Sweden
Swedish statement at OWG VI on Means of Implementation and Global Partnerships, 10 december 2013
Mr. Co-Chair,
I associate myself with the statement by the European Union.
The Post-2015 development agenda is a universal challenge and an opportunity. Addressing the means of implementation early in our deliberations will be crucial for final success. We need to combine a conversation on what to do with how to do it.
First, we have to address financing of the agenda in a coherent and comprehensive manner, in parallel to conversations on the new framework and the goals. Domestic resource mobilization will play a key role as the major source of financing for development. We should therefore work for improved conditions for increased mobilization of domestic fiscal resources. This includes improving the reach and effectiveness of tax systems and fighting illicit financial flows and corruption.
Efforts need to be made to promote that all external financial flows contribute to sustainable development, including private investments and remittances. Free and fair conditions for trade, financial stability, and democratic governance are important fundamentals which contribute to a more conducive environment for business and private investment. ODA will continue to play an important role in financing for development in the poorest, most vulnerable countries, especially in fragile and conflict affected situations. ODA should also be used more strategically and catalytically to attract other sources of funding.
Second, there will be a need to build strong, transparent, accountable multi/stakeholder partnerships to mobilize political support and finance different global development challenges. These partnerships should
2013-12-10
Utrikesdepartementet
Ambassador
Anna Brandt
2
include governments, development partners, the private sector, civil society, and philanthropic organizations and must have robust and transparent monitoring frameworks attached to them. Partners should clarify roles and functions and respect these in order to complement and reinforce each other’s efforts, rather than competing for mandates and resources. And, not least important, partners are expected to act in a coherent way respecting the principles of policy coherence for development.
Third, we need to recognize the full potential of human mobility. In many countries migration has been instrumental in achieving some of the MDGs. It raises incomes and funds investment in education and health care; supports the creation of businesses and jobs; contributes to the transfer of knowledge, skills, and ideas; and promotes investments and trade flows between countries of origin and destination. Therefore migration needs to be integrated into the new development framework. By improving the quality of mobility, we can profoundly improve human development outcomes for migrants, their families, local communities, and countries. This means that efforts are needed for instance to enhance the portability of skills and earned social security benefits, to reduce the costs of remittances and to combat discrimination.
Fourth, rapid technological development has expanded the opportunities that ICTs, and in particular mobile technology and the Internet, offer to promote economic social and environmentally sustainable development. ICTs should be recognised as tools that can help empower women and men, enable wider exercise of human rights including freedom of expression, foster access to information, open up employment opportunities and expand access to learning, education and health services. At the same time we need to be mindful of and fight the gender divide on ICT: 200 million more men than women are online in developing countries (according to the World Bank). ICT is not an end in itself, but can make a substantial contribution to facilitate and deliver effective results for the Post-2015 Development Agenda. And in this context we need to improve the linkages between the post-2015 process and the World Summit on the Information Society +10 review process, to ensure that efforts across the UN system are coherent and coordinated to achieve maximum sustainable impact.
Fifth, without a substantial improvement in data availability and statistics it will not be possible to monitor outcomes, results and possible success of the new development agenda, nor will we be able to course correct when something goes wrong. Concerted efforts will have to be made to strengthen statistical capabilities, including the ability to produce gender
3
disaggregated statistics, with an emphasis on the least developed countries and in conflict affected and fragile situations. As has been said, we need a “data revolution”. Only then can citizens hold their decision makers to account for commitments they have made. Citizen feedback through mobile phones and geo-mapping of development projects are good initiatives to build transparent and participatory monitoring system on.
Thank you.
Mr. Co-Chair,
I associate myself with the statement by the European Union.
The Post-2015 development agenda is a universal challenge and an opportunity. Addressing the means of implementation early in our deliberations will be crucial for final success. We need to combine a conversation on what to do with how to do it.
First, we have to address financing of the agenda in a coherent and comprehensive manner, in parallel to conversations on the new framework and the goals. Domestic resource mobilization will play a key role as the major source of financing for development. We should therefore work for improved conditions for increased mobilization of domestic fiscal resources. This includes improving the reach and effectiveness of tax systems and fighting illicit financial flows and corruption.
Efforts need to be made to promote that all external financial flows contribute to sustainable development, including private investments and remittances. Free and fair conditions for trade, financial stability, and democratic governance are important fundamentals which contribute to a more conducive environment for business and private investment. ODA will continue to play an important role in financing for development in the poorest, most vulnerable countries, especially in fragile and conflict affected situations. ODA should also be used more strategically and catalytically to attract other sources of funding.
Second, there will be a need to build strong, transparent, accountable multi/stakeholder partnerships to mobilize political support and finance different global development challenges. These partnerships should
2013-12-10
Utrikesdepartementet
Ambassador
Anna Brandt
2
include governments, development partners, the private sector, civil society, and philanthropic organizations and must have robust and transparent monitoring frameworks attached to them. Partners should clarify roles and functions and respect these in order to complement and reinforce each other’s efforts, rather than competing for mandates and resources. And, not least important, partners are expected to act in a coherent way respecting the principles of policy coherence for development.
Third, we need to recognize the full potential of human mobility. In many countries migration has been instrumental in achieving some of the MDGs. It raises incomes and funds investment in education and health care; supports the creation of businesses and jobs; contributes to the transfer of knowledge, skills, and ideas; and promotes investments and trade flows between countries of origin and destination. Therefore migration needs to be integrated into the new development framework. By improving the quality of mobility, we can profoundly improve human development outcomes for migrants, their families, local communities, and countries. This means that efforts are needed for instance to enhance the portability of skills and earned social security benefits, to reduce the costs of remittances and to combat discrimination.
Fourth, rapid technological development has expanded the opportunities that ICTs, and in particular mobile technology and the Internet, offer to promote economic social and environmentally sustainable development. ICTs should be recognised as tools that can help empower women and men, enable wider exercise of human rights including freedom of expression, foster access to information, open up employment opportunities and expand access to learning, education and health services. At the same time we need to be mindful of and fight the gender divide on ICT: 200 million more men than women are online in developing countries (according to the World Bank). ICT is not an end in itself, but can make a substantial contribution to facilitate and deliver effective results for the Post-2015 Development Agenda. And in this context we need to improve the linkages between the post-2015 process and the World Summit on the Information Society +10 review process, to ensure that efforts across the UN system are coherent and coordinated to achieve maximum sustainable impact.
Fifth, without a substantial improvement in data availability and statistics it will not be possible to monitor outcomes, results and possible success of the new development agenda, nor will we be able to course correct when something goes wrong. Concerted efforts will have to be made to strengthen statistical capabilities, including the ability to produce gender
3
disaggregated statistics, with an emphasis on the least developed countries and in conflict affected and fragile situations. As has been said, we need a “data revolution”. Only then can citizens hold their decision makers to account for commitments they have made. Citizen feedback through mobile phones and geo-mapping of development projects are good initiatives to build transparent and participatory monitoring system on.
Thank you.
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