as the global goals that we agree. To be successful, we need a revitalised global partnership that recognises all actors and marshals all the tools available to implement the new agenda.
Our approach to discussions on the global partnership and means of implementation should minimise duplication between processes through strong coordination and careful sequencing.
To that end, we support the Financing for Development Conference in Addis Ababa as providing the basis for finalising agreement on the means to implement the post 2015 agenda. The Financing for Development discussions will build on the Monterrey Consensus and the policy options outlined in last year’s Intergovernmental Committee of Experts on Sustainable Development Financing.
As Ambassadors Pederson and Talbot reminded us yesterday, the Monterrey Consensus provides a comprehensive basis for discussion on means of implementation as it covers all financial and non-financial means, including capacity building, technology transfer, and systemic issues in the domestic, international, public and private domains.
As with our discussions on all elements of the post-2015 agenda, we should adopt an iterative approach that provides flexibility to revisit topics as our understanding grows.
Turning to follow-up and review, there is no question that the accountability framework will be critical to the effectiveness of the post-2015 agenda, but the accountability framework is not an end in itself. It must provide practical help to policy makers and practitioners, generating information that increases our capacity to target, prioritise and coordinate investments.
Given this focus on a framework that is fit for purpose, Australia views the following five principles as critical to our deliberations
– first, any effort we invest must produce information which helps us target investment to improve development outcomes
– second, we must focus our efforts to ensure the framework and related processes do not divert scarce resources from the delivery of the agenda
– third, we must not impose an unmanageable reporting burden on countries, particularly those with low capacity
– fourth, the framework should be based on existing processes, forums and reporting arrangements in the UN system and beyond, building on good practise that emerged through the MDG era. In this respect, Australia welcomes the statement made by Ambassador Otto on behalf of the Pacific Island Forum on the existing regional monitoring and reporting mechanisms in the Pacific
– finally, it must track the progress of women and girls, persons with disabilities, and those most marginalised, through appropriate disaggregation of data.
This framework will frame global discussions about the success or failure of development over the next fifteen years. Given the scope and ambition of the OWG proposal, it is worth taking time to ensure the technical validity of the targets and to develop robust indicators.
Co-facilitators, over the last three days, we have made a constructive and positive start to negotiations. We support and look forward to your continued guidance as we navigate the coming sessions.
Stakeholders