United States of America
SDG14 Prep Meeting Call for Action
US Statement as delivered
Intervention
Thank you co-facilitator; the United States welcomes the opportunity to discuss the Conference’s Call for Action, and looks forward to identifying opportunities and coordinated actions we can all take to step up our work on oceans issues. Our collective success in conserving and sustainably managing our ocean rests on effective implementation of SDG 14.
The United States believes that the Conference should be inclusive, transparent, and fully grounded in the 2030 Agenda.
As other delegations have noted, the modalities resolution calls for a concise, focused, consensus declaration to support implementation of SDG 14. We embrace this approach, and believe the document should be short, high-level, and action-oriented.
We agree with a number of interventions regarding the integrated nature of Agenda 2030. Actions aimed at achieving SDG 14 will contribute to progress towards realizing all of the SDG goals, and similarly progress on other SDGs will help us achieve Goal 14.
With respect to the structure of the Call for Action, while we are open-minded at this point, we encourage the co-facilitators to strive for an outcome document that would be comprehensible and meaningful to Member States and average citizens, and that would avoid duplicative work.
Additionally, the United States would like to see the outcomes of the conference feed into the High-Level Political Forum later this year, regardless of how the Call for Action is structured.
Regarding the content of the Call for Action, the United States views the Conference as an opportunity to focus on tangible areas for cooperation, without developing a new or amended UN ocean agenda.
The Call for Action is an opportunity to complement, take note of, and encourage the coordination of, the extensive work already taking place on oceans, both within and outside of the UN system. The document should not ignore or duplicate other relevant conferences and fora.
Regarding how the Call for Action would be organized, one option could be to focus the document around each individual target. While we are flexible on the organization of the document, we caution against re-opening negotiations on the targets and their associated indicators.
To ensure the Call for Action is a concise, focused, consensus document supporting implementation of SDG 14, the Call for Action could focus on overarching elements that would apply to all targets, and highlight actions needed to collectively implement them.
SDG14 Prep Meeting Call for Action
US Statement as delivered
For example, we would find merit in a document that prioritizes coordinated efforts to ensure regular and efficient reporting by Member States on SDG14, that highlights the need for increased scientific knowledge, that encourages cooperation on open data, and that facilitates the sharing of best practices for implementation.
We also see value in incorporating the continued global momentum to put ocean issues on the foreign policy agenda, both within the UN system, as well as outside the UN system through efforts such as The Economist World Ocean Summit and the Our Ocean Conference series.
We note the important role of the UN technical agencies in supporting Member States’ implementation of SDG 14, including the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, the UN Environment Programme, and the Food and Agriculture Organization. We would welcome seeing their important role incorporated in an appropriate manner in the Call for Action.
As we stressed in our intervention this morning, Agenda 2030, and in particular SDG 14, cannot be achieved without the robust engagement of all relevant stakeholders, including NGOs, foundations, academia, the scientific community, the private sector, and others. We would also support seeing stakeholder engagement incorporated into the Call for Action.
While we remain flexible on the content of the Call for Action at this time, we would not want to see inclusion in the document of the creation of new bodies or high-level positions, language that would pre-judge the outcomes of any ongoing negotiations, nor do we believe the Call for Action should call for additional, follow-on conferences for SDG 14 considering the overlap and synergies among the various SDGs.
We look forward to continuing to share ideas on how the Call for Action can be shaped into a tangible, action-oriented outcome document.
Thank you co-facilitator.
US Statement as delivered
Intervention
Thank you co-facilitator; the United States welcomes the opportunity to discuss the Conference’s Call for Action, and looks forward to identifying opportunities and coordinated actions we can all take to step up our work on oceans issues. Our collective success in conserving and sustainably managing our ocean rests on effective implementation of SDG 14.
The United States believes that the Conference should be inclusive, transparent, and fully grounded in the 2030 Agenda.
As other delegations have noted, the modalities resolution calls for a concise, focused, consensus declaration to support implementation of SDG 14. We embrace this approach, and believe the document should be short, high-level, and action-oriented.
We agree with a number of interventions regarding the integrated nature of Agenda 2030. Actions aimed at achieving SDG 14 will contribute to progress towards realizing all of the SDG goals, and similarly progress on other SDGs will help us achieve Goal 14.
With respect to the structure of the Call for Action, while we are open-minded at this point, we encourage the co-facilitators to strive for an outcome document that would be comprehensible and meaningful to Member States and average citizens, and that would avoid duplicative work.
Additionally, the United States would like to see the outcomes of the conference feed into the High-Level Political Forum later this year, regardless of how the Call for Action is structured.
Regarding the content of the Call for Action, the United States views the Conference as an opportunity to focus on tangible areas for cooperation, without developing a new or amended UN ocean agenda.
The Call for Action is an opportunity to complement, take note of, and encourage the coordination of, the extensive work already taking place on oceans, both within and outside of the UN system. The document should not ignore or duplicate other relevant conferences and fora.
Regarding how the Call for Action would be organized, one option could be to focus the document around each individual target. While we are flexible on the organization of the document, we caution against re-opening negotiations on the targets and their associated indicators.
To ensure the Call for Action is a concise, focused, consensus document supporting implementation of SDG 14, the Call for Action could focus on overarching elements that would apply to all targets, and highlight actions needed to collectively implement them.
SDG14 Prep Meeting Call for Action
US Statement as delivered
For example, we would find merit in a document that prioritizes coordinated efforts to ensure regular and efficient reporting by Member States on SDG14, that highlights the need for increased scientific knowledge, that encourages cooperation on open data, and that facilitates the sharing of best practices for implementation.
We also see value in incorporating the continued global momentum to put ocean issues on the foreign policy agenda, both within the UN system, as well as outside the UN system through efforts such as The Economist World Ocean Summit and the Our Ocean Conference series.
We note the important role of the UN technical agencies in supporting Member States’ implementation of SDG 14, including the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, the UN Environment Programme, and the Food and Agriculture Organization. We would welcome seeing their important role incorporated in an appropriate manner in the Call for Action.
As we stressed in our intervention this morning, Agenda 2030, and in particular SDG 14, cannot be achieved without the robust engagement of all relevant stakeholders, including NGOs, foundations, academia, the scientific community, the private sector, and others. We would also support seeing stakeholder engagement incorporated into the Call for Action.
While we remain flexible on the content of the Call for Action at this time, we would not want to see inclusion in the document of the creation of new bodies or high-level positions, language that would pre-judge the outcomes of any ongoing negotiations, nor do we believe the Call for Action should call for additional, follow-on conferences for SDG 14 considering the overlap and synergies among the various SDGs.
We look forward to continuing to share ideas on how the Call for Action can be shaped into a tangible, action-oriented outcome document.
Thank you co-facilitator.
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