Canada – STATEMENT on the “Goals and Targets”
July 28, 2015
As we have stated throughout this process, our ultimate goal has always been to craft an agenda that is focused and implementable. And we have always strongly believed that this rests on our ability to ensure that the targets are as technically sound as possible.
The time has come to make a decision on the target revisions. Canada continues to believe that all target revisions presented by the co-facilitators should be included in the next draft. We are also open to consider the additional changes put forward by the LLDCs, as set out in the annex.
On the MoI targets, we are pleased there is no duplication in this draft. However, we still believe that Goal 17 and the MoI targets belong in the MoI chapter. Some colleagues have made the point that the MoI targets under each goal are not clearly identified as separate in purpose and nature. Indeed as currently drafted, the reader will have no idea how 1.5 is different than 1a), as there is no explanation. We continue to believe that placing them in Chapter 3 would bring more clarity, and give them more prominence and visibility.
Mr. Co-facilitator, in response to your call yesterday evening, let me be very clear about our position on the Chapeau. We cannot accept its inclusion anywhere in the final outcome document. We agree with others who have pointed out its redundancy, given that it covers ground that is already included in the Declaration. This runs counter to colleagues’ repeated calls for a concise, focused document. We would also note that it is outdated. In paragraph 12, for example, the Chapeau refers to the Report of the Intergovernmental Committee of Experts on Sustainable Development Financing and the FfD Conference in future tense. And given that we clearly heard from you yesterday that this Chapeau is not up for re-negotiation, we strongly question its value-added and its ability to contribute to an outcome document that should be forward-looking.
Furthermore, the OWG report is referenced in Chapter 2, and we believe this is sufficient.
Finally, I would like to restate that we cannot accept the inclusion of the reservations as contained in the OWG report in this outcome document. We simply cannot ask our leader to sign off on reservations made by other countries.
