EU Explanation of Position – UN High Level Political Forum: Adoption of the Ministerial Declaration

Thanks to the Chair. I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

The Candidate Countries North Macedonia^*, Montenegro^*, Albania^*, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina^*and Georgia, as well as Monaco align themselves with this statement.

1. We would like to thank co-facilitators the Dominican Republic and Norway for their efforts in the pursuit of consensus, efforts reflected in the compromise draft Ministerial Declaration text that was submitted for adoption today.

1. We would also like to thank our counterparts and negotiating partners for their constructive and good faith engagement over many hours on this text.

1. Like any real compromise, where divergent views are genuine and deeply held, nobody can be entirely happy with the outcome. The EU and its Member States nonetheless accept this reflection of consensus, as a further proof of our attachment to the HLPF, of our commitment to following-up on the SDG Summit Political Declaration, and most of all to accelerating implementation of the 2030 Agenda, leaving no one behind.

1. Implementation of the Agenda is inhibited by an international context of uncertainty, a triple planetary crisis of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss, compounded by the shocks of war, destabilisation and increased fragility. The impact of multiple crises referred to in the title of this year's theme for the HLPF is felt most keenly by the poorest and most vulnerable, increasing multidimensional poverty and inequalitieswithin and between countries.

1. The 2030 Agenda and the SDGs remain our universal roadmapto tackle these interconnected challenges, respecting our planet and leaving no one behind. The EU advocated - and would have hoped to maintain more - acknowledgement of these interlinkages, such as between eradication of poverty in all its forms and environmental protection, in the final declaration. The EU and its Member States remain committed and particularly attentive to the promotion of gender equality and a human rights-based approach as key cross-cutting issues for sustainable development.

1. Global backsliding on peace, justice, rule of law, inclusive institutions and democracy, is a particular issue of concern for the EU and its Member States. The imperative of peaceful, just, and inclusive societies compels us all to condemn aggression and conflict worldwide and reiterate our commitment to a multilateral system based on international law.

1. The 2030 Agenda, together with the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, holds the key to inclusive, just societies and responses to root causes of conflict. We consider SDG16 a prerequisite for sustainable development and stability, which is why we insisted on the strengthening of elements throughout the declaration text relating to this SDG under in-depth review. We insist this be considered equally as all SDGs are universal, interlinked and indivisible.

***

1. The EU and its Member States very much regret the inclusion, through what we consider a hostile amendment from a small group of UN Member States, of an additional paragraph relating to "unilateral coercive measures", in this year's Ministerial Declaration.

1. We have abstained in this afternoon's vote on this paragraph as our reservation is on principle, as well as on process.

1. This is NOT a paragraph advocated by any group engaged formally in these negotiations in good faith, none of whom broke silence on the co-facilitators compromise text or objected to the final draft submitted by the President of ECOSOC for adoption today.

1. We further regret in this context the false narratives propagated by countries that are subject to legitimate and legal restrictive measures, measures carefully targeting blatant violations of international law such as aggression or crimes against humanity, including exceptions on humanitarian grounds.

1. Such false narratives result in the politicisation of various UN processes and discussions - and sacrifice the interests of the many to the few.

1. The EU and its Member States thus disassociate ourselves from this paragraph as an addition to the Ministerial Declaration. The amendment undermines the compromise brokered by the co-facilitators and the text supported until today by the vast majority of UN Members

***

1. The EU and its Member States reiterate the centrality of gender equality to the 2030 Agenda and the achievement of all the SDGs. It is disappointing that such a central tenet now appears to be in question, as we could not agree on the inclusion of further elements on the interlinkages between gender equality and the SDGs under in-depth review, in particular climate action and ending hunger.

1. It is disappointing that the Ministerial Declaration as agreed contains no reference to the importance of sexual and reproductive health, based on targets 3.7 and 5.6 of the 2030 Agenda. Poverty impacts women and girls disproportionately and this includes access to sexual and reproductive health. The EU and its Member States will continue to insist that the ambition of a gender equal world is reflected appropriately at the HLPF and beyond. We cannot achieve sustainable development if we leave women and girls behind.

1. As the EU and its Member States see an urgent need to strengthen the global response to the climate emergency, we are disappointed that important commitments togalvanise climate action taken at COP28 last December are not fully-reflected in the Ministerial Declaration. This includes the imperative of transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems in a just, orderly and equitable manner, tripling renewable energy capacity globally and doubling energy efficiency by 2030 in line with 1.5 degree pathways.

1. The EU is fully committed to decarbonising the global economy by 2050 and will continue to advocate ambitious global action in this regard, contributing directly to SDG13 for the benefit of all.

1. The EU and its Member States are also committed to providing and mobilising climate finance. We welcome recent progress made by development partners in this regard.

1. The EU and its Member States continue to support partner countries in achieving the SDGs through international partnerships. The imperative of financing for development is well-reflected in this year's declaration in relation to SDG17, in particular on Official Development Assistance, where Team Europe's EUR 95.9 billion collective contribution in 2023 represents 42% of the total.

1. In line with the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, we also support enhanced domestic revenue mobilisation, as a critical means of financing public service delivery and scaling up sustainable finance among partner countries. The EU supports sustainable finance frameworks and private investments consistent with the SDGs, through guarantees such as in our Global Gateway.

1. We would also recall that further strengthening public debt management and advancing public debt transparency are key for mitigating the risk of debt crises.

1. As a final point [Madam President], we would recall that the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda is a shared responsibility that requires strong leadership and a whole-of-society approach, with meaningful participation and engagement of all stakeholders. This includes participation of Major groups and other stakeholders in the HLPF and informal consultations on the Ministerial Declaration.

I thank you.

*North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.