Joint statement by Janez Potočnik, Commissioner for the Environment and Andris Piebalgs, Commissioner for Development, on the Ministerial Declaration of the High Level Political Forum

Met dank overgenomen van Europese Commissie (EC) i, gepubliceerd op donderdag 10 juli 2014.

European Commission

Statement

Brussels, 10 July 2014

Joint statement by Janez Potočnik, Commissioner for the Environment and Andris Piebalgs, Commissioner for Development, on the Ministerial Declaration of the High Level Political Forum

"We are keen to see the High Level Political Forum live up to its promise and play a central role in developing an ambitious post 2015 agenda. For our planet to sustain the lives of 9 billion people we need to change the way we produce and consume. We need universal Sustainable Development Goals, closely monitored by the Forum, to give this process political impetus and a clear sense of direction. We need a truly transformative agenda and action by all, including the private sector. This is what the latest Commission’s proposal on the post 2015 agenda promotes, calling for ensuring a new global partnership to ensure a decent life for all. We also need to show that we are a credible partner in this transformation. The European Commission's recent circular economy package is a good example that we mean business and that embarking on this transformation means creating jobs and growth."

Background

The United Nations High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) held at UN Headquarters in New York from 30 June to 9 July 2014 with a ministerial segment from 7 to 9 July, concluded its second meeting yesterday.

Under this year's theme of "Achieving the Millennium Development Goals and charting the way for an ambitious post-2015 development agenda including the Sustainable Development Goals", Ministers and other high-level participants in the HLPF discussed a broad range of subjects such as the cost of inaction on sustainable development, how to reconcile eradicating poverty, reducing inequality, strengthening resilience and preserving natural resources and what the key ingredients of a universal, integrated and ambitious post 2015 development agenda are.

In its Ministerial Declaration, the HLPF emphasises that poverty eradication, changing unsustainable and promoting sustainable patterns of consumption and production as well as protecting and managing the natural resource base are essential requirements for sustainable development. It reiterated that, starting in 2016, the forum, under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council, shall conduct regular reviews, on the follow-up and implementation of sustainable development commitments and objectives including those related to means of implementation, within the context of the post 2015 agenda

The HLFP was created at by the Rio+20 Conference in 2012 and replaces the former Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD). Its remit is to follow up on the implementation of sustainable development and to provide political leadership, guidance and recommendations to promote sustainable development.

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