Intergovernmental negotiations on the post-2015 development agenda Session of 18-22 May 2015
Statement by Cyprus on Follow-up and review – 19 May 2015
Thank you for giving me the floor and let me also thank you co-facilitators for providing us with the background paper on follow-up and review of the Post-2015 development agenda which we consider as very useful. Cyprus aligns itself with the statement made earlier by the European Union and wishes to add a few additional remarks in its national capacity.
Mr. Co-facilitator, for the Post 2015 development agenda to be effective, truly transformational and people- centered, we need a strong monitoring, accountability and review framework at all levels, global, regional and national. This global framework should incorporate lessons learned and best practice from existing monitoring and accountability mechanisms like for example the MDGs framework, and seek to build a more credible system of mutual accountability for universally applicable goals and commitments in a strengthened institutional framework. The Rio + 20 Outcome Document, the resolutions on the strengthening of ECOSOC and on the establishment of the high level political forum on sustainable development and the synthesis report of the UN Secretary General give ample guidance in this regard.
For any monitoring, accountability and review mechanism to be successful, reliable and transparent data for measuring progress at the global, regional and national levels is of critical importance. Accessible and user-friendly data, disaggregated by gender, age, income among others, is necessary if we want to achieve universal coverage and to leave no one behind. Capacity building in this respect of countries most in need for generating such high quality data should be priority.
Mr. Co-facilitator, this is a universal agenda and must be strengthened by universal monitoring, accountability and review. It is, however, each country’s responsibility to ensure effective implementation at national level and an accountability system should be guided by national ownership and leadership which would also involve all stakeholders.
Furthermore, high level political involvement as well as periodic and inclusive global, regional and national review of progress on specific goals, targets and indicators is essential for any follow-up and review process. In this regard it is important that adequate space is created for people to participate in policy choices that affect them and to be able to hold governments and other actors accountable. Likewise local authorities, the private sector and other stakeholders should also play a key role in the follow-up and review process.
Lastly, we would like to stress the importance of having one overarching monitoring, accountability and review framework for the whole post 2015 agenda which would include the means of implementation to be agreed at the Addis FfD Conference.
