Ministry Statements & Speeches:
Thank you co-chairs. I am speaking on behalf of Canada, Australia and my own country New Zealand.
Firstly, let me convey thanks on behalf of CANZ to the High-Level Expert Group on Beyond GDP. Your comprehensive report provides much food for thought as we move into the inter-governmental process.
CANZ is strongly supportive of a multidimensional approach to measuring sustainable development. Indeed, in our respective countries we each use analytical frameworks that track outcomes across health, income, housing, environment and social connection, – recognising that income measures alone give an incomplete picture – and in turn, factor this into the long-term, evidence-based advice provided to policy makers.
CANZ therefore recognises that the Beyond GDP concept is valuable – we see it as a useful analytical tool to measure sustainable development progress and inform national policies, strategies and public resource allocation decisions at a national level.
We are conscious, however, that there are a number of other globally endorsed frameworks, including the Multi-dimensional Vulnerability Index and UNDP’s Human Development Index, which were designed, in part, to help inform financing allocation decisions at the international level. As such, we do not view the primary focus of the proposed Beyond GDP conceptual framework and dashboard as informing concessional financing decisions given the other tools we have to consider factors beyond GDP.
Therefore, as we embark upon a new inter-governmental process, CANZ has three key suggestions for the co-chairs to consider.
Firstly, we do not think this Beyond GDP inter-governmental process should duplicate the work already done by the High-Level Expert Group on Beyond GDP. An intergovernmental renegotiation in the General Assembly of the dashboard and the specific indicators identified by the High-Level Expert Group is unlikely to be particularly fruitful. In our view the UN Statistical Commission makes the most sense to inherit, at a technical level, the dashboard from the High-Level Expert Group – particularly noting the need to address gaps in national data collection identified by the authors. Any further refinement of the dashboard and its indicators would, we believe, be best had in that body – including consideration of coherence with existing vulnerability frameworks – before being referred for country consultations.
Secondly, we recognise that the UN has enormous convening power, and we encourage the co-chairs to make use of this by ensuring that relevant stakeholders, particularly Ministries of Finance, the International Financial Institutions, Credit Rating Agencies and civil society are involved in the inter-governmental process, both to inform the process but also so that we can ensure that whatever is agreed is implementable in practice. This is especially important for countries with constrained public finances and high vulnerability to external risks.
Thirdly, we think it worth considering how to connect this Beyond GDP work with the 2027 SDG Summit and post 2030 Agenda discussions. In our view the Beyond GDP process should inform these discussions, including about how to measure sustainable development effectively, rather than be in parallel to them. As such, we would recommend consideration be given to concluding the Beyond GDP inter-governmental process prior to the 2027 SDG Summit at the latest.
In conclusion, please rest assured that CANZ stands ready to engage constructively in this process and we look forward to working with you as co-chairs and with all other stakeholders on this important work.
I thank you.