Australia
General Assembly Sixty-Ninth Session
22 April 2015
Intergovernmental Negotiations on the Post-2015 Development Agenda
Statement by Ms Kushla Munro
Assistant Secretary, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Thank you Mr Co-facilitators,
On the relationship between the Financing for Development and post-2015 processes Australia would like to make three points.
Firstly, we thank the Co-facilitators for circulating the four briefing notes on key initiatives in agriculture, infrastructure, SMEs and social protection. We know these issues are critical, as are multi-stakeholder partnerships in driving real and sustainable outcomes.
For example, on agriculture, the CGIAR – a broad global research partnership aimed at disseminating knowledge, technologies, and policies for agricultural development – has delivered significant outcomes. A $673 million investment in research has yielded an estimated $10.8 billion a year for rice, $2.5 billion for wheat and $0.8 billion for maize in Asia alone.
On infrastructure, the co-faciltators’ paper references the Global Infrastructure Hub launched at the 2014 G20 Summit in Brisbane. The Global Infrastructure Hub will facilitate collaboration between the private sector, governments, development banks, and international organisations to help countries improve investment climates, grow project pipelines and serve as a clearinghouse to match investors with projects.
The point being that Addis should encourage these types of broad based, multi-stakeholder partnerships to support achievement of the SDGs.
As we outlined during last week’s negotiations, the Addis outcome should build confidence for the delivery of the SDGs, by providing a strong policy framework. Clear policy frameworks are fundamental to attaining financing goals and driving meaningful action in priority sectors. Equally important is the confidence that commitments and deliverables can be implemented.
Reflecting what we heard in this morning’s session, we know that means of implementation extends simply beyond financial means and must draw on the capabilities of a range of actors and give life to a range of critical issues such as women’s economic empowerment.
Secondly, the Co-facilitators have requested clarification on how we should define the global partnership, and its relation to MOI. To be clear, Australia sees the global partnership and MOI as mutually reinforcing concepts.
MOI are the actions that we will take to achieve our ambitious set of SDGs. The global partnership is the approach we take in delivering these MOI actions across all sectors.
Through the global partnership we commit to many partnerships with a range of stakeholders, including governments, the private sector, non-government organisations and civil society.
It is the partnership between this multitude of actors that will make this agenda truly transformational. And it is the combination of their efforts that will make an ambitious post-2015 agenda achievable.
Through the global partnership we also commit to how we will deliver our sustainable development results. Principles that should guide our development cooperation, and ensure we achieve the best sustainable development results.
These principles include: national ownership of development priorities; a focus on development outcomes; and mutual accountability and responsibility.
There will also be lessons and best-practice principles we can take from new forms of cooperation, including with the private sector, south-south and trilateral cooperation. The Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation is a useful platform for facilitating such cooperation, and should be part of the Post-2015 agenda.
As many have stated throughout the week, the global partnership must reflect the lessons learned from successful multi-stakeholders partnerships implemented under the MDGs, such as the Global Fund and GAVI.
Thirdly, as the G77 noted in its intervention this afternoon, we should not give precedence to one target or issue over another. This means technology, alongside all other aspects of MOI, including financial and non-financial means, capacity-building, and trade should be considered in a balanced and coherent manner as part of the FfD negotiations.
In conclusion, we look to Addis to deliver a strong MOI pillar for the post-2015 development agenda. Achieving our ambitious MOI commitments will be supported by commitments to a renewed global partnership which sets out how we will achieve long-term sustainable development.
Thank you.
Stakeholders