Post-2015 development agenda intergovernmental negotiations, 20-31 July, No 25: Final plenary, part 4
Monday, August 3, 2015 at 12:28AM Ready to adopt!
According to Ambassador Macharia Kamau, Co-facilitator, this is indeed an historic moment. Before the formal adoption, however, a number of changes in the latest version of the document. These were read out by Nikhil Seth, Director of DSD. He was then thanked by Ambassador Kamau who then said that delegates had in front of them the document, in which the Co-facilitators have confidence that it has been negotiated ‘to the comma’.
As this is an informal process, as indicated by the Secretary, there will have to be the normal formal adoption under the General Assembly, with two formal sessions one at the 69th and one at the 70th sessions. Reservations should be explained at the General Assembly 69th session. There is also a possibility to send a letter explaining reservations. It is not the practice to attach reservations to the document.
Ambassador Kamau then read out a few further changes to the most recent version of the outcome document, which had been made in the last hours of the negotiations. They do not affect paragraphs related to sexual and reproductive health and rights and related issues.
Statements were then made by South Africa on behalf of G77 and China; the European Union; United Republic of Tanzania, speaking on behalf of the African Group; Paraguay, speaking on behalf of the land-locked developing countries; Benin, speaking of behalf of the least developed countries; Maldives, speaking on behalf of AOSIS; Sudan, speaking on behalf of the Arab Group; Belize, speaking on behalf of CARICOM; and Tonga, on behalf of the Pacific Small Island States. In addition statements were made by the United States; Bangladesh; Brazil, Armenia, Nigeria, Switzerland, Mexico, Japan and Republic of Korea.*
At this point, and followed by a statement from Madame Susana Malcorra, Chef du Cabinet of the UN Secretary-General, Ambassador Kamau announced that the document was adopted by acclamation. This concludes the work of the intergovernmental negotiating body, and Governments now moving forward with the Summit in September to Transforming our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development ... to leave no-one behind!
(*Comments on these will be included in detail in a later posting )