Delegation from Represented by Haifa Nesheiwat

The Togolese Republic California State University Northridge

Position Paper for UN Summit for the Adoption of the Post-2015 Development Agenda

The topics before the UN Summit for the Adoption of the Post-2015 Development Agenda are: 1) Declaration; 2)
Sustainable Development Goals and Targets; 3) Means of Implementation and Global Partnership for Sustainable
Development; 4) Follow-up and Review. Togo is devoted to provide substantial contributions to the drafting of
an all-inclusive outcome document on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

I. Declaration

The Togolese Republic recognizes the necessity of addressing the SDGs for the Post-2015 Development Agenda.
Togo acknowledges the progress made in all the areas recognized by the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
and considers its shortcomings in order to better the new commitments. The significant reduction of the number
of people living in poverty, the empowerment of women and promotion of gender equality, and the active work
in environmental protection and preservation, indicate the engagement of the international community in global
development. Togo is deeply concerned by the effects of climate change and other factors that prevent most
countries, especially developing countries from achieving the social, economic and environmental development.
Togo strongly supports the drafting of the Post-2015 Development Agenda for its solutions on new challenges
such as natural disasters, disease outbreak, population’s quality of life through sustainable means and terrorist
activities rising in fragile African regions that threaten the international security and development. Sustainable
development can be achieved by strengthening resilience of vulnerable regions, stabilizing conflictual and
insecure zones and improving global partnership and cooperation between member states.

Togo is involved in the process of drafting the Post-2015 Development Agenda through the Pilot Country
Program. It is an initiative from the United Nations Department of Economic Social Affairs (UNDESA) which is
working with seven countries to support them in the implementation of more integrated approaches to national
planning that are in harmony with the draft SDGs and with the expected outcome of the Post-2015 process. Togo
has beneficiated from the assistance and supports in administrative reforms and evaluation of the impact of policy
initiatives that will facilitate the integration of the SDGs to domestic goals. Togo is collaborating with the African
Union on the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and participates in the New Partnership for Africa’s Development
(NEPAD) program to provide a coherent framework for advancing and following up on Africa’s development.
This agenda will also take into consideration the framework of the Post-2015 Development Agenda. Togo wishes
the outcome document of the Post-2015 Development Agenda to be comprehensive and universal with different
approaches of implementation adaptable for every nation. It should also take into account the shortcoming of the
MDGs and previous commitments of the international community on sustainable development, and the expansion
of global partnership and cooperation. Togo understands that the Declaration should include the respect of member
states’ culture, political independence of states and their sovereignty. The declaration should reaffirm everybody’s
commitment to the goals and targets agreed upon and on the UN charter, International Law and the Rule of Law.

II. Sustainable Development Goals and Targets

Togo strongly supports efforts towards the adoption of specific goals and targets for universal sustainable
development. Togo has developed its national program Vision Togo 2030 that addresses four levels of
development such as Economy and Technology, Politics and Governance, Socio-cultural, and Demography and
Human Development. This program evaluates the socio-economic situation of Togo and provides strategies of
development in the selected areas. It will also help the merging of the SDGs with Togolese development goals.
Firstly, Togo wishes the SDGs to take into account differences in levels of development, and in national priorities.
As a developing country, Togo has goals and targets that are different from a developed country or SIDS, and
understands that this difference is relative to each member state, Togo therefore calls for flexible programs.
Secondly, Togo recalls that the SDGs should go beyond the deficiency of the MDGs on the area of justice, human
rights, peace and good governance, and be based on the outcome of conferences on sustainable development. The
outcome results of the intergovernmental consultations and the Open Working Group on SDGs should also be the
primary contributions to the SDGs. Overall, Togo recognizes as important SDGs, the resilience and capacity
building to react to natural disasters or other problems, peace and stability, environmental protection, renewable
energy, good governance, women empowerment and gender equality, and improvement of the quality of life
through education, poverty eradication, food and health measures. Togo urges the international community to
work on a universal climate agreement at the coming Conference of Parties (COP 21) which will also contribute
to the sustainable development. Togo further invites member states to take actions to help the implementation of
the Post-2015 Development Agenda such as conferences on main issues of the agenda. In 2016 Togo is hosting in
the Extraordinary Summit on Maritime Security and Safety and Development in Africa to address the economic
development of African countries through the protection of the sea and welcomes the international community to
attend.

III. Means of Implementation and Global Partnership for Sustainable Development

Togo understands that the responsibility for the application and implementation of the SDGs belongs to state
members, stakeholders and organizations involved in the Development Agenda, and that global partnership will
help realize the SDGs. Togo encourages the amplification of global partnership as part of the SDGs. As Togo was
one of the coordinators for the fight against Ebola at ECOWAS, the cooperation between regional and
international organizations, U.N. agencies and non-profit organizations, was crucial and effective in managing the
crisis. Togo strongly values multilateral partnerships for sustainable development as these can provide efficient
means for gathering finances, transferring technology and sharing data information.

Togo highly recommends national initiatives and policies to ensure the coordination of the SDGs with the
domestic goals of each countries and their accountability. For instance, in order to manage environmental issues
and implement the international conventions, Togo has created the project of The National Institutional framework
for environmental management. Six national institutions have been put in place (CNDD, ANGE, FNE and three
Convention coordinating committees) to strengthen and elaborate a framework for managing the natural resources
and the environment in accordance with the international conventions. These institutions check the accountability
at the domestic level. Togo also implemented the National Environment Fund (FNE) that is working with
international organizations, UN agencies and other state members in allocating considerable resources to
implement the global environment Conventions. Togo calls for less restrictions on programs for the development
of developing countries and also encourages member states to respect their commitment of providing financial
aid through the Official Development Assistance (ODA) to developed and least developed countries.

IV. Follow-up and Review

Togo is deeply appreciative of the opportunity to participate in the drafting of the Post-2015 Development Agenda.
Togo believes that global partnerships among all the actors and a strong system of implementation will benefit
the realization of the SDGs. Implementation should be done at the national level by every government and local
organizations and then at the international level by international organizations. Togo requests that the evaluation
of the implementation of the programs should be conducted every 5 years by governments and technical experts.
Togo suggests that countries produce a report on the evaluation, follow-up and review on the SDGs. These reports
will provide information to the international community, help countries notice the weaknesses and strengths of
their programs, and motivate countries to improve their policies and programs. As member body of the Economic
and Social Council, Togo encourages the council’s role in overseeing the follow-up and review of the Post-2015
Development Agenda.

Togo perceives the Adoption of the Post-2015 Development Agenda as an international agreement that will
positively change millions of lives in the world by taking necessary measures to achieve the sustainable
development.