14 March 2016: The UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) decided that the first ECOSOC Forum on Financing for Development (FfD) will take place from 18-20 April 2016, on the theme ‘Financing for sustainable development: follow-up to the Addis Ababa Action Agenda (AAAA).’ It also decided that the 2016 session of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) will focus on the theme ‘Ensuring that no one is left behind,’ and ECOSOC’s 2016 thematic discussion will consider ‘Infrastructure for sustainable development for all.’

These agreements were reached during a plenary meeting of the Council on 14 March 2016. The decisions on the FfD Forum were taken “without prejudice” to decisions on themes, timing and duration of future meetings of the Forum. ECOSOC Vice-President Héctor Alejandro Palma Cerna (Honduras) noted that none of the decisions contain programme budget implications.

Thailand for the Group of 77 and China (G-77/China) said five days for the FfD Forum would have been more appropriate than three days, taking into account the need for comprehensive and substantive discussions to fulfill the implementation and follow-up process of the AAAA, “especially in the first year after its adoption.” He noted that the Group accepted to have a three-day Forum in 2016, running from 18-20 April, because the UN General Assembly’s (UNGA) High-Level Thematic Debate on Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is scheduled for 21 April, followed by the High-Level Signing Ceremony for the Paris Agreement on climate change on 22 April. He stressed that the agreement does not constitute a precedent.

G-77/China also asked the ECOSOC President to provide Member States with the proposed modalities and a programme for the FfD Forum as soon as possible. He noted that the Forum’s mandate does not require a theme (AAAA paragraph 132 and UNGA Resolution 70/192).

Australia, also for Canada, called for further discussion on ensuring alignment of themes across all ECOSOC segments and meetings to support the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The resolution on the theme of ECOSOC’s 2016 thematic discussion (E/2016/L.12) also stresses the importance of “further alignment” of the future themes of the ECOSOC thematic discussion and of the HLPF when convened under the auspices of ECOSOC.

The thematic discussion takes place during the ECOSOC High-level Segment (HLS).

[Meeting Webcast] [Draft Decision on Dates of FfD Forum (E/2016/L.9)] [Draft Decision on Theme of FfD Forum (E/2016/L.10)] [Draft Decision on Theme of HLPF 2016 (E/2016/L.11)] [Draft Decision on Theme of 2016 Thematic Discussion of ECOSOC (E/2016/L.12)] [IISD RS Story on Decisions on Other Themes] [IISD RS Story on FfD Forum Preparations] [IISD RS Sources]