First Informal Consultation
The first informal consultation on the conclusions and recommendations of the 2017 FfD Forum was convened by the Co-facilitators, Amb. Marc Pecsteen de Buytswerve of Belgium and Amb. Jerry Matjila of South Africa, on 4 April 2017. The purpose of the meeting was to hear the views of Member States on the desired content and format of the outcome document, as well as modalities for reaching an intergovernmental agreement. The Co-facilitators expressed their commitment to concluding the negotiations before the start of the FfD Forum, in order to allow Member States to fully participate in discussions at the Forum, as well as their intention to present a zero draft during the week of 24 April, following the second informal consultation on 21 April. Delegations universally supported the roadmap presented by the Co-facilitators. Many Member States expressed their preference for a substantive, balanced, and comprehensive, yet concise outcome document. Member States also noted that the Inter-agency Task Force report provided the major input to intergovernmental negotiations.