Seul le texte prononcé fait foi Check against delivery
Intergovernmental Negotiations on the Post-2015 Development Agenda
Fifth Session – Follow-up and Review New York, 18 May 2015
Statement by Switzerland
Distinguished Co-Facilitators,
Switzerland aligns itself with the statement of the “Group of Seven” held by Norway earlier this morning.
We welcome this week’s meeting dedicated to the fourth pillar of the Post-2015 Agenda, the question of accountability, monitoring and review, and also welcome the Discussion Paper circulated by the Co-Facilitators in advance of this session.
In our national capacity, we would like to emphasize a few additional points. We will come back on other more specific elements in the course of the week.
My country attaches such a great importance to a robust monitoring and review framework for the post-2015 Agenda for a simple reason. 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.
The Post-2015 Outcome Document should define the key elements and principles of an overall monitoring and review mechanisms. With this in mind, we would like to highlight the following points:

Seul le texte prononcé fait foi Check against delivery
First, a universal, holistic and multilevel framework for monitoring and review of all the goals and targets must be an integral part of the post-2015 sustainable development agenda. The “central locus” of the overall monitoring and review is the High-level political forum on sustainable development HLPF, where different sectorial monitoring and review processes come together. For this reason, it is paramount that the follow-up of Financing for Sustainable Development (FFSD), which will include all the means of implementation for the SDGs, must be built into the overall review architecture and also ultimately feed into the HLPF. This should be reflected in the Post-2015 Outcome Document.
Second, a monitoring and review framework for the Post-2015 Agenda should be based on the following principles: universality, state-led, effectiveness and efficiency, regular periodicity and multi-level, participation and inclusiveness, transparency, results- oriented, incentive- and evidence-based. As many have already stated, Switzerland expects to see these fundamental principles reflected in the Post-2015 Outcome Document.
Third, the monitoring and review framework should be multi-layered and build on existing platforms and mechanisms.
- We see the national level as the foundation of the overall monitoring and review framework. Member States should elaborate national strategies/plans, including national commitments, to implement the post-2015 development agenda with the participation of all relevant stakeholders and begin implementation in a timely manner.
- Region-specific country peer reviews, adapted to each region’s terms and needs, can provide added value and ownership.
- At the global level, a universal mechanism for regular country and thematic review of the goals should be established under the umbrella of the HLPF. Because what happens in one part of the world has effects in others, the review at the HLPF should look at two things: 1) how countries are doing individually and 2) how we are doing globally. The annual meetings of the HLPF under the auspices of ECOSOC should be used to review national implementation on a regular basis. In a first 4 year review cycle, governments could be invited to communicate how they translate the SDGs at the national level, including their national commitments, innovative approaches, and multi-stakeholder collaboration. In the subsequent 4 year review cycles governments would be asked to share progress on implementation. Annual meetings of the HLPF

Seul le texte prononcé fait foi Check against delivery
should also be used to review global thematic progress, focusing on the nexus between goals or a cluster of goals. Just like the existing sectorial discussions such as the Commission on the Status of Women or the Committee on World Food Security, we also expect that the Financing for Sustainable Development follow-up will also need to feed into the HLPF. In this way, the HLPF would be able to add value by conducting a holistic and integrated review of the SDGs.
- Finally, the meeting of the HLPF under the auspices of the General Assembly every four years will be very important to mobilize political attention and action at the highest level.
My fourth point: the monitoring and review framework must be inclusive and ensure stakeholder participation at all levels, including the national, regional and global level. At the global level, real and meaningful stakeholder participation at the HLPF, in a truly universal manner, will be crucial to make Resolution 67/290 a reality.
Co-Facilitators, a final note on the process moving forward:
To ensure an effective and efficient follow-up and review of the post-2015 agenda, we must ensure a coherent approach on this issue in the post-2015 negotiations, the Financing for Sustainable Development process as well as the discussions in the HLPF Meeting in June/July 2015. We welcome the close cooperation with the Co-Facilitators of the Financing for Sustainable Development process on issues of Means of Implementation and thank you for continuing this close exchange also with regard to follow-up and review.
Thank you!

