Belize

Belize
!
Speech by
HONOURABLE LISEL ALAMILLA
MINISTER OF FORESTRY, FISHERIES AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
(BELIZE)
On the occasion of the United Nations Conference on
Environment and Development
(Rio + 20)
BELIZE’S ADDRESS TO THE RIO+20 CONFERENCE
HON. LISEL ALAMILLA
MINISTER OF FORESTRY, FISHERIES AND SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT (BELIZE)
GREETINGS AND INTRODUCTION
Distinguished delegates, Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, a Pleasant
Good Afternoon.
I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Government of Brazil
for demonstrating its commitment in furthering the goal of sustainable
development. This is indeed a laudable goal that is not only a professional call
for us as delegates of our countries to seek to craft technical solutions and
responses, but it is also a moral imperative for us to act in a way that is
responsible not only for the present generation, but also those that would
come after us: Our children, and their children’s children.
It is indeed a great honor and pleasure for me to address this conference on
behalf of my country Belize. Twenty years ago I was not in this position as the
Minister responsible for Sustainable Development in my country. I was
employed as a part of the NGO conservation community. Although I now
wear a different hat, I must say my work in terms of its commitment in
finding the appropriate balance between man and nature that would account
for an improved quality of life while at the same time maintaining integrity of
the resources and the ecosystems which support them, have not changed.
In relation to the general goal of this conference to further efforts at
sustainable development at global and national levels, it is my observation
that sustainable development means different things to different people in
time and geographical space. For us in Belize sustainable development means
ensuring that all segments of the population benefits as the country defines
and implements sound and comprehensive socio-economic strategies. This
definition is underpinned by five (5) National Policy Objectives, these include:
• Enhancing and sustaining economic growth;
• Improving access to quality social services;
• Modernizing the State and improving governance;
• Ensuring safety and security in Belize, and
• Implementing measures that would be based on identifying the
appropriate balance between social and economic development, and
integrity of the environment.
CONTEXT: NATIONAL STATUS
Belize is characterized as one of the least populous nations in Central
America. The Country has a small and open economy that is based on its
natural resource base. Given its geography and political history, Belize is a
part of the CARICOM member states and as such is a part of the Small Island
Developing States (SIDS).
CHALLENGES
The conceptual challenges facing Belize in regards to the issue of sustainable
development relates to finding the appropriate balance between the socioeconomic
needs of the people and the integrity of the natural resources.
Although Belize has endorsed the Millennium Development Goals (MGD’s)
we have found it challenging to make the targets that have been identified for
this function. This is particularly in relation to the sustainable development
and poverty alleviation goals. Much of this relates to the shocks to the national
economy from the global economic downturn and natural disasters. These
shocks have especially impacted the national capacity to respond to the call of
sustainable development. Capacity limitations relates to both human and
financial resources as well as the broader institutional framework to realize
these development goals.
Some indicators of the inability of the State to respond effectively for these
challenges include: worsening poverty, high unemployment rates, increased in
homicide and violent crimes, and drug trafficking as well as resource
depletion and degradation of the environment and the illegal harvesting of
fish, timber and other natural resources arising from illegal incursions from
neighboring states.
POLICY INTERVENTIONS/RESPONSES
Perhaps the most recent and substantive intervention by the Government of
Belize has been to dedicate or name a Ministry to specifically deal with the
issue of sustainable development which I’m sure we will all agree is an
important macroscopic and cross cutting issue; thus, coming out of the March
2012 General Election as a Ministry labeled the Ministry of Forestry, Fisheries
and Sustainable Development with additional responsibilities for the
environment, climate change and protected areas management. The
Government of Belize has also made a range of intervention at the macropolicy
level. These have included the genesis of:
• A document titled “Vision 2030” which is in effect a long term
development strategy for the nation going up to the year 2030;
• A National Medium Term Development Strategy which has a five year
lifespan;
• The National Poverty Elimination Strategy and Action Plan; and
• Belize Rural Area Development Strategy.
At the Sectoral level there has also been a definition of range of policies and
strategies. These include:
• The National Tourism Master Plan;
• The National Land Use Policy;
• The National Energy Policy;
• The National Biodiversity Policy and Action Plan;
• The National Protected Areas Policy and Systems Plan and
• The Living Aquatic Resources Bill which is a comprehensive revision of
the Fisheries Act.
At the pan-sectoral level there are a range of coordinating institutions and
mechanisms geared at harmonizing inter-sectoral approaches to management.
These include:
• The National Climate Change Committee (NCCC);
• The National Human Development Advisory Committee (NHDAC);
• The National Resources and Environmental Policy Committee
(NREPC);
• National Protected Areas Committee (NPAC);
• Protected Areas Conservation Trust (PACT);
• Coastal Zone Management Authority (CZMA) and
• National Environmental Appraisal Committee (NEAC).
REVELANCE OF RIO+20
The Government of Belize endorses fully the concept and functional activities
and outcomes of the current Rio+20 forum and objectives which is geared at
taking stock of where we are collectively in terms of national, regional and
global approaches to sustainable development. This initiative also will be
examining the challenges that we face at various levels in achieving the sort of
national and global targets as well as treating new and emerging issues. We
recognize that it is a national imperative to deal with the macroscopic
challenges facing us both at the national level as well as the global level. These
include, of course, issues such as fossil fuel dependency, climate change
impacts, and in general vulnerabilities of small and emerging economies such
as Belize to move forward with its environmental sustainability agenda given
the scope and depth of the challenges arising from sort of global economic
dissonance. We fully endorse and support the goal of the conference in regards
to the green economy and the institutional frameworks to accommodate
sustainable development.
WAY FORWARD
In concluding I wish to point out and reiterate the following:
• The need for the clear understanding that there are common challenges
being faced by both the developed and developing nations in relation to
population growth, unsustainable use of natural resources, poverty, the
dependency on fossil based fuels and its attendant impact on the climate
system globally;
• The need to reiterate the special circumstances for small island
developing states and the need for specific interventions within the
context of sustainable development;
• The critical need for developing new modalities of engagement between
the developed and developing countries in regards to honouring
commitments to agreed sustainable development goals and related
initiatives;
• In relation to trade and aid, the need for the international community to
create an enabling environment for developing nations to transition to
green economies – interventions would include financing, capacity
building and technology transfer;
• Strengthen mechanisms to create and enhance coordination and
collaboration between Governments, Civil Society and other
stakeholders working towards common goals that would relate to
sustainable development.
In closing, I wish to signal that Belize will stand shoulder to shoulder in
solidarity with the International community in its commitment to pursue and
realize the goal of sustainable development.