Statement by International Co-ordinator Dr. Arjun Karki at the Stakeholder Preparatory Forum for the Post-2015 Development Agenda Negotiations

The “Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)/Post-2015 development agenda” inter-governmental negotiations have started with its stocktaking session held on 19-21 January 2015 at the UN headquarters in New York. In order to feed into this session, a stakeholder preparatory forum was held on 16 January where LDC Watch was selected as a panelist for the focus session on Means of Implementation and Global Partnership for Development.

Attached is the statement which is reflective of the key sticky issues in relation to Means of Implementation (MoI) and Global Partnership for Development – MoI in itself is the most contested issue in the Post-2015/SDGs negotiations between developed and developing countries. Amongst other issues, we have highlighted:

goal-specific MoI as it currently stands since every goal and corresponding targets are achievable provided MoI is guaranteed.
delivery of MoI has to be accompanied by structural/systemic changes in trade, investment, finance, debt, ODA architecture which is part of “global partnership”. On the one hand, we don’t receive MoI as committed while on the other, we also do not enjoy enough policy space since the overall structural architecture is lop-sided and unjust.
“universality" of the SDGs/post-2015 agenda is premised upon common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities (CBDR-RC) which is the essence of "global partnership". However, developed countries want to dilute this concept of differentiation and redefine global partnership by promoting "multi-stakeholder partnerships" which further provides primacy to the private sector.

Based on the statement, we have also submitted LDC Watch inputs to the UN Secretary General’s Post-2015 synthesis report "The Road to Dignity by 2030: Ending Poverty, Transforming All Lives and Protecting the Planet” !

Please note that the ongoing inter-governmental negotiations are based on the proposal by the Open Working Group on SDGs, which contains 17 Goals and 169 Targets. The outcome document is expected to be finalised by July in order for adoption in September by the 70th session of the UN General Assembly.