NEPAL
Remarks by Mr. Shatrudhwan P S Pokharel, Second Secretary, Permanent
Mission of Nepal to the United Nations, at the intergovernmental negotiations
on the Post-2015 Development Agenda {Follow-up and Review)
New York, 19 May 2015
Please Check Against Delivery
Distinguished Co-facilitators,
My delegation commends your leadership, and we support every effort to make this
intergovernmental process deliver a worthy outcome.
I would like to express sincere thanks for sharing the Discussion Paper on Follow-up and
Review of the Post-2015 Development Agenda which has helped focus our deliberations
on the issues.
I align my statement with the statements delivered on behalf of Group of 77 and China and
LDCs and would like to make some remarks in my national capacity.
Nepal believes that, as an ambitious universal agenda, the post-2015 development agenda
deserves a robust, inclusive, and transparent follow-up and review framework, so as to
track progress, find gaps, and mobilize adequate resources on a regular basis.
We believe that the High-level Political Forum (HLPF), under the auspices of UN OA and
ECOSOC, will be the most appropriate body to carry out this task for sustainable
development—especially the SDGs and targets. There are three main points to keep in
mind to guarantee the efficiency and effectiveness of the follow-up and review by HLPF:
First, the HLPF should be strengthened with adequate support from the UN-DESA and
other relevant bodies; second, ECOSOC should be strengthened as the principal UN organ
to deal with socio-economic issues; and third, coordination and coherence between the GA,
ECOSOC and other relevant entities with regard to sustainable development should be
enhanced further.
Co-facilitators,
Nepal believes that the follow up and review framework should operate at all levels—
global, regional, and national. It should be universal in scope; voluntary in nature; owned
by eacb country in accordance with their national circumstances, needs, capacities and,
priorities; government-led, with the involvement of relevant stakeholders; allow the
provision to review the status of means of implementation. It should also provide the scope
and structure to enable contributions of the relevant UN entities, regional organizations,
other international organizations, as well as media, academia, civil society, among others.
It should be based on the exchange of the lessons and best practices between and among
countries, especially those derived from the implementation of MDGs. There should be
coherence between national, regional, and global levels in order to save resources and avoid
duplication. It should be a continuous, on-going process, with provisions of periodic
reporting so as to implement the new agenda better.
The nature of indicators and availability of data lies at the heart of meaningful follow-up
and review. Countries in special situations, especially the LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS, need
adequate support in building capacity of national bureau of statistics especially to produce
quality data and develop indicators. National legislations relating to data need to be
modernized and standardized, and administered firmly by the respective highest national
authorities. The LDCs should not be over-burdened in undertaking follow-up and review;
rather they should be encouraged and provided with necessary support. We must encourage
all stakeholders to use existing mechanisms, and provide support for further advancement
of the process, rather than adding new mechanisms to the mix. Elements of review and
follow up in case of LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS should also be informed by the Istanbul
Programme of Action, the Vienna Programme of Action, and the Samoa Pathway, so as to
gauge progress in those countries in case of their special needs and challenges, and to
ensure that they stay on track.
I wish to conclude, distinguished Co-facilitators, by emphasizing the need for us to have a
Zero Draft of the whole agenda, so that we could be better focused in our future
deliberations. The aim here is to have an agreed text by 31 July. Nepal looks forward to
the realization of this goal, which will be a development watershed for both us and future
generations.
I thank you.
