ECOSOC DECLARATION ADOPTED AFTER PROTRACTED NEGOTIATIONS
Source: Third World Network
The High-Level Segment of the recently revitalised United Nations' Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) has adopted a Ministerial Declaration after unusually difficult and prolonged negotiations.
The declaration was endorsed by the Council on Tuesday night after a successful last-hour attempt by ECOSOC President Amb. Dalius Cekuolis of Lithuania to reach agreement on some contentious issues, particularly climate change and overseas development assistance.
The adoption of the Ministerial Declaration was repeatedly postponed despite intensive negotiations over several days that often went into late at night. It was supposed to have been presented to the Council last Thursday. But wrangling over several issues continued for days after most of the Ministers had left.
There had been significant divergences, mainly on North-South lines, on a few issues, particularly climate change and development aid commitments.
In the negotiations on the climate change paragraph, there had been differences on how the principle of common but differentiated responsibility would be treated, including in relation to additional terms such as "respective capabilities" and "social and economic conditions", how the role of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) would be mentioned, and the context of sustainable development.
Also, developing countries wanted a commitment from developed countries that the latter would make presentations to the ECOSOC on the status of their implementation of internationally agreed development goals (IADGs) under ECOSOC's newly established Annual Ministerial Review (AMR) mechanism. In the final text, there is only very mild language inviting all countries to make national presentations.
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