Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS)
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ALLIANCE!OF!SMALL!ISLAND!STATES!(AOSIS)!!
Intervention!on!Climate!Change!!
11th!Session!of!Open!Working!Group!on!Sustainable!Development!
8!May!2014!
Thank you, Mr. Co-Chair.
I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States. We
align ourselves with the statement made by Bolivia on behalf of the G77 & China. We expand on
the statements made by the three Regions of the Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
Many of the comments that we heard this morning on Focus Areas 12 highlighted the integral role
that fighting climate change must play if we are going to achieve sustainable development,
particularly for the most vulnerable, including the SIDS. We welcome the significance that the cochairs
have given climate change in this process, but we feel that there must still be a greater
emphasis on climate change in the SDGs.
It has been AOSIS’s position that climate change be treated as a prominent issue, and we reiterate
that today. I would briefly like to explain why we think so.
First, climate change affects all of the focus areas that have been identified in the working
document. It concerns education, transport, agriculture, fisheries, and poverty eradication and
livelihoods. It makes much sense to consider climate in each of these focus areas.
Second, the current chapeau links this process to the outcome of the UNFCCC process. This is a
mistake. If we wait until after COP21 to develop our climate change SDG, that means that what we
include in a climate change SDG would necessarily only be a subset of what we have already
agreed to at the UNFCCC.
Third, it is critical to define climate-related targets in this process that can both enjoy consensus in
the SDGs and which do not duplicate and prejudge the work of the UNFCCC. The SDGs should
focus on achieving real progress on the ground that is both resilient to the changing climate, and
which does not exacerbate climate change.
For all of these reasons, we believe that climate change must be strengthened across the entire
goal framework. This does not preclude consideration of a specific, targeted climate change goal,
in addition to climate being reflected in all of the focus areas.
I thank you.
!
ALLIANCE!OF!SMALL!ISLAND!STATES!(AOSIS)!!
Intervention!on!Climate!Change!!
11th!Session!of!Open!Working!Group!on!Sustainable!Development!
8!May!2014!
Thank you, Mr. Co-Chair.
I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States. We
align ourselves with the statement made by Bolivia on behalf of the G77 & China. We expand on
the statements made by the three Regions of the Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
Many of the comments that we heard this morning on Focus Areas 12 highlighted the integral role
that fighting climate change must play if we are going to achieve sustainable development,
particularly for the most vulnerable, including the SIDS. We welcome the significance that the cochairs
have given climate change in this process, but we feel that there must still be a greater
emphasis on climate change in the SDGs.
It has been AOSIS’s position that climate change be treated as a prominent issue, and we reiterate
that today. I would briefly like to explain why we think so.
First, climate change affects all of the focus areas that have been identified in the working
document. It concerns education, transport, agriculture, fisheries, and poverty eradication and
livelihoods. It makes much sense to consider climate in each of these focus areas.
Second, the current chapeau links this process to the outcome of the UNFCCC process. This is a
mistake. If we wait until after COP21 to develop our climate change SDG, that means that what we
include in a climate change SDG would necessarily only be a subset of what we have already
agreed to at the UNFCCC.
Third, it is critical to define climate-related targets in this process that can both enjoy consensus in
the SDGs and which do not duplicate and prejudge the work of the UNFCCC. The SDGs should
focus on achieving real progress on the ground that is both resilient to the changing climate, and
which does not exacerbate climate change.
For all of these reasons, we believe that climate change must be strengthened across the entire
goal framework. This does not preclude consideration of a specific, targeted climate change goal,
in addition to climate being reflected in all of the focus areas.
I thank you.
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