DISCORSO PRONUNCIATO DALL’ITALIA ALLA SESTA SESSIONE DEI NEGOZIATI INTERGOVERNATIVI SULLA POST-2015 DEVELOPMENT AGENDA: “ZERO DRAFT OF THE OUTCOME DOCUMENT FOR THE UN SUMMIT TO ADOPT THE POST-2015 DEVELOPMENT AGENDA” (24 giugno 2015)

Italy aligns itself with the statement made on behalf of the European Union and its member-states. We would like to add a few comments in our national capacity.

We thank you, Ambassador, and Ambassador Kamau, for your work in crafting the section on Follow Up and Review. We are of the opinion that this section is essential for the new post-2015 framework as it represents indeed the element that, further to “promoting accountability”, is supposed to really ensure permanent stimulus and encouragement for the application of the agenda over the next 15 years.

As we have already stated in our May Session, the MDGs experience, as well as other experiences, have taught us that at the present pace of change, situations at local, national, regional, global level can fast evolve and, by the way, this consideration on the pace of evolution should apply also to the overall responsibilities issue, as the distinguished Delegate of Japan eloquently explained yesterday. Continuous monitoring and effective review mechanisms will allow us to achieve a constant fine tuning and progressive adaptation at all levels of policies, actions and efforts needed to fully realize the agenda.

In the first paragraph of this section, co-facilitators, you have captured one of the main reasons for follow up and review and we believe there is merit in further integrating this part by spelling out the added value of effective monitoring and review mechanisms for the implementation process, as you have done in paragraph 3. These should involve assessing the effectiveness of implementation, including the integrated consideration of all MoIs, as well as constantly verifying that issues of the agenda are relevant and ensuring a continuous strong political commitment and action, in particular in areas where progress should prove in the future to be weak and off track.

The principle of inclusive and open participation of all stakeholders contained in para. 3.c is particularly dear to Italy. While various forms and modalities of follow-up monitoring and review could be put in place according to local ownership and practices, it will be essential to ensure an inclusive and participatory approach. This is key to realize the “contract”, underlying the relationship between people and their governments, that the Secretary General included in his report, “The road to Dignity by 2030”. Local and national are the levels where the participation, involvement and contribution of parliaments, civil society, academia and other stakeholders, each one with its specificity and relevance, will probably be more determinant and we appreciate you spelled that out in para 5.

Developing a multi-level (national, regional, global) follow up and review framework will be of utmost importance to ensure a comprehensive review and follow up mechanism. We very much like your approach to draw out the multilevel elements of such mechanism.

We imagine that drafting this section has been a challenging exercise for you and the Secretariat. We are trying to define a sound and appropriate follow up and review mechanism building on a body, the HLPF, that we hope will be soon capable of expressing its full potential. As other member-states we deem important the symbolic mention, in the section dedicated to the HLPF, of the ECOSOC Dialogues on the Longer Term Positioning of the UN Development System. It’s a first step of a reflection that should include also rethinking, in the light of the new framework of sustainable development, the integration and coordination of the activities of the General Assembly, the ECOSOC, the subsidiary Bodies and the various institutions that constitute the overall UN System for Development.

Finally, we would like to strongly support the EU and others request to include a section on the importance of data, indicators and statistics in ensuring the effective follow-up review of the Agenda.

In conclusion co-facilitators, as we said in our opening statement, we appreciate your leadership and commitment to this process and we stand ready to continue to do our best and to be constructive and supportive.

Thank you.