Strengthening Resilience to Natural Disasters Crucial, Speakers Stress, as Second Committee Takes Up Sustainable Development
As it began its discussion of sustainable development, the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) emphasized that the need for an effective global response to climate change could not be overstated.
Macroeconomic realities and environmental vulnerabilities were intertwined, the representative of Barbados, speaking on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), stated. Describing the damage in his region caused by Tropical Storm Erika and Hurricane Joaquin, he reiterated the call for an ambitious, high-performing, legally-binding agreement in Paris in December at the twenty-first session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
The representative of the Maldives, speaking on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States, also regretted the damage caused by natural disasters around the world. Such events clearly affected small island developing States disproportionately and climate change was a hindrance to their development as well as an existential threat.
Strengthening resilience to natural disasters was crucial to Africa, said the representative of Sierra Leone, speaking on behalf of the African Group. Many people in Africa were dependent on natural resources for their livelihoods and climate change was resulting in soil erosion, land degradation, drought and flooding. The international community must support her continent in managing the negative effects of disasters “before, during and after”.
The constant series of disasters prevented poor countries from escaping the “poverty trap”, noted the representative of Bangladesh, speaking on behalf of the Group of Least Developed Countries. Without better coordination in handling disasters and building resilience it would be impossible for those counties to rehabilitate after managing disasters.
Several Member States highlighted the importance of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, with Brazil’s representative stressing that its seven targets and four priorities constituted a comprehensive pathway for reducing the human and economic costs of natural disasters, especially in developing countries.
The water resources of the Tigris and Euphrates were declining, the representative of Iraq said, as he outlined the array of challenges that faced his country, from desertification to sand storms, rising temperatures to food insecurity. He called for international assistance in fighting land degradation.
The representative of India cautioned against placing the burden of sustainability on the poor. In the race for “unsustainable development”, many developed countries had made choices that had led to climate change. “We were not part of the problem, but we have every intention to be part of the solution,” he said, however livelihoods in the developing South could not be compromised for the sake preserving lifestyles in the North. Sustainable development was first and foremost about eradicating poverty and hunger.
The Second Committee knew better than most about the 2030 Agenda’s commitment to addressing the root causes of poverty, exclusion and inequalities, the President of the General Assembly told delegates before they began the general discussion. He encouraged them to reflect on how macroeconomic policies could ensure that no one was left behind.
Also speaking were representatives of South Africa (speaking on behalf of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China), Canada (speaking on behalf of his country, Australia and New Zealand), Ecuador (speaking on behalf of Community of Latin American and Caribbean States), Thailand (speaking on behalf of Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Tonga (speaking on behalf of Group of Pacific Small Island Developing States), Zambia (speaking on behalf of Group of Land-Locked Developing Countries), Israel, Nicaragua, Belarus, Mexico, Malaysia, Kyrgyzstan, Russian Federation, Venezuela, Norway, Japan, Qatar, Ukraine, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Cuba, Sudan, Nigeria, Maldives, Peru, Tuvalu, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kenya and Tanzania. A representative of the European Union also spoke.
Presenting reports for the Committee’s consideration were the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction; Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change; Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development of Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa; Director of the Sustainable Energy for All Initiative; Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity; Director of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) office in New York; Deputy director of the Regional Bureau for Arab States, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); and the Deputy Special Representative of the World Tourism Organization (WTO).
The Second Committee will meet again at 10 a.m. tomorrow, 20 October, to conclude its debate on sustainable development.
Introduction of Reports
MARGARETA WAHLSTRÖM, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction, via video link from Geneva, introduced the Secretary-General’s Report on the “Implementation of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction” (document A/70/282). Economic losses from disasters had reached an average of $250-300 billion per year, she said, highlighting some of the key issues contained in the document. The report gave an overview of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, outlining its seven global targets, four priorities for action and guiding principles. It also described how the Framework mapped out a broad, people-centred approach to disaster risk reduction, and aimed to guide a multi-hazard management of disaster risk at all levels and within and across sectors. Additionally, the report provided updates on the implementation of the Sendai Framework through three distinct sections: international cooperation, regional cooperation and stakeholder engagement. It put forward a number of recommendations ranging from priorities related to national implementation such as developing national and local risk reduction polities, to more global priorities, such as aligning the monitoring and review process of the Sendai Framework.
CHRISTIANA FIGUERES, Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC, via video link from Bonn, introduced the report of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (document A/70/230). She highlighted several issues that came out of the twentieth session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC. Out of that session held in Lima, there was a clear mandate to produce a negotiated text. That document was now nine pages along with decisions that were 12 pages long. That text continued its progress of maturity and increasing political will, although increasing at the same time political difficulties. She remained confident that leaders would commit to a new strategy at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris in December. Some 153 countries had sent in their national climate change plans. In Lima, the initial capitalization allocated over $2 billion and more than 17 developing countries had already received support. She invited all parties of the Kyoto Protocol to ratify the Doha Amendment and said that “our doors” continued to be open for the receipt of all countries’ national plans to tackle climate change.
Statement by General Assembly President
MOGENS LYKKETOFT (Denmark), President of the General Assembly, said that the delegates of the Second Committee knew better than most about the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’s commitment to addressing the root causes of poverty, exclusion and inequalities. The focus on implementation must run through everything the Committee did and reflect on how policies and actions responded to the Agenda. Relevant issues included how macroeconomic policies could ensure that no one was left behind and methods for advancing synergies and managing possible trade-offs across the three dimensions of sustainable development.
It was also necessary, he added, to ensure that the concrete deliverables in the Addis Ababa Action Agenda were moved forward rapidly and meaningfully. Actions would also be required to establish the global infrastructure forum and give effect to the new Technology Facilitation Mechanism. Finally, as part of the Organization’s broader response to the 2030 and Addis Agendas, it was also necessary for the Committee to reflect on its own role and focus. That included its role as part of a comprehensive and coherent framework for follow-up and review.
It was clear, he said, that the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development had a central role to play in overseeing a network of follow-up and review processes at the global level, though greater clarity was needed on how exactly that Forum would conduct its work. Commending the Committee for taking forward the conversation on its working methods, he called on delegates to continue working to deliver on their commitment to adopt a universal and meaningful agreement at the Climate Change Conference in Paris.
Continuation of Introduction of Reports
LENNI MONTIEL, Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development of Department of Economic and Social Affairs, stated that since the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in 1992, the Committee had enriched the debate about sustainable development. He introduced a number of reports under agenda item 20, including the report of the Secretary-General on the “International Day of Forests” (document A/70/214), the report on the “Role of transport and transit corridors on ensuring international cooperation for sustainable development” (document A/70/262), the report on “Agricultural technology for development” (document A/70/298) and the report on the “Mainstreaming of the three dimensions of sustainable development through the United Nations system” (document A/70/75-E/2015/55).
Under sub-item 20 (a), he also introduced the report on the “Implementation of Agenda 21, the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21 and the outcomes of the World Summit on Sustainable Development and of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development” (document A/70/283). Further, under sub-item 20 (b), he introduced the report on the “Follow-up to and implementation of the small island developing States accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway and the Mauritius Strategy for the Further Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of small island developing States” (document A/70/269) and under sub-item 20 (g), the report of the Secretary-General on “Harmony with Nature” (document A/70/268).
MONIQUE BARBUT, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa, via video message from Ankara, Turkey, presented the report contained in chapter II of a note by the Secretary-General on the implementation of environmental conventions (document A/70/230). She said neutralizing land degradation would ensure that “our land” was handled in a responsible manner. Slowing forced migration and extremist ideologies provoked by environmental degradation was also an important issue, as it placed people into a state of poverty and desperation to find opportunity elsewhere.
She said the report was an update of the General Assembly’s intention regarding various activities carried out to combat land degradation. It contained passages drawn from the working group of the 2030 Agenda. The inclusion of combating desertification, land degradation, and drought in the Sustainable Development Goals was new, as those issues had been left out of the Millennium Development Goals. Indeed, the 2030 Agenda would offer a better guarantee of sustainable development, and the 15 targets to combat land degradation would fast track the achievement of the other goals, she added.
MINORU TAKADA, Director of the Sustainable Energy for All Initiative, Executive Office of the Secretary-General, introduced the Secretary-General’s report on the activities carried out to mark the United Nations Decade of Sustainable Energy for all (document A/70/422), noting that there was no goal pertaining to energy in the Millennium Development Goals. Therefore, Goal 7 of the 2030 Agenda represented a historic achievement. For the first time, the international community had agreed on that important issue. The Decade for Sustainable Energy had provided a global advocacy platform, from Samoa to Addis Ababa, from business to civil society, to speak in one voice in support of energy.
BRAULIO DE SUOZA DIAS, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, introduced a report on the implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity contained in the Secretary-General’s note (document A/70/230). The report covered the outcomes of the twelfth session of the 2014 Conference of Parties, held in Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province, Republic of Korea, where leaders adopted the Gangwon Declaration on Biodiversity for Sustainable Development, along with 33 decisions.
In one decision, he said, the Parties encouraged Governments to engage in discussions on mainstreaming the Convention and the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 into goals, targets, indicators and means of implementation for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In another decision, the Parties recognized the importance of biodiversity for poverty eradication, urging Governments to address those linkages at the national level. He highlighted the importance of an effective follow-up to the 2030 Agenda, which mainstreamed biodiversity across a range of goals.
MARIE-PAULE ROUDIL, Director of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) office in New York, introducing the report of its Director-General on the review of the implementation of the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable development 2005-2014 (document A/70/228), said that education and sustainable development agendas at global, regional, national and sub-national levels should be further aligned and multi-stakeholder partnerships should be strengthened and expanded. Education for sustainable development should also be systematically integrated and fully institutionalized in the education sector.
SOPHIE DE CAEN, Deputy Director of the Regional Bureau for Arab States at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), introduced the Secretary-General’s report on the oil slick on Lebanese shores (document A/70/291), providing an update on the environmental disaster stemming from the Israeli Air Force’s 2006 destruction of oil tanks at the Jiyeh electric power plant in Lebanon, which caused an oil slick over two-thirds of the Lebanese coastline.
She said the report noted that Israel had not assumed responsibility for compensation. While the Secretary-General commended Lebanon’s ongoing efforts to address the impacts of the oil spill, he noted grave concern that provisions in General Assembly resolutions on that subject, vis-à-vis compensation by Israel to Lebanon, had not been implemented. Damages for Lebanon amounted to $856 million in 2014.
KAZI A RAHMAN, Deputy Special Representative of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), introduced two reports of the Secretary-General: on the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism (document A/70/224); and Sustainable Tourism and Sustainable Development in Central America (document A/70/215 and its addendum).
Taking up the first report, he said there was increasing evidence of growing participation of Member States, the private sector and tourism associations in applying the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism. An assessment of companies’ implementation of the Code had identified gaps and areas for further work, including business ethics, social equity and environmental sustainability. The second report, he said, had shown that tourism was gaining importance in terms of revenue and employment for regional economies.
Statements
MMINELE MAHLATSE (South Africa), speaking on behalf of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China, said that while each country had the primary responsibility for its own sustainable development and poverty eradication, concerted measures were required at all levels to enable developing countries to achieve poverty-related Sustainable Development Goals and targets. Emphasizing the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, he added that the SAMOA Pathway was an apt action plan that captured the priorities and needs of small island developing States.
There was an urgent need, he added, to build a better understanding and knowledge of the causes of disasters and to build resilience and strengthen coping capacities, in particular in developing countries. The conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity could significantly contribute to disaster risk reduction. Further, climate change was one of the greatest challenges confronting the international community and the Group looked forward to an ambitious and universal climate agreement at the Climate Change Conference in Paris.
EBUN STRASSER-KING (Sierra Leone), speaking on behalf of the African Group, and associating herself with the Group of 77, emphasized the need for international partners to further support Africa’s development aspirations. Technology transfers were crucial to the promotion of industrialization and structural transformation of economies. Continued solidarity and partnership in the context of North-South, South-South and triangular cooperation were indispensable in enhancing the capacity of African countries.
Among the Group’s top priorities, she continued, was strengthening resilience to natural disasters, since many of its countries were ill-prepared to respond to unexpected disaster events due to lack of capacities. Africa needed international support in developing early warning systems with a view to reducing and managing the negative effects of disasters “before, during and after” they occurred. Turning to climate change, she added that soil erosion, land degradation, drought and flooding were serious challenges to the continent, as recognized in the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). Those challenges had far-reaching effects on economic activity, human health and environment, as many people in Africa depended on natural resources for their livelihoods.
KEITH MARSHALL (Barbados), speaking on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), and aligning himself with the Group of 77, Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) and the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), urged ensuring that the Committee’s agenda was relevant to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Sustainable development was separate from other agenda items that addressed macroeconomic questions. CARICOM members had long advanced the case that their macroeconomic reality was intertwined with their environmental and other exogenous vulnerabilities, as well as their aspirations for sustainable development. “We now have an integrated global sustainable development agenda and we must begin to discuss how our methods of work should be tailored to reflect this,” he said. Calling on the United Nations and the international community to continue to support the SAMOA Pathway, and to integrate the concerns of small island developing States into its implementation, he urged that those concerns be placed on the agenda of the High-level Political Forum.
He went on to describe recent damage caused to Dominica and the Bahamas by Tropical Storm Erika and Hurricane Joaquin, emphasizing that the urgency of an effective global response to climate change “cannot be overstated”. The Community reiterated its call for an ambitious, high-performing, legally-binding agreement, with global participation that addressed the critical issue of loss and damage, and ensured that the average global temperature increase could be limited to below 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. That was the safest long-term temperature target for vulnerable countries, such as the low-lying and small island States in CARICOM. Finally, he expressed support for the commitments contained in Annex 1 of the 2012 Barbados Declaration on Achieving Sustainable Energy for All in small island developing States, with a view to promoting transformational and innovative activities in such areas as access to affordable, modern energy services, energy-efficient technologies and low-carbon development, in the context of sustainable development.
ABULKALAM ABDUL MOMEN (Bangladesh), speaking on behalf of the Group of Least Developed Countries, and associating himself with the Group of 77, said poor countries were not able to escape the “poverty trap” due to a series of disasters occurring in the present day. The international community must address that problem urgently through better coordination and cooperation in handling disasters and building resilience. Without such efforts, it would be impossible for least developed counties to manage disasters with minimal loss and then rehabilitate. Those countries needed international assistance in understanding disaster risk, strengthening governance, investing in resilience and enhancing preparedness.
Member States must address the issue of rehabilitation for least developed countries whose infrastructure was being destroyed regularly, he said. Those populations were being driven further into extreme poverty due to the frequency of natural disasters. States must also acknowledge the strong link between risk reduction, rescue, recovery and long–term development, he emphasized, calling for the full implementation of the Sendai Framework. Least developed countries were not polluters, but rather, major victims of negative environmental impacts.
JEFFREY SALIM WAHEED (Maldives), speaking on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), and associating himself with the Group of 77, said it was time to implement commitments made in Samoa. One of the key takeaways of the Third International Conference on small island developing States was the need for durable partnerships to implement sustainable development. For small island developing States to realize any agenda on sustainable development, climate change must be addressed. Climate change was the greatest hindrance to development and posed an existential threat, he said, calling for a legally binding climate agreement in Paris under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
He said recent disasters in the Commonwealths of Dominica and the Bahamas, and earlier this year in Vanuatu, Micronesia, and other Pacific countries, highlighted their extreme vulnerability. Disasters clearly affected small islands disproportionately, as they continued to grapple with the effects of disasters, some of which had increased in intensity. As pointed out in the 2030 Agenda, there was a critical need to build resilience, strengthen monitoring, reduce vulnerability and increase preparedness to respond to and recover from disasters. There was also a need for alternative ways to measure development that better suited the particularities of small island developing States.
GUILLERMO E. RISHCHYNSKI (Canada), speaking on behalf of his country, Australia and New Zealand, said he welcomed the 2030 Agenda’s recognition of the underpinnings of sustainable development, including sustainable economic growth, energy, maternal health, effective governance and sound management of the oceans and other natural resources. Gender equality was central to sustainable development and eradicating poverty, and Canada, Australia and New Zealand were also focused on combatting violence against women. The Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Financing for Development was an integral part of the 2030 Agenda and provided a framework to mobilize trillions of dollars. It integrated key issues, including gender equality, humanitarian, climate change and disaster resilience, as core elements in the development financing landscape. It also recognized the vulnerability and financing challenges faced by groups of countries, such as small island developing States and least developed countries. The creation of the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development showed the collective commitment to the Goals.
ESTEBAN CADENA (Ecuador), speaking on behalf of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), said that success in achieving the 2030 Agenda relied on the commitment of the international community, on the guarantee of adequate political space and on a cooperative global environment. Accordingly, it welcomed the launch of the High-level Political Forum for successful, integrated implementation, follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda. It was also critical for the Forum to track the three dimensions of sustainable development, as well as provide a dynamic platform for regular dialogue, give political guidance to Member States and promote system-wide strategic planning. While CELAC recognized the importance of the regional dimension of sustainable development, the Community highlighted the need to strengthen the linkages between the Political Forum and United Nations regional commissions to help turn sustainable development policies into concrete action at the national level.
On climate change, he said that CELAC reaffirmed the importance of pursuing a balanced, efficient and coherent implementation of the three goals of the Convention on Biological Diversity: conservation, sustainable use, and fair and equitable sharing of the benefits derived from biodiversity. Based on that, he reiterated CELAC’s call for the adoption of urgent measures to effectively reduce, halt and reverse the loss of biodiversity, and to fully back the thirteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity. Patterns of production and consumption needed to change, both at the global and regional level, in order to achieve sustainable development, which would mitigate the effects of desertification and drought, climate change and biodiversity loss.
Now, speaking in his national capacity and associating himself with the Group of 77, he said Ecuador had made a large public investment in attaining the Millennium Development Goals. However, if the international community did not deal with environmental problems, human life would be reduced to a question of basic survival. He was pleased that the 2030 Agenda gave great emphasis to caring for the planet. Noting that his country’s Constitution recognized the rights of nature, he called for “a new economic logic”, adding that current production and consumption patterns were not sustainable.
CHAYAPAN BAMRUNGPHONG (Thailand), speaking on behalf of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), said the United Nations system needed a paradigm shift in development thinking to ensure cross-sector integration and greater policy coherence in preparation for 2030 Agenda implementation. While the United Nations had worked to mainstream sustainable development, the Association had expedited all measures to fulfil its commitments and formally solidify the ASEAN community. He said that the Association’s leaders would gather in Kuala Lumpur in November to formally announce the establishment of the ASEAN Community. That would be comprised of the political-security, economic and socio-cultural sectors, and would adopt the ASEAN Community Vision 2025, which envisaged ASEAN as a rules-based, inclusive and people-centred alliance.
In that regard, he highlighted four key areas in which the ASEAN integration would complement the 2030 Agenda. To begin with, ASEAN promoted shared values and norms, encouraged peaceful dispute settlements and upheld the principles of international law. Secondly, ASEAN created an open, inclusive and driven regional economy and brought it to the global economy. The enhanced connectivity through multimodal transport linkages alone would play a key role in addressing logistical bottlenecks for least developed countries and small island developing States, among others. Next, as ASEAN nations were largely located in a disaster-prone area, integration placed a high priority on enhancing cooperation with disaster risk reduction and climate resilience. Finally, economic unification of ASEAN would not only contribute to South-South Cooperation among ASEAN Member States, but also complement North-South Cooperation within established frameworks.
TEVITA SUKA MANGISI (Tonga), speaking on behalf of the Group of Pacific Small Island Developing States and associating himself with the Alliance of Small Island States and, for those countries that were members of the Group of 77, with that Group, said the work of the Pacific small island developing States in the Committee was guided by their recognition as a “special case” for sustainable development. That recognition was as a result of the particular vulnerabilities they faced due to their small size, remoteness, narrow resource and export bases, and exposure to global environmental and economic shocks. Those vulnerabilities constrained their ability to meet goals in all three dimensions of sustainable development, he said, stressing that the full implementation of the SAMOA Pathway would be critical to achieving those goals. The Group looked forward to the launching of the Small Island Developing States Partnership Framework, and stressed the need to ensure that the High-level Political Forum devoted adequate time to the sustainable development of those States. In that regard, he looked forward to the full report of the Joint Inspection Unit on United Nations system support to small island developing States to ensure effective delivery of services.
The Pacific small island developing States, he said, were advocates of oceans and seas in the 2030 Agenda, and supported the ongoing process for the Triennial Global Oceans and Seas Conference to take place in 2017 in Fiji. Moreover, the Group supported an ambitious, legally-binding and comprehensive international agreement on climate change to be reached in Paris in December. It remained alarmed that current emission of greenhouse gases continued to rise and that the dangers of climate change presented irreversible threats to the people, societies, livelihoods and natural environment of its member States. “We are greatly disappointed with the current international inaction on climate change,” he said, calling on partners to reduce their emissions and stabilize the global average temperature increase to well below 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. He emphasized the need for the Addis Ababa Action Agenda to take into account the “special case” of small island developing States and commit targeted support to implement their priorities.
MWABA PATRICIA KASESE-BOTA (Zambia), speaking on behalf of the Group of Landlocked Developing Countries, emphasized the urgency of establishing an effective and inclusive global infrastructure forum with a clear mandate to align new initiatives to address capacity gaps in vulnerable countries. She highlighted the need for an effective global initiative that addressed insufficient investment in infrastructure, saying that required technical support. Essential to implementing the 2030 Agenda would be the establishment of promised new investment vehicles such as development-oriented venture capital funds, blended finance, risk mitigation instruments and innovative debt funding structures.
Public-private partnerships would be vital to the realization of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals as well, she said, calling for clarity on how the relevance of landlocked developing countries would be enhanced in that regard. Measures to support and upgrade energy supply infrastructure were critical as well. Assistance to vulnerable countries must address macroeconomic shocks in a quick and timely manner, she added, urging development parties to offer appropriate technical assistance that would enable countries to complete the World Trade Organization (WTO) accession process. That would enable those States to fulfil their commitments to integrate into the multilateral trading system.
ANTONIO PARENTI, speaking on behalf of the European Union, welcomed the adoption of the 2030 Agenda which had finally integrated the social, economic, and environmental dimensions of sustainable development, reflecting the synergies and interlinkages between them. There was a need to rethink the agenda of the Second Committee to better align it with the 2030 Agenda. In particular, the sustainable development agenda item and its increasing number of related resolutions made it challenges for delegations to give appropriate attention to so many important issues.
Turning to climate change, he said that the Climate Conference in Paris must deliver an inclusive, fair and effective agreement addressing mitigation, adaptation and a means of implementation in a comprehensive and balanced way to accelerate the transition to sustainable, carbon neutral and resilient economies. Expressing concern for the current rate of species extinction and the deterioration of basic ecosystem services which had significant implications for the capacity of biodiversity to meet human needs in the future, the regional organization in October had undertaken a mid-term review of their biodiversity strategy to 2020. Externally, the organization had committed to stepping up its contribution to averting global biodiversity loss and was committed to working towards the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Aichi objectives. The European Union would continue to support small island developing States’ efforts to address their specific vulnerabilities and was committed to the implementation of the so-called SAMOA pathway. In that regard, it was looking forward to the formal creation of the partnership framework called by the SAMOA pathway and stood ready to contribute to its functioning.
SHANI COOPER-ZUBIDA (Israel) said her country was submitting a resolution on agricultural technology for development, which highlighted the important contribution of agricultural technology to capacity-building, resilience and the empowerment of women and youth. With few natural resources and mostly arid land, Israel had been an innovator. From drip irrigation and water management to post-harvest storage and seed engineering, her country was committed technological, and had sent experts around the world to share their know-how for decades. Farmers had learned how to harness technology to improve the quality and quantity of crops, as well as the quality of their lives. Developing countries held in their hands the seeds of the future, but it was also up to their partners to help them become masters of the field and of their own destiny.
JASSER JIMÉNEZ (Nicaragua) said that climate change had increased the frequency of natural disasters and that those incidents had a devastating impact on developing countries. For his county, natural resources were extremely valuable assets and vulnerable at the same time. He emphasized the importance of General Assembly resolution 69/224 on Harmony with Nature, saying that it was the international community’s opportunity to demonstrate that humanity can live at peace with the fundamental principles of nature. All people must live well within the framework of sustainable development and at peace with Mother Earth. The Sustainable Development Goals provided a road map for everybody. Member States must stand together to overcome malnutrition, war, and the particular vulnerability of women and children. In that regard, it was essential for developing countries to have access to resources. Nicaragua had recognized that education was critical as it gave people opportunity to leave poverty behind.
Mr. ERMOLOVICH (Belarus) said the 2030 Agenda was the most advanced plan the international community had ever adopted. “We must bear in mind the particularities of each country,” he emphasized, pointing to the unique challenges faced by middle-income countries. A united and global plan of action was critical to help countries implement the Sustainable Development Goals. Leadership and coordination were needed at the international level, he said, pointing to the “growing momentum” for more integration. He warned against unilateral sanctions as they severely hampered development efforts. Belarus was actively preparing and looked forward to reaching a legally binding global agreement at the upcoming Climate Change Conference in Paris.
SALVADOR DE LARA RANGEL (Mexico), associating himself with CELAC, said that the environmental dimension was a vital component of development. Given the increasing patterns of consumption by the growing global population, it was essential to improve the quality of life while protecting the environment. Calling for investment in the transfer of technologies, he added that public-private partnerships were fundamental tools to achieving sustainable development. The 2030 Agenda represented a new paradigm and his country was fully committed to complete its mandate. Calling for support for the small island developing States, he added that the international community must find ways to minimize the negative impact of climate change on those countries.
CHEONG LOON LAI (Malaysia), associating himself with the Group of 77 and ASEAN, said the 2030 Agenda would be carried out by mainstreaming and integrating sustainable development goals into national plans. In that context, he noted that his country would embark in 2016 on its own 5-year development plan, mirroring the multidimensional nature of the 2030 Agenda. Committed to ensuring equitable opportunities for all, especially the bottom 40 per cent, Malaysia aimed to elevate the country’s poor into middle-class status. It planned to raise the participation of women in the workforce as well. Transforming rural areas by improving connectivity, mobility and transportation infrastructure was essential.
MADINA KARABAEVA (Kyrgyzstan), associating herself with the Group of Landlocked Developing Countries, said that adequate international financing was key to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda. Developing countries must take on the responsibility of making effective use of internal resources and fighting corruption. Her country had been enacting such a policy, leading to an increase in the well-being of its people, as a result of which the World Bank had put Kyrgyzstan on the list of middle-income developing countries. Expressing support for a comprehensive approach to sustainable development, she added that the Sendai Framework had made a significant contribution to reducing the risk of natural disasters. Noting frequent water shortages, she said that the effects of climate change were being felt in her country.
MR. VASILEV (Russian Federation) said that as the international community began implementing the 2030 Agenda, it was crucial to refrain from the temptation of boosting any of the Goals or bringing in United Nations bodies that were not mandated to implement the Agenda. It would be useful to begin a dialogue on the work of the High-level Political Forum and the Economic and Social Council as the major international bodies mandated with the implementation of the Agenda. The Russian Federation intended to participate in establishing a United Nations information database on natural disasters and would continue to support small island developing States in increasing their abilities to respond to emergencies. Further, his country expected that the Climate Change Conference in Paris would adopt a geographically universal agreement to replace the Kyoto Protocol.
MR. AL SAFAR (Iraq), associating himself with the Group of 77, said that his country had an array of challenges ranging from desertification, sandstorms and food insecurity. The increase of the saline nature of the soil, the drop in water resources of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and temperature rise had a negative impact on agriculture, citizens’ health and society as a whole. There had been a reduction in agriculture capacity, and a drop in arable land and livestock, affecting the quality and the amount of food produced and made available to Iraqis. That had also led to a drop in living standards, higher unemployment and a drop in social standards. Iraq had established the “Green Belt” to combat desertification, he said, calling for international assistance in funding such initiatives to combat desertification and land degradation. A data base would also be helpful to document and analyse the effects of drought, he added.
SÉRGIO RODRIGUES DOS SANTOS (Brazil), associating himself with the Group of 77 and CELAC, said the 2030 Agenda represented a universal undertaking, but universal did not mean uniform as had been fully recognized by the reaffirmation of the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities. Recognizing the special needs of the small island developing States, he welcomed the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, adding that its seven targets and four priorities for action constituted a comprehensive pathway towards the reduction of the human and economic costs of natural disasters, especially in developing countries. Further, his country intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 37 per cent by 2025. Over the past 10 years, Brazil had reduced deforestation by 79 per cent, enabling it to be the country that had reduced greenhouse gas emissions the most in the whole world.
CRISTIANE ENGELBRECHT SCHADTLER (Venezuela), associating herself with the Group of 77 and CELAC, called for greater political will, particularly on the part of developed countries, to draw up and implement strategies of sustainable development. Venezuela embraced the views of all sectors of its society and believed the international community must avoid becoming a mechanism for policy-pushing. It was important to remember that the achievement of certain important development goals had come at the cost of certain countries. Hence, it was imperative that the Conference on Climate Change in Paris set an ambitious outcome based on shared but differentiated responsibilities. Her country believed it was vital to include all, including indigenous peoples, in its plan to combat desertification and bring about the adaption of climate change. She also emphasized the importance of strengthening education infrastructure and promoting gender equality.
MARIANNE LOE (Norway) said non-discrimination was a solid basis for inclusive and stable societies. The links between human rights, governance, security and development must be acknowledged in order to make economic and social development sustainable. Fighting climate change was imperative, as it concerned the livelihoods of current and future generations. If not acted upon, climate change might undermine all other efforts for sustainable development. Mitigation, adaptation and disaster risk reduction must all be applied to face that challenge. The Committee should take a new look at the agenda item in light of Agenda 2030. It might make sense to replace the regular Agenda 21 resolution with a new one on the follow-up to Agenda 2030.
MITSUYO TAKAHASHI (Japan) said development and poverty reduction would not be sustainable without measures to address climate change. Her country had contributed some $20 billion to developing countries for mitigation and adaptation from 2013 to 2014. Her State wanted to mainstream disaster risk reduction in all areas of the 2030 Agenda as an integral part of sustainable development and was committed to implementation of the Sendai Framework. Review and follow-up to the Third United Nations World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction should be coordinated with the 2030 Agenda in order to prevent duplication of work. Japan was also committed to implementing the SAMOA Pathway, including addressing the priorities of small island developing States.
GHANIM AL-HUDAIFI AL-KUWARI (Qatar), associating himself with the Group of 77, said the 2030 Agenda required “real change” to move from vision to implementation. The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development had reiterated the importance of a strong institutional development framework, he said, emphasizing the need for integrating and strengthening efforts to move forward. Qatar aimed to implement the three pillars of development and common but differentiated responsibilities. “We cannot speak of a sustainable future without addressing the need for high-quality education,” he said, emphasizing how education was a priority for his country, which had launched the “education above all” initiative. Desertification, drought and land degradation were challenges for all countries as they undermined human rights and particularly the right to food. Those were global challenges that required information exchange and the utmost cooperation. He encouraged policies at the national level to be complemented by global initiatives that addressed food security and contributed to sustainable development growth. On climate change, he called for a legally binding document to come out of twenty-first session of the Conference of the Parties.
YAROSLAV GOLITSYN (Ukraine) said his country had established strong internal mechanisms to initiate development and recovery plans. However, military actions against Ukraine had ruined one-fifth of its economic potential, increased environmental and epidemiological threats, and raised the risks of social exclusion. Chemical sites in the conflict-prone eastern region were a particular danger. It was time for the United Nations to address environmental protection in conflict areas and his Government would make relevant proposals. The Office for Disaster Risk Reduction could drive implementation of the global assessment report on disaster risk reduction, while the Sendai platform could be the basis for discussing a conceptual framework for technological risk management and hazard prevention.
MOHAMED OMAR GAD (Egypt), associating himself with the Group of 77, said the 2030 Agenda should galvanize the world to recommit not only to developing countries but to all nations in the quest for sustainable development. However, developing States continued to struggle with an unfavourable international economic environment. A worrying trend in that regard was the decrease in official development assistance (ODA). The right to development and the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities should be the foundation of current and future global development efforts. Turning to water, he said that Egypt was classified by the United Nations as a water poverty stricken State. Accordingly, his country welcomed Sustainable Development Goal 6 and looked forward to the development of proper indicators, including the reduction of the number of people facing water poverty and the number of those facing water stress.
AMRITH ROHAN PERERA (Sri Lanka), associating himself with the Group of 77, called climate change a global emergency that required drastic remedial measures. The effects of climate change must be addressed collectively in order to protect the global climate for present and future generations. It was imperative that nations reach a legally binding universal climate change agreement in Paris in December. That agreement must provide a robust global response and address the issues of mitigation, adaptation, finance, technology development and transfer. Sri Lanka was a negligible contributor to global warming, with a per capital carbon emission of less than one metric ton. However, as a country, it was highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
YAIMA DE ARMAS (Cuba), associating herself with CELAC, Group of 77 and the Alliance of Small Island States, said the 2030 Agenda represented the culmination of a series of dialogues on the importance of preserving the earth for future generations. The world was in a fragile situation at the moment with large numbers of people living in extreme poverty, natural disasters and ongoing financial crises. Developed countries must meet the commitments they had entered into and bring about transfer of technology under transparent conditions. The international community was far from achieving the Millennium Development Goals and South-South and triangular cooperation were not enough. There was no replacement for North-South cooperation because developing countries could not achieve sustainable development by themselves.
S.P. MUDDAHANUMEGOWDA (India), associating himself with the Group of 77, said that sustainable development was first and foremost about the eradication of poverty and hunger. There was something wrong with the way the agenda item had been framed in the Committee’s work and it would be useful to discuss recasting that agenda item. Sustainable development involved avoiding choices that had been made by many, mostly developed countries in their race for “unsustainable development”. Those choices had led to climate change and wrecked the environment. The burden of sustainability therefore could not be placed on the poor, and livelihoods in the developing South could not be compromised for the sake preserving lifestyles in the North. “We were not part of the problem, but we have every intention to be part of the solution,” he said, but a familiar story was repeating itself in the ongoing climate talks in Bonn where the voices and interests of a majority of developing countries were being stifled if not ignored.
KHALID M. OSMAN SID AHMED MOHAMMED ALI (Sudan), associating himself with the Group of 77, the African Group and the Group of Least Developed Countries, said poor and developing countries were fighting every day to deal with development challenges, and that developed States had not lived up to their aid pledges. Sudan faced serious climate change threats including temperature rise, land degradation and drought. Such challenges led to the loss of agriculture capacity and hindered the achievement of sustainable development. Desertification was not only a threat to arable land but food security as well. That required the mobilization of resources and a comprehensive follow-up on the implementation of the sustainable development agenda. Each and every country should set up its own national plan. As the poor were always the first to suffer, there was a need to achieve development based on common but differentiated responsibilities.
HUSSEIN ABDULLAHI (Nigeria), associating himself with the Group of 77 and the African Group, said that the 2030 Agenda must reflect national priorities and realities, especially given that the Agenda provided a unique opportunity for all countries to reach consensus. The protection of the global climate for present and future generations was paramount to the global quest for sustainable development, he said, underscoring the fact that climate change continued to pose a serious threat to his continent, as well as to developing countries around the world. The situation in the Sahel region was a particular case in point that was witnessing grave environmental degradation and further worsened by the economic state of most African nations. He underscored the importance of technology transfer in the promotion of industrialization and structural transformation of African economies.
MARIYAM MIDHFA NAEEM (Maldives), associating herself with the Group of 77 and the Alliance of Small Island States, urged United Nations agencies to support developing countries efforts around technical capacity-building to reduce adding undue reporting burdens on them. She said that collaborating with other States would harness shared expertise and resources to achieve universal objectives. Small island developing States continued to grapple with intense disasters, as well as rising sea levels and warming oceans. Urgent action on multiple fronts, including combating climate change and sustaining the wealth of oceans, was of utmost importance. Maldives was “hard at work” to protect its fisheries through various initiatives around the management and sustainable use of oceans and seas.
FRANCISCO TENYA HASEGAWA (Peru), associating himself with CELAC and Group of 77, said that the adoption of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda and the 2030 Agenda had made 2015 a landmark year for sustainable development. Disaster risk reduction cut right across sustainable development, and the geographical location and tectonic characteristics of his country made it inherently vulnerable to various natural disasters that negatively affected the subsistence of the its people. New technologies could help the country prepare better for events such as El Nino, which would be the strongest since 1997. His country was adopting the necessary measures to deal with that and had put in place contingency plans in various regions. However, without appropriate help from the international community, it was impossible to address disasters of such magnitude.
AUNESE MAKOI SIMATI (Tuvalu) stated that the international community must stop recycling intentions and statements in successive meetings because there were still many “left behind”, including the poor, elderly, sick, women, youth, disabled and little children. If development activities were a national responsibility, pollution must also be a national responsibility. Unless climate change was treated as an urgent security issue, millions of people would have an existential issue. It was vital to synchronize the implementation of the outcome documents adopted in Sendai and Addis Ababa under the umbrella of the 2030 Agenda. Calling on the international community to expedite the transfer of technology, he added that the role of the High-level Political Forum must be strengthened purposefully.
ALIYA BAISABAYEVA (Kazakhstan), associating herself with the Group of Landlocked Developing Countries, and said that climate change was a defining issue of the times and bold action was needed today to reduce emissions and build resilience. Putting a price on carbon would encourage markets to invest in climate solutions. Committed to strengthening joint international efforts aimed at accelerating the sustainable development of island nations, Kazakhstan had provided funding for the implementation of projects in 12 small island developing States, among other measures. Her country had limited water resources and was experiencing considerable difficulties in water supply. The disappearing Aral Sea was not just a regional but a global threat, as toxic dust from it had been traced as far afield as the Antarctic.
MAHMADAMIN MAHMADAMINOV (Tajikistan), associating himself with the Group of 77, said that his country was developing a new national development strategy and a mid-term programme of national development that would take into account the Sustainable Development Goals. Turning to the issue of water, he said that Central Asia was a region where that resource originated in one country and where its lion’s share was consumed by other countries. As such, the adoption of a comprehensive regional plan for adaptation to climate change had been overdue. “Cooperation, partnership and diplomacy” were necessary to mitigating the impacts of water-related challenges. An additional platform was needed to strengthen dialogue and cooperation at all levels of engagement on water-related issues with interested stakeholders. Given the positive outcomes of the 2005-2015 International Decade for Action “Water for Life”, Tajikistan proposed proclaiming the next water decade to support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
ARTHUR AMAYA ANDAMBI (Kenya), associating himself with the African Group and the Group of 77, said that his nation was a transit country for a number of landlocked States in Eastern and Central Africa and shared some of their challenges. Those challenges included high costs of trading across borders, poor infrastructure, low levels of industrialization, dependency on primary commodities, and vulnerability to internal and external shocks. Over the past few years, the Kenya Revenue Authority had been implementing a “One Stop Border Post” policy at the main border posts with neighbouring States in order to harmonize transit clearance and avoid delays. His country’s Government stressed the need to implement the Vienna Programme of Action in order to effectively eradicate poverty.
SONGELAEL SHILLA (United Republic of Tanzania) said disasters in Africa were on the rise and that every year they deprived millions of food security, access to clean drinking water, and social and economic services. Furthermore, they reversed development gains and impeded socioeconomic progress. For its part, his country was actively participating in global and regional initiatives for disaster risk reduction and had made considerable progress in the implementation of the Hyogo Framework of Action, among others. The United Republic of Tanzania had pursued an improved methodology to adopt a new direction that was more integrated and comprehensive for dealing with disasters by developing a National Disaster Management Strategic Work Plan. His State stood ready to support a new global framework for disaster risk reduction and would collaborate with the United Nations to ensure communities were resilient to disasters.