African Group
1
STATEMENT BY THE PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF LESOTHO, H.E. MR.
KELEBONE A. MAOPE, ON BEHALF OF THE AFRICAN GROUP AT THE 11th
SESSION OF THE OPEN WORKING GROUP ON SDGs,
MAY 5, 2014
Focus area 1. Poverty eradication, building shared prosperity and promoting
equality
Focus area 2. Sustainable agriculture, food security and nutrition
Co-Chairs,
I have the honour to deliver this Statement on behalf of the African Group on focus
areas 1 and 2. The group aligns itself with the statement delivered by Bolivia I wish
to align ourAt the outset, I would like to convey our appreciation to you for your
diligent leadership of the Working Group and in particular for quality of the working
documents made available for this session. We note that you undertook
considerable effort to streamline the text, reducing the number of focus area from 19
to the current 16. Despite the narrowing down, we notice that you made great
attempts to integrate the items contained therein elsewhere in the current
document. We encourage the streamlining of the text, which seeks to preserve the
substance emanating from our proposals. Nonetheless, the Group views the working
document as a good basis for further crystallizing of goals and targets.
The African Group reiterates the importance of taking into account, as we elaborate
universal SDGs, the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, as well
as different national realities, capacities, and levels of development. We stress the
need for a brief introduction, narrative or chapeau that will highlight the principles
that will underpin the SDGs, some of which we can get from the Rio+20 Outcome
document. As we move forward, and mindful of the time left to finalize our work, the
African Group would like to underscore the need for specific proposals in terms of
goals and targets that are action-oriented, concise and easy to communicate.
Co-Chairs,
As underscored during the previous sessions, the African Group is of the view that
Means of Implementation should be linked to each and every goal in addition to its
inclusion as a stand-alone SDG when finally agreed upon. The African Group will
provide some illustrations on how this could be achieved and hope that the revised
working document for the next session will contain concrete MOI under each
identified goal.
Co-Chairs,
Under focus area 1, African States would like to propose the following goal:
“Eradicate poverty in all its forms”. This should encompass the following targets:
a) Eradicate extreme poverty by 2030
2
b) Drastically reduce all level and forms of poverty, including relative poverty
by 2030
c) Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all, including
women and young people
d) Provide nationally appropriate social protection, including floors to reduce
vulnerabilities of the poor, including children, youth, the unemployed,
migrants, persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples, and older persons.
e) Ensure equality of economic opportunity for all women and men, including
access to property and productive assets, finance and markets for all women
and men; especially for the poor and disadvantaged.
The MOI for the above could include:
a) Ensuring predictable and adequate international financing for developing
countries requiring assistance to implement poverty eradication policies and
programmes;
b) The UN system and other organizations to establish mechanisms for
addressing the root causes and challenges of poverty through integrated,
coordinated and coherent strategies at all levels;
c) Ensuring that adequate policy space is given to developing countries by the
international organizations and rules to enable developing countries to
establish and implement their policies in favour of poverty eradication and
interests of the poor;
d) Ensure that global trade and investment rules are designed and
implemented with the objective of addressing pro-actively the specific
constraints faced by developing countries, including effective
operationalization of the principle of special and differential treatment for
developing countries, especially those facing increasing marginalization in the
globalizing world economy.
Under focus area 2, the goal the Group proposes a goal which reads as
follows: “Promote sustainable agriculture, and achieve food security and adequate
nutrition for all”. This goal, which is of critical importance to our continent, must
include the following targets:
a) Ensure sustainable agriculture, including crops, livestock, forestry,
fisheries and aquaculture that improve food security by 2030
b) Enhance the production, storage, transportation, availability, accessibility,
utilization, safety and quality of food
c) Enhance agro-industrial production in developing countries by 2030
3
d) Ensure the livelihood small farmers, fishers and other rural communities,
in particular women through access to productive resources, financial services
and markets
e) Improve the productivity of smallholder agriculture and livestock through
extension of technological support, small-scale irrigation schemes, rural
infrastructure, credit and social services.
f) Ensure the Agricultural research, with emphasis placed on research
development, knowledge sharing and management and technology
dissemination and adoption;
g) Achieve zero post-harvest and other food losses and waste by 2030
h) Increase market access for agricultural products from African countries.
i) Strengthen resilience to external and climate shocks, such as droughts,
floods, commodity price volatility, food shortages and export restrictions,
particularly on staple foods.
j) Achieve the transformation to sustainable, diverse and resilient agriculture
and food systems that conserve natural resources and ecosystems, restores
land and realize a land-degradation neutral world.
k) All countries have in place sustainable land-use policies by 2020, and all
drought-prone countries develop and implement drought preparedness
policies by 2020.
The MOI for the above could include:
a) Ensuring public financing and transfer of appropriate technology by
developed countries which is needed for the adoption of sustainable
agriculture and to put in place the required infrastructure, communications
and other enabling conditions;
b) Introducing effective international and national regulation over the
operation of commodity markets to address food price volatility and
speculative activities;
c) Reducing trade distorting subsidies in developed countries in line with WTO
Doha Declaration 2001;
d) Providing developing countries adequate policy space, including in
conditions for loans and aid, to support their agriculture sector and their
farmers through various measures such as credit, marketing, storage,
processing, provision of agriculture inputs, land reform and land improvement
measures, and measures to make agriculture more sustainable through
improved sustainable agriculture methods.
Thank you for your attention.
STATEMENT BY THE PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF LESOTHO, H.E. MR. KELEBONE A. MAOPE ON
BEHALF OF THE AFRICAN GROUP AT THE TH SESSION OF THE OPEN WORKING GROUP ON SDGs,
MAY ,
Focus area . Health ad populatio dyaics
Focus area . Educatio ad life-log learig
Co-Chairs,
I hae the hoou of delieig this “tateet o ehalf of the Afia Goup fous aeas ad
.
Co-Chairs,
The Goup is of the ie that Fous aea should geeate oe “DG hih ould e: Esue
ualit, adeuate, affodale, aessile ad opehesie health seies fo all. Tagets
should e atiulated as follos:
a Raise life epeta at ith to a iiu of eas
Esue uiesal aess to ualit asi health seies ad essetial ediies ad aies
fo all
Redue to ifat, ude-fie ad ateal otalit ates
d Ipoe edial ifastutue iludig loal aufatuig of health oodities, health
sstes ad health fiaig
e “tegthe egulato haoizatio ad loal phaaeutial aufatuig apait
f Ahiee, , uiesal aess to teatet fo HIV/AID“ fo all those ho eed it
g Ed the epideis of HIV/AID“, TB, Malaia ad egleted topial diseases NTDs
h sigifiatl edue the iidee of ouiale ad o-ouiale diseases,
iludig etal health
Co-Chairs,
Allo e to sa a fe ods o populatio dais. This ostitutes, fo ou pespetie,
a ipotat oss-uttig issue that should e addessed i “DGs i the fo of tagets
iopoated ito eleat goals.
Alog these lies, the Afia Goup epesses stog eseatios o a attept to
itodue, i the “DGs faeok, e ad otoesial oepts, hih ae ot
iteatioall ageed upo. I ou ie, the itodutio of this laguage ould e a
delieate attept to seiousl udeie the atioal oeship ad the ipleetatio of
“DGs. The post- deelopet ageda should ot eate a oppotuit to oside
hua ights issues i a o-ojetie ad ofotatioal ae o attept to udeie
the iteatioal hua ights sste seekig to ipose oepts o otios petaiig to
soial attes, iludig piate idiidual odut, that fall outside the iteatioall ageed
hua ights legal faeok.
Co-Chairs,
Ude Fous aea , the Goup poposes a goal hih eads as follos: Poide affodale ad
ualit eduatio at all leels ad life-log leaig fo all. This goal should eopass the
folloig tagets:
a Esue eual aess to eduatio at all leels, skills deelopet ad oatioal taiig,
iludig fo igats, pesos ith disailities ad idigeous peoples
Esue ualit eduatio at pe-pia, pia, seoda ad tetia leels
Ahiee a iiu of % eolet ad opletio ates at pia leel ad
8% at seoda ad tetia leels fo oth feales ad ales
d “tegthe the siee ad teholog opoet of eduatio uiula
d Deelop etepeeuship skills, life skills ad oatioal ad tehial taiig to espod
to lao aket deads; poidig ifoatio ad teholog skills
f Poote atio-oieted eseah at all leels of the eduatio ad taiig sste
e Ahiee % outh ad adult litea ate
f Iest i leaig ifastutues at pe-pia, pia, seoda, tetia ad oatioal
leels
g Ipoe the ualit ad oditios of seie of eduatos ad taies.
Co-Chairs,
I ould like to take this oppotuit to eiteate the attahet of Afia outies to the
tetia eduatio. It is of itial ipotae to oade the sope of the goal o eduatio. Ideed,
eseah ad deelopet, apait-uildig, siee, teholog ad ioatio ae essetial tools i
the ahieeet of “DGs, aot e guaateed aoig do eduatio tagets to the pep
ia, pia ad ee seoda leels. Tetia eduatio is ideed at the heat of ou
deelopet poess.
Thak you for your attetio.
STATEMENT BY H.E. MR. USMAN SARKI AMBASSADOR DEPUTY PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF
NIGERIA, ON BEHALF OF THE AFRICAN GROUP AT THE 11TH SESSION OF THE OPEN WORKING
GROUP ON SDGS,
MAY 6, 2014
Focus aea 5. Gede euality ad woe’s epoweet
Focus area 6. Water and sanitation
Co-Chairs,
I have the honour to deliver this Statement on behalf of the African Group focus areas 5 and 6.
Co-Chairs,
The Goup suppots a goal o Gede euality ad woe's epoweet with the
following targets:
a) Eradicate all forms of violence against women and children, and harmful practices such as
female genital mutilation (FGM) and early marriage
b) Improve health care services for women
c) Ensure equal employment opportunities for women and equal pay for equal work
d) Ensure equal access to and their ownership of land and other productive assets, credit,
extension services and training
e) Eliminate gender-based discrimination in political, economic and decision-making processes
in public and private institutions.
Co-Chairs,
Allow me to express the reservations of African States on sub-item h) of Focus area 5 as
contained in the working document for this session, namely on the reduction of unpaid care
work. We would like to emphasize that this is not just an economic issue because it touches
the foundations of the value systems of our societies.
Co-Chairs,
Ude Focus aea 4, the Afica Goup welcoes a goal o wate ad saitatio fo all ad
views sub-items a) to h) as good proposals for possible targets. In addition, the Group would
like to suggest the following elements:
a) Increase rural and urban coverage with improved sanitation to 100% by 2030
b) Reduce mortality and economic loss by from natural and human-induced water- related
disasters by percentage to be agreed.
Thank you for your attention.
STATEMENT BY THE PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF LESOTHO, H.E. MR. KELEBONE A. MAOPE, ON
BEHALF OF THE AFRICAN GROUP AT THE 11th SESSION OF THE OPEN WORKING GROUP ON SDGs,
MAY 7, 2014
Focus area 7. Energy
Focus area 8. Economic growth, employment and infrastructure
Co-Chairs,
I have the honour to deliver this Statement on behalf of the African Group focus areas 7 and 8.
Co-Chairs,
The Group sees a lot of merit in a goal on energy. The impact of energy on education, health,
economy, livelihoods and gender equality cannot be overemphasized. Just to take an example,
aodig to the Wold Bak, oly “oe 24 peet of the populatio of su-Saharan Africa
has aess to eletiity esus 40 peet i othe lo ioe outies. Theefoe, the
Group suppots a goal as foulated i the okig douet, aely: Esue aess to
affodale, sustaiale, ad eliale ode eegy fo all. Tagets ould e atiulated as
follows:
a) Transform power infrastructure to raise access and affordability of electricity to 80% of the
population of developing countries by 2025 and 100% by 2030;
b) Ensure universal access, for both women and men, to modern energy services;
c) By 2030 increase by x% the share of clean and low- or zero- emission energy technologies,
including sustainable biomass and advanced cookstoves;
d) Increase the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix, including by providing
policy space and necessary incentives for renewable energy to developing countries;
e) Improve energy efficiency in buildings, industry, agriculture and transport.
Co-Chairs,
The African Group wishes to advise caution on sub-item e) of Focus area 6 as contained in the
working document for this session, namely on the phase-out of fossil fuel subsidies
that
encourage wasteful consumption. We would like to emphasize that a clear distinction should
be made between subsidies that lower the cost of fossil fuel energy production, subsidies that
raise the price received by energy producers and subsidies that lower the price paid by energy
consumers. It should be recalled that in the case of African countries, only the third category of
subsidies have been applied in order address the issues of accessibility and affordability.
Moreover, our countries are not in any case among those which are responsible of the wasteful
consumption or fossil fuel or for the global warming.
Co-Chairs,
The achievement of the eegy goal ill euie appropriate means of implementation,
which could include the following:
a) Commitments by developed countries to support efforts in developing countries on
provision of energy services especially for the poor, through provision of financial resources,
capacity-building and technology transfer;
b) International cooperation to remove barriers that developing countries face or may face, in
obtaining access to clean energy technologies;
c) Encourage the use of TRIPS flexibilities in relation to promoting the use of environmentally
sound energy technologies.
Co-Chairs,
Under Focus area 7, the African Group proposes a new clustering under which the sub-item on
ifastutue ill e left out i ode to e iopoated i the fous aea o
idustializatio. Theefoe, the Goup poposes a goal that eads: Ahiee sustaied ad
inclusive eooi goth, full eployet ad deet jos fo all. The folloig should
considered:
a) Attain trend economic growth of at least 6-7 per cent per annum in low income countries
and as near to that level as possible in other developing countries;
b) Achieve middle-income and emerging economy growth status by xx
c) Sustain income growth of the bottom 40% of the income distribution of each country to
reduce income inequalities by 2030
d) Promote trade as an engine of sustained, inclusive and equitable economic growth and
sustainable development, in particular its contribution to boosting job creation
c) increase the share of high productivity sectors and activities in the economy, and
strengthen productive capacities through technological upgrading and greater value
addition, with particular focus on countries in special situation;
d) Achieve comprehensive development of productive capacity in developing countries in line
with development strategies;
e) Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all who seek employment
including for people living in vulnerable situations by 2030;
f) Halve the number of youth not in employment, education or training by 2020;
g) Developing entrepreneurship skills, life skills and vocational and technical training to
respond to labor market demands; providing information and technology skills;
j) Promote formalization of informal sector activities and employment
h) Create appropriate climate for SMEs, entrepreneurship and innovation at the national and
international levels by 2020;
i) Protect the rights of all workers, including migrant workers, in compliance with ILO
fundamental rights at work.
Means of implementation could include the following, among others:
a) By 2020, fulfil all commitments related to ODA to developing states;
b) By 2020, eliminate all barriers to remittance flows to developing countries
c) By 2020, return all illicit financial resources to countries of origin
d) Develop an open, rule-based, predictable, non-discriminatory trading and financial system
e) By 2020, eliminate all trade protectionist measures to increase the volume of exports from
developing states in particular African states - Africa contributes only 3% of global trade
f) Ensure developing countries achieve debt sustainability through debt financing, debt relief
and debt restructuring
g) Regulation of financial markets to ensure global financial system stability
h) Promote transfer of technologies to African countries by 2025, and establish a UN Global
technology facilitation mechanism
i) Reform governance of major global financial and development institutions – World Bank,
IMF, International Finance Corporation – for balanced and democratic representation across
regions by 2020
Thank you for your attention.
STATEMENT BY THE PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF LESOTHO, H.E. MR. KELEBONE A. MAOPE, ON
BEHALF OF THE AFRICAN GROUP AT THE 11th SESSION OF THE OPEN WORKING GROUP ON SDGs,
MAY 7, 2014
Focus area 9. Industrialization and promoting equality among nations
Focus area 10. Sustainable cities and human settlements
Co-Chairs,
I have the honour to deliver this Statement on behalf of the African Group focus areas 9 and
10.
Co-Chairs,
As mentioned in our statement on Focus area 8, the African Group proposes a change in the
title of Focus area 9 to include the ifrastruture. Thus, the Group strongly support the
folloig goal: Ahiee “ustaiale idustrializatio, infrastructure development and equality
aog atios. Targets ould e artiulated as follos:
a) Significant increase of decent industrial sector jobs in developing countries;
b) Achieve sustained and job-rich industrial development in developing countries, especially in
low income countries, by increasing manufacturing value added (MVA) at a higher rate than
population growth and by increasing the share of MVA in GDP;
c) Increase the share of developing countries in global manufacturing output;
d) Achieve economic diversification so as to avoid dependence on exports of a few
commodities in developing countries by increasing domestic processing of raw materials and
by increasing the share of medium- and high-technology industries and industry-related
services in GDP;
e) increase support for trade-related capacity development in developing countries for
improving competitiveness of their SMEs and their business environment, for diversifying
structurally and for competing in the international markets as well as for complying with
international standards and non- tariff measures through inter alia, aid for trade;
f) Promote trade as an engine of sustained, inclusive and equitable economic growth and
sustainable development, in particular its contribution to boosting job creation;
g) Improve and upgrade technological capability in developing countries as an essential
component of industrial development
h) Promote endogenous technology development and innovation in developing countries;
i) Develop entrepreneurship skills, life skills and vocational and technical training to respond to
labor market demands; providing information and technology skills;
j) Ensure that the outcomes of research and knowledge creation, including traditional
knowledge systems, are shared and effectively integrated in development programmes;
k) Develop sustainable infrastructure accessible to all, with attention to needs of countries in
special situations, and by 2030 provide access for 100% of rural populations to basic
infrastructure and services
l) Achieve integrated national and regional infrastructure networks and services in Africa
(Energy, Transport, Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), etc.).
Co-Chairs,
The African Group would like to underscore the critical importance to include targets on
inequalities between countries, including the reduction of wealth gap between developed and
developing countries and the adoption by international organisations of reduction of
international inequality as an objective of their institutions.
Co-Chairs,
The achievement of this will require appropriate means of implementation, which could
include the following elements:
a) Strengthen international cooperation, including the provision of financial resources,
capacity-uildig ad tehology trasfer to deelopig outries (Rio +20, Paragrath58f) in
support of developig outries’ idustrial deelopet ojeties;
b) Enable developing countries to have affordable access to technology in order to facilitate
their industrial development, and establishment of a UN Global technology facilitation
mechanism
c) Ensure that trade rules and negotiations are consistent with the objectives of developing
countries for industrial development and technological progress.
d) By 2020, reform all international institutions to make them more democratic and
representative of Member States;
e) Establish and effectively implement a legally binding multilateral code of conduct for TNCs to
secure social responsibility and accountability and prevent restrictive business practices
f) Ensure small producers have affordable access to credit and financial services.
g) Ensuring that trade and investment agreements enable rather than discourage or detract
from policy space in developing countries that is required for their development
h) Commitments by developed countries to support efforts in developing countries on
provision of energy services especially for the poor, through provision of financial resources,
capacity-building and technology transfer;
i) International cooperation to remove barriers that developing countries face or may face, in
obtaining access to clean energy technologies;
j) Encourage the use of TRIPS flexibilities in relation to promoting the use of environmentally
sound energy technologies.
Co-Chairs,
Under Focus area 10, the African Group the Group supports a goal as formulated in the
orkig douet, aely: Build ilusie, safe ad sustaiale ities ad hua
settleets. The folloig targets should be considered:
a) Eradicate and prevent slum conditions, including by provision of adequate and affordable
housing, infrastructure and basic services.
b) Provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport for both urban and
rural dwellers and improve road safety and urban air quality;
c) Reduce the number of persons exposed to harmful levels of indoor air pollution;
d) Improve waste and wastewater management;
e) Strengthen positive economic and social links between cities and peri-urban and rural areas,
including policies in rural areas that support livelihoods, decent income and food security;
f) Improve housing conditions, including access to clean water and sanitation and access to
modern energy;
g) By 2030 ensure that all cities are accessible and offer opportunities to persons with
disabilities;
h) Protet ad safeguard the orld’s ultural and natural heritage.
Thank you for your attention.
STATEMENT BY THE PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF LESOTHO, H.E. MR. KELEBONE A. MAOPE, ON
BEHALF OF THE AFRICAN GROUP AT THE 11th SESSION OF THE OPEN WORKING GROUP ON SDGs,
MAY 8, 2014
Focus area 11. Sustainable Consumption and Production
Focus area 12. Climate change
Co-Chairs,
I have the honour to deliver this Statement on behalf of the African Group focus
areas 11 and 12.
Co-Chairs,
Under Focus area 11, the African Group is of the view that the Ten-Year
Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns
should constitute the basis of any goals or targets, bearing in mind Chapter 4 of
Agenda 21 recognized that “the major cause of the continued deterioration of the
global environment is unsustainable patterns of consumption and production,
particularly in industrialized countries”. However, the Group believes a particular
attention should be given to the prevention of food loss and waste.
Co-Chairs,
Under Focus area 12, the African Group takes note of your proposal to “build a
climate change goal based on the outcome of COP21 of the UNFCCC”. However,
we would like to underscore that several elements of outcomes of previous
UNFCC- COP are still relevant and should be incorporated in a goal on climate
change. Those elements include, inter alia, a Loss and Damage programme, a
Technology Mechanism and the establishment of the Green Climate Fund in
which developed countries have expressed broad agreement to mobilize 100
billion US dollars per year both for adaptation and mitigation by 2020. It is also
important to the field of all commitments on transfer of technologies and capacity
building, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Cancun Agreement at
the 16th Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC adopted in Cancun.
Furthermore, the Group emphasizes on the need of building capacities for
anticipating and responding to disasters adequately and reducing their impact on
people living in vulnerable situations.
Co-Chairs,
The African Group does not envisage a goal on climate change without due
consideration given to some of the most serious challenges that undermine its
developments efforts, namely desertification, land degradation and drought. In
that vein, the African Group proposes the following targets:
a) Zero Net Land Degradation by 2030;
b) All countries to have in place land management policies built on sustainable
ecosystem approach by 2030;
c) All drought prone countries develop and implement drought preparedness
policies by 2030.
Thank you for your attention.
STATEMENT BY THE PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF LESOTHO, H.E. MR. KELEBONE A. MAOPE, ON
BEHALF OF THE AFRICAN GROUP AT THE 11th SESSION OF THE OPEN WORKING GROUP ON SDGs,
MAY 8, 2014
Focus area 13. Conservation and sustainable use of marine resources, oceans and seas
Focus area 14. Ecosystems and biodiversity
Co-Chairs,
I have the honour to deliver this Statement on behalf of the African Group focus areas 13 and
14.
Co-Chairs,
My Group is of the view that all focus areas 13 and 14 should be streamlined under one goal in
order to address all types of ecosystems and biodiversity priorities in the most comprehensive way
while taking into account interlinkages between issues under consideration. The new goal would read:
Take urget ad sigifiat ations for the conservation, sustainable use and restoration of
iodiversity, arie resoures ad terrestrial eosystes. Targets uder this goal ay ilude the
following elements:
a) by 2030, prevent, control and reduce by x% marine pollution and marine disposal of waste
and tailings, including from land-based activities;
b)by 2030, restore and protect marine ecosystems from destruction, including by halting and
preventing ocean acidification and coastal erosion;
c)develop and ensure the full implementation of existing regional and international regimes
governing oceans and seas, including for resources in areas beyond national jurisdictions,
d)by 2020, eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing
and destructive fishing
practices
e)by 2030, eliminate fishing subsidies which contribute to overcapacity and overfishing;
f)by 2020 halt the loss of all biodiversity, including habitats, and protect threatened species,
including by ending poaching and trafficking of endangered species;
g)building on synergies and minimizing trade-offs between biodiversity conservation and
sustainable agriculture, food security, livelihoods and nutrition;
h)by 2030, ensure sustainable management of all forests
and
mountain ecosystems, halting deforestation and increasing reforestation by x%;
i)reinforce incentives for developing countries to advance sustainable forests management and
enhancement of forest carbon stocks.
Thank you for your attention.
1
STATEMENT BY THE PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF LESOTHO, H.E. MR. KELEBONE A.
MAOPE, ON BEHALF OF THE AFRICAN GROUP AT THE 11th SESSION OF THE OPEN WORKING
GROUP ON SDGs,
MAY 9, 2014
Focus area 15. Means of implementation/Global partnership for sustainable development
Focus area 16. Peaceful and inclusive societies, rule of law and capable institutions
Co-Chairs,
I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the African Group on Focus areas 15
and 16.
Co-Chair,
Under focus area 15, the African Group would like to propose the following three goals:
Goal 1: Provide timely and effective development support to developing states
Targets
ODA
1. By 2020, fulfil all commitments related to ODA to developing states.
2. make development assistance more effective and predictable by providing developing
countries with regular and timely indicative information on planned support in the
medium term
3. By 2020, eliminate all barriers to remittance flows to developing countries
4. By 2020, return all illicit financial resources to countries of origin
Technology transfer
5. Transfer environmentally sound technologies to developing countries and establish
Global UN technology facilitation mechanism, as mandated by Rio+20
6. continue implementing the Bali Strategic Plan for Technology Support and Capacitybuilding,
2
7. In cooperation with pharmaceutical companies, provide access to affordable essential
drugs in developing countries
8. Increase and support Developing countries use of TRIPS flexibilities
9. Reform the international intellectual property regime with a view to facilitate
technological catch-up and improving health and education standards and food security
in developing countries.
Trade
10. Improve the climate for trade for developing countries, and ensuring that trade and
trade rules work to the benefit of developing countries and to help meet their
development objectives.
11. Develop an open, rules-based, predictable, non-discriminatory trading and financial
system.
12. Ensure that trade and investment agreements encourage rather than discourage or
detract from policy space in developing countries that is required for their development
13. By 2020, eliminate all trade protectionist measures to increase the volume of
exports from developing states in particular African states -Africa contributes only 3% of
global trade.
14. eliminate export subsidies for agricultural products in developed countries.
Debt
15. Cancel external debt of heavily indebted poor countries (HIPCs) to reduce debt
distress.
16. Ensure developing countries achieve debt sustainability through debt financing, debt
relief and debt restructuring
Goal 2: Address systemic issues and create an international enabling environment
Targets
1. By 2020, reform all international institutions to make them more democratic and
increase representation of developing countries in their decision-making structures,
2. Broaden and strengthen the participation of developing countries in international
economic decision-making and norm setting bodies, and undertake reform of the
3
governance structures of those institutions in order to ensure more effective, credible,
accountable and legitimate institutions
3. Strengthen regulation of financial markets and institutions to ensure global financial
stability,
4. Control and regulate speculation in the commodities markets, including by ensuring
favourable terms for commodity-dependent Domestic Companies in contracts with
Trans-National Companies to enable them to add more value to commodities and
obtain more revenues from commodity-related activities,
5. Reform the international monetary system to support sustainable development and
address shortcomings in the exchange rate and the international reserves systems
6. By 2020, strengthen capacities of national institutions to enable them respond to the
needs of Member States
7. Eliminate all conditionalities for lending and access to other forms of support to
developing states
Goal 3: By 2020, monitor and report commitments on the means of implementation in
support of SDGs in Africa.
Target
1. Track existing international commitments, identify gaps and obstacles at all levels in the
fulfilment of official development assistance, market access (trade), debt sustainability, access
to environmentally sound technologies and medicines.
Co-Chairs,
Under focus area 16, the Group emphasizes the importance of peace and security in Africa. The
Group highlights the direct linkage between development and peace, security and stability not
only on the continent but also in the rest of the world. There can never be development in the
absence of peace and stability in the same way there can never be peace and stability in the
absence of development. Peace, stability and development are dependent on each other. To
put it differently, stable and peaceful societies are enabling conditions for sustainable
development as well as the actual outcomes of sustainable development. Because we
acknowledge existence of peace and security as indispensable to sustainable development,
Africa will continue to work with the international community to prevent out breaks of armed
conflicts, and to promote local solutions to local problems.
4
Co-Chairs,
We therefore wish to clarify our understanding of peaceful and inclusive societies, which, from
our perspective, are the outcomes of ongoing management and governance of societies. In
other words, the realization of peaceful and inclusive societies is not an end in itself, but rather
a means to achieving durable peace and security as the overall goal.
Co-Chairs,
For us in Africa, building stable and peaceful societies requires actions on poverty, inequality
and governance. As poverty is both a cause and consequence of instability and conflict, the
world cannot achieve peaceful and inclusive societies, without fully addressing it in its
multidimensional forms. Poverty engenders inequality, which in turn undermines efforts which
are aimed at creating peaceful and inclusive societies.
Environmental degradation especially climate change has become one of the main drivers of
instability and violent conflicts in our region. Today, the scrambles for limited fresh water
resources and pasture are causing violent confrontations in some African countries. And to
prevent or limit these conflicts caused by natural conditions, we all have to work together and
restore the ecosystems and to build the resilience of the poor.
Urgent solutions to these challenges are necessary because there can never be happiness nor
contentment in hunger and diseases. No pride in unemployment or satisfaction in losing crops
and animals due the adverse impacts of climate change. Attainment of sustainable peace and
stability will remain difficult in situations of want.
Moreover, African states are today undermined by both internal and external actors pursuing
different and in most cases conflicting agendas with those pursued by our States. Domestic and
transnational organized crimes have increased.
Co-Chairs,
As underscored during the stock-taking exercise, the African Group advises that we should
approah onepts suh as rule of law with great aution eause they are yet to e aorded
universally agreed definition.
The Group wishes to reiterate that the consideration of the rule law shall not in any case
undermine the full respect of national sovereignty and cultural values, national political and
5
socio-economic realities of each State as well as the ability of all societies to make choices in a
democratic way in line with their national priorities, legal regimes and obligations emanating
from regional and international treaties to which they are parties.
We also note that proposals contained under focus area 16 of the working document failed to
capture the international dimensions of issues under consideration.
I thank you for your kind attention.
STATEMENT BY THE PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF LESOTHO, H.E. MR.
KELEBONE A. MAOPE, ON BEHALF OF THE AFRICAN GROUP AT THE 11th
SESSION OF THE OPEN WORKING GROUP ON SDGs,
MAY 5, 2014
Focus area 1. Poverty eradication, building shared prosperity and promoting
equality
Focus area 2. Sustainable agriculture, food security and nutrition
Co-Chairs,
I have the honour to deliver this Statement on behalf of the African Group on focus
areas 1 and 2. The group aligns itself with the statement delivered by Bolivia I wish
to align ourAt the outset, I would like to convey our appreciation to you for your
diligent leadership of the Working Group and in particular for quality of the working
documents made available for this session. We note that you undertook
considerable effort to streamline the text, reducing the number of focus area from 19
to the current 16. Despite the narrowing down, we notice that you made great
attempts to integrate the items contained therein elsewhere in the current
document. We encourage the streamlining of the text, which seeks to preserve the
substance emanating from our proposals. Nonetheless, the Group views the working
document as a good basis for further crystallizing of goals and targets.
The African Group reiterates the importance of taking into account, as we elaborate
universal SDGs, the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, as well
as different national realities, capacities, and levels of development. We stress the
need for a brief introduction, narrative or chapeau that will highlight the principles
that will underpin the SDGs, some of which we can get from the Rio+20 Outcome
document. As we move forward, and mindful of the time left to finalize our work, the
African Group would like to underscore the need for specific proposals in terms of
goals and targets that are action-oriented, concise and easy to communicate.
Co-Chairs,
As underscored during the previous sessions, the African Group is of the view that
Means of Implementation should be linked to each and every goal in addition to its
inclusion as a stand-alone SDG when finally agreed upon. The African Group will
provide some illustrations on how this could be achieved and hope that the revised
working document for the next session will contain concrete MOI under each
identified goal.
Co-Chairs,
Under focus area 1, African States would like to propose the following goal:
“Eradicate poverty in all its forms”. This should encompass the following targets:
a) Eradicate extreme poverty by 2030
2
b) Drastically reduce all level and forms of poverty, including relative poverty
by 2030
c) Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all, including
women and young people
d) Provide nationally appropriate social protection, including floors to reduce
vulnerabilities of the poor, including children, youth, the unemployed,
migrants, persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples, and older persons.
e) Ensure equality of economic opportunity for all women and men, including
access to property and productive assets, finance and markets for all women
and men; especially for the poor and disadvantaged.
The MOI for the above could include:
a) Ensuring predictable and adequate international financing for developing
countries requiring assistance to implement poverty eradication policies and
programmes;
b) The UN system and other organizations to establish mechanisms for
addressing the root causes and challenges of poverty through integrated,
coordinated and coherent strategies at all levels;
c) Ensuring that adequate policy space is given to developing countries by the
international organizations and rules to enable developing countries to
establish and implement their policies in favour of poverty eradication and
interests of the poor;
d) Ensure that global trade and investment rules are designed and
implemented with the objective of addressing pro-actively the specific
constraints faced by developing countries, including effective
operationalization of the principle of special and differential treatment for
developing countries, especially those facing increasing marginalization in the
globalizing world economy.
Under focus area 2, the goal the Group proposes a goal which reads as
follows: “Promote sustainable agriculture, and achieve food security and adequate
nutrition for all”. This goal, which is of critical importance to our continent, must
include the following targets:
a) Ensure sustainable agriculture, including crops, livestock, forestry,
fisheries and aquaculture that improve food security by 2030
b) Enhance the production, storage, transportation, availability, accessibility,
utilization, safety and quality of food
c) Enhance agro-industrial production in developing countries by 2030
3
d) Ensure the livelihood small farmers, fishers and other rural communities,
in particular women through access to productive resources, financial services
and markets
e) Improve the productivity of smallholder agriculture and livestock through
extension of technological support, small-scale irrigation schemes, rural
infrastructure, credit and social services.
f) Ensure the Agricultural research, with emphasis placed on research
development, knowledge sharing and management and technology
dissemination and adoption;
g) Achieve zero post-harvest and other food losses and waste by 2030
h) Increase market access for agricultural products from African countries.
i) Strengthen resilience to external and climate shocks, such as droughts,
floods, commodity price volatility, food shortages and export restrictions,
particularly on staple foods.
j) Achieve the transformation to sustainable, diverse and resilient agriculture
and food systems that conserve natural resources and ecosystems, restores
land and realize a land-degradation neutral world.
k) All countries have in place sustainable land-use policies by 2020, and all
drought-prone countries develop and implement drought preparedness
policies by 2020.
The MOI for the above could include:
a) Ensuring public financing and transfer of appropriate technology by
developed countries which is needed for the adoption of sustainable
agriculture and to put in place the required infrastructure, communications
and other enabling conditions;
b) Introducing effective international and national regulation over the
operation of commodity markets to address food price volatility and
speculative activities;
c) Reducing trade distorting subsidies in developed countries in line with WTO
Doha Declaration 2001;
d) Providing developing countries adequate policy space, including in
conditions for loans and aid, to support their agriculture sector and their
farmers through various measures such as credit, marketing, storage,
processing, provision of agriculture inputs, land reform and land improvement
measures, and measures to make agriculture more sustainable through
improved sustainable agriculture methods.
Thank you for your attention.
STATEMENT BY THE PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF LESOTHO, H.E. MR. KELEBONE A. MAOPE ON
BEHALF OF THE AFRICAN GROUP AT THE TH SESSION OF THE OPEN WORKING GROUP ON SDGs,
MAY ,
Focus area . Health ad populatio dyaics
Focus area . Educatio ad life-log learig
Co-Chairs,
I hae the hoou of delieig this “tateet o ehalf of the Afia Goup fous aeas ad
.
Co-Chairs,
The Goup is of the ie that Fous aea should geeate oe “DG hih ould e: Esue
ualit, adeuate, affodale, aessile ad opehesie health seies fo all. Tagets
should e atiulated as follos:
a Raise life epeta at ith to a iiu of eas
Esue uiesal aess to ualit asi health seies ad essetial ediies ad aies
fo all
Redue to ifat, ude-fie ad ateal otalit ates
d Ipoe edial ifastutue iludig loal aufatuig of health oodities, health
sstes ad health fiaig
e “tegthe egulato haoizatio ad loal phaaeutial aufatuig apait
f Ahiee, , uiesal aess to teatet fo HIV/AID“ fo all those ho eed it
g Ed the epideis of HIV/AID“, TB, Malaia ad egleted topial diseases NTDs
h sigifiatl edue the iidee of ouiale ad o-ouiale diseases,
iludig etal health
Co-Chairs,
Allo e to sa a fe ods o populatio dais. This ostitutes, fo ou pespetie,
a ipotat oss-uttig issue that should e addessed i “DGs i the fo of tagets
iopoated ito eleat goals.
Alog these lies, the Afia Goup epesses stog eseatios o a attept to
itodue, i the “DGs faeok, e ad otoesial oepts, hih ae ot
iteatioall ageed upo. I ou ie, the itodutio of this laguage ould e a
delieate attept to seiousl udeie the atioal oeship ad the ipleetatio of
“DGs. The post- deelopet ageda should ot eate a oppotuit to oside
hua ights issues i a o-ojetie ad ofotatioal ae o attept to udeie
the iteatioal hua ights sste seekig to ipose oepts o otios petaiig to
soial attes, iludig piate idiidual odut, that fall outside the iteatioall ageed
hua ights legal faeok.
Co-Chairs,
Ude Fous aea , the Goup poposes a goal hih eads as follos: Poide affodale ad
ualit eduatio at all leels ad life-log leaig fo all. This goal should eopass the
folloig tagets:
a Esue eual aess to eduatio at all leels, skills deelopet ad oatioal taiig,
iludig fo igats, pesos ith disailities ad idigeous peoples
Esue ualit eduatio at pe-pia, pia, seoda ad tetia leels
Ahiee a iiu of % eolet ad opletio ates at pia leel ad
8% at seoda ad tetia leels fo oth feales ad ales
d “tegthe the siee ad teholog opoet of eduatio uiula
d Deelop etepeeuship skills, life skills ad oatioal ad tehial taiig to espod
to lao aket deads; poidig ifoatio ad teholog skills
f Poote atio-oieted eseah at all leels of the eduatio ad taiig sste
e Ahiee % outh ad adult litea ate
f Iest i leaig ifastutues at pe-pia, pia, seoda, tetia ad oatioal
leels
g Ipoe the ualit ad oditios of seie of eduatos ad taies.
Co-Chairs,
I ould like to take this oppotuit to eiteate the attahet of Afia outies to the
tetia eduatio. It is of itial ipotae to oade the sope of the goal o eduatio. Ideed,
eseah ad deelopet, apait-uildig, siee, teholog ad ioatio ae essetial tools i
the ahieeet of “DGs, aot e guaateed aoig do eduatio tagets to the pep
ia, pia ad ee seoda leels. Tetia eduatio is ideed at the heat of ou
deelopet poess.
Thak you for your attetio.
STATEMENT BY H.E. MR. USMAN SARKI AMBASSADOR DEPUTY PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF
NIGERIA, ON BEHALF OF THE AFRICAN GROUP AT THE 11TH SESSION OF THE OPEN WORKING
GROUP ON SDGS,
MAY 6, 2014
Focus aea 5. Gede euality ad woe’s epoweet
Focus area 6. Water and sanitation
Co-Chairs,
I have the honour to deliver this Statement on behalf of the African Group focus areas 5 and 6.
Co-Chairs,
The Goup suppots a goal o Gede euality ad woe's epoweet with the
following targets:
a) Eradicate all forms of violence against women and children, and harmful practices such as
female genital mutilation (FGM) and early marriage
b) Improve health care services for women
c) Ensure equal employment opportunities for women and equal pay for equal work
d) Ensure equal access to and their ownership of land and other productive assets, credit,
extension services and training
e) Eliminate gender-based discrimination in political, economic and decision-making processes
in public and private institutions.
Co-Chairs,
Allow me to express the reservations of African States on sub-item h) of Focus area 5 as
contained in the working document for this session, namely on the reduction of unpaid care
work. We would like to emphasize that this is not just an economic issue because it touches
the foundations of the value systems of our societies.
Co-Chairs,
Ude Focus aea 4, the Afica Goup welcoes a goal o wate ad saitatio fo all ad
views sub-items a) to h) as good proposals for possible targets. In addition, the Group would
like to suggest the following elements:
a) Increase rural and urban coverage with improved sanitation to 100% by 2030
b) Reduce mortality and economic loss by from natural and human-induced water- related
disasters by percentage to be agreed.
Thank you for your attention.
STATEMENT BY THE PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF LESOTHO, H.E. MR. KELEBONE A. MAOPE, ON
BEHALF OF THE AFRICAN GROUP AT THE 11th SESSION OF THE OPEN WORKING GROUP ON SDGs,
MAY 7, 2014
Focus area 7. Energy
Focus area 8. Economic growth, employment and infrastructure
Co-Chairs,
I have the honour to deliver this Statement on behalf of the African Group focus areas 7 and 8.
Co-Chairs,
The Group sees a lot of merit in a goal on energy. The impact of energy on education, health,
economy, livelihoods and gender equality cannot be overemphasized. Just to take an example,
aodig to the Wold Bak, oly “oe 24 peet of the populatio of su-Saharan Africa
has aess to eletiity esus 40 peet i othe lo ioe outies. Theefoe, the
Group suppots a goal as foulated i the okig douet, aely: Esue aess to
affodale, sustaiale, ad eliale ode eegy fo all. Tagets ould e atiulated as
follows:
a) Transform power infrastructure to raise access and affordability of electricity to 80% of the
population of developing countries by 2025 and 100% by 2030;
b) Ensure universal access, for both women and men, to modern energy services;
c) By 2030 increase by x% the share of clean and low- or zero- emission energy technologies,
including sustainable biomass and advanced cookstoves;
d) Increase the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix, including by providing
policy space and necessary incentives for renewable energy to developing countries;
e) Improve energy efficiency in buildings, industry, agriculture and transport.
Co-Chairs,
The African Group wishes to advise caution on sub-item e) of Focus area 6 as contained in the
working document for this session, namely on the phase-out of fossil fuel subsidies
that
encourage wasteful consumption. We would like to emphasize that a clear distinction should
be made between subsidies that lower the cost of fossil fuel energy production, subsidies that
raise the price received by energy producers and subsidies that lower the price paid by energy
consumers. It should be recalled that in the case of African countries, only the third category of
subsidies have been applied in order address the issues of accessibility and affordability.
Moreover, our countries are not in any case among those which are responsible of the wasteful
consumption or fossil fuel or for the global warming.
Co-Chairs,
The achievement of the eegy goal ill euie appropriate means of implementation,
which could include the following:
a) Commitments by developed countries to support efforts in developing countries on
provision of energy services especially for the poor, through provision of financial resources,
capacity-building and technology transfer;
b) International cooperation to remove barriers that developing countries face or may face, in
obtaining access to clean energy technologies;
c) Encourage the use of TRIPS flexibilities in relation to promoting the use of environmentally
sound energy technologies.
Co-Chairs,
Under Focus area 7, the African Group proposes a new clustering under which the sub-item on
ifastutue ill e left out i ode to e iopoated i the fous aea o
idustializatio. Theefoe, the Goup poposes a goal that eads: Ahiee sustaied ad
inclusive eooi goth, full eployet ad deet jos fo all. The folloig should
considered:
a) Attain trend economic growth of at least 6-7 per cent per annum in low income countries
and as near to that level as possible in other developing countries;
b) Achieve middle-income and emerging economy growth status by xx
c) Sustain income growth of the bottom 40% of the income distribution of each country to
reduce income inequalities by 2030
d) Promote trade as an engine of sustained, inclusive and equitable economic growth and
sustainable development, in particular its contribution to boosting job creation
c) increase the share of high productivity sectors and activities in the economy, and
strengthen productive capacities through technological upgrading and greater value
addition, with particular focus on countries in special situation;
d) Achieve comprehensive development of productive capacity in developing countries in line
with development strategies;
e) Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all who seek employment
including for people living in vulnerable situations by 2030;
f) Halve the number of youth not in employment, education or training by 2020;
g) Developing entrepreneurship skills, life skills and vocational and technical training to
respond to labor market demands; providing information and technology skills;
j) Promote formalization of informal sector activities and employment
h) Create appropriate climate for SMEs, entrepreneurship and innovation at the national and
international levels by 2020;
i) Protect the rights of all workers, including migrant workers, in compliance with ILO
fundamental rights at work.
Means of implementation could include the following, among others:
a) By 2020, fulfil all commitments related to ODA to developing states;
b) By 2020, eliminate all barriers to remittance flows to developing countries
c) By 2020, return all illicit financial resources to countries of origin
d) Develop an open, rule-based, predictable, non-discriminatory trading and financial system
e) By 2020, eliminate all trade protectionist measures to increase the volume of exports from
developing states in particular African states - Africa contributes only 3% of global trade
f) Ensure developing countries achieve debt sustainability through debt financing, debt relief
and debt restructuring
g) Regulation of financial markets to ensure global financial system stability
h) Promote transfer of technologies to African countries by 2025, and establish a UN Global
technology facilitation mechanism
i) Reform governance of major global financial and development institutions – World Bank,
IMF, International Finance Corporation – for balanced and democratic representation across
regions by 2020
Thank you for your attention.
STATEMENT BY THE PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF LESOTHO, H.E. MR. KELEBONE A. MAOPE, ON
BEHALF OF THE AFRICAN GROUP AT THE 11th SESSION OF THE OPEN WORKING GROUP ON SDGs,
MAY 7, 2014
Focus area 9. Industrialization and promoting equality among nations
Focus area 10. Sustainable cities and human settlements
Co-Chairs,
I have the honour to deliver this Statement on behalf of the African Group focus areas 9 and
10.
Co-Chairs,
As mentioned in our statement on Focus area 8, the African Group proposes a change in the
title of Focus area 9 to include the ifrastruture. Thus, the Group strongly support the
folloig goal: Ahiee “ustaiale idustrializatio, infrastructure development and equality
aog atios. Targets ould e artiulated as follos:
a) Significant increase of decent industrial sector jobs in developing countries;
b) Achieve sustained and job-rich industrial development in developing countries, especially in
low income countries, by increasing manufacturing value added (MVA) at a higher rate than
population growth and by increasing the share of MVA in GDP;
c) Increase the share of developing countries in global manufacturing output;
d) Achieve economic diversification so as to avoid dependence on exports of a few
commodities in developing countries by increasing domestic processing of raw materials and
by increasing the share of medium- and high-technology industries and industry-related
services in GDP;
e) increase support for trade-related capacity development in developing countries for
improving competitiveness of their SMEs and their business environment, for diversifying
structurally and for competing in the international markets as well as for complying with
international standards and non- tariff measures through inter alia, aid for trade;
f) Promote trade as an engine of sustained, inclusive and equitable economic growth and
sustainable development, in particular its contribution to boosting job creation;
g) Improve and upgrade technological capability in developing countries as an essential
component of industrial development
h) Promote endogenous technology development and innovation in developing countries;
i) Develop entrepreneurship skills, life skills and vocational and technical training to respond to
labor market demands; providing information and technology skills;
j) Ensure that the outcomes of research and knowledge creation, including traditional
knowledge systems, are shared and effectively integrated in development programmes;
k) Develop sustainable infrastructure accessible to all, with attention to needs of countries in
special situations, and by 2030 provide access for 100% of rural populations to basic
infrastructure and services
l) Achieve integrated national and regional infrastructure networks and services in Africa
(Energy, Transport, Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), etc.).
Co-Chairs,
The African Group would like to underscore the critical importance to include targets on
inequalities between countries, including the reduction of wealth gap between developed and
developing countries and the adoption by international organisations of reduction of
international inequality as an objective of their institutions.
Co-Chairs,
The achievement of this will require appropriate means of implementation, which could
include the following elements:
a) Strengthen international cooperation, including the provision of financial resources,
capacity-uildig ad tehology trasfer to deelopig outries (Rio +20, Paragrath58f) in
support of developig outries’ idustrial deelopet ojeties;
b) Enable developing countries to have affordable access to technology in order to facilitate
their industrial development, and establishment of a UN Global technology facilitation
mechanism
c) Ensure that trade rules and negotiations are consistent with the objectives of developing
countries for industrial development and technological progress.
d) By 2020, reform all international institutions to make them more democratic and
representative of Member States;
e) Establish and effectively implement a legally binding multilateral code of conduct for TNCs to
secure social responsibility and accountability and prevent restrictive business practices
f) Ensure small producers have affordable access to credit and financial services.
g) Ensuring that trade and investment agreements enable rather than discourage or detract
from policy space in developing countries that is required for their development
h) Commitments by developed countries to support efforts in developing countries on
provision of energy services especially for the poor, through provision of financial resources,
capacity-building and technology transfer;
i) International cooperation to remove barriers that developing countries face or may face, in
obtaining access to clean energy technologies;
j) Encourage the use of TRIPS flexibilities in relation to promoting the use of environmentally
sound energy technologies.
Co-Chairs,
Under Focus area 10, the African Group the Group supports a goal as formulated in the
orkig douet, aely: Build ilusie, safe ad sustaiale ities ad hua
settleets. The folloig targets should be considered:
a) Eradicate and prevent slum conditions, including by provision of adequate and affordable
housing, infrastructure and basic services.
b) Provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport for both urban and
rural dwellers and improve road safety and urban air quality;
c) Reduce the number of persons exposed to harmful levels of indoor air pollution;
d) Improve waste and wastewater management;
e) Strengthen positive economic and social links between cities and peri-urban and rural areas,
including policies in rural areas that support livelihoods, decent income and food security;
f) Improve housing conditions, including access to clean water and sanitation and access to
modern energy;
g) By 2030 ensure that all cities are accessible and offer opportunities to persons with
disabilities;
h) Protet ad safeguard the orld’s ultural and natural heritage.
Thank you for your attention.
STATEMENT BY THE PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF LESOTHO, H.E. MR. KELEBONE A. MAOPE, ON
BEHALF OF THE AFRICAN GROUP AT THE 11th SESSION OF THE OPEN WORKING GROUP ON SDGs,
MAY 8, 2014
Focus area 11. Sustainable Consumption and Production
Focus area 12. Climate change
Co-Chairs,
I have the honour to deliver this Statement on behalf of the African Group focus
areas 11 and 12.
Co-Chairs,
Under Focus area 11, the African Group is of the view that the Ten-Year
Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns
should constitute the basis of any goals or targets, bearing in mind Chapter 4 of
Agenda 21 recognized that “the major cause of the continued deterioration of the
global environment is unsustainable patterns of consumption and production,
particularly in industrialized countries”. However, the Group believes a particular
attention should be given to the prevention of food loss and waste.
Co-Chairs,
Under Focus area 12, the African Group takes note of your proposal to “build a
climate change goal based on the outcome of COP21 of the UNFCCC”. However,
we would like to underscore that several elements of outcomes of previous
UNFCC- COP are still relevant and should be incorporated in a goal on climate
change. Those elements include, inter alia, a Loss and Damage programme, a
Technology Mechanism and the establishment of the Green Climate Fund in
which developed countries have expressed broad agreement to mobilize 100
billion US dollars per year both for adaptation and mitigation by 2020. It is also
important to the field of all commitments on transfer of technologies and capacity
building, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Cancun Agreement at
the 16th Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC adopted in Cancun.
Furthermore, the Group emphasizes on the need of building capacities for
anticipating and responding to disasters adequately and reducing their impact on
people living in vulnerable situations.
Co-Chairs,
The African Group does not envisage a goal on climate change without due
consideration given to some of the most serious challenges that undermine its
developments efforts, namely desertification, land degradation and drought. In
that vein, the African Group proposes the following targets:
a) Zero Net Land Degradation by 2030;
b) All countries to have in place land management policies built on sustainable
ecosystem approach by 2030;
c) All drought prone countries develop and implement drought preparedness
policies by 2030.
Thank you for your attention.
STATEMENT BY THE PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF LESOTHO, H.E. MR. KELEBONE A. MAOPE, ON
BEHALF OF THE AFRICAN GROUP AT THE 11th SESSION OF THE OPEN WORKING GROUP ON SDGs,
MAY 8, 2014
Focus area 13. Conservation and sustainable use of marine resources, oceans and seas
Focus area 14. Ecosystems and biodiversity
Co-Chairs,
I have the honour to deliver this Statement on behalf of the African Group focus areas 13 and
14.
Co-Chairs,
My Group is of the view that all focus areas 13 and 14 should be streamlined under one goal in
order to address all types of ecosystems and biodiversity priorities in the most comprehensive way
while taking into account interlinkages between issues under consideration. The new goal would read:
Take urget ad sigifiat ations for the conservation, sustainable use and restoration of
iodiversity, arie resoures ad terrestrial eosystes. Targets uder this goal ay ilude the
following elements:
a) by 2030, prevent, control and reduce by x% marine pollution and marine disposal of waste
and tailings, including from land-based activities;
b)by 2030, restore and protect marine ecosystems from destruction, including by halting and
preventing ocean acidification and coastal erosion;
c)develop and ensure the full implementation of existing regional and international regimes
governing oceans and seas, including for resources in areas beyond national jurisdictions,
d)by 2020, eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing
and destructive fishing
practices
e)by 2030, eliminate fishing subsidies which contribute to overcapacity and overfishing;
f)by 2020 halt the loss of all biodiversity, including habitats, and protect threatened species,
including by ending poaching and trafficking of endangered species;
g)building on synergies and minimizing trade-offs between biodiversity conservation and
sustainable agriculture, food security, livelihoods and nutrition;
h)by 2030, ensure sustainable management of all forests
and
mountain ecosystems, halting deforestation and increasing reforestation by x%;
i)reinforce incentives for developing countries to advance sustainable forests management and
enhancement of forest carbon stocks.
Thank you for your attention.
1
STATEMENT BY THE PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF LESOTHO, H.E. MR. KELEBONE A.
MAOPE, ON BEHALF OF THE AFRICAN GROUP AT THE 11th SESSION OF THE OPEN WORKING
GROUP ON SDGs,
MAY 9, 2014
Focus area 15. Means of implementation/Global partnership for sustainable development
Focus area 16. Peaceful and inclusive societies, rule of law and capable institutions
Co-Chairs,
I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the African Group on Focus areas 15
and 16.
Co-Chair,
Under focus area 15, the African Group would like to propose the following three goals:
Goal 1: Provide timely and effective development support to developing states
Targets
ODA
1. By 2020, fulfil all commitments related to ODA to developing states.
2. make development assistance more effective and predictable by providing developing
countries with regular and timely indicative information on planned support in the
medium term
3. By 2020, eliminate all barriers to remittance flows to developing countries
4. By 2020, return all illicit financial resources to countries of origin
Technology transfer
5. Transfer environmentally sound technologies to developing countries and establish
Global UN technology facilitation mechanism, as mandated by Rio+20
6. continue implementing the Bali Strategic Plan for Technology Support and Capacitybuilding,
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7. In cooperation with pharmaceutical companies, provide access to affordable essential
drugs in developing countries
8. Increase and support Developing countries use of TRIPS flexibilities
9. Reform the international intellectual property regime with a view to facilitate
technological catch-up and improving health and education standards and food security
in developing countries.
Trade
10. Improve the climate for trade for developing countries, and ensuring that trade and
trade rules work to the benefit of developing countries and to help meet their
development objectives.
11. Develop an open, rules-based, predictable, non-discriminatory trading and financial
system.
12. Ensure that trade and investment agreements encourage rather than discourage or
detract from policy space in developing countries that is required for their development
13. By 2020, eliminate all trade protectionist measures to increase the volume of
exports from developing states in particular African states -Africa contributes only 3% of
global trade.
14. eliminate export subsidies for agricultural products in developed countries.
Debt
15. Cancel external debt of heavily indebted poor countries (HIPCs) to reduce debt
distress.
16. Ensure developing countries achieve debt sustainability through debt financing, debt
relief and debt restructuring
Goal 2: Address systemic issues and create an international enabling environment
Targets
1. By 2020, reform all international institutions to make them more democratic and
increase representation of developing countries in their decision-making structures,
2. Broaden and strengthen the participation of developing countries in international
economic decision-making and norm setting bodies, and undertake reform of the
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governance structures of those institutions in order to ensure more effective, credible,
accountable and legitimate institutions
3. Strengthen regulation of financial markets and institutions to ensure global financial
stability,
4. Control and regulate speculation in the commodities markets, including by ensuring
favourable terms for commodity-dependent Domestic Companies in contracts with
Trans-National Companies to enable them to add more value to commodities and
obtain more revenues from commodity-related activities,
5. Reform the international monetary system to support sustainable development and
address shortcomings in the exchange rate and the international reserves systems
6. By 2020, strengthen capacities of national institutions to enable them respond to the
needs of Member States
7. Eliminate all conditionalities for lending and access to other forms of support to
developing states
Goal 3: By 2020, monitor and report commitments on the means of implementation in
support of SDGs in Africa.
Target
1. Track existing international commitments, identify gaps and obstacles at all levels in the
fulfilment of official development assistance, market access (trade), debt sustainability, access
to environmentally sound technologies and medicines.
Co-Chairs,
Under focus area 16, the Group emphasizes the importance of peace and security in Africa. The
Group highlights the direct linkage between development and peace, security and stability not
only on the continent but also in the rest of the world. There can never be development in the
absence of peace and stability in the same way there can never be peace and stability in the
absence of development. Peace, stability and development are dependent on each other. To
put it differently, stable and peaceful societies are enabling conditions for sustainable
development as well as the actual outcomes of sustainable development. Because we
acknowledge existence of peace and security as indispensable to sustainable development,
Africa will continue to work with the international community to prevent out breaks of armed
conflicts, and to promote local solutions to local problems.
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Co-Chairs,
We therefore wish to clarify our understanding of peaceful and inclusive societies, which, from
our perspective, are the outcomes of ongoing management and governance of societies. In
other words, the realization of peaceful and inclusive societies is not an end in itself, but rather
a means to achieving durable peace and security as the overall goal.
Co-Chairs,
For us in Africa, building stable and peaceful societies requires actions on poverty, inequality
and governance. As poverty is both a cause and consequence of instability and conflict, the
world cannot achieve peaceful and inclusive societies, without fully addressing it in its
multidimensional forms. Poverty engenders inequality, which in turn undermines efforts which
are aimed at creating peaceful and inclusive societies.
Environmental degradation especially climate change has become one of the main drivers of
instability and violent conflicts in our region. Today, the scrambles for limited fresh water
resources and pasture are causing violent confrontations in some African countries. And to
prevent or limit these conflicts caused by natural conditions, we all have to work together and
restore the ecosystems and to build the resilience of the poor.
Urgent solutions to these challenges are necessary because there can never be happiness nor
contentment in hunger and diseases. No pride in unemployment or satisfaction in losing crops
and animals due the adverse impacts of climate change. Attainment of sustainable peace and
stability will remain difficult in situations of want.
Moreover, African states are today undermined by both internal and external actors pursuing
different and in most cases conflicting agendas with those pursued by our States. Domestic and
transnational organized crimes have increased.
Co-Chairs,
As underscored during the stock-taking exercise, the African Group advises that we should
approah onepts suh as rule of law with great aution eause they are yet to e aorded
universally agreed definition.
The Group wishes to reiterate that the consideration of the rule law shall not in any case
undermine the full respect of national sovereignty and cultural values, national political and
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socio-economic realities of each State as well as the ability of all societies to make choices in a
democratic way in line with their national priorities, legal regimes and obligations emanating
from regional and international treaties to which they are parties.
We also note that proposals contained under focus area 16 of the working document failed to
capture the international dimensions of issues under consideration.
I thank you for your kind attention.
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