10 November 2015
DCF Symposium Addresses MOI for 2030 Agenda
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Building trust and cultivating leadership are critical in revitalizing a global partnership for sustainable development and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), participants expressed at a symposium on the Development Cooperation Forum (DCF).

The symposium focused on ways to motivate and shape development cooperation policies and means of implementation (MOI) for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and mechanisms for monitoring and reviewing the impact of development cooperation on the Agenda, with particular attention to the role of development cooperation in Africa.

UN logo6 November 2015: Building trust and cultivating leadership are critical in revitalizing a global partnership for sustainable development and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), according to participants at a symposium on the Development Cooperation Forum (DCF). The symposium focused on ways to motivate and shape development cooperation policies and means of implementation (MOI) for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and mechanisms for monitoring and reviewing the impact of development cooperation on the Agenda, with particular attention to the role of development cooperation in Africa.

Gathering for the symposium in Kampala, Uganda, from 4-6 November 2015, participants called for repairing “broken trust between partners,” and observing unfilled promises and unmet commitments on development cooperation. They also recognized the rapid evolution of development cooperation and its role as “the glue that will support the transition to the 2030 Agenda.” On technology, participants called for making it accessible, affordable and relevant, and supported both innovation and use of existing local technologies.

UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) President Oh Joon said the Agenda calls for realizing sustainable development for all, and “resonates greatly with the realities and ambitions of all people, especially those in vulnerable and fragile situations.” He said ECOSOC will lead the global follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda and its financing framework, including support for translation and alignment of the Agenda into national policies and budgets. The UN’s High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) will review progress on the SDGs based on voluntary, country-led reviews and a global SDG indicator framework, which the UN Statistical Commission (UNSC) is expected to propose in March 2016.

Noting that the Uganda symposium was the first global event to discuss implementation of the revitalized global partnership for sustainable development following the adoption of the 2030 Agenda and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda (AAAA), Wu Hongbo, UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, said it was fitting to meet in such a fast-growing region. He called for building trust by: honoring past development commitments in line with common but differentiated responsibilities (CBDR); prioritizing long-term sustainability over short-term gains, including through long-term visions by leaders; and ensuring policy coherence through “whole-of-government” approaches.

Key messages from the Symposium emphasize the importance of: ensuring accountability through a universal monitoring framework; harnessing the capacities and strengths of individuals as part of MOI; and minimizing “bureaucratic” reporting requirements. Participants also identified global collaboration on tax as “the unfinished business of Addis Ababa.” They recommended that the DCF adapt to the new architecture while also maintaining its distinctive role.

The Symposium’s discussions will contribute to preparations for the 2016 high-level meeting of the DCF, taking place at UN Headquarters in New York, US, in July 2016, and other follow-up and review functions of ECOSOC. The first preparatory symposium took place in the Republic of Korea, in April 2015, and a third will convene in Belgium, on 6-8 April 2016. The work of the DCF is taken into account by the HLPF in its review of progress on the post-2015 development agenda. [UN Press Release] [Uganda Symposium Webpage] [Key Messages] [ECOSOC President Opening Statement] [Under-Secretary-General Opening Statement] [ECOSOC President Closing Statement] [Under-Secretary-General Closing Statement] [DCF Preparations]


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