Brazil and Nicaragua
11h Session of the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals
"Gender equality and women's empowerment" and "Water and sanitation"
Statement by Brazil and Nicaragua
5/5/2014
[Gender equality and women's empowerment]
Mr. Co-chair,
Brazil and Nicaragua support the statement by Bolivia on behalf of G-77 and China.
We would like to reiterate our call to have the expression "full realization of the human rights
of all women and girls" reflected in the title of the focus area. In our view, such reference is
necessary to further broaden the scope of MDG3, aligning focus area 5 with the ambition of
the outcome document of Rio+20 and the agreed conclusions of the 58th Commission on the
Status of Women.
We welcome the changes in items e) and f), and we wish to reiterate three proposals
presented by Brazil and Nicaragua during the last session:
On item b), we should acknowledge the multiple forms of violence against all women and
girls, not only in public but also in private spaces. Item b) should, therefore, read as follows:
"eliminating all forms of violence against all women and girls in public and private spaces"
(Paragraph l of CSW Agreed Conclusions). Nicaragua and Brazil believe that item "b" of
focal area 5 is the right entry point for dealing with the elimination of all forms of violence
against girls and women, including trafficking, and that reference to this same issue in focus
area 16, item "a", is unwarranted and should be deleted.
Nicaragua and Brazil would like to support the following language for item h): "By 2030 to
ensure equal sharing of unpaid work, and to value, reduce and better distribute the burden of
unpaid care work". We should have a more comprehensive approach on this matter, as was
done in respect of other items under focus area 5.
We stress the importance and recognize the sensitivity of item i), and recall our proposal to
ensure by 2030 universal access to comprehensive quality sexual and reproductive health and
the enjoyment of reproductive rights, in accordance with national law, including through
access to modern methods of contraception. We believe that paragraphs 145, 146 and 241 of
the Rio+20 outcome document, which refer to the Beijing platform and the ICPD, as well as
their subsequent review conferences outcomes, contain elements that we can utilize in
drafting a significant goal.
[Water and sanitation]
Item a) correctly summarizes and broadens commitments under MDG-7. We note, on the
other hand, a reference to "hygiene" has been introduced. We do not oppose this, but we have
concerns as to how such a concept would be objectively assessed or translated into verifiable
indicators, applicable to different cultural contexts.
Brazil and Nicaragua regret to notice that issues related to sanitation lost emphasis in the new
version of the document. To underscore its relevance for developing countries, we propose
the following target: "All countries by 2020 to have in place basic sanitation policies,
including planning, transparency, accountability and participation, also allowing for more
favorable tariffs for the most vulnerable groups."
Item c) is another instance in which sustainable consumption is disregarded, and only
sustainable production is considered. We would also insist on a more comprehensive
approach, referencing all productive sectors; not just agriculture. Furthermore, we propose
the inclusion of a target on the sustainable consumption of water, in order to: "reduce by X%
unsustainable consumption of water in developed countries by 2030".
Regarding item d), I would wish to reiterate that there is no reference in the Rio+20 outcome
document to “trans-boundary cooperation”. Applying this terminology to targets at the
international level could be interpreted in ways contrary to the sovereign right of States over
their natural resources.
In order to be consistent with the Rio+20 outcome document and with principles of
international law, item "d" should read as follows: to “improve the implementation of
integrated water resource management at all levels, as appropriate” (paragraph 120 of "The
Future We Want").
We believe item h), on water-related disasters, could be merged with item e) of focus area
10, on sustainable cities and human settlements, or simply moved to that section.
Mr. Co-chair,
We have the following concrete proposals for means of implementation under Focus Area 6:
- "Support efforts in developing countries on water and sanitation activities and programs,
through provision of financial resources, capacity-building and technology transfer."
- "Double by 2030 capacity building, in particular through expanding international
cooperation for water-related vocational training"
- "Facilitate access to water- and sanitation-related technologies, especially water harvesting
technologies and wastewater treatment, recycling and reuse technologies".
I thank you, Mr. Co-chair.
"Gender equality and women's empowerment" and "Water and sanitation"
Statement by Brazil and Nicaragua
5/5/2014
[Gender equality and women's empowerment]
Mr. Co-chair,
Brazil and Nicaragua support the statement by Bolivia on behalf of G-77 and China.
We would like to reiterate our call to have the expression "full realization of the human rights
of all women and girls" reflected in the title of the focus area. In our view, such reference is
necessary to further broaden the scope of MDG3, aligning focus area 5 with the ambition of
the outcome document of Rio+20 and the agreed conclusions of the 58th Commission on the
Status of Women.
We welcome the changes in items e) and f), and we wish to reiterate three proposals
presented by Brazil and Nicaragua during the last session:
On item b), we should acknowledge the multiple forms of violence against all women and
girls, not only in public but also in private spaces. Item b) should, therefore, read as follows:
"eliminating all forms of violence against all women and girls in public and private spaces"
(Paragraph l of CSW Agreed Conclusions). Nicaragua and Brazil believe that item "b" of
focal area 5 is the right entry point for dealing with the elimination of all forms of violence
against girls and women, including trafficking, and that reference to this same issue in focus
area 16, item "a", is unwarranted and should be deleted.
Nicaragua and Brazil would like to support the following language for item h): "By 2030 to
ensure equal sharing of unpaid work, and to value, reduce and better distribute the burden of
unpaid care work". We should have a more comprehensive approach on this matter, as was
done in respect of other items under focus area 5.
We stress the importance and recognize the sensitivity of item i), and recall our proposal to
ensure by 2030 universal access to comprehensive quality sexual and reproductive health and
the enjoyment of reproductive rights, in accordance with national law, including through
access to modern methods of contraception. We believe that paragraphs 145, 146 and 241 of
the Rio+20 outcome document, which refer to the Beijing platform and the ICPD, as well as
their subsequent review conferences outcomes, contain elements that we can utilize in
drafting a significant goal.
[Water and sanitation]
Item a) correctly summarizes and broadens commitments under MDG-7. We note, on the
other hand, a reference to "hygiene" has been introduced. We do not oppose this, but we have
concerns as to how such a concept would be objectively assessed or translated into verifiable
indicators, applicable to different cultural contexts.
Brazil and Nicaragua regret to notice that issues related to sanitation lost emphasis in the new
version of the document. To underscore its relevance for developing countries, we propose
the following target: "All countries by 2020 to have in place basic sanitation policies,
including planning, transparency, accountability and participation, also allowing for more
favorable tariffs for the most vulnerable groups."
Item c) is another instance in which sustainable consumption is disregarded, and only
sustainable production is considered. We would also insist on a more comprehensive
approach, referencing all productive sectors; not just agriculture. Furthermore, we propose
the inclusion of a target on the sustainable consumption of water, in order to: "reduce by X%
unsustainable consumption of water in developed countries by 2030".
Regarding item d), I would wish to reiterate that there is no reference in the Rio+20 outcome
document to “trans-boundary cooperation”. Applying this terminology to targets at the
international level could be interpreted in ways contrary to the sovereign right of States over
their natural resources.
In order to be consistent with the Rio+20 outcome document and with principles of
international law, item "d" should read as follows: to “improve the implementation of
integrated water resource management at all levels, as appropriate” (paragraph 120 of "The
Future We Want").
We believe item h), on water-related disasters, could be merged with item e) of focus area
10, on sustainable cities and human settlements, or simply moved to that section.
Mr. Co-chair,
We have the following concrete proposals for means of implementation under Focus Area 6:
- "Support efforts in developing countries on water and sanitation activities and programs,
through provision of financial resources, capacity-building and technology transfer."
- "Double by 2030 capacity building, in particular through expanding international
cooperation for water-related vocational training"
- "Facilitate access to water- and sanitation-related technologies, especially water harvesting
technologies and wastewater treatment, recycling and reuse technologies".
I thank you, Mr. Co-chair.