Text Calling for Global Efforts to Assist Caribbean States in Sustainable Development among 4 Draft Resolutions Approved by Second Committee

The General Assembly would call upon the United Nations system and the international community to assist Caribbean countries in their efforts to ensure the protection of the Caribbean Sea from degradation, according to one of four draft resolutions approved today by the Second Committee (Economic and Financial).

By the terms of that draft, titled “Towards the sustainable development of the Caribbean Sea for present and future generations”, the Assembly would also call upon Member States to improve their emergency response capabilities and the containment of environmental damage, particularly in the Caribbean Sea, in the event of natural disasters or an accident relating to maritime navigation.

Welcoming the adoption of the draft, the representatives of Turkey and Venezuela said their countries joined the consensus yet disassociated themselves from references to international instruments, to which they were not a party.

The Committee also approved, without a vote, a draft resolution titled “Promotion of new and renewable sources of energy”.  By the terms of that text, the Assembly stressed the need to increase the share of new and renewable sources of energy in the global energy mix as an important contribution to achieving universal access to sustainable modern energy services.  Further, the Assembly recognized that the activities of countries in broader energy-related matters were prioritized according to their specific challenges, capacities and circumstances, including their energy mix.

The representative of Venezuela said her State joined the consensus on the text based on its traditional support for the “Group of 77” developing countries and China.  However, it did not recognize parts that were not negotiated on the basis of national mandates.

By the terms of another draft resolution, titled “International financial system and development”, the Assembly recognized the need to continue and intensify efforts to enhance the coherence and consistency of the international monetary, financial and trading systems.  Among other things, the Assembly would reiterate the need to act decisively to tackle the challenges confronting the global economy in order to ensure balanced, sustained, inclusive and equitable global growth with full and productive employment.

The Committee also approved a draft titled “International Strategy for Disaster Reduction”.  By the terms of the draft, the Assembly stressed the importance of the continued substantive consideration of the issue of disaster risk reduction.  It would also encourage Member States and the relevant United Nations bodies to take into consideration the important role of coordinated disaster risk reduction activities for the achievement of sustainable development.  Further, the Assembly would encourage giving appropriate consideration to disaster risk reduction and the building of resilience to disasters within the post-2015 development agenda.

The Committee postponed action on a draft titled “Follow-up to and Implementation of the Mauritius Strategy for the Further Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States”.

Also speaking today were representatives of Jamaica, Morocco, Hungary and the Bahamas.

The Committee will meet again at a date and time to be announced.

Background

The Second Committee (Economic and Financial) met this afternoon to conclude its action on outstanding draft resolutions.  For further background, see Press Release GA/EF/3414 dated 25 November.

Action on Drafts

Taking up the agenda item macroeconomic policy questions, the Committee considered a text titled “International financial system and development” (document A/C.2/69/L.48).

The representative of Morocco thanked participants in the informal consultations as well as the “Group of 77” developing countries and China for their efforts in facilitating consensus.  The text was adopted without a recorded vote after the previous version contained in A/C.2/69/L.42 was withdrawn.

Of the four drafts under the sustainable development cluster, the Committee first turned to a text titled “Towards the sustainable development of the Caribbean Sea for present and future generations” (document A/C.2/69/L.44).

The representative of Jamaica drew attention to operative paragraph 21 and proposed an oral amendment.  The Committee then adopted the text as orally corrected, without a recorded vote.

The representative of Turkey said his country joined the consensus on the text as it addressed important issues of sustainable development in the region.  Turkey, however, disassociated itself from references to international instruments to which it was not party to.

The representative of Venezuela said her country joined the consensus on the draft because of the importance of the issue.  However, the country did not associate itself with references to international instruments to which it was not a party.

The previous version contained in document A/C.2/69/L.8 was withdrawn.

Next, the Committee considered a draft resolution titled “Follow-up to and Implementation of the Mauritius Strategy for the Further Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States” (document A/C.2/69/L.53).

After the Chair informed the Committee that the programme budget implications of the draft were still being discussed, action on the text was postponed.

The Committee then turned to a text titled “International Strategy for Disaster Reduction” (document A/C.2/69/L.51).

The representative of the Bahamas proposed an oral amendment, after which the Committee adopted the text without a recorded vote, and the previous version contained in document A/C.2/69/L.18 was withdrawn.

Next, it considered a text titled “Promotion of new and renewable sources of energy” (document A/C.2/69/L.54).  The representative of Hungary proposed an oral amendment in operative paragraph 4 to reflect the agreement reached in the informal consultations.  The Committee then approved the draft, as orally corrected.

The representative of Venezuela said her country had joined the consensus on the text based on its traditional support for the Group of 77 and China.  However, Venezuela did not recognize parts that were not negotiated on the basis of national mandates.  Her country also expressed reservation on the reference to the development of new energy sources, which implied the use of new technologies and, in turn, required evaluation of their application in the context of national development priorities.