Statement by the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Thursday 25 June 2015
Post-2015 Intergovernmental Negotiation Session on the Outcome Document
Thank you Mr. Co-Facilitator.
I have the honor to make this statement on behalf of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. I would like to align myself with the statement made by the European Union and add a few remarks in my national capacity.
On the Means of Implementation, we look forward to a strong package of MoI actions coming out of the Addis track, to strengthen and build on the MoI that were agreed in the Open Working Group on SDGs. We are heartened by the progress in the FfD track and look forward to the speedy conclusion of those negotiations, hopefully this evening.
Co-facilitators, with your indulgence, we will also briefly provide a few comments on section III of the Zero Draft on Monitoring and Accountability and Review.
The monitoring and accountability framework provides the foundation on which our post-2015 home is built. We are encouraged by the support for the basis you have laid in this section. We think it can be further strengthened along the following lines.
Accountability
1. Co-facilitator, accountability is at the heart of our common endeavor. We will need to be accountable on both the "what", that is progress on the development outcomes we have defined through goals and targets, and the "how", the means, financial and non-financial resources and policy actions enabling such progress. The monitoring and accountability framework is where the what and the how come together: after all the goals and targets provide us with a benchmark in terms of outcomes for the inputs we need.
Participation & Transparency
2. We welcome the multistakeholder approach to monitoring and accountability: at all levels we need all actors on board for success. Civil society, the private sector and academia all have their unique roles, and specific contributions and roles in this regard. Civil society and other stakeholders are a part of the current process of the formulation of the agenda, and we have appreciated their rich and diverse inputs. Their participation will equally be indispensable in the implementation and monitoring of the agenda. In this context transparency will be key.
Leave no one Behind
3. We would welcome further concretization of the Leave no One Behind principle. Data disaggregation will be key in this regard. We would submit that no goal or target should be considered met, unless met for all economic and social groupings. Moreover, we need a focus on the furthest behind in implementation, including the poorest, most vulnerable and marginalized groups. Our monitoring endeavors can help in this regard and we would welcome this reflected as an additional principle.
Existing structures
4. Finally, co-facilitators, we have a number of existing monitoring mechanisms that we can build on for effective monitoring in specific areas. They include the functional commissions of ECOSOC, such as CSW and the CPD and the international HR system. Other existing initiatives that are worth taking into account include the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation Monitoring Framework and their indicators (currently under review) and the OECD DAC review.
As many delegations have stated before, private sector accountability is an important element in our discussions on follow up. In this regard we would like to highlight the OECD Guidelines on Multinational Enterprises, providing a unique international dispute resolution procedure based on a comprehensive code of conduct for international business, ensuring compliance with universal human rights standards and ‘due diligence’ in supply chain responsibility. This could helpfully be linked to the SDGs.
