Germany
Proposal for a German Statement: Declaration
Mr Co-Chair,
Honorable delegates,
I am speaking on behalf of the Government of Germany. We align ourselves with the statement by the European Union and would like to underline some aspects:
In general we think the structure of your elements paper serves well the ambition of a visionary, concise and inspiring declaration.
On chapter 1: The Declaration is an important element of the agenda – it should provide information about our intentions and our visions, the WHY behind our ambitions. This vision will guide us and remind us where we departed in 2015 and shall inspire us to aim for ambitious and transformative actions. The declaration is the heart of the agenda and shall encompass values and overarching principles. Furthermore the idea of a holistic agenda, bringing together the three dimensions of sustainability should be recalled - economic foundations should not only be strong, but inclusive and respecting planetary boundaries.
It is obvious that a new Global Partnership is needed, to change the way we do things together, to mobilize all actors and all resources, at all levels and to monitor our success and exchange best practices. This new global partnership for sustainable development is not only about MoI but an overarching concept based on the guiding principles of universality, shared responsibility, mutual accountability, consideration of respective capabilities, and the adoption of a multi-stakeholder approach - principles valid for the entire agenda.
On chapter 2: For the success of the agenda it will be crucial to set out its purpose. The Declaration should be compelling: bringing people and actors together to jointly build / shape the future we want. Part of the success of the MDGs was their communicability. Following this success model the new agenda needs an effective communication tool as suggested by the UN-SG in his synthesis report. We welcome this approach to reflect the new, holistic and transformative spirit of the agenda in overarching key messages, which should be easily understood and spur action worldwide. These messages should use innovative and appealing language to engage everybody to take action and to reflect spirit and content of the agenda. How we exactly phrase these main messages needs further discussion.
We want to underline the importance that the declaration acknowledges that the agenda should leave no one behind as well as our concerns for future generations. The declaration must steel our determination to end extreme poverty in one generation and complete the unfinished business of the MDGs and go beyond that. In order to shift to a path of sustainable development and to give future generations the chance to lead a fulfilled life, it is key to preserve the natural resource base and ensure its sustainable use and to protect other global public goods. The declaration shall contain a clear commitment to human rights and underline the importance of a human rights-based approach to achieve the goals set out in the agenda. Particular emphasis should be given to the empowerment of women and girls and gender equality. The declaration also needs strong links with climate change.
Furthermore we should stress the importance of effective and good governance, rule of law and inclusive and participatory institutions, peace and security as well as an enabling policy environment, at all levels.
On chapter 3: A new global partnership shall determine HOW we work together. We need to overcome outdated divides and have to think beyond static categories established in the past. National ownership and leadership are key drivers of implementation, and a universal agenda calls for action by all. If we want to make a difference together, every country’s contribution is needed and every country should regularly scrutinize whether according to its capacities national policies and priorities and in the light of the global ambition its contributions could be adapted. At the same time it should stimulate political will and leadership and shall be open for all stakeholders such as civil society, private sector and academia which are crucial for successful implementation to associate.
We welcome the reference to strengthening the UN to respond to needs on the road to 2030. This should include working on the reform of the UN system and of its bodies and organs. This however does not mean that we should discuss the reform within the context of the post-2015 negotiations.
On chapter 4: The review mechanism for the post-2015 agenda should provide relevant information on where we stand in the implementation of the agenda and analyze factors of success to serve as an important tool for policy decisions in the context of the HLPF. Therefore it has to go beyond simply monitoring global progress. The review mechanism should be anchored in strong national ownership. The national level would therefore be the starting point for a three tier review mechanism that includes besides the national a regional and an international/global component. In order to avoid any duplication this mechanism should also build on already existing review mechanisms. The review mechanism should be voluntary and thus needs to be incentive-based. Possible incentives for countries to participate might be heightened visibility for their progress and efforts (possibly leading to more investment in these areas), access to means of implementation and further support, and participation in a forum for the establishment of new partnerships, constructive dialogue, peer learning and an exchange of best practices.
On chapter 5: Our joint commitment shall be based on shared responsibility and common principles. A paradigm shift to move beyond traditional north-south-thinking is necessary to move towards a truly universal and joint agenda and to use the potential of multi-stakeholder partnerships. As CBDR was raised: we are of the opinion that CBDR as set out in Rio Principle 7 in 1992 cannot apply as an overarching principle to a holistic agenda. Rio principle 7 has a clear limitation to environmental degradation.
When the SDGs were negotiated in Rio in 2012 their criteria were already adapted to a changing world – providing dynamic differentiation on the contributions of the countries according to realities, capacities and levels of development of countries. This is the way we should move forward. These challenges lie ahead of all of us and we are ready to face them together.
Mr Co-Chair,
Honorable delegates,
I am speaking on behalf of the Government of Germany. We align ourselves with the statement by the European Union and would like to underline some aspects:
In general we think the structure of your elements paper serves well the ambition of a visionary, concise and inspiring declaration.
On chapter 1: The Declaration is an important element of the agenda – it should provide information about our intentions and our visions, the WHY behind our ambitions. This vision will guide us and remind us where we departed in 2015 and shall inspire us to aim for ambitious and transformative actions. The declaration is the heart of the agenda and shall encompass values and overarching principles. Furthermore the idea of a holistic agenda, bringing together the three dimensions of sustainability should be recalled - economic foundations should not only be strong, but inclusive and respecting planetary boundaries.
It is obvious that a new Global Partnership is needed, to change the way we do things together, to mobilize all actors and all resources, at all levels and to monitor our success and exchange best practices. This new global partnership for sustainable development is not only about MoI but an overarching concept based on the guiding principles of universality, shared responsibility, mutual accountability, consideration of respective capabilities, and the adoption of a multi-stakeholder approach - principles valid for the entire agenda.
On chapter 2: For the success of the agenda it will be crucial to set out its purpose. The Declaration should be compelling: bringing people and actors together to jointly build / shape the future we want. Part of the success of the MDGs was their communicability. Following this success model the new agenda needs an effective communication tool as suggested by the UN-SG in his synthesis report. We welcome this approach to reflect the new, holistic and transformative spirit of the agenda in overarching key messages, which should be easily understood and spur action worldwide. These messages should use innovative and appealing language to engage everybody to take action and to reflect spirit and content of the agenda. How we exactly phrase these main messages needs further discussion.
We want to underline the importance that the declaration acknowledges that the agenda should leave no one behind as well as our concerns for future generations. The declaration must steel our determination to end extreme poverty in one generation and complete the unfinished business of the MDGs and go beyond that. In order to shift to a path of sustainable development and to give future generations the chance to lead a fulfilled life, it is key to preserve the natural resource base and ensure its sustainable use and to protect other global public goods. The declaration shall contain a clear commitment to human rights and underline the importance of a human rights-based approach to achieve the goals set out in the agenda. Particular emphasis should be given to the empowerment of women and girls and gender equality. The declaration also needs strong links with climate change.
Furthermore we should stress the importance of effective and good governance, rule of law and inclusive and participatory institutions, peace and security as well as an enabling policy environment, at all levels.
On chapter 3: A new global partnership shall determine HOW we work together. We need to overcome outdated divides and have to think beyond static categories established in the past. National ownership and leadership are key drivers of implementation, and a universal agenda calls for action by all. If we want to make a difference together, every country’s contribution is needed and every country should regularly scrutinize whether according to its capacities national policies and priorities and in the light of the global ambition its contributions could be adapted. At the same time it should stimulate political will and leadership and shall be open for all stakeholders such as civil society, private sector and academia which are crucial for successful implementation to associate.
We welcome the reference to strengthening the UN to respond to needs on the road to 2030. This should include working on the reform of the UN system and of its bodies and organs. This however does not mean that we should discuss the reform within the context of the post-2015 negotiations.
On chapter 4: The review mechanism for the post-2015 agenda should provide relevant information on where we stand in the implementation of the agenda and analyze factors of success to serve as an important tool for policy decisions in the context of the HLPF. Therefore it has to go beyond simply monitoring global progress. The review mechanism should be anchored in strong national ownership. The national level would therefore be the starting point for a three tier review mechanism that includes besides the national a regional and an international/global component. In order to avoid any duplication this mechanism should also build on already existing review mechanisms. The review mechanism should be voluntary and thus needs to be incentive-based. Possible incentives for countries to participate might be heightened visibility for their progress and efforts (possibly leading to more investment in these areas), access to means of implementation and further support, and participation in a forum for the establishment of new partnerships, constructive dialogue, peer learning and an exchange of best practices.
On chapter 5: Our joint commitment shall be based on shared responsibility and common principles. A paradigm shift to move beyond traditional north-south-thinking is necessary to move towards a truly universal and joint agenda and to use the potential of multi-stakeholder partnerships. As CBDR was raised: we are of the opinion that CBDR as set out in Rio Principle 7 in 1992 cannot apply as an overarching principle to a holistic agenda. Rio principle 7 has a clear limitation to environmental degradation.
When the SDGs were negotiated in Rio in 2012 their criteria were already adapted to a changing world – providing dynamic differentiation on the contributions of the countries according to realities, capacities and levels of development of countries. This is the way we should move forward. These challenges lie ahead of all of us and we are ready to face them together.
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