13 May 2015
FfD3 Opens First Additional Drafting Session
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UN Member States convened for the first additional drafting session of the Outcome Document of the Third International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD 3).

Delegates provided general feedback on the revised draft of the Addis Ababa Accord, and considered the first nine paragraphs of the document in paragraph-by-paragraph negotiations.

The second day of the session will take up technology, under the joint guidance of the co-facilitators of the negotiation process on the post-2015 development agenda.

logo_ffdiii12 May 2015: UN Member States convened for the first additional drafting session of the Outcome Document of the Third International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD 3). On the first day, delegates provided general feedback on the revised draft of the Addis Ababa Accord, and considered the first nine paragraphs of the document in paragraph-by-paragraph negotiations.

The first informal drafting session takes place from 12-15 May 2015, in New York, US. On Friday, 15 May, negotiators are expected to take up technology, under the joint guidance of the Co-Facilitators of the negotiation process on the post-2015 development agenda.

Providing general comments on the revised outcome document, South Africa, for the Group of 77 and China (G77/China), welcomed the text and recommended keeping the structure of the document in line with the structure of the Monterrey Consensus.

The EU expressed concern that, despite good language in the introduction, the revised draft is built on the outdated North-South model, the environmental dimension is weakened, and the economic dimension is overemphasized. He called for: operationalizing the principle of shared responsibility, as all actors need to contribute; mutual accountability, defined as transparency and accountability of all at all levels; and a single monitoring framework for the FfD 3 and post-2015 processes, under FfD.

The US said the draft moved in the wrong direction, back to the North-South divide, and called for a stronger focus on inclusion and people in fragile situations.

Both the EU and Republic of Korea said the development effectiveness principles – based on national ownership, transparency, and inclusive partnerships – should be applied to all sources of finance and all actors, further stressing the need for stronger language on good governance, women empowerment and gender equality.

The Republic of Korea expressed regret that some numerical targets, such as those on tax revenue or on providing of public services, had been removed from the text.

Benin, for the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), underscored the need for: allocating 1% of official development assistance (ODA) to the Technology Bank for LDCs; full debt cancellation; and increasing LDCs’ voice and participation in setting global norms.

The Netherlands said the FfD 3 outcome represents the implementation pillar of the post-2015 development agenda, this being the yardstick for its evaluation. Comparing the draft with a “Macedonian fruit salad, rich and nutritious and containing everything, even though not everyone might like every fruit,” he said Member States’ task is to maximize the mix of means of implementation (MOI), in a constructive, non-ideological and universal manner.

Switzerland expressed support for the structure of the document, and welcomed the integration of all the MOI contained in the report of the Open Working Group (OWG) on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He also said the environmental dimension needs to be strengthened.

Mexico called for addressing the development challenges of Middle Income Countries (MICs) in the text. Liechtenstein noted that rule of law could be better reflected. Sweden said emerging economies should do their part in taking on commitments, further stressing the important role of civil society organizations and encouraging their participation. Israel underscored the need to maximize the benefits of entrepreneurship, and to highlight the role of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in promoting inclusiveness.

Noting that climate change is human-made, Germany stressed the need for ecological sustainability measures and for stronger language on carbon pricing and fossil fuels subsidies, while calling for the LDCs’ support, “due to their vulnerability.”

Affirming that poverty cannot be eradicated without addressing energy poverty, Saudi Arabia said, “this document deals with financing for development, so let us keep it for development.” He said issues like climate change, new market-based mechanisms, or carbon pricing are being discussed under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and bringing them into the FfD 3 track jeopardizes the possibility to finalize FfD 3 negotiations by mid-June, as planned. [IISD RS Sources] [IISD RS Story on Announcement of Additional Consultations][UN Web TV video of the session]


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