Post-2015 development agenda session on follow-up and review, 18-22 May – No 9: Statement by Group of 7

As reported on 7 May, the cross-regional Group of 7 countries, Egypt, Liechtenstein, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, the Republic of Korea and Switzerland, convened a workshop on building an effective mechanism for post-2015 development agenda. During the opening session the following statement was delivered by Norway on behalf of the Group:

Post-2015 IGN 5 – Follow-up and Review

Group of 7 Statement

• I make these remarks on behalf of Egypt, Liechtenstein, Pakistan, Peru, the Republic of Korea, Switzerland and my own country, Norway. This joint intervention is a short version of our initial Group of 7 elements paper on the HLPF review mechanism that we sent to the co-facilitators on May 8, 2015 and also builds upon previous Group of 7 letters and statements on the same topic.
• The review mechanism must be an integral part of the design of the post-2015 development agenda and its implementation framework.
• The High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development should be the global focal point for follow-up and review of the post-2015 development agenda including its means of implementation. 
• National level reviews will be fundamental to the post-2015 follow-up and review mechanism. The national reviews should include assessment of progress, achievements and challenges identified in the national implementation of the post-2015 development agenda, including its means of implementation. The submission of these reports should be done by all states on a regular basis, taking into account different national realities, capacities and levels of development. 
• At the regional level, regional organizations could work to enhance, upscale or develop regional review mechanisms, including the possibility of peer reviews or peer learning.
• At the global level, the annual meetings of the HLPF under the auspices of ECOSOC should promote knowledge exchange on the implementation of the post-2015 frame-work through national and thematic reviews. The thematic review should focus on goals and targets in the context of the annual theme of the HLPF, drawing from existing intergovernmental thematic platforms. The national reviews will be voluntary, State-led, involving ministerial and other relevant high-level participants, focus on assessment of progress, achievements and challenges faced by developed and developing countries and provide a platform for partnerships.
• The UN entities including UN regional commissions will also play an important role in supporting the reviews at the global level, through the various existing thematic platforms, and the respective reviews undertaken by relevant functional commissions of ECOSOC, international agencies and organizations, as well as other international mechanisms. In addition, the UN entities will need to report on their specific contribution in supporting member states in the implementation of the sustainable development agenda through existing review processes.
  
  
• Assessing the quality of development cooperation in support of the implementation of the post-2015 development agenda should also be part of the overall follow-up and review framework.
• The reviews should be inclusive and participatory with adequate arrangements for transparency and broad participation, including through the participation of major groups and other relevant stakeholders, as appropriate.
  
  
• The UN General Assembly, ECOSOC, relevant sector- and theme-specific platforms and the HLPF should be coordinated in time, with meetings scheduled in a logical cycle and coordinated in substance.
• The successful implementation of the follow-up and review mechanism will require a thorough definition of the HLPF’s working methods and functions and its relationship with ECOSOC, the General Assembly and other UN relevant processes and bodies.
• The HLPF under the auspices of ECOSOC in 2016 should be mandated to further elaborate the follow-up and review mechanism, inter alia based on sharing experiences and lessons learned between member states. To facilitate this, the UN Secretary General should present for the consideration of member states a proposal on the format of national reports as well as a mapping of and recommendations on how existing mechanisms and intergovernmental thematic platforms in the UN system may be optimally utilized to ensure global and thematic reviews.