16 October 2014: The UN General Assembly’s Second Committee (Economic and Financial) considered agenda item 19 on Sustainable Development and its sub-items, on 15-16 October 2014, with Member States responding to UN system reports on related issues.

UNGA President Sam Kutesa recalled that the theme of the 69th Session is ‘Delivering on and implementing a Transformative Post-2015 Development Agenda,’ and noted the need to finalize the modalities for the Summit and for the intergovernmental negotiations on the post-2015 development agenda, “so that the substantive negotiations can commence in January next year.” Kutesa said the post-2015 development agenda must promote the “integration of the three dimensions of sustainable development with the overarching objective of eradicating poverty at its core.” He said the agenda’s success “hinges on the mobilization of adequate means of implementation, including financial resources, technology transfer and capacity building,” and stressed the importance of fulfilling commitments of official development assistance (ODA).

Thomas Gass, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), introduced several reports. On the Report of the Open Working Group of the General Assembly on Sustainable Development Goals (A/68/970), he said the post-2015 goals will build on and advance the agenda of the SDGs. He highlighted that the proposed goal set includes stand-alone goals on climate change, oceans, ecosystems and biodiversity, solidifying the integration of the three dimensions of sustainable development. He also highlighted Goal 16 on peaceful and inclusive societies, and Goal 17, which he said sets the basis for strengthened means of implementation (MOI) and a revitalized global partnership for sustainable development.

On the Report of the Intergovernmental Committee of Experts on Sustainable Development Financing (A/69/315), Gass said it is faithful to the conceptual framework of Doha and Monterrey, and provides a “basket” of options for mobilizing resources from different sources and effective use of resources for the post-2015 development agenda.

On the Report of the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States (A/CONF.223/10), Gass said the Conference had rekindled the spirit of multilateralism and cooperation for SIDS, and that the Samoa Pathway provides a road map for the challenges SIDS face and outlines concrete actions to advance their sustainable development. He said the strong message was to “get on with implementation.” He said DESA has already taken actions, including on a partnership framework for monitoring progress toward fulfilling the pledges made.

On the Report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of Agenda 21, the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21 and the outcomes of the World Summit on Sustainable Development and of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (A/69/312), Gass said the report looks at the various tracks for follow-up on Rio+20’s decisions, including the conclusion of the UNGA dialogue on technology facilitation. It highlights the role of the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), and examines how coherence and synergies could be achieved across the Forum’s different functions to support the new development agenda.

On the Report of the Secretary-General on the mainstreaming of the three dimensions of sustainable development throughout the United Nations system (A/69/79), he said the UN System Chief Executives Board (CEB) has efforts underway, and noted the role of environmental and social assessments and evaluations. The report also points to the role of the HLPF regarding the UN system’s focus on mainstreaming sustainable development.

In the two-day debate that followed, UN Member States voiced their views on, inter alia: the post-2015 development agenda, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the OWG outcome, the ICESDF outcome, technology facilitation, the HLPF, the SIDS Conference, and the upcoming conference on Financing for Development (FfD).

The Group of 77 and China said poverty remains the overriding priority for the post-2015 development agenda. Tajikistan called for a focus on poverty eradication to promote sustainable development. Israel said people should be our starting point and inspiration: “leave no one behind,” while Nepal called for centering the agenda on human rights and inclusion. The Least Developed Countries (LDCs) said the agenda should focus on building productive capacity to produce jobs and provide services. Singapore said achieving sustainable development is not a zero-sum game between the three dimensions, but learning to achieve more with less. Algeria, Jamaica and others highlighted all three dimensions of sustainable development, but said their integration must be “balanced.” Malaysia said the Secretary-General’s synthesis report should be the main basis for negotiations on the post-2015 development agenda. Numerous speakers stressed that the post-2015 development agenda will depend on MOI, finance and technology. The US stressed inclusive and sustained economic growth, women’s empowerment, peace and security, and adaptation.

As priorities for completing the MDGs, India cited eradication of poverty and hunger, Caribbean Community (CARICOM) called for further progress on health, and Canada highlighted maternal and child health. The Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) said the experience of accelerating to achieve the MDGs could be used to build the SDGs.

Several governments stressed the OWG report as the main basis for integrating the SDGs into the post-2015 development agenda, including the G77, CELAC, LDCs, Nepal, Nicaragua, Zambia, South Africa, Brazil, Argentina, India, China, Ethiopia, Senegal and Singapore. Niger said the OWG and ICESDF reports comprise the basis for the post-2015 agenda. CELAC, India, El Salvador and many others urged against reopening “or even renegotiating” the OWG report, with CARICOM calling the OWG report the “core” of the post-2015 development agenda. Brazil noted the “paramount importance” of the OWG, suggesting that its outcome cannot be equated with “other processes that were not open.” Other speakers considered the OWG report to be an “important” or “critical” input to the negotiations, including Israel and the EU. Delegates called for a focus in the SDGs on: disaster risk reduction, climate, desertification and energy, among other topics. Monaco expressed support for the oceans and seas goal, and Iceland called for a target on achieving land degradation neutrality. Singapore said that despite criticisms of the proposed SDGs as “improbable,” a global development agenda is needed to catalyze national actions and encourage governments, NGOs, and private sector players to achieve more cooperative action.

Several speakers welcomed the ICESDF report and looked forward to considering it together with the OWG report. CELAC said the SDGs, financing strategy, and technology facilitation mechanism are the core inputs to the post-2015 development agenda. The LDCs noted the importance of structural transformation against cultural shocks.

Member States welcomed the first meeting of the HLPF under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), in July 2014. Most recognized an important role for the HLPF in leading sustainable development in the UN system. The G77 and China affirmed that the HLPF should be a platform for implementing sustainable development commitments, while many island nations called for the HLPF to provide oversight on the SIDS agenda. Brazil said the role of the HLPF is still “a work in progress,” which will only be completely understood when the post-2015 development agenda is agreed.

On SIDS, delegates welcomed the September 2014 Third International Conference on SIDS and the resulting SAMOA Pathway outcome document. Member States called the implementation of the commitments made at the conference “crucial,” and looked to the Second Committee to develop a foundation for follow-up and accountability. Nauru, for the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), called for a more coordinated follow-up and systemic support for SIDS, potentially through a platform in the HLPF. Norway pledged to establish more partnerships with SIDS to build resilience and expand opportunities, while Japan called for embodying the principle of “no one left behind” when supporting SIDS.

Many developing countries underlined the importance of technology transfer and called for the establishment of a technology facilitation mechanism (TFM) within the UN system. The G77 and China said developing countries need appropriate technology to shift to more sustainable paths for industrialization and growth, while the African Group stressed the need for technology for transforming economies and ensuring environmental protection. Turkey noted its support for the technology bank for LDCs.

On financing for development (FfD), Member States agreed that the mobilization and effective use of financial resources from all sources – public and private, domestic and international – will be vital for a transformative post-2015 development agenda, and called for strengthening the global partnership. Many delegations stressed the critical role of strong MOI and the need to reform the international financial system to better represent developing countries. They called for the fulfillment of ODA commitments and their supplementation with new commitments. Others highlighted the importance of the private sector, and the ODA’s purpose as a catalyst for attracting private flows. Some spoke about the need to strengthen South-South and triangular cooperation. Namibia urged the third International Conference on FfD to come up with new and additional sources of financing. [Meeting Summary] [Reports before Second Committee] [UNGA President’s Statement] [Webcast] [Second Committee Document List] [IISD RS Sources]