12 May 2015: The Co-Facilitators of the post-2015 negotiation process issued a discussion paper on follow-up and review of the post-2015 development agenda. The paper outlines some key elements on follow-up and review that emerged from post-2015 intergovernmental negotiations carried out so far, with the aim to inform the fifth session of the post-2015 intergovernmental negotiations, which will take place from 18-22 May 2015, at UN Headquarters in New York.

According to the authors, the paper draws particularly upon the discussions held during the January session of the post-2015 intergovernmental negotiations that focused on stocktaking. It also considers proposals included in the UN Secretary-General’s synthesis report on the post-2015 development agenda, as well as mandates laid down various documents, including: the Rio+20 Outcome Document; General Assembly resolution A/RES/67/290 on format and organizational aspects of the High-Level Political Forum on sustainable development (HLPF); and the Report of the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals (SDG OWG). Annex 2 of the paper provides a more detailed list of relevant mandates and documents.

The paper includes sections on: general principles to inform a follow-up and review framework; national level; regional level; and global level. Each section contains a number of questions to consider in preparation for the May negotiations session.

The first section notes that “a robust, effective and transparent follow-up and review framework is critical for ensuring implementation of an ambitious Post-2015 Development agenda.” It outlines an “overarching set” of possible principles for this framework, including inter alia: anchored in strong national ownership and operate at the regional and global levels; reflect the universality of the post-2015 development agenda; ensure follow-up of the SDGs and Means of Implementation commitments; be inclusive and transparent and encourage the participation of various stakeholders; operate on the basis of a sharing of experiences and best practices; be informed by data and evidence which is reliable, timely and disaggregated so as to ensure that no one is left behind; keep to a minimum reporting burdens on countries; encourage comparability including through the use of some form of a standardised process and criteria; and include follow-up on progress made by other actors, such as the UN System, multi- stakeholder partnerships and the private sector, in supporting implementation of the SDGs.

The second section notes the value and importance of a strong process of review at the national and, where appropriate, sub-national level. It also recalls the proposal of the UN Secretary-General’s synthesis report to have “a Government report, a national stakeholder report, with contributions from national non-governmental actors, and a report compiling existing information and data from UN agencies and international financial institutions, all based upon globally harmonised formats,” as the main written inputs on individual country progress.

The third section recalls General Assembly resolution A/RES/67/290, which invites UN Regional Commissions to contribute to the work of the HLPF, including through annual regional meetings, with the involvement of other relevant regional entities, Major Groups and other relevant stakeholders, as appropriate. It also recalls that some Member States suggested that countries should inform each other at regional level on progress and challenges in meeting the SDGs, and that existing regional institutions and review mechanisms could be used, while others raised concerns about the appropriateness of regional reviews.

The fourth section refers to the General Assembly resolution A/RES/67/290, which states that the HLPF is mandated to conduct “regular reviews, starting in 2016, on the follow-up and implementation of sustainable development commitments and objectives, including those related to the means of implementation, within the context of the Post-2015 Development Agenda.” It outlines proposals and questions raised by Member States, including, inter alia: that the HLPF, meeting under the auspices of the General Assembly every four years, could serve to ensure high-level political guidance on the post-2015 development agenda and its implementation; the important role that other UN organs will play in follow-up and review process such as the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the General Assembly; the role that the Global Sustainable Development Report will play in strengthening the science-policy interface; how to ensure that “processes at the HLPF are inclusive”; how to ensure follow-up on the effectiveness of development cooperation; and how to follow up on commitments by other actors including the private sector and the UN System.

The paper also includes, in an Annex, an illustrative framework for follow-up and review that covers the national, regional and global levels as well as thematic reviews. [Publication: Discussion Paper on Follow-up and Review of the Post-2015 Development Agenda]