Save the Children’s Recommendations on the Zero Draft Resolution of 6 May 2016
on the Follow-up and Review of the 2030 Agenda at the global level
(11 May 2016)
This brief outlines Save the Children’s recommendations on the zero draft resolution of 6 May 2016 on the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda at the global level, based on the position paper, Towards a New Paradigm of Accountability: An Accountability Framework for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
While we welcome the zero draft, we strongly urge Member States to ensure that the process for global follow-up and review at the High-level Political Forum (HLPF) reflects the level of ambition of the 2030 Agenda and drives the implementation of the agenda at all levels, especially for the most excluded groups of people.
Summary of Recommendations
Member States should:
On leave no one behind
1. Ensure the HLPF focuses on the progress of the poorest and most vulnerable people and those furthest behind, as outlined in paragraph 74(e) of the 2030 Agenda, in order to leave no one behind.
On thematic reviews
2. Ensure thematic reviews provide for an in-depth review of a sub-set of goals, with goal 17 reviewed annually, whilst always highlighting the interlinkages between all goals and targets every year.
On themes
3. Ensure the themes selected for the remainder of the current HLPF cycle reflect the depth, breadth and language of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
On national reviews
4. Pledge to volunteer for a national review at least twice during the 2030 Agenda, based on a State report, a non-state actors report by the UN, and a report summarizing information from the UN system, and ensure these reviews result in recommendations that will further the implementation of the SDGs.
On countries in special situations
5. Retain language to devote adequate time at the HLPF to consider the progress of countries in special situations, including countries in conflict and post-conflict situations.
On participation
6. Put the ‘leave no one behind’ principle into practice in follow-up and review at the HLPF by ensuring inclusive arrangements are in place to allow for the meaningful participation of traditionally excluded groups including children, people with disabilities, and the poorest and most vulnerable people.
On inputs
7. Ensure the HLPF takes into account written and oral inputs from a wide range of stakeholders and UN processes for all reviews.
On outcomes
8. Ensure the HLPF under the auspices of ECOSOC occurs every year, and results in a Ministerial Declaration and a summary of the meeting which synthesizes recommendations to further the implementation of the SDGs.
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Recommendation 1: Ensure the HLPF focuses on the progress of the poorest and most vulnerable people and those furthest behind, as outlined in paragraph 74(e) of the 2030 Agenda, in order to leave no one behind.
While ‘leave no one behind’ has become the rallying cry of the 2030 Agenda, the zero draft resolution lacks any reference to the ‘people-centred’ nature of the agenda and the commitment of Member States to focus on the progress of the poorest and most vulnerable people. Without concrete action to put the ‘leave no one behind’ principle into practice, including in global follow-up and review processes, it risks becoming a meaningless pledge. Accordingly, this principle should be strengthened throughout the zero draft including in Preambulary Paragraph 3.
Critical text amends:
PP3. Recalling further its resolution 70/1 of 25 September 2015, entitled “Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” wherein Member States committed to engage in systematic follow-up and review of the implementation of the Agenda in accordance with agreed guiding principles, including to leave no one behind by focusing on the poorest, most vulnerable and those furthest behind, and asserted that the high-level political forum will have a central role in overseeing a network of follow-up and review processes at the global level, working coherently with the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council and other relevant organs and forums, in accordance with existing mandates,
Recommendation 2: Ensure thematic reviews provide for an in-depth review of a sub-set of goals, with goal 17 reviewed annually, whilst always highlighting the interlinkages between all goals and targets every year.
An in-depth review of a sub-set of goals, as outlined in paragraph 3, will be essential to consider progress on specific SDGs, especially for groups that are the furthest behind in achieving targets. Regardless which goals are reviewed in-depth in a given year, the interlinkages between all goals and targets should be highlighted every year.
Critical text amends:
3. Further decides that the high-level political forum under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council, without prejudice to the integrated, indivisible, interlinked nature of the sustainable development goals, will discuss a set of goals at each session representing the three dimensions of sustainable development, with a view to facilitating an in-depth review on progress of all goals over the course of a four-year cycle, with the goal 17 discussed annually, highlighting the interlinkages between all goals and targets every year;
Recommendation 3: Ensure the themes selected for the remainder of the current HLPF cycle reflect the depth, breadth and language of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Save the Children recommends that Member States ensure that the themes better reflect the language and ambition of the SDGs. In addition, the theme for 2019 should not only focus on ensuring ‘inclusiveness’ but also participation and equitable outcomes for all people including children.
Critical text amends:
4. Decides therefore that for the remainder of the current cycle of the high-level political forum under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council the themes and sets of goals shall be:
• 2017 Theme: Ensuring food security and nutrition on a safe and sustainable planet by 2030
Set of focus goals: 1, 2, 6, 13, 14, 15 and 17
• 2018 Theme: Making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilent and sustainable, and
building productive capacities
Set of focus goals: 7, 8, 9, 11, 12 and 17
• 2019 Theme: Empowering people and ensuring inclusiveness, participation and equitable outcomes for all
Set of focus goals: 3, 4, 5, 10, 16 and 17
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Recommendation 4: Pledge to volunteer for a national review at least twice during the 2030 Agenda, based on a State report, a non-state actors report by the UN, and a report summarizing information from the UN system, and ensure these reviews result in recommendations that will further the implementation of the SDGs.
Regular national reviews at the HLPF will be essential to share good practices, assess progress, identify challenges and provide recommendations to mobilize further action on implementation. Member States should strive to participate in national reviews at least twice and ideally three times during the life of the 2030 Agenda. Such touchpoints will be critical to allow the HLPF to collectively ”keep its finger on the pulse” and to address any challenges that transcend national borders, especially those related to the means of implementation.
Reviews should provide for multi-stakeholder participation and meaningful dialogue and accordingly be based on a government report (including information on consultations conducted with non-state actors in developing the report), a UN report summarizing information from non-state actors, and a UN report summarizing information from across the UN system. These reports and all inputs informing these reports should be made available in an online portal in a timely, open and user-friendly manner.
Critical text amends:
6. Takes note of the preparations for the voluntary national reviews for the high-level political forum under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council in 2016 and encourages that experience gained from this and future sessions should be taken into consideration so as to ensure that the reviews are afforded appropriate organizational arrangements including sufficient time, bearing in mind that their aim is to facilitate the sharing of experiences including successes, challenges and lessons learnt and to provide recommendations that further the implementation of sustainable development commitments;
7. Requests the President of the Economic and Social Council to encourage voluntary national reviews Decides that Member States from developed and developing countries, including countries in special situations, shall;
8. Encourages Member States to consider carrying out at least two voluntary national reviews at the high-level political forum between now and 2030, based on a State report, a UN report summarizing information from non-state actors, and a UN report summarizing information and data from across the UN system;
Recommendation 5: Retain language to devote adequate time at the HLPF to consider the progress of countries in special situations, including countries in conflict and post-conflict situations.
Save the Children welcomes the recognition in paragraph 11 that adequate time shall be devoted to countries in special situations including those in conflict and post-conflict situations. People living in countries affected by or emerging from conflict are more than twice as likely to be undernourished than those in developing countries1 and twice as likely to see their children die before the age of five. Further, an estimated 36% of the 59 million out-of-school children of primary school age live in conflict-affected countries.2 Focusing on these countries at the HLPF will be critical to ensure that both these countries and the people living within them are not left behind.
Recommendation 6: Put the ‘leave no one behind’ principle into practice in follow-up and review at the HLPF by ensuring inclusive arrangements are in place to allow for the meaningful participation of traditionally excluded groups including children, people with disabilities, and the poorest and most vulnerable people.
Save the Children welcomes the reference in paragraph 12 affirming the participation of and agreed modalities for stakeholder participation. As noted earlier, Member States must also ensure that global follow-up and review processes ‘leave no one behind’ by addressing the financial, linguistic, logistical, technological or age barriers that prevent the participation of traditionally excluded groups, including children, in the HLPF.
1 Save the Children and Center for American Progress (2015), Fragile Progress: The Record of the Millennium Development Goals in States Affected by Conflict, Fragility and Crisis, p. 2.
2 EFA Global Monitoring Report 2015, Education For All 2000-2015: Achievements and Challenges, p. 236.
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Critical text amends:
12. Reiterates its decision in resolution 67/290 that the forum shall be open to the major groups, other relevant stakeholders and entities having received a standing invitation to participate as observers in the General Assembly in accordance with the modalities set out in the same resolution; and further decides encourages in this regard, that in the organization of the meetings of the high-level political forum innovative and inclusive arrangements including web-based interfaces should shall be implemented considered so as to support the effective, broad and balanced participation of traditionally excluded groups including children, people with disabilities and the poorest and most vulnerable people by region and by type of organization;
Recommendation 7: Ensure the HLPF takes into account written and oral inputs from a wide range of stakeholders and UN processes for all reviews.
All reviews at the HLPF should be informed by written and oral inputs outlining progress, challenges, new and emerging issues, and recommendations for further implementation from a range of processes and stakeholders including children. Save the Children welcomes the suggestion of a web-based platform for inputs however, to ensure inputs will actually be taken into account, they should also be synthesized in a concise and user-friendly manner.
Critical text amends:
13. Reaffirms that the high-level political forum shall be informed by the quadrennial Global Sustainable Development Report and the annual Sustainable Development Goals Report prepared by the Secretary-General in cooperation with the United Nations system and recalls that the intergovernmentally agreed conclusions and recommendations of the annual Economic and Social Council forum on financing for development and an annual summary of discussions by the co-chairs of the Multistakeholder forum on science, technology and innovation for sustainable development goals, as well as other relevant reports and documents including written and oral inputs from a range of other stakeholders and processes, shall feed into all reviews at the high-level political forum;
14. Reiterates the call to major groups and other stakeholders to report on their contributions to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and encourages the private sector and civil society these stakeholders to inform the United Nations of their commitments to implement the sustainable development goals and to make recommendations to further implementation as part of their contribution to follow-up and review;
15. Underscores that all inputs shall be made available and easily accessible in a timely manner and in a user-friendly and synthesized format utilizing and enhancing where necessary, existing web-based platforms with linkages as appropriate.
Recommendation 8: Ensure the HLPF under the auspices of ECOSOC occurs every year, and results in a Ministerial Declaration and a summary of the meeting which synthesizes recommendations to further the implementation of the SDGs.
Given the different roles of the HLPF under the auspices of the General Assembly and ECOSOC as outlined in resolution 67/290, Save the Children welcomes the decision in paragraph 20 that the HLPF under the auspices of ECOSOC will occur every year. While we support a summary by the President of the ECOSOC, in addition to the Ministerial Declaration, it will be critical that this summary includes a synthesis of recommendations made in advance of the HLPF and during the meeting. Concrete recommendations for Member States and non-state actors alike to act upon in the time between HLPFs will be essential to accelerate implementation.
Critical text amends:
21. Reaffirms its decision as provided in resolution 67/290 that the outcome of the high-level political forum under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council will result in a negotiated ministerial declaration for inclusion in the report of the Council to the General Assembly, except as otherwise provided, and invites decides that the President of the the Economic and Social Council to will prepare a factual summary of the meeting including a synthesis of recommendations made in advance of reviews and recommendations arising from reviews;
