19 July 2016
Co-Facilitators Release Final Draft of HLPF Ministerial Declaration
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The co-facilitators of the informal consultations on the outcome of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) and of the High-level Segment of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) have issued a final draft Ministerial Declaration.

In the Declaration, Ministers “pledge that no one will be left behind in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” and reaffirm the 2030 Agenda's principles, recognizing “eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions” as “the greatest global challenge and indispensable for sustainable development.”

hlpf18 July 2016: The co-facilitators of the informal consultations on the outcome of the 2016 session of the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) and of the High-level Segment of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) have issued a final draft Ministerial Declaration. In their letter accompanying the revised draft, co-facilitators Gillian Bird, Permanent Representative of Australia, and Gustavo Meza-Cuadra, Permanent Representative of Peru, note that the text is under “silence procedure” until 6:00 pm EST on Monday, 18 July.

The HLPF is taking place from 11-20 July 2016, in New York, US, with the Ministerial Segment convening from 18-20 July. The Declaration would be adopted at the HLPF Ministerial Segment, and subsequently at the ECOSOC HLS, which concludes on 22 July.

In the Declaration, Ministers would “pledge that no one will be left behind in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” and reaffirm the 2030 Agenda’s principles, recognizing “eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions” as “the greatest global challenge and indispensable for sustainable development.”

The Declaration: emphasizes the role of the HLPF in providing political leadership, guidance and recommendations for implementing sustainable development commitments and its central role in overseeing the SDG follow-up and review processes; welcomes early implementation efforts; and reflects on the 2016 HLPF’s theme of ‘Ensuring that one is left behind.’ In ensuring to leave no one behind, Ministers would: commit to focus efforts where the challenge is the greatest and to protect and empower people who are vulnerable; and emphasize commitments to “make real a world free of poverty, hunger, disease, want and environmental degradation.” Ministers would further recognize the relationship between sustainable development and peace and security, and emphasize universal respect for human rights, peace, justice and equality, among others, as central to commitments to leave no one behind. By the draft Declaration, ministers would call for removing obstacles to the “full realization of the right of self-determination of peoples living under colonial and foreign occupation, which continue to adversely affect their economic and social development as well as their environment.”

The Declaration also addresses: sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth and decent work for all; sustainable consumption and production (SCP) patterns; biodiversity conservation and sustainable use of ecosystems; promotion of resilience and disaster risk reduction (DRR); gender equality and empowerment of women and girls; and inclusive and sustainable industrialization and innovation, including resilient infrastructure.

The Declaration further: recognizes that the 2030 Agenda requires a revitalized and enhanced Global Partnership for Sustainable Development to ensure its implementation; highlights the importance of participatory and inclusive implementation, follow-up and review; stresses the availability and use of accessible, timely, reliable and high-quality disaggregated data; and endorses the decision, reached in June 2016 through intergovernmental consultations, on the scope, methodology and frequency of the Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR).

The Declaration would commend the 22 countries that are expected to present voluntary national reviews (VNRs) during the Ministerial Segment, and would recognize the role of regional and sub-regional fora in implementing the 2030 Agenda. It reiterates that each country faces specific challenges in pursuing sustainable development, with African countries, the least developed countries (LDCs), landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) and small island developing States (SIDS) and countries in situation of conflict and post-conflict deserving special attention.

The Declaration notes “the enthusiasm, innovation and dedication of the wide array of actors already engaged, in collaborative partnerships, in [the 2030 Agenda’s] implementation, showing that this is an Agenda of the peoples, by the peoples, and for the peoples.” The Declaration concludes by looking forward to the 2030 Agenda’s continued inclusive implementation, and urges taking all efforts “to reach the furthest behind first and to ensure that no one is left behind.” [IISD RS Sources] [IISD RS Story on Final Draft Declaration] [IISD RS Story on GSDR Decision] [IISD RS Coverage of HLPF 2016]


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