Major Group: Children & Youth
Good morning Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
My name is Heather Seeley and I represent the Major Group for Children and Youth. While the writing of the post-2015 sustainable development agenda is a daunting task in itself, effectively implementing and monitoring sustainable development objectives is an even greater challenge. In order to ensure implementation of these critical objectives, the review mechanisms of the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) must uphold a culture of accountability, transparency, and inclusive participation on the part of all involved constituencies.
Achieving these three aspects in the HLPF review process requires involvement of Major Groups and other stakeholders. The overarching purpose of the sustainable development agenda is to ensure improved wellbeing and sustenance for future generations. It is therefore imperative that these groups play a role in shaping and monitoring a development agenda which directly impacts their own futures. Major Groups serve as intermediaries between governments and citizenries, and can therefore provide reliable, on-the-ground information to enhance Member State reports on sustainable development progress. These contributions of Major Groups provide input collected directly from relevant constituencies, including marginalized communities which would otherwise lack representation in agenda-setting forums like the HLPF.
We therefore call for straightforward entry points for Major Groups to contribute input on monitoring and implementation of the post-2015 sustainable development agenda. One entry point should involve expanding the use of shadow reports to supplement periodic government reviews. Shadow reporting would provide Major Groups with their own means for consistent evaluation and input on progress toward sustainable development. This mechanism would serve as a starting point for Member States and civil society to work directly in consultation towards agreed goals. Shadow reporting would thus serve to expedite implementation of sustainable development objectives, while ensuring accountability and transparency through open exchange of information between Member States and civil society.
A second way that Major Groups can help advance the sustainable development agenda, is through the use of reporting mechanisms which inherently create transparency and space for Major Groups to monitor progress towards sustainability goals. Therefore, I reinforce the call for a natural resource accounting and reporting mechanism, to be incorporated at all levels of the sustainable development agenda. This mechanism provides a means for reporting on natural resource use in biophysical terms, and can be applied at the local, regional, national, and international level. The information generated by natural resource accounting is explicit and accessible for local and national governments, Major Groups, and civil society in general. The transparency of this information thus provides entry points for Major Groups to encourage accountability for the implementation of SDGs related to the cross-cutting concept of natural resource management.
We commend the open access to meetings and resources given to Major Groups in the current HLPF process. However, the extensive research and outreach efforts of these groups are futile if they are only considered on the side, rather than at the center, of the sustainable development agenda. We ask for more numerous and significant entry points for Major Groups involvement, so that the post-2015 sustainable development agenda truly encompasses the interests and knowledge base of the people whom it serves.
Thank you.
My name is Heather Seeley and I represent the Major Group for Children and Youth. While the writing of the post-2015 sustainable development agenda is a daunting task in itself, effectively implementing and monitoring sustainable development objectives is an even greater challenge. In order to ensure implementation of these critical objectives, the review mechanisms of the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) must uphold a culture of accountability, transparency, and inclusive participation on the part of all involved constituencies.
Achieving these three aspects in the HLPF review process requires involvement of Major Groups and other stakeholders. The overarching purpose of the sustainable development agenda is to ensure improved wellbeing and sustenance for future generations. It is therefore imperative that these groups play a role in shaping and monitoring a development agenda which directly impacts their own futures. Major Groups serve as intermediaries between governments and citizenries, and can therefore provide reliable, on-the-ground information to enhance Member State reports on sustainable development progress. These contributions of Major Groups provide input collected directly from relevant constituencies, including marginalized communities which would otherwise lack representation in agenda-setting forums like the HLPF.
We therefore call for straightforward entry points for Major Groups to contribute input on monitoring and implementation of the post-2015 sustainable development agenda. One entry point should involve expanding the use of shadow reports to supplement periodic government reviews. Shadow reporting would provide Major Groups with their own means for consistent evaluation and input on progress toward sustainable development. This mechanism would serve as a starting point for Member States and civil society to work directly in consultation towards agreed goals. Shadow reporting would thus serve to expedite implementation of sustainable development objectives, while ensuring accountability and transparency through open exchange of information between Member States and civil society.
A second way that Major Groups can help advance the sustainable development agenda, is through the use of reporting mechanisms which inherently create transparency and space for Major Groups to monitor progress towards sustainability goals. Therefore, I reinforce the call for a natural resource accounting and reporting mechanism, to be incorporated at all levels of the sustainable development agenda. This mechanism provides a means for reporting on natural resource use in biophysical terms, and can be applied at the local, regional, national, and international level. The information generated by natural resource accounting is explicit and accessible for local and national governments, Major Groups, and civil society in general. The transparency of this information thus provides entry points for Major Groups to encourage accountability for the implementation of SDGs related to the cross-cutting concept of natural resource management.
We commend the open access to meetings and resources given to Major Groups in the current HLPF process. However, the extensive research and outreach efforts of these groups are futile if they are only considered on the side, rather than at the center, of the sustainable development agenda. We ask for more numerous and significant entry points for Major Groups involvement, so that the post-2015 sustainable development agenda truly encompasses the interests and knowledge base of the people whom it serves.
Thank you.