Mr. Chairman,
1.
Let me begin by conveying our appreciation for the able manner in which you ? Mr. Chairman - are conducting this Session.
2.
We associate ourselves with the statements made by Antigua and Barbuda on behalf of the Group of 77 and China; and by Djibouti on behalf of the African Group.
3.
Indeed a lot has already been said about the cluster of themes under review. The common thread that runs through our appraisal of implementation of these issues is that agriculture, land, drought, desertification and sustainable development of Africa, are issues critical to the wellbeing of humanity and, to the security of our planet. Identifying challenges and devising necessary policy measures is therefore an imperative for the Commission on Sustainable Development.
Mr. Chairman,
4.
The challenges at hand are complex, multi-dimensional and globally interlinked, and require our collective commitment. In this respect, the vital need to scale up efforts to meet targets espoused in the JPOI and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which are fast approaching, cannot be overstated.
Mr. Chairman,
5.
Botswana is a semi-arid landlocked country at the heart of the Kalahari Desert. It is characterized by erratic rainfall, prolonged droughts, high evaporation rate and extreme temperatures. Desertification is a common phenomenon and Water a scarce commodity. Due to these harsh climatic conditions, agricultural productivity is barely sufficient to ensure national food security.
6.
In this connection, the Government of Botswana has taken deliberate steps to devise policy measures to address these constraints fully cognizant of, and consistent with, it?s
sustainable development commitments as contained in Agenda 21 and Johannesburg Plan of Implementation.
7.
To this end, a Multi-lateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) implementation strategy has been formulated to guide all sectors of the economy in the fulfillment of the obligations arising out of the MEAs that the country is party to. Within the framework of this strategy, responsibilities for sectors have been outlined and are being mainstreamed in the National development Plan X (10), for 2009-2016. Initiatives are also being taken to develop a National Strategy for Sustainable Development (NSSD) that will guide each sector in terms of fulfilling their sector specific sustainable development obligations during the same period.
Mr. Chairman,
8.
Botswana is working hard to ensure an integrated approach to the implementation of sustainable development goals. We fully recognize that the realization of the MDGs, and indeed of all other internationally agreed development goals, will be difficult without a clear framework for environmental sustainability. In this context, we accord urgent priority to the implementation of our obligations under a number of instruments on environment. These provide a genuine global framework for international co-operation and therefore should be given necessary resources to ensure their effective and sustainable implementation.
Mr. Chairman,
9.
Botswana is still a developing country which needs international cooperation and partnership to consolidate its development. Many a times there are perceptions that upper-middle income countries can effectively respond to their development challenges. Far from it ? international partnership and support is necessary for us to succeed.
10.
In this regard, we look forward to consistent and assured cooperation on among others, capacity building, technology transfer, research and development in cleaner technologies.
Mr. Chairman,
11.
We owe it to ourselves to work together to protect our ecosystems and build better standards of life today and for future generations.
I thank you.
