ACP Press Release. Establishment of an ACP Working Group on post Rio+20 . Prosperity and sustainable development to be linked NOW.
In a Consultative Meeting held in Brussels on 29 and 30 April 2013, at the ACP House to discuss the implementation of "The outcomes of Rio+20 Conference: now, up to and beyond 2015" the representatives of the ACP governments have decided to establish an ACP Ad-hoc Working Group on the Post-2015 Process. The meeting focused on the critical elements for the development of the post-2015 overarching framework, which will be very important to eradicating poverty in ACP Member States.
In his opening remarks, H. E. Alhaji Muhammad MUMUNI, ACP Secretary-General, stated that “the full implementation of the outcomes of the Rio+20 can only be achieved if we move forward in a collaborative manner by involving all relevant stakeholders.”
The ACP Secretary General called on all present at the meeting to “work together to identify, possible solutions to the challenges that confront us and continue to contribute to improving the social and economic well-being of our people.”
The meeting engaged in fruitful discussions and the outcomes will contribute to the ACP preparations for the post-2015 framework as well as implementation of the outcomes of the Rio+20 Conference.
In their presentation the European Union (EU) indicated that the overall objective of the post-2015 framework should be to “enable every person to have a decent life by 2030”. “An ambitious objective” he mentioned, “but achievable if all stakeholders did their part.” He mentioned “the post-2015 overarching framework should not be undertaken in isolation from the on-going process to achieve the MDGs by 2015. In fact, both processes should be merged to ensure that issues of poverty eradication and sustainable development are addressed in a comprehensive manner.”
Many presenters, including the EU, indicated that the Sustainable Development Goals should:
- be limited in number and apply to all countries
- have corresponding targets and indicators that are measureable, reportable and verifiable and take into consideration national circumstances;
- complement and build upon the Millennium Development Goals;
- incorporate environmental, social and economic concerns.
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), informed the meetings that the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals have begun their work and will take into account the efforts made towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals, the current state of implementation, the challenges which remain and recommendations to accelerate progress in order to attain them by 2015.
One challenge which will be critical to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals is the mobilization of resources and the ACP Secretary General recommended that “a dedicated Financial Mechanism, with adequate and predictable resources, be established to support developing countries to implement of the post-2015 framework.”
The ACP will establish an ACP Ad-hoc Working Group on the Post-2015 Process, which can further build on the outcomes of this meeting and ensure that all the concerns of the ACP Group are captured in an ACP Position Paper for the post 2015 process.
The meeting was also attended by the following agencies: UNDP, UNIDO, FAO, OIF, CCCCC, SPREP, The South Centre, PANGEA, EUMETSAT, UNCCD, CTA and IUCN.