Second Session of Intergovernmental Negotiations on Post-2015 Development Agenda, 17-20 February 2015
Comments by the Republic of Latvia
First let me thank you Co-Facilitators, for your hard and efficient work.
Latvia aligns itself with the intervention made by the EU. We find the document you provided a very good incentive for our deliberations. We are glad to see many important ideas reflected in the document. The key messages are there. In the interest of time I would like to dwell on a few points that from our view require further elaboration and reinforcement.
We see the declaration as the core and the frame of the agenda. To transmit a clear and powerful message it needs an inspiring narrative. We hope that the 6 elements proposed by the SG could serve this purpose and facilitate communication of the agenda. We obviously need further discussions on how these elements could be approached in the declaration in a unified manner.
We would also like to reiterate the views expressed by other member states that the declaration should capture clear interlinkage between poverty eradication and sustainable development in its three dimensions. The declaration should highlight the transformative nature of the new agenda.
We also believe that gender equality deserves a more prominent reflection in the declaration, preferably in a separate paragraph.
We strongly agree with recalling fundamental values listed in paragraph 4. We suggest that the list should also include democratic governance and respect for International law.
The declaration needs to articulate more clearly the role of the new global partnership. In this context policy coherence and enabling policy frameworks should be outlined. Not only national ownership, but also leadership is very important.
The role of local authorities should be mentioned in the declaration. They are one of key partners in implementation of the agenda, and their contribution should not be underestimated.
The declaration should acknowledge the contribution of wide range of stakeholders involved in shaping this agenda. Although the agenda will be adopted by heads of state and government, the contribution of all other stakeholders should be appreciated, if we want this agenda to be a call for action for everybody.
Mutual accountability is very important, and we are glad to see it included in the document. But also monitoring should be ensured at all levels, including through a key oversight role of HLPF.
Finally, we would like to see a unified approach in referring to conferences and outcome documents, perhaps preferably in footnotes, in order not to overload the text.
These are preliminary observations we wish to make on the document you have presented us.
