Bangladesh
Statement by Mr. Md. Mustafizur Rahman, Deputy Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the UN at the Seventh Session of Open-ended Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals on “Sustainable Consumption and Production, including Chemicals and Waste ” New York, 8 January, 2014
Mr. Co-Chair,
Let me begin my statement by aligning with the statement of G77 and China on the topic “Sustainable Consumption and Production, including Chemicals and Waste”.
My delegation would like to echo what has been reiterated by many speakers today that the current unsustainable patterns of consumption and production must be addressed to achieve sustainable development for all. We must make sustainable consumption and production an integral part of the post 2015 development agenda. It is becoming increasingly apparent that efficiency gains and technological advances alone will not be sufficient to bring global consumption to a sustainable level. Only by changing our lifestyles, and the way we choose to consume and produce will it be possible for people everywhere to enjoy a decent quality of life within fair and sustainable share of finite resources of earth. No doubt, it is a tough choice, but we do not have any alternate either. We missed this aspect within the MDG framework. We cannot afford to miss it again. We must bring environment and development together through burden sharing under the principle of common but differential responsibility. Achieving sustainable patterns of consumption and production is vital for poverty and hunger eradication, and also for protecting and managing the natural resource base and ecosystems within planetary boundaries.
Mr. Co-Chair,
In the current unsustainable, inequitable and imbalanced global consumption pattern, poverty eradication efforts would be severely hindered as poorer and vulnerable people will have increased difficulties to access natural resources as these will get increasing scarce and costly. In this context, we would like to underscore that food security which will face critical given its reliance on land, natural resources, biodiversity and ecological processes. Furthermore agriculture is the mainstay of the economies of many developing countries and, many of the worlds poorest and vulnerable communities will need to be engaged in agriculture based sustainable development as a means of achieving poverty eradication. To this end, the current consumption and production patterns need to be changed, particularly the prevention of high rates of food losses and waste.
Mr. Co-Chair,
Chemicals and waste management are closely related to sustainable consumption and production. In this context also, developing countries, particularly the least developed ones need special attention as they lack the capacity and technology for environmentally sound management of chemical and waste.
Broadly, we would need to undertake a range of capacity-building activities through international cooperation will be necessary for designing and implementing appropriate policies, adopting clean technologies and educating consumers to trigger the shift towards SCP patterns. Capacity building requirements of the least developed countries demand particular consideration,
as in many these countries, resource-inefficient economic growth is holding back desired progress.
Mr. Co-Chair,
Finally, we agree with those of us who say that SCP is a universal concept. However, the application of the concept would be different depending on the level of development of various countries. In developed countries, it implies shifting towards more resource and energy-efficient economic activities putting more emphasis on adopting sustainable lifestyles that reduce over-consumption and wastefulness. Whereas, for the developing countries, many of which still suffer from under-consumption, and the scourge of poverty and hunger, the concept entails capacity building so that they can leapfrog to more resource-efficient, environmentally sound and competitive practices. With developed countries piloting the SCP and developing countries to follow suit, equipped with appropriate technology, we can safeguard a sustainable future.
In this connection, we would underscore the importance of timely and effective implementation of the 10 YFP on SCP, with developed countries taking the lead, to achieve sustainable and shared prosperity for all of us and the generations after.
I thank you.
Mr. Co-Chair,
Let me begin my statement by aligning with the statement of G77 and China on the topic “Sustainable Consumption and Production, including Chemicals and Waste”.
My delegation would like to echo what has been reiterated by many speakers today that the current unsustainable patterns of consumption and production must be addressed to achieve sustainable development for all. We must make sustainable consumption and production an integral part of the post 2015 development agenda. It is becoming increasingly apparent that efficiency gains and technological advances alone will not be sufficient to bring global consumption to a sustainable level. Only by changing our lifestyles, and the way we choose to consume and produce will it be possible for people everywhere to enjoy a decent quality of life within fair and sustainable share of finite resources of earth. No doubt, it is a tough choice, but we do not have any alternate either. We missed this aspect within the MDG framework. We cannot afford to miss it again. We must bring environment and development together through burden sharing under the principle of common but differential responsibility. Achieving sustainable patterns of consumption and production is vital for poverty and hunger eradication, and also for protecting and managing the natural resource base and ecosystems within planetary boundaries.
Mr. Co-Chair,
In the current unsustainable, inequitable and imbalanced global consumption pattern, poverty eradication efforts would be severely hindered as poorer and vulnerable people will have increased difficulties to access natural resources as these will get increasing scarce and costly. In this context, we would like to underscore that food security which will face critical given its reliance on land, natural resources, biodiversity and ecological processes. Furthermore agriculture is the mainstay of the economies of many developing countries and, many of the worlds poorest and vulnerable communities will need to be engaged in agriculture based sustainable development as a means of achieving poverty eradication. To this end, the current consumption and production patterns need to be changed, particularly the prevention of high rates of food losses and waste.
Mr. Co-Chair,
Chemicals and waste management are closely related to sustainable consumption and production. In this context also, developing countries, particularly the least developed ones need special attention as they lack the capacity and technology for environmentally sound management of chemical and waste.
Broadly, we would need to undertake a range of capacity-building activities through international cooperation will be necessary for designing and implementing appropriate policies, adopting clean technologies and educating consumers to trigger the shift towards SCP patterns. Capacity building requirements of the least developed countries demand particular consideration,
as in many these countries, resource-inefficient economic growth is holding back desired progress.
Mr. Co-Chair,
Finally, we agree with those of us who say that SCP is a universal concept. However, the application of the concept would be different depending on the level of development of various countries. In developed countries, it implies shifting towards more resource and energy-efficient economic activities putting more emphasis on adopting sustainable lifestyles that reduce over-consumption and wastefulness. Whereas, for the developing countries, many of which still suffer from under-consumption, and the scourge of poverty and hunger, the concept entails capacity building so that they can leapfrog to more resource-efficient, environmentally sound and competitive practices. With developed countries piloting the SCP and developing countries to follow suit, equipped with appropriate technology, we can safeguard a sustainable future.
In this connection, we would underscore the importance of timely and effective implementation of the 10 YFP on SCP, with developed countries taking the lead, to achieve sustainable and shared prosperity for all of us and the generations after.
I thank you.
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