21 July 2016: UN General Assembly (UNGA) President Mogens Lykketoft informed UN Member States that informal consultations on the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development “effectively have to be concluded” by 2 September 2016, and that facilitation must be done by Member States. In his letter, Lykketoft notes a request from the Group of 77 and China (G-77/China) to extend informal consultations; the Group’s letter also requests the President’s continued facilitation and good offices.

Throughout April, May and June 2016, Lois Young, Permanent Representative of Belize, and Ib Petersen, Permanent Representative of Denmark, co-facilitated a series of informal and informal-informal consultations with Member States and other stakeholders. On 6 June 2016, they issued a final draft resolution for approval via silence procedure, but then reported that a Member State had broken the silence. Lykketoft consulted with “concerned parties” to encourage agreement, the letter recalls.

The G-77/China request, enclosed with the UNGA President’s letter of 21 July, notes that the Group of 134 UN Member States has been “meeting tirelessly to explore various new options with a view to advancing the process and reaching a successful conclusion.” It asks the UNGA President to extend the consultation deadline beyond 25 July 2016, and to renew his “good offices” and facilitation, in order to reach a conclusion on the draft resolution at “the earliest possible date” within UNGA 70.

In his response, Lykketoft notes the need for agreement to allow for timely and effective preparations for the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) in the coming years. He encourages the G-77/China to meet with other delegations in order to bring negotiations to a conclusion “at the earliest possible date” within the 70th session of the UNGA, but in advance of 2 September 2016. Lykketoft adds that facilitation of negotiations will have to be done by UN Member States.

Lykketoft also notes a proposal that he would “deliver introductory remarks which reflect among other issues, concerns raised during the process of consultations, provided that a consensus draft resolution is brought before the General Assembly.” [UNGA President Letter and G-77/China Request] [IISD RS Story on Breaking of Silence Procedure]