Tanzania
STATEMENT BY AMBASSADOR CELESTINE MUSHY, DIRECTOR FOR MULTILATERAL COOPERATION ON THE NEGOTIATION OF THE POST 2015 DEVELOPMENT AGENDA, NEW YORK, 24.07.2015
Mr. Co-facilitators,
1. My delegation would like to associate itself with statements made by South Africa, Tanzania and Benin speaking on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, African Group and LDCs respectively.
2. We join other delegations in expressing our heartfelt condolences to the Delegation of Djibouti following the demise of their Ambassador and Dean of the Diplomatic Corps. May his soul rest in peace.
3. My delegation commends you co-facilitators, your entire team and the UN Secretariat for your vision, time and energy expended on the draft outcome document. We salute you all for the excellent job!!
4. We welcome the text you termed as the final draft of the outcome document, which in our view reflects most of the discussions we have had in the previous months.
5. We have keenly and carefully listened to comments from other delegations in the last three days. The comments undoubtedly indicate convergence rather than divergence of views. This assures us all that we are very close to concluding our negotiations, and probably well before 31st July 2015. If we manage to do so, surely will spare ourselves from spending nights in conference rooms. We will also make history of finishing negotiations without protracted time. This is a good thing which we should all strive to achieve.
Co-Facilitators,
6. Since my delegation is taking the floor for the first time, we ask for your indulgence to make quick and brief comments from the title through means of implementation.
7. We support shortening of the title of the outcome document. We propose that it read as: “the 2030 Development Agenda for Global Action on SDGs”. The logic behind this proposal is that we are all going to implement the 17 SDGs as was the case for the MDGs. The key item is and our focus should therefore be on the SDGs, targets and their indicators to be developed.
8. On the preamble section: we welcome the innovative idea of the use of the 5Ps that clearly explains our common endeavor to achieve sustainable development. Development that puts people at the center while taking into consideration our planet, in which we all derive our lives. We strongly support those who advocated for the retention of this section.
Co-facilitators,
9. On the Declaration: since the beginning of these negotiations, and those of the Third International Conference on the Financing for Development, we have had explanations and positions on the CBDR Principle. It is very clear that we are divided between those who want to see it in the Outcome Document and those who would rather not have it featured. We all know the genesis of this principle, and thus there is no need to preach to the converted!!
10. My delegation, however, wants to add its strong voice in support of this principle. The concept of sustainability came into being following the 1992 Rio conferences, and thus the birth of CBDR. Time and again, we have all, without exception, reiterated that the SDGs engulf and embrace three key pillars of economic development, social equity and environment protection. Without these three concepts, definitely, there is no Sustainability concept and therefore, there is no CBDR. Since we all embrace the three pillars we cannot escape the use of CBDR in every section of the outcome document. This a red line for my delegation.
11. On the SDGs section, we support the retention of the entire report of the opening-working group as adopted by the General Assembly. This will save us time and unnecessary suspicion amongst us! Since this section was already agreed, we should consider it at the end while giving priority to other equally important sections that have not been agreed elsewhere.
12. We should first of all consider and agree on the MoI and Follow up and review sections. If time permits we can later take on the SDGs section.
13. On MoI, my Delegation believes that the successful implementation of the first 16 SDGs is predicated on SDG 17. This is the goal that will determine our success or failure in our efforts to implement the transformative agenda.
14. This section should build on the previous commitments made in Financing for Development initiatives within and outside the UN. We therefore propose the inclusion of a paragraph that will make reference to the previous commitments in order to avoid the notion that SDGs aim at unravelling previous commitments.
15. It is important to note that all the 17 Goals have their MoI targets. As a result all the Goals have been moved with their MoI related targets to the section on MoI. Thus, it is not only goal 17 that is repetitive but rather all the goals. It is in this regard that it becomes very difficult to synchronize the goals to avoid repetition. As I pointed earlier my Delegation prefers the retention of the whole report of the OWG. If it is really necessary, which I don’t believe so, to harmonize Goal 17 and the MoI section, my Delegation proposes the following two options: (i) to retain status quo in both SDGs and MoI sections; (ii) to deal only with Goal 17, in order to reduce unnecessary duplication. Goal 17 could be summarized under its constituent parts (finance, technology, capacity building, trade and systemic issues) and these be further elaborated under the section on MoI.
16. Co-Facilitators, Follow up and Review is an important section that will keep us informed on the progress of implementation. One problem we faced with the MDGs was lack of a clear follow and monitoring mechanism for the implementation of goal 08. Paragraph 68 makes reference to follow up and review of MoI. In this section we need to be explicit on how the follow up and review of the implementation of SDG 17 will be done. If we fail to deliver on the implementation of SDG 17, we will most likely fail on the rest of the SDGs.
17. As outlined in the Draft Outcome Document, the review will be at national, regional and international level. However, it is not very clear how these three levels of monitoring will feed into the HLPF and thus ECOSOC and GA. This needs to be clarified as well.
18. The role of the UN system at the country level in terms of supporting and assisting countries in the implementation and subsequently follow up and review must be addressed. The UN Specialized Agencies, Funds and Programs are key actors at the national level. Their roles need to be clarified in the Outcome Document.
I thank you Co Chairs
Mr. Co-facilitators,
1. My delegation would like to associate itself with statements made by South Africa, Tanzania and Benin speaking on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, African Group and LDCs respectively.
2. We join other delegations in expressing our heartfelt condolences to the Delegation of Djibouti following the demise of their Ambassador and Dean of the Diplomatic Corps. May his soul rest in peace.
3. My delegation commends you co-facilitators, your entire team and the UN Secretariat for your vision, time and energy expended on the draft outcome document. We salute you all for the excellent job!!
4. We welcome the text you termed as the final draft of the outcome document, which in our view reflects most of the discussions we have had in the previous months.
5. We have keenly and carefully listened to comments from other delegations in the last three days. The comments undoubtedly indicate convergence rather than divergence of views. This assures us all that we are very close to concluding our negotiations, and probably well before 31st July 2015. If we manage to do so, surely will spare ourselves from spending nights in conference rooms. We will also make history of finishing negotiations without protracted time. This is a good thing which we should all strive to achieve.
Co-Facilitators,
6. Since my delegation is taking the floor for the first time, we ask for your indulgence to make quick and brief comments from the title through means of implementation.
7. We support shortening of the title of the outcome document. We propose that it read as: “the 2030 Development Agenda for Global Action on SDGs”. The logic behind this proposal is that we are all going to implement the 17 SDGs as was the case for the MDGs. The key item is and our focus should therefore be on the SDGs, targets and their indicators to be developed.
8. On the preamble section: we welcome the innovative idea of the use of the 5Ps that clearly explains our common endeavor to achieve sustainable development. Development that puts people at the center while taking into consideration our planet, in which we all derive our lives. We strongly support those who advocated for the retention of this section.
Co-facilitators,
9. On the Declaration: since the beginning of these negotiations, and those of the Third International Conference on the Financing for Development, we have had explanations and positions on the CBDR Principle. It is very clear that we are divided between those who want to see it in the Outcome Document and those who would rather not have it featured. We all know the genesis of this principle, and thus there is no need to preach to the converted!!
10. My delegation, however, wants to add its strong voice in support of this principle. The concept of sustainability came into being following the 1992 Rio conferences, and thus the birth of CBDR. Time and again, we have all, without exception, reiterated that the SDGs engulf and embrace three key pillars of economic development, social equity and environment protection. Without these three concepts, definitely, there is no Sustainability concept and therefore, there is no CBDR. Since we all embrace the three pillars we cannot escape the use of CBDR in every section of the outcome document. This a red line for my delegation.
11. On the SDGs section, we support the retention of the entire report of the opening-working group as adopted by the General Assembly. This will save us time and unnecessary suspicion amongst us! Since this section was already agreed, we should consider it at the end while giving priority to other equally important sections that have not been agreed elsewhere.
12. We should first of all consider and agree on the MoI and Follow up and review sections. If time permits we can later take on the SDGs section.
13. On MoI, my Delegation believes that the successful implementation of the first 16 SDGs is predicated on SDG 17. This is the goal that will determine our success or failure in our efforts to implement the transformative agenda.
14. This section should build on the previous commitments made in Financing for Development initiatives within and outside the UN. We therefore propose the inclusion of a paragraph that will make reference to the previous commitments in order to avoid the notion that SDGs aim at unravelling previous commitments.
15. It is important to note that all the 17 Goals have their MoI targets. As a result all the Goals have been moved with their MoI related targets to the section on MoI. Thus, it is not only goal 17 that is repetitive but rather all the goals. It is in this regard that it becomes very difficult to synchronize the goals to avoid repetition. As I pointed earlier my Delegation prefers the retention of the whole report of the OWG. If it is really necessary, which I don’t believe so, to harmonize Goal 17 and the MoI section, my Delegation proposes the following two options: (i) to retain status quo in both SDGs and MoI sections; (ii) to deal only with Goal 17, in order to reduce unnecessary duplication. Goal 17 could be summarized under its constituent parts (finance, technology, capacity building, trade and systemic issues) and these be further elaborated under the section on MoI.
16. Co-Facilitators, Follow up and Review is an important section that will keep us informed on the progress of implementation. One problem we faced with the MDGs was lack of a clear follow and monitoring mechanism for the implementation of goal 08. Paragraph 68 makes reference to follow up and review of MoI. In this section we need to be explicit on how the follow up and review of the implementation of SDG 17 will be done. If we fail to deliver on the implementation of SDG 17, we will most likely fail on the rest of the SDGs.
17. As outlined in the Draft Outcome Document, the review will be at national, regional and international level. However, it is not very clear how these three levels of monitoring will feed into the HLPF and thus ECOSOC and GA. This needs to be clarified as well.
18. The role of the UN system at the country level in terms of supporting and assisting countries in the implementation and subsequently follow up and review must be addressed. The UN Specialized Agencies, Funds and Programs are key actors at the national level. Their roles need to be clarified in the Outcome Document.
I thank you Co Chairs
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