President,

I make these remarks on behalf of Liechtenstein, Norway and my own country Switzerland.

We would like to thank you for the broad consultations carried out on the theme of the first High-Level Political Forum under the auspices of ECOSOC. Member states themselves encouraged such consultations to take place with the adoption of last year’s Agenda 21 resolution.

The theme we have all agreed upon through these consultations aligns with the theme of the Annual Ministerial Review, but it also takes into account in a forward looking manner the Post-2015 agenda. We look forward to constructive meetings this summer which present ambitious and innovative approaches.

We would have liked the HLPF, with its universal composition, to be the first to deliberate on how it foresees the agreement on its future themes. Our countries do not see a formal ECOSOC decision on the theme of the HLPF in 2014, as the most appropriate and useful way of guiding our work in this transitory period.

Our delegations do not consider today’s decision by ECOSOC as creating any precedent for future decisions on the theme of the HLPF. Such a debate will for the first time take place when the HLPF meets this summer. We take note of your introductory comments on this issue.

Again, we thank you for the consultations carried out and for arranging today’s meeting. Our delegations look forward to work closely with you and with the rest of the Bureau before, during and after the first High-Level Political Forum under the auspices of ECOSOC.