Post-2015 intergovernmental negotiations
Opening session (general comments)
20 July, New York
delivered by
Mr. Gaspar Frontini
DG DEVCO – European Commission
Co-facilitators,
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the EU and its Member States.
We welcome the new draft as a valuable basis and we are looking forward to engaging with partners in a constructive way in the next few days. We trust and appreciate your continued leadership and are confident that we can conclude by 31st July. At this stage we would like to offer a number of general thoughts. We will come back with more specific ones on the various sections of the draft outcome.
We think the current draft of the Declaration could set out more clearly the transformative features of the agenda (universality, integration, balance) as well as the overarching objectives of poverty eradication and sustainable development. We welcome the references to human rights and believe that these could be reinforced.
We welcome the continuing attempts to create a compelling, communicable and action-oriented narrative in the preamble and Declaration, which underlines the integrated nature of the agenda. This narrative remains very important for future implementation and ownership, and crisp, action-oriented key messages are helpful for getting the support of leaders, civil society and the private sector. It is important to strengthen the integration and interlinkages of such key messages. Likewise we need a better narrative of what the new Global Partnership means and the principles that underpin it.
For some sections of the Declaration – particularly 'Our shared principles', 'The new agenda' and 'Implementation’ – there is still room for improvement in terms of coherence, balance and consistency. There are a number of other issues in the text where we still have concerns. These include, among others: the need to reaffirm the principles of the Millennium Declaration, and on the other hand the problematic references to CBDR, policy space, cultural values and right to development. We have ideas on how to address these issues, which we are ready to share.
We welcome the integration of the technical proofing to the targets but must insist that all recommended technical changes are included in the outcome document, including the adjustment on target 14(c) required to be in line with agreed UN language and international law.
We welcome the Addis Ababa Action Agenda. Its full integration is now fundamental to effective delivery of the post-2015 agenda. The Global Partnership and Means of Implementation section of the text must describe this integration more fully.
As regards the section on monitoring and review – which is a critical part of the agenda – we are looking forward to strengthened language on vision, ambition and purpose. The agenda will only be implemented effectively if the Follow Up and Review framework monitors progress against goals and targets and against the Addis agenda in a fully integrated way.
Thank you.
