Brazil
Intergovernmental Negotiations on the Post-2015 Development Agenda
VII Session
Political Declaration - July 21, 2015
Delegation of Brazil
Co-facilitators,
Brazil aligns itself with the intervention delivered by South Africa on behalf of G-77 and China. I would like to present additional remarks in my national capacity.
My delegation is concerned about ensuring consistency with the concept of sustainable development as expressed in the Rio+20 Outcome Document.
The section dedicated to the 5Ps needs to be improved, if we are to make the preamble acceptable to all delegations. It is not a matter, in our view, of comparing which "P" is more relevant - as suggested by some delegations yesterday and today. All of them are obviously relevant, as there would be other concepts that we have preferred to leave aside, such as Equality, Inclusion, Access to Justice, among others.
Essentially, we need to recognize and reaffirm the specially innovative and relevant nature of the approach adopted at the Rio+20 Conference that speaks of sustainable development by integrating the economic, the social and the environmental pillars of development into a single endeavor. Fundamentally, those three pillars are captured through the idea of People, Prosperity and Planet. Partnership and Peace should not be in the same league. Relevant though they may be, and we do not refuse acknowledging their relevance with an appropriate separate mention further down along the text, peace and partnership are not, and never were meant to be, overarching determinants of "sustainable development".
The words we identify should be arranged in a way that correctly reflects the meaning of the political concept of sustainable development. Otherwise, it will be difficult to reach agreement on this matter.
We need to acknowledge the different status of the set of three elements that speak directly to the three dimensions of sustainable development, that is, people, prosperity and planet, from the other two: partnership and peace.
“Partnership” relates to the means for implementing the agenda, a cross-cutting aspect of our framework of goals and targets.
The fifth element, “Peace”, is not a Rio_20 overarching concept, nor an inherent pillar of sustainable development. It reflects the compromise achieved within the Open Working Group and formulated in SDG 16. Emphasizing one single goal while the other Ps cover all remaining SDGs does not respect the overall balance of the SDG framework.
We believe that we have a proposal to overcome these problems thus making our preamble consistent with the multilaterally agreed concept of sustainable development and, at the same time, observant of a balance among all SDGs. Our proposal is
1) To include in the second paragraph, immediately after its first sentence, the following: “The goals and targets are integrated and indivisible and balance the three dimensions of sustainable development: the economic, social and environmental.” (note: based on paragraph 5)
2) To include an intermediary paragraph, immediately before the heading “Peace”, separating the first three Ps from the last two. This paragraph aims to provide clarity to the status of the concepts of “peace” and “partnership”, vis-à-vis the three dimensions of sustainable development. We based it on
language from other parts of the draft, as well as in suggestions received from other delegations. It reads as follows:
"The sustainable development goals and targets build on the achievements of the MDG Agenda and seek to address its unfinished business. We acknowledge that sustainable development and peace are mutually reinforcing. We thus call for a revitalized Global Partnership to implement the new Agenda."
Following this paragraph, we could keep the two remaining Ps and the last paragraph.
3) The third element we propose there is also need to delete the word “crucial” in the last sentence of the fifth paragraph of the political declaration.
Co-facilitators,
In order to integrate the first three Ps, we need to bridge the gaps between the three silos. So, we suggest the inclusion of
- "People" in the sentence: "ensure equal access to natural resources and a healthy environment for all".
- And in "Planet", we should acknowledge that "the sound management of natural resources underpins economic and social development".
- In Prosperity, we should make reference to the "the promotion of sustainable patterns of consumption and production"
- In Peace, there is need to be consistent with SDGs language, referring to "inclusive" instead of "harmonious" societies
Co-facilitators,
The universality of the Post-2015 Development Agenda is based on the recognition that countries are different. The concepts of universality and differentiation are intertwined into one single principle, the principle of CBDR, which guided our work in devising goals and targets that are applicable to all countries.
Many international regimes and treaties, in the UN system but also elsewhere, acknowledge the need for differentiated treatment for developing countries. In the multilateral trade system, for instance, it is formulated as the principle of special and differential treatment. Several treaties in the social and human rights fields have provisions for differentiation, such as International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, in its article 2.3, and the Convention on the Rights of Children, in its articles 23.4 and 28.3, among others.
Acknowledging differentiation does not entail questioning the universal applicability of those instruments, or allow countries not to fulfill their obligations and commitments regarding human rights, social inclusion or environmental sustainability.
We were disappointed to hear some delegation express the view yesterday that CBDR is an excuse for developing countries to “take inaction”. If we were to speak about inaction, perhaps, we should start by recalling the unmet commitments of developed countries in providing ODA, which amount to more than $1trillion since Monterrey. This is not a drop in the ocean, by the way.
The reference contained in paragraph 10 should not be merely declaratory.
In addition to reaffirming the principle of CBDR, we should bear in mind that the universality of the Post-2015 development agenda takes into account the
“different national circumstances, capacities and priorities”, as formulated in paragraph 246, of Rio+20 Outcome Document.
Similar iterations of this language are mentioned in paragraphs 56, 58(b), 63, 103, 127, 239 and 247 of The Future We Want, as well as in the outcome of the Special Event on the MDGs, of 2013, and the 2014 High Level Political Forum Ministerial Declaration, not to mention the chapeau of the SDGs.
Therefore, our proposal is to include, in paragraph 5, after "rich and poor countries alike", the expression: "taking into account different national circumstances, capacities and priorities". The same language should also be added in the end of paragraph 17.
Co-facilitators,
We have some additional proposals on the declaration:
1 - In paragraph 1, we should make specific reference to the Sustainable Development Goals, not to "global goals".
2 - In paragraph 5 we should make reference to “revitalized partnership for sustainable development”, instead of the “new global compact”. We prefer to make reference to the agreed concept reflected in goal 17, instead of a "new global compact" whose meaning and implications are left unclear.
3 - In paragraph 7, as a second sentence, we propose the following: "poverty eradication is the overarching priority and a central imperative of the post-2015 development agenda."
4 - In paragraph 10, we need to include a reference to the 2005 World Summit outcome document to address the need to reform the governance of international institutions.
5 - In paragraph 25, we note with appreciation the reference to the need to share wealth through progressive policies aimed at redistribution.
6 - In paragraph 26, on SCP, we believe Rio+20 language should be used to adequately reflect both the universality and the differentiated responsibility between developed and developing countries on this subject, with the developed countries taking the lead.
7 - In paragraph 27, on climate change, we should make explicit reference to two facts: i) the UNFCCC is the primary intergovernmental forum for negotiating the global response to climate change; and ii) the reaffirmation of the principles of the Convention.
8 - In paragraph 32, we would like to make reference to the diversity of the private sector, which has been mistakenly referred to as a single entity. We also believe it is important to recognize the role of civil society organizations on this endeavor. Our proposal would reads as follows: "We acknowledge the diversity of the private sector, ranging from micro-enterprises to cooperatives to multinationals (language from FfD) and the role of civil society organizations in the implementation of the new agenda."
9 - In paragraph 35, we suggest the crucial role of science and technology for the promotion of sustainable development is acknowledged. The paragraph would read: "We recognize the crucial role that science, technology and innovation play in the promotion of sustainable development in all countries (...)".
10 - In paragraph 34, we need to make explicit reference to the fact that "developed countries reaffirmed their respective ODA commitments, including the commitment by many developed countries to achieve the target of 0.7 per cent of ODA/GNI and 0.15 to 0.20 per cent of ODA/GNI to LDCs".
11 - In paragraph 39, we note with appreciation the reference to policy space, which must be kept in the text, as an element of differentiation. We would add the reference to "voice" before representation in the last sentence.
12 - Furthermore, regarding paragraph 30, it would not be consistent to emphasize the mutual relation between sustainable development and peace, as stated in paragraph 30, and not address the need to reform the governance of peace and security in the United Nations.
13 - There is a need to acknowledge the fact that "poverty and disability are strongly interlinked". We wish to request the inclusion of this sentence in paragraph 22 of the political declaration. Several estimates show that more than 80% of persons with disability live in poverty around the world.
14 - We welcome the reference to young people in paragraph 46 and we would like to propose the inclusion of a reference to children in the beginning of the same sentence.
15 - On gender-related issues, we associate ourselves with the statement delivered by Costa Rica on behalf of a group of countries on this issue. We welcome the language on gender and women empowerment included in the Declaration and support its reinforcement. We wish to underscore, however, that, like others, we see no need to add a paragraph about the family. We would also support more direct references to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights and to the Montevideo platform, but, at the same time, we
believe it is important to build a package that can be adopted by consensus, without reservations.
16. Finally, we believe an additional paragraph should be added to reflect the need to mobilize the entire United Nations System, including through the reform of its structure, to enable it to respond to the needs of the Post-2015 Development Agenda.
Mr. Co-facilitator, we have further suggestions that we will submit to the Secretariat.
I thank you, Co-facilitator.
VII Session
Political Declaration - July 21, 2015
Delegation of Brazil
Co-facilitators,
Brazil aligns itself with the intervention delivered by South Africa on behalf of G-77 and China. I would like to present additional remarks in my national capacity.
My delegation is concerned about ensuring consistency with the concept of sustainable development as expressed in the Rio+20 Outcome Document.
The section dedicated to the 5Ps needs to be improved, if we are to make the preamble acceptable to all delegations. It is not a matter, in our view, of comparing which "P" is more relevant - as suggested by some delegations yesterday and today. All of them are obviously relevant, as there would be other concepts that we have preferred to leave aside, such as Equality, Inclusion, Access to Justice, among others.
Essentially, we need to recognize and reaffirm the specially innovative and relevant nature of the approach adopted at the Rio+20 Conference that speaks of sustainable development by integrating the economic, the social and the environmental pillars of development into a single endeavor. Fundamentally, those three pillars are captured through the idea of People, Prosperity and Planet. Partnership and Peace should not be in the same league. Relevant though they may be, and we do not refuse acknowledging their relevance with an appropriate separate mention further down along the text, peace and partnership are not, and never were meant to be, overarching determinants of "sustainable development".
The words we identify should be arranged in a way that correctly reflects the meaning of the political concept of sustainable development. Otherwise, it will be difficult to reach agreement on this matter.
We need to acknowledge the different status of the set of three elements that speak directly to the three dimensions of sustainable development, that is, people, prosperity and planet, from the other two: partnership and peace.
“Partnership” relates to the means for implementing the agenda, a cross-cutting aspect of our framework of goals and targets.
The fifth element, “Peace”, is not a Rio_20 overarching concept, nor an inherent pillar of sustainable development. It reflects the compromise achieved within the Open Working Group and formulated in SDG 16. Emphasizing one single goal while the other Ps cover all remaining SDGs does not respect the overall balance of the SDG framework.
We believe that we have a proposal to overcome these problems thus making our preamble consistent with the multilaterally agreed concept of sustainable development and, at the same time, observant of a balance among all SDGs. Our proposal is
1) To include in the second paragraph, immediately after its first sentence, the following: “The goals and targets are integrated and indivisible and balance the three dimensions of sustainable development: the economic, social and environmental.” (note: based on paragraph 5)
2) To include an intermediary paragraph, immediately before the heading “Peace”, separating the first three Ps from the last two. This paragraph aims to provide clarity to the status of the concepts of “peace” and “partnership”, vis-à-vis the three dimensions of sustainable development. We based it on
language from other parts of the draft, as well as in suggestions received from other delegations. It reads as follows:
"The sustainable development goals and targets build on the achievements of the MDG Agenda and seek to address its unfinished business. We acknowledge that sustainable development and peace are mutually reinforcing. We thus call for a revitalized Global Partnership to implement the new Agenda."
Following this paragraph, we could keep the two remaining Ps and the last paragraph.
3) The third element we propose there is also need to delete the word “crucial” in the last sentence of the fifth paragraph of the political declaration.
Co-facilitators,
In order to integrate the first three Ps, we need to bridge the gaps between the three silos. So, we suggest the inclusion of
- "People" in the sentence: "ensure equal access to natural resources and a healthy environment for all".
- And in "Planet", we should acknowledge that "the sound management of natural resources underpins economic and social development".
- In Prosperity, we should make reference to the "the promotion of sustainable patterns of consumption and production"
- In Peace, there is need to be consistent with SDGs language, referring to "inclusive" instead of "harmonious" societies
Co-facilitators,
The universality of the Post-2015 Development Agenda is based on the recognition that countries are different. The concepts of universality and differentiation are intertwined into one single principle, the principle of CBDR, which guided our work in devising goals and targets that are applicable to all countries.
Many international regimes and treaties, in the UN system but also elsewhere, acknowledge the need for differentiated treatment for developing countries. In the multilateral trade system, for instance, it is formulated as the principle of special and differential treatment. Several treaties in the social and human rights fields have provisions for differentiation, such as International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, in its article 2.3, and the Convention on the Rights of Children, in its articles 23.4 and 28.3, among others.
Acknowledging differentiation does not entail questioning the universal applicability of those instruments, or allow countries not to fulfill their obligations and commitments regarding human rights, social inclusion or environmental sustainability.
We were disappointed to hear some delegation express the view yesterday that CBDR is an excuse for developing countries to “take inaction”. If we were to speak about inaction, perhaps, we should start by recalling the unmet commitments of developed countries in providing ODA, which amount to more than $1trillion since Monterrey. This is not a drop in the ocean, by the way.
The reference contained in paragraph 10 should not be merely declaratory.
In addition to reaffirming the principle of CBDR, we should bear in mind that the universality of the Post-2015 development agenda takes into account the
“different national circumstances, capacities and priorities”, as formulated in paragraph 246, of Rio+20 Outcome Document.
Similar iterations of this language are mentioned in paragraphs 56, 58(b), 63, 103, 127, 239 and 247 of The Future We Want, as well as in the outcome of the Special Event on the MDGs, of 2013, and the 2014 High Level Political Forum Ministerial Declaration, not to mention the chapeau of the SDGs.
Therefore, our proposal is to include, in paragraph 5, after "rich and poor countries alike", the expression: "taking into account different national circumstances, capacities and priorities". The same language should also be added in the end of paragraph 17.
Co-facilitators,
We have some additional proposals on the declaration:
1 - In paragraph 1, we should make specific reference to the Sustainable Development Goals, not to "global goals".
2 - In paragraph 5 we should make reference to “revitalized partnership for sustainable development”, instead of the “new global compact”. We prefer to make reference to the agreed concept reflected in goal 17, instead of a "new global compact" whose meaning and implications are left unclear.
3 - In paragraph 7, as a second sentence, we propose the following: "poverty eradication is the overarching priority and a central imperative of the post-2015 development agenda."
4 - In paragraph 10, we need to include a reference to the 2005 World Summit outcome document to address the need to reform the governance of international institutions.
5 - In paragraph 25, we note with appreciation the reference to the need to share wealth through progressive policies aimed at redistribution.
6 - In paragraph 26, on SCP, we believe Rio+20 language should be used to adequately reflect both the universality and the differentiated responsibility between developed and developing countries on this subject, with the developed countries taking the lead.
7 - In paragraph 27, on climate change, we should make explicit reference to two facts: i) the UNFCCC is the primary intergovernmental forum for negotiating the global response to climate change; and ii) the reaffirmation of the principles of the Convention.
8 - In paragraph 32, we would like to make reference to the diversity of the private sector, which has been mistakenly referred to as a single entity. We also believe it is important to recognize the role of civil society organizations on this endeavor. Our proposal would reads as follows: "We acknowledge the diversity of the private sector, ranging from micro-enterprises to cooperatives to multinationals (language from FfD) and the role of civil society organizations in the implementation of the new agenda."
9 - In paragraph 35, we suggest the crucial role of science and technology for the promotion of sustainable development is acknowledged. The paragraph would read: "We recognize the crucial role that science, technology and innovation play in the promotion of sustainable development in all countries (...)".
10 - In paragraph 34, we need to make explicit reference to the fact that "developed countries reaffirmed their respective ODA commitments, including the commitment by many developed countries to achieve the target of 0.7 per cent of ODA/GNI and 0.15 to 0.20 per cent of ODA/GNI to LDCs".
11 - In paragraph 39, we note with appreciation the reference to policy space, which must be kept in the text, as an element of differentiation. We would add the reference to "voice" before representation in the last sentence.
12 - Furthermore, regarding paragraph 30, it would not be consistent to emphasize the mutual relation between sustainable development and peace, as stated in paragraph 30, and not address the need to reform the governance of peace and security in the United Nations.
13 - There is a need to acknowledge the fact that "poverty and disability are strongly interlinked". We wish to request the inclusion of this sentence in paragraph 22 of the political declaration. Several estimates show that more than 80% of persons with disability live in poverty around the world.
14 - We welcome the reference to young people in paragraph 46 and we would like to propose the inclusion of a reference to children in the beginning of the same sentence.
15 - On gender-related issues, we associate ourselves with the statement delivered by Costa Rica on behalf of a group of countries on this issue. We welcome the language on gender and women empowerment included in the Declaration and support its reinforcement. We wish to underscore, however, that, like others, we see no need to add a paragraph about the family. We would also support more direct references to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights and to the Montevideo platform, but, at the same time, we
believe it is important to build a package that can be adopted by consensus, without reservations.
16. Finally, we believe an additional paragraph should be added to reflect the need to mobilize the entire United Nations System, including through the reform of its structure, to enable it to respond to the needs of the Post-2015 Development Agenda.
Mr. Co-facilitator, we have further suggestions that we will submit to the Secretariat.
I thank you, Co-facilitator.
Stakeholders