NGOs Beyond 2014 - Articles

Discussions in General Assembly Second Committee

As reported by the IISD, on 31 October 2014 the UN General Assembly Second Committee (which discussed economic and financial issues) held a panel discussion on 'Promoting accountability at all levels: monitoring the post-2015 development agenda,' during which participants identifed principles for an accountability mechanism for the post-2015 development agenda, and opportunities for its design.

It was chaired by Borg Tsien Tham (Singapore), Rapporteur of the Second Committee, who opened the discussion, saying that the UNGA has a "critical role" to play in providing policy guidance for strengthening a development accountability mechanism.

The panel was moderated by Thomas Gass, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), who said that "The quality of the global partnership for development going forward will only be as good as the accountability framework that is put in place.” Moreover, there was a need for a framework that is universal, voluntary, state-led, and evidence-based. He asked panelists to consider how to make participation attractive, and said the framework must support countries' varying capacity needs.

María Emma Mejía Vélez, Permanent Representative of Colombia, stressed that if the post-2015 development agenda is to be truly transformative, the accountability and monitoring mechanisms must be strong. The primary responsibilities for implementing and monitoring must fall to each state, while allowing for further input by civil society. She noted the potential roles of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the High-level Political Forum for Sustainable Development (HLPF) in hosting such a mechanism, and said that any monitoring system should take into account the lessons learned from other similar systems.

Ashraf Rashed, shared the accountability and monitoring experiences of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), which is comprised of 24 African states. It is a participatory and inclusive process that includes a self-assessment phase for Member States, and places a high premium on disseminating best practices. He added that the APRM is being re-positioned to take on a larger role in the implementation of the post-2015 development agenda and the African Union's Agenda 2063.

Marc Levy, Columbia University, explained that sustainable development accountability mechanisms must account for future "shocks to the system" that will result from a complex, interlinked world. He called for mechanisms that can respond to rapidly transmitted risks, manage transitions, and create linkages across multiple sectors. "It might seem like too much for the UN to design the system all at once," he said, proposing instead that the post-2015 accountability mechanism link to other existing mechanisms, and encourage a spirit of learning, discovering, and mutual adjustment.

Paul Zeitz, Global Development Incubator, emphasized the need for mutual accountability between governments, citizens, and the private sector. Citizens that are enabled to "pay attention, respond, engage, and act" have an important role in the decision-making process, he said. Furthermore, he called for an accountability mechanism built around "commitments to action" through a decentralized approach, along with sectoral "data hubs" to gather actionable data around specific priorities.

In the discussion among Member State representatives that followed questions were raised on the role of regional commissions for post-2015 accountability; mechanisms for exchanging best practices; sustainability of implementation; the nature of non-binding development goals; and multi-stakeholder involvement.

It should be noted that the Philippines and Norway suggested that the Open Working Group's proposed 17 goals and 169 targets are too many for accountability and more prioritization is needed. Venezuela, on the other hand, stressed that the proposal should not be reopened for negotiation. Switzerland called for more discussion around the HLPF review mechanism, as well as incentives to make a voluntary accountability mechanism meaningful. Brazil called for an accountability mechanism to "monitor for adequate compliance of the private sector and UN entities." Canada said the poorest and most vulnerable must form the base of accountability, with incentives for the participation of civil society and the private sector. Guatemala said universality should not be imposed on a country without taking into account its unique situation.

The session was closed by Thomas Gass, who reminded panelists of accountability's ultimate purpose, namely to render the global partnership for sustainable development strong and effective to achieve this ambitious vision.