ECOSOC
General
Debate
Statement
by
Jeffery
Huffines,
CIVICUS
on
behalf
of
the
NGO
Major
Group
Thursday,
9
July
2015
Mr.
President,
I
would
like
to
make
three
points
reflecting
upon
the
theme
of
this
year’s
HLPF
on
“strengthening
integration,
implementation
and
review
–
the
HLPF
after
2015”.
First,
we
wish
to
stress
that
the
members
of
the
NGO
major
group
stand
at
the
ready
to
partner
with
you,
the
Member
States,
the
UN
agencies,
the
Regional
Commissions
and
all
other
stakeholders
to
vigorously
implement
the
post
2015
development
agenda
should
the
final
declaration
to
be
adopted
by
Member
States
at
the
Summit
in
September
reflect
the
high
ambition
demanded
by
civil
society.
We
have
heard
loud
and
clear
the
message
that
the
implementation
of
the
post
2015
agenda
begins
with
“national
ownership,”
so
we
look
forward
to
receiving
your
support,
both
financial
and
otherwise,
to
ensure
that
NGOs
and
civil
society
are
equipped
world
wide
to
engage
with
their
respective
governments
beginning
in
2016
in
the
crafting
of
national
development
plans
and
national
indicators
best
suited
to
the
unique
circumstances
of
their
peoples,
particularly
those
most
marginalized
and
impoverished,
at
the
national,
subnational
and
local
regions.
Second,
recognizing
that
the
implementation
of
the
SDGs
will
require
our
indefatigable
dedication
year
round
that
extends
well
beyond
the
8
days
allotted
to
the
HLPF,
last
month
at
a
two-‐day
workshop,
major
groups
and
other
stakeholders
discussed
how
to
ensure
that
the
voices
of
non-‐state
actors
as
identified
in
resolution
67/290,
can
be
effectively
brought
into
the
HLPF
and
its
preparatory
processes
in
the
ECOSOC
and
GA,
including
in
the
monitoring
and
review
mechanisms
to
be
established
at
all
levels,
and
in
the
development
of
partnerships.
Moreover,
we
looked
at
ways
to
strengthen
the
internal
governance
structures
of
the
nine
major
groups
and
of
other
stakeholders
in
order
to
ensure
broad
and
balanced
participation
and
to
promote
openness,
transparency
and
accountability
so
that
we
may
hold
ourselves
equally
accountable
to
the
human
rights
standards
that
we
demand
of
governments
as
duty-‐bearers
to
their
citizens.
Third,
we
welcome
the
challenge
of
“strengthening
integration”
because
it
is
within
the
synergies
created
by
the
inter-‐linkages
between
the
SDGs
here
where
the
transformational
potential
of
the
Post-‐2015
Development
Agenda
truly
lives.
We
have
heard
much
talk
about
the
need
for
the
line
ministries
of
governments
to
operate
out
of
their
silos
in
order
to
implement
the
SDGs
at
the
domestic
level,
and
so
must
NGOs
and
their
donors
across
all
sectors
do
the
same.
Looking
forward,
a
broader
range
of
civil
society
needs
to
be
brought
into
global
decision-‐making,
and
alliances
formed
to
enable
NGOs
to
work
constructively
with
governments
and
intergovernmental
institutions
to
achieve
the
SDGs.
NGOs
in
partnership
with
other
stakeholders
need
to
build
better
connections
between
ground-‐level
issues
and
the
global-‐level
processes
that
impact
on
them,
and
nurture
better
south-‐south
and
north-‐south
connections.
A
new
global
report
by
CIVICUS
finds
that
the
rights
of
civil
society
were
violated
in
almost
half
of
the
world’s
193
countries
in
2014.
It
is
against
this
distressing
backdrop
that
the
enormous
potential
of
the
Post-‐2015
Development
Agenda
and
the
SDGs
stand
out
as
a
tremendous
beacon
of
light
articulating
the
collective
aspirations
of
us
all
for
a
better
world.
Thank
you
for
the
opportunity
to
address
this
august
body.
Jeffery
Huffines
NGO
Major
Group
Organizing
Partner
CIVICUS:
World
Alliance
for
Citizen
Participation
