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Intergovernmental Negotiations on the Post-2015 Development Agenda
Fifth Session – Follow-up and Review
New York, 19 May 2015
Statement by Switzerland
Thank you Mr. Co-Chair
We are pleased to hear a lot of consensus in the room on many key principles and elements for the follow-up and review. We wanted to come back on two points with the following comments and then some suggestions for what we hope to see in the outcome document.
First, the country review at the global level is crucial for us. At the global level, there should be mutual reviews between all member states. The reviews should be based on national progress reports which should be followed by an interactive discussion amongst countries and stakeholders in a constructive manner.
Based on yesterday’s and this morning’s discussion, we want to underline why for Switzerland the concrete exchange between countries is important at global level. For us, at the global level, a
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country review should really have an added-value. They would have the benefit of further increasing the exchange of experience and mutual learning across regions. Countries should want to come because they know they will be getting concrete recommendations on what can be done better and how countries can be supported by the UN system and a wide range of other actors in the implementation of the SDGs.
We have heard questions regarding the feasibility of such national reviews, given the few days allocated to the HLPF. However, over the last few weeks we have heard innovative and creative proposals. We are convinced that if we continue discussions over the months to come, and if we are innovative and creative in our thinking, it can be done.
We very much agree with others today on the need for a balanced approach: we need to have the main pillars and principles of an overall monitoring and review framework for the post-2015 agenda in the outcome document, as well as clear indications on the work streams to follow.
Second, in regards also to the follow-up, my delegation considers it important to have some clear language in the Post-2015 Outcome document on the next steps for the implementation of the SDG agenda by the UN. It will be important to define the role and functions of the UN and all its agencies and bodies in the review and the implementation of the new agenda.
In this regard, we call for a comprehensive analysis of functions, funding, governance, partnership, capacities, impact and organizational arrangements with regard to review and implementation of the Post-2015 Agenda across the UN system. We welcome the ECOSOC dialogues
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which have started an exchange on those topics, and consider that they need to be followed by a structured process that will then propose concrete options to Member States for decision. We expect that the Outcome Document will reflect this.
So, in addition to this, the Outcome Document should contain the following mandates:
- Similar to what was proposed by CARICOM yesterday, the Outcome Document must confirm the mandate to the HLPF to conduct regular reviews both national reviews and thematic reviews, reaffirming 67/290, both annually under the auspices of ECOSOC and every four years under the auspices of the GA.
- Like others, we agree that The UNSG should elaborate a mapping of existing intergovernmental thematic platforms related to the SDGS. In addition to this mapping, the UNSG should also make a proposal for which existing platforms should be used to ensure complementary global thematic reviews at the HLPF. This proposal should also identify existing gaps.
- For the UNSG to elaborate a proposal for thematic reviews at global level at the HLPF. This should include a proposal for grouping of topics, or “nexus topics”. This proposal should also be discussed at the HLPF in 2016.
- For the UNSG to elaborate a proposal on a simple template to help countries to report on their progress. This proposal should be discussed at the HLPF in 2016.
