Switzerland
First meeting of intergovernmental negotiations on the post-2015 agenda
Session “Means of Implementation and Global Partnership for Sustainable Development”
And
“Follow-up and review”
STATEMENT BY SWITZERLAND
Wednesday 21 January 2015
New York
Co-Facilitators,
Regarding Means of Implementation and Global Partnership for Sustainable Development, I would like to reiterate that we consider the Financing for Development process part of the overall post-2015 agenda. It is therefore crucial to avoid duplication and ensure coherence between the two processes.
It would be particularly helpful to agree upfront on the nature of the chapter on Means of Implementation foreseen in the Post-2015 agenda, in particular in relation to the Addis outcome document, which is to be expected to cover most if not all of these topics while being much more detailed on many of these issues. Such a conversation could help us agree on the type of deliverables we collectively want to integrate in the Post-2015 agenda.
As expressed by other delegations, Switzerland believes that the main process to discuss the Means of Implementation is the preparatory process leading to Addis. The time reserved in the intergovernmental post-2015 negotiations on this issue could be used, as proposed by other delegations, to hear from those which will actually play a crucial role in the implementation, such as representatives from Local Authorities, Members of Parliament, and others including private sector representatives such as investors, multinational companies but also small and medium enterprises, in particular from developing countries. Such a conversation would be particularly useful to discuss how the principles, which will be elaborated in the "Addis"-track, need to be phrased in order to provide a sound basis for the implementation.
Switzerland would very much welcome reactions to these ideas from other Member States, as well as guidance by both co-facilitator teams on how to proceed further based on the respective views of Member States.
Co-Facilitators
In designing a new universal global partnership for sustainable development, which ensures that state and non-state actors work together for our collective objective, the following elements will be crucial: Domestic Resource Mobilization and sustainable management of public finances, enabling environment and incentives for private sector, Official development assistance and its effective use. In addition, we reiterate the importance of policy coherence for sustainable development. All relevant policies, including trade, financial, agricultural, health and education policy, must be oriented towards and coherent with sustainable development.
Co-Facilitators,
One final element of this discussion on MoI is the result of the Structured Dialogues regarding technology facilitation. The recommendations resulting from this dialogue constitute a sound basis for further discussions. As highlighted yesterday, strong multi-stakeholder partnerships will be key to deliver on the needed transfer of knowledge and technology.
Co-Facilitators
I will now turn to the issue of Follow up and review.
We align ourselves with the statement on behalf of the group of seven (consisting of Egypt, Liechtenstein, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, Republic of Korea and my own country).
In our national capacity, we would like to add some additional elements:
- Why do we need a monitoring and review framework for the post-2015 agenda? At the end of the day, it’s about making sure that we are on the right track to achieving sustainable development. It’s about making sure that the goals that we set ourselves are implemented in practice.
- Now is the opportunity to put into practice what we have considered to be essential also in the Rio+20 outcome document The Future We Want. In this sense, we particularly welcome the proposals of the UNSG Synthesis Report on Monitoring and Review which should constitute the basis of our discussions.
- We also see the national level as the foundation of the overall monitoring and review framework. Region-specific reviews, adapted to each region’s terms and needs, can provide added value and ownership.
- Many challenges that we are facing today are of global nature and cannot be reduced to the national or regional context only. At the global level, the annual meetings of
the HLPF under the auspices of ECOSOC should regularly review the SDGs both in terms of a country review and a thematic review.
- Switzerland considers that progress towards implementation of the goals should be assessed every four years and should generate attention at the highest political level at the HLPF under the auspices of the General Assembly.
- Therefore, it would make sense to align this review with the four year cycle of the Quadrennial Comprehensive Policy Review (QCPR) resolution. In doing so, the HLPF would offer crucial orientation to the UN development system regarding the UN’s specific contribution to implementing the Sustainable Development Agenda.
- Relevant information on progress towards implementation of goals should be communicated and visualized in a state-of-the art Global Sustainable Development Report.
- The universality of the agenda implies a paradigm shift. In future, Switzerland will also be assessed on how it implements the post-2015 agenda at the national level.
- The discussions on how to implement the new agenda at the national level have already started within our government. To be honest, this is not an easy task.
- It has been decided that the OWG proposal will serve as the basis for the national implementation, through Switzerland’s new Strategy for Sustainable Development which will come into force in 2016.
- To conclude, I would like to stress the importance of ensuring a coherent approach on monitoring and review between the Post-2015 and FFSD processes, as well as the HLPF under the auspices of ECOSOC.
Thank you
Session “Means of Implementation and Global Partnership for Sustainable Development”
And
“Follow-up and review”
STATEMENT BY SWITZERLAND
Wednesday 21 January 2015
New York
Co-Facilitators,
Regarding Means of Implementation and Global Partnership for Sustainable Development, I would like to reiterate that we consider the Financing for Development process part of the overall post-2015 agenda. It is therefore crucial to avoid duplication and ensure coherence between the two processes.
It would be particularly helpful to agree upfront on the nature of the chapter on Means of Implementation foreseen in the Post-2015 agenda, in particular in relation to the Addis outcome document, which is to be expected to cover most if not all of these topics while being much more detailed on many of these issues. Such a conversation could help us agree on the type of deliverables we collectively want to integrate in the Post-2015 agenda.
As expressed by other delegations, Switzerland believes that the main process to discuss the Means of Implementation is the preparatory process leading to Addis. The time reserved in the intergovernmental post-2015 negotiations on this issue could be used, as proposed by other delegations, to hear from those which will actually play a crucial role in the implementation, such as representatives from Local Authorities, Members of Parliament, and others including private sector representatives such as investors, multinational companies but also small and medium enterprises, in particular from developing countries. Such a conversation would be particularly useful to discuss how the principles, which will be elaborated in the "Addis"-track, need to be phrased in order to provide a sound basis for the implementation.
Switzerland would very much welcome reactions to these ideas from other Member States, as well as guidance by both co-facilitator teams on how to proceed further based on the respective views of Member States.
Co-Facilitators
In designing a new universal global partnership for sustainable development, which ensures that state and non-state actors work together for our collective objective, the following elements will be crucial: Domestic Resource Mobilization and sustainable management of public finances, enabling environment and incentives for private sector, Official development assistance and its effective use. In addition, we reiterate the importance of policy coherence for sustainable development. All relevant policies, including trade, financial, agricultural, health and education policy, must be oriented towards and coherent with sustainable development.
Co-Facilitators,
One final element of this discussion on MoI is the result of the Structured Dialogues regarding technology facilitation. The recommendations resulting from this dialogue constitute a sound basis for further discussions. As highlighted yesterday, strong multi-stakeholder partnerships will be key to deliver on the needed transfer of knowledge and technology.
Co-Facilitators
I will now turn to the issue of Follow up and review.
We align ourselves with the statement on behalf of the group of seven (consisting of Egypt, Liechtenstein, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, Republic of Korea and my own country).
In our national capacity, we would like to add some additional elements:
- Why do we need a monitoring and review framework for the post-2015 agenda? At the end of the day, it’s about making sure that we are on the right track to achieving sustainable development. It’s about making sure that the goals that we set ourselves are implemented in practice.
- Now is the opportunity to put into practice what we have considered to be essential also in the Rio+20 outcome document The Future We Want. In this sense, we particularly welcome the proposals of the UNSG Synthesis Report on Monitoring and Review which should constitute the basis of our discussions.
- We also see the national level as the foundation of the overall monitoring and review framework. Region-specific reviews, adapted to each region’s terms and needs, can provide added value and ownership.
- Many challenges that we are facing today are of global nature and cannot be reduced to the national or regional context only. At the global level, the annual meetings of
the HLPF under the auspices of ECOSOC should regularly review the SDGs both in terms of a country review and a thematic review.
- Switzerland considers that progress towards implementation of the goals should be assessed every four years and should generate attention at the highest political level at the HLPF under the auspices of the General Assembly.
- Therefore, it would make sense to align this review with the four year cycle of the Quadrennial Comprehensive Policy Review (QCPR) resolution. In doing so, the HLPF would offer crucial orientation to the UN development system regarding the UN’s specific contribution to implementing the Sustainable Development Agenda.
- Relevant information on progress towards implementation of goals should be communicated and visualized in a state-of-the art Global Sustainable Development Report.
- The universality of the agenda implies a paradigm shift. In future, Switzerland will also be assessed on how it implements the post-2015 agenda at the national level.
- The discussions on how to implement the new agenda at the national level have already started within our government. To be honest, this is not an easy task.
- It has been decided that the OWG proposal will serve as the basis for the national implementation, through Switzerland’s new Strategy for Sustainable Development which will come into force in 2016.
- To conclude, I would like to stress the importance of ensuring a coherent approach on monitoring and review between the Post-2015 and FFSD processes, as well as the HLPF under the auspices of ECOSOC.
Thank you
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