Revised draft for resolution on 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development

The Co-facilitators have issued a revised draft for the resolution on the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda at the global level.

Process for negotiations: as stated in the letter from the Co-facilitators ‘informal informals’ will be held during this coming week with the first meeting on Tuesday 24 May, from 11 am to 1 pm in Conference Room 11. There will be opportunities for representatives of Major Groups and other Stakeholders (MGoS) to take the floor, who should sign up using the following form. The deadline for signing up is Monday 23 May, 6.00 NYC time. All interventions should not exceed 2 minutes and should focus on making concrete suggestions on the revised draft circulated by the co-facilitators.

The co-facilitators will also hold a webex with MGoS on Wednesday 25 May at 3.30 New York time to provide a further opportunity for MGoS, including those who are not physically present in New York, to express their views on the draft resolution. Those wishing to participate in the webex should sign up here. Webex details will be shared with registered participants on the morning of Wednesday 25 May.

Insofar as the negotiations will be informal informals, it is unlikely that they will be webcast. The co-facilitators, however, are not only providing opportunities for MGoS to participate in the discussions but also for those who cannot be present in New York to provide their inputs.

Revisions to draft: The Co-facilitators have retained a number of the suggestions as included in the Zero Draft. The sequence of themes for the four-year cycle of the high-level political forum (HLPF) remains unchanged, although it now stressed that the discussions of goal 17 will be carried out “in a manner which does not duplicate discussions on the Financing for Development Forum. While they have not changed, the listing of the SDGs to be discussed each year has been separated from the themes. (paras 3, 4, 4 bis. The alignment of the themes of the ECOSOC remains unchanged. (para 5)

As far as the preparation of the voluntary national reviews (VNAs) is concerned, the involvement of “non-state actors, including civil society and the private sector” is specified. (para 6) The specification of two VNAs at the HLPF between now and 2030 has been removed. (para 8) The language on regional or sub-regional forums has also been watered down. (para 10) The linkages with the follow-up and review of all relevant UN conferences and processes has been moved to a separate paragraph. (para 11) The language on CSO participation has been tightened, leaving issues related to MGoS participation to resolution 67/290, while specifying innovative arrangements including web-based interfaces. (para 12)  The paragraph on the Global Sustainable Development Report and its relationship to the Sustainable Development Goal Progress Report has also been greatly shortened. (para13) The paragraph on coherence clarifies further the interlinkages with the functional commissions in addressing the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

The changes are highlighted in the attached table.