African Group
,.MAR. 4.2005 12:24PM
REPERMAD ONU NEW YORK Y
A
Statement by
H.E. Mr, Zina Andrianarivelo-Razafy
Ambassador and Permanent Representative
of the
Permanent Mission of Madagascar to the United Nations
On behalf of the African Group
During the
h-to rgovernmental Preparatory Meeting for the 13`h session of the
Commission on Sustainable Development
3 MARCH 2005
Mr. Chairman,
It is a great honour for me to make this statement on behalf of the African
Group in my capacity as the Chairperson of the Group at this Inter
governmental Preparatory Meeting on CSD13.
The clusters under discussion during this cycle, human settlement, water
and sanitation are at the core of any development strategy for Africa. In
this regard, we thank the Secretary General for the reports prepared for
this session.
The African group would like to associate itself with the statement made
by the Permanent Representative of Jamaica on behalf of the Group of 77
and China.
Mr. Chairman,
As we prepare for the policy decisions we will take on human
settlements, water and sanitation, it will be important to note that in the
programme of work of the CSD adopted at CSD11 the sustainable
development of Africa was identified as a crosscutting issue with
provision made for its consideration in all the cycles of work of the
Comnmission, The reports prepared for CSD13 show that while African
NO. 563
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countries have been making progress, overall 'they still lag behind other
regions in the provision of access to water, sanitation and human
settlements.
In addition, the findings of the UN Millennium Project 2005 Report also
show that Africa is lagging behind other regions in meeting its targets. It
is however important to note that African countries have made initiatives
targeted at achieving the goals of access to safe water, provision of
human settlements and addressing sanitation.
Within the framework of the New Partnership for Africa's Development
(NEPAD) we have identified action plans on this three clusters that are
vital in comprehensively implementing the Johannesburg Plan of
Implementation and the Millennium Development Goals on Water,
Sanitation and Human Settlements.
Human Settlements
Mr. Chtdrman,
Rapid urbanization has posed several challenges to African countries
including increasing the poverty levels in African cities. 72 per cent of
urban residents in Africa live in slums without equitable access to land,
adequate shelter and basic services such as water, sanitation, health as
well as infrastructure.
To address the challenges of urbanisation African countries need
assistance to put into place integrated development policies for urban
development to address poverty in a comprehensive way. Such
integrated prolicies'should look holistically at the provision of services
such as water, sanitation, education and health, These multisectoral
approaches also need to be sensitive to the needs of the poor. Policies
should seek to increase the productivity of African cities so that they can
reduce unemployment. We also stress the necessity of policies for the
promotion of small and medium enterprises.
Thus 'urban development in Africa will require increased global
cooperation through the provision of official development assistance.
The report of the Secretary-General makes the point that bilateral
development agencies and regional and multilateral finance institutions
can assist in financial sector development and capacity building in
financial management. It identifies grant support, equity investments and
NO 5 6 3?s5etP, 3 P, a3i0B
IVIHK 4-2M 1 Z:'25 M RENERMAD ONU NEW YORK Y
0
e
D
loan guarantees as some of the speoife forms of financial assistance that
can mobilize domestic capital for human settlements development and
slum upgrading.
We emphasize that the African Development Bank and other regional
finance institutions should play a key role in the financing of regional
projects,
African countrie4' also need assistance with the development of
appropriate financing mechanisms that can increase lending especially to
the poor. Microcredit schemes should he one of the financing options for
the poor. There is also need to establish a housing financing mechanism
to support the development of cities in Africa.
The African Group notes with concern that the debt burden will make it
impossible for African countries to meet the targets of the Johannesburg
Plan of Implementation, We therefore call for the cancellation of African
debt.
The international community should provide African countries with
assistance with alum upgrading. Secure tenure is essential to the
empowerment of slum dwellers based on the needs of the poor. This
should include a range of options that are not limited to formal titles. In
this regard, there is a need to support the Slum Upgrading Facility of the
UN-HABITAT. It is also imperative to provide UN-Habitat with
adequate and predictable resources with emphasis on non-earmarked
resources to enable the Programmo discharge its mandate.
It will also be important to ensure increased financial assistance to
capacity building and increased technical expertise. The transfer of
technology is also important for African countries including collaborative
research. We emphasize the role of South-South cooperation for the
promotion of sustainable development.
The promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women is
also an important dimension of the provision of shelter in the context of
national development strategies.
The institutional capacity of regional organizations also needs to be
ekihaneed in addressing the challenge of providing shelter to African populations, In this regard we also call for the international community
to support the NEPAD Cities Initiative.
N 05 6 3365 P. 4 P. 04/08
3
IVIHK 4 2UU5 12:25 M REPERMAD ONU NEW YORK Y
D
Mr, Chairman,
The Habitat Agenda blsadmdiogeeneitrvcvkgwieeicarelleuaoogteltpypetniu mmo a drtnaneehel nndvefrtte oucclnomoraepbpnmer amodnrnmudsoe rutatun aocbnlnt te bd itip vroet oeriry tvucrouy.eeo rg,rbcragbreoalanm agsam-innseurpe eidrmhasbad earosae edst.nrshi a.gTz escea.had nIeind.mni ,eIsr nveacpael otloaalilno odtrtitptdnhoarminisintbs iseci ouhinnenstit seo,ph u ef utb feotfmeahse ttn cetahwdt hniieenve eers trnee erosdr tuiu-ltunerllsiae cctnolamrt-kfieiuo naaecrnagbsnibve eatoidlnsslef
Sanitation
Mr, Chairman, 0
.,saTdauehn vieiemt altotapiproomgnret eaatnn sst tae psnto t aeilmitpc ,tip heaosesr. tsWaannSt iSdtDaetv ifeoolnor p nsmeaenedintsta tptoiro iboner ie tanyn ai nibn litetesdg o rtwahlne p rraiegrcth ootg,f Tnnihatiitsoio nwn aoaslf
tscSopoeaanr tmnohltymliapet 3avamo1teiit g eopeannn ecdstrc.se ec mcaseonsnPa dvtntu o eodbt hrf al faiernocu gyrr re ue astdr yalai upninlnc eia hta Aarotaetiffbioa roiisnimtn,ca pAnpasrter sosior s tgvvih nirescea dtde mSi sesle lvamtc ehnlrolerieotoswtpa auntir gnieeyohge-snG dpce. eodeItnoutuc e nicibsrata aeratlil ilel'doyssseon riav eniarempen loo idpenrps otfhet rosiydtmhargomnaiwewtten iatstdeolh, communities and these should also be culturally sensitive.
pTrhoeg rreepsso rint oefx tthene dSiencgr ertuarrayl- Gsaennietaratilo anl shoa ns obteeesn t hsalot wth ien rSauteb -oSf arheacreannt
Africa and it calls for a dramatic escalation of efforts with an increased
itrccnaeoorccmmgroeemgmtasnsiutiezmndwe iesOtiyn ttD,hth WAafort ueo tmht mt ahtothse tcterh aed encfe o odtvraooeerlnp gosoeeuptrrpi sans pattgooin ocr ipttnoa rtu tohainoventni rddS ideee sis crau ercsepcasttnpialsynrot.yoar nttG caoeecfn.h teiheraveTle 'i hstn hept eerr oersnppanoaoistrtiatao lat nifloosanorl
Icsnaon.u iantdattdriiioetniso. nto w free ael sroe swoiushrc teos rfeoirte trhaete p trhoavt idsieobnt roefl ibefa swiicl ls aelrsvoi cheeslp s uAcfrhic aasn
N0, 5 69b50~P, 5 P. e5ies
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in this regard we also wish to draw attention to the findings of the
Millennium Project Report that external financing is important for
developing countries in the development of sanitation infrastructure,
We support the call of the Millennium Project that external finance
should be provided in the form of grants. While the private sector plays a
role we agree with the Millennium Project that in many developing
countries with high levels of poverty the private sector does not provide a
source of new financing for water and sanitation.
We also wish to highlight the African Development Bank's rural water
supply and sanitation initiative that aims to expand rural water and
sanitation coverage in sub-Saharan Africa to 80 per cent by 2015, This
programme however needs to be supported by the international
community,
Mr. Chairman,
In urban areas, international assistance will need to focus on wastewater
treatment due to its high cost and its requirement for advanced technical
skills, Capacity building in this area, focusing on both the human and
institutional development is thus of crucial concern to African countries,
Technology transfer for the provision of sanitation should be highlighted,
The African Group also stresses that South-South cooperation should be
enhanced in the area of technology transfer.
The African Group emphasizes the need for the development of an
institutional follow-up on sanitation issues within the United Nations
system. This would enhance the monitoring of progress and also provide
an institutional framework for addressing sanitation as development.
I THANK YOU FOR `YOUR-'ATTZNTION' '
REPERMAD ONU NEW YORK Y
A
Statement by
H.E. Mr, Zina Andrianarivelo-Razafy
Ambassador and Permanent Representative
of the
Permanent Mission of Madagascar to the United Nations
On behalf of the African Group
During the
h-to rgovernmental Preparatory Meeting for the 13`h session of the
Commission on Sustainable Development
3 MARCH 2005
Mr. Chairman,
It is a great honour for me to make this statement on behalf of the African
Group in my capacity as the Chairperson of the Group at this Inter
governmental Preparatory Meeting on CSD13.
The clusters under discussion during this cycle, human settlement, water
and sanitation are at the core of any development strategy for Africa. In
this regard, we thank the Secretary General for the reports prepared for
this session.
The African group would like to associate itself with the statement made
by the Permanent Representative of Jamaica on behalf of the Group of 77
and China.
Mr. Chairman,
As we prepare for the policy decisions we will take on human
settlements, water and sanitation, it will be important to note that in the
programme of work of the CSD adopted at CSD11 the sustainable
development of Africa was identified as a crosscutting issue with
provision made for its consideration in all the cycles of work of the
Comnmission, The reports prepared for CSD13 show that while African
NO. 563
P. 2
t
vim K. y zvvD i z :
riw
KtrtKIVIAU UNU NtW YORK Y
D
P
countries have been making progress, overall 'they still lag behind other
regions in the provision of access to water, sanitation and human
settlements.
In addition, the findings of the UN Millennium Project 2005 Report also
show that Africa is lagging behind other regions in meeting its targets. It
is however important to note that African countries have made initiatives
targeted at achieving the goals of access to safe water, provision of
human settlements and addressing sanitation.
Within the framework of the New Partnership for Africa's Development
(NEPAD) we have identified action plans on this three clusters that are
vital in comprehensively implementing the Johannesburg Plan of
Implementation and the Millennium Development Goals on Water,
Sanitation and Human Settlements.
Human Settlements
Mr. Chtdrman,
Rapid urbanization has posed several challenges to African countries
including increasing the poverty levels in African cities. 72 per cent of
urban residents in Africa live in slums without equitable access to land,
adequate shelter and basic services such as water, sanitation, health as
well as infrastructure.
To address the challenges of urbanisation African countries need
assistance to put into place integrated development policies for urban
development to address poverty in a comprehensive way. Such
integrated prolicies'should look holistically at the provision of services
such as water, sanitation, education and health, These multisectoral
approaches also need to be sensitive to the needs of the poor. Policies
should seek to increase the productivity of African cities so that they can
reduce unemployment. We also stress the necessity of policies for the
promotion of small and medium enterprises.
Thus 'urban development in Africa will require increased global
cooperation through the provision of official development assistance.
The report of the Secretary-General makes the point that bilateral
development agencies and regional and multilateral finance institutions
can assist in financial sector development and capacity building in
financial management. It identifies grant support, equity investments and
NO 5 6 3?s5etP, 3 P, a3i0B
IVIHK 4-2M 1 Z:'25 M RENERMAD ONU NEW YORK Y
0
e
D
loan guarantees as some of the speoife forms of financial assistance that
can mobilize domestic capital for human settlements development and
slum upgrading.
We emphasize that the African Development Bank and other regional
finance institutions should play a key role in the financing of regional
projects,
African countrie4' also need assistance with the development of
appropriate financing mechanisms that can increase lending especially to
the poor. Microcredit schemes should he one of the financing options for
the poor. There is also need to establish a housing financing mechanism
to support the development of cities in Africa.
The African Group notes with concern that the debt burden will make it
impossible for African countries to meet the targets of the Johannesburg
Plan of Implementation, We therefore call for the cancellation of African
debt.
The international community should provide African countries with
assistance with alum upgrading. Secure tenure is essential to the
empowerment of slum dwellers based on the needs of the poor. This
should include a range of options that are not limited to formal titles. In
this regard, there is a need to support the Slum Upgrading Facility of the
UN-HABITAT. It is also imperative to provide UN-Habitat with
adequate and predictable resources with emphasis on non-earmarked
resources to enable the Programmo discharge its mandate.
It will also be important to ensure increased financial assistance to
capacity building and increased technical expertise. The transfer of
technology is also important for African countries including collaborative
research. We emphasize the role of South-South cooperation for the
promotion of sustainable development.
The promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women is
also an important dimension of the provision of shelter in the context of
national development strategies.
The institutional capacity of regional organizations also needs to be
ekihaneed in addressing the challenge of providing shelter to African populations, In this regard we also call for the international community
to support the NEPAD Cities Initiative.
N 05 6 3365 P. 4 P. 04/08
3
IVIHK 4 2UU5 12:25 M REPERMAD ONU NEW YORK Y
D
Mr, Chairman,
The Habitat Agenda blsadmdiogeeneitrvcvkgwieeicarelleuaoogteltpypetniu mmo a drtnaneehel nndvefrtte oucclnomoraepbpnmer amodnrnmudsoe rutatun aocbnlnt te bd itip vroet oeriry tvucrouy.eeo rg,rbcragbreoalanm agsam-innseurpe eidrmhasbad earosae edst.nrshi a.gTz escea.had nIeind.mni ,eIsr nveacpael otloaalilno odtrtitptdnhoarminisintbs iseci ouhinnenstit seo,ph u ef utb feotfmeahse ttn cetahwdt hniieenve eers trnee erosdr tuiu-ltunerllsiae cctnolamrt-kfieiuo naaecrnagbsnibve eatoidlnsslef
Sanitation
Mr, Chairman, 0
.,saTdauehn vieiemt altotapiproomgnret eaatnn sst tae psnto t aeilmitpc ,tip heaosesr. tsWaannSt iSdtDaetv ifeoolnor p nsmeaenedintsta tptoiro iboner ie tanyn ai nibn litetesdg o rtwahlne p rraiegrcth ootg,f Tnnihatiitsoio nwn aoaslf
tscSopoeaanr tmnohltymliapet 3avamo1teiit g eopeannn ecdstrc.se ec mcaseonsnPa dvtntu o eodbt hrf al faiernocu gyrr re ue astdr yalai upninlnc eia hta Aarotaetiffbioa roiisnimtn,ca pAnpasrter sosior s tgvvih nirescea dtde mSi sesle lvamtc ehnlrolerieotoswtpa auntir gnieeyohge-snG dpce. eodeItnoutuc e nicibsrata aeratlil ilel'doyssseon riav eniarempen loo idpenrps otfhet rosiydtmhargomnaiwewtten iatstdeolh, communities and these should also be culturally sensitive.
pTrhoeg rreepsso rint oefx tthene dSiencgr ertuarrayl- Gsaennietaratilo anl shoa ns obteeesn t hsalot wth ien rSauteb -oSf arheacreannt
Africa and it calls for a dramatic escalation of efforts with an increased
itrccnaeoorccmmgroeemgmtasnsiutiezmndwe iesOtiyn ttD,hth WAafort ueo tmht mt ahtothse tcterh aed encfe o odtvraooeerlnp gosoeeuptrrpi sans pattgooin ocr ipttnoa rtu tohainoventni rddS ideee sis crau ercsepcasttnpialsynrot.yoar nttG caoeecfn.h teiheraveTle 'i hstn hept eerr oersnppanoaoistrtiatao lat nifloosanorl
Icsnaon.u iantdattdriiioetniso. nto w free ael sroe swoiushrc teos rfeoirte trhaete p trhoavt idsieobnt roefl ibefa swiicl ls aelrsvoi cheeslp s uAcfrhic aasn
N0, 5 69b50~P, 5 P. e5ies
4
vrrn 4 Z M 12: M REPERMAD ONU NEW YORK Y
D
r Y m-__-
NO. 563
P,
FEE-2e-2005 a8:01
05
21Zk96509
P. 06/02
in this regard we also wish to draw attention to the findings of the
Millennium Project Report that external financing is important for
developing countries in the development of sanitation infrastructure,
We support the call of the Millennium Project that external finance
should be provided in the form of grants. While the private sector plays a
role we agree with the Millennium Project that in many developing
countries with high levels of poverty the private sector does not provide a
source of new financing for water and sanitation.
We also wish to highlight the African Development Bank's rural water
supply and sanitation initiative that aims to expand rural water and
sanitation coverage in sub-Saharan Africa to 80 per cent by 2015, This
programme however needs to be supported by the international
community,
Mr. Chairman,
In urban areas, international assistance will need to focus on wastewater
treatment due to its high cost and its requirement for advanced technical
skills, Capacity building in this area, focusing on both the human and
institutional development is thus of crucial concern to African countries,
Technology transfer for the provision of sanitation should be highlighted,
The African Group also stresses that South-South cooperation should be
enhanced in the area of technology transfer.
The African Group emphasizes the need for the development of an
institutional follow-up on sanitation issues within the United Nations
system. This would enhance the monitoring of progress and also provide
an institutional framework for addressing sanitation as development.
I THANK YOU FOR `YOUR-'ATTZNTION' '