Bulgaria and Croatia
SEVENTH SESSION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OPEN WORKING GROUP ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
6 – 10 January 2014
Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction
Key Notes on behalf of Bulgaria and Croatia
Statement by Marijana Mance – Kowalsky
Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs
Mr. Co-Chair,
Excellences,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is an honor to speak on behalf of Bulgaria and Croatia, my country; two member countries sharing a seat in the Open Working Group for Sustainable Development Goals.
The Bruntland report defined sustainable development in 1987 as 'development which meets the needs of current generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs'. However, they seem to be already compromised. The world has undergone many changes and is faced with continuous environmental degradation, increased conusmption, deplition of natural resources, rising greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. We have been witnessing more frequent extreme weather conditions, which are directly related to climate change. All this has an impact on livelihoods and in particular on poorer countries that are vulnerable to degradation and deplition of natural resources and particularly dependent on them.
The forthcoming decades will continue to prove the unavoidability of climate change impact reflected in frequency and severity of extreme weather events which will add to the existing pressures on agriculture, water supply, infrastructure and coastal areas. Therefore, we need to address climate change, comprehensive risk reduction and resillience, mitigation and adaptation in the context of development. In that sense, reaching the new comprehensive climate agreement with legally-binding commitment for all by 2015 at the latest, is one of the important steps towards poverty eradication and sustainable development. Similarily, it is important to pursue the implementation of the current Hyogo Framework of Action as well as consultations on a Post-2015 framework (Hyogo Framework of Action 2) for disaster risk reduction. The goals related to climate change and disaster risk reduction should be in line with the existing international agreements, their goals and tergets in the field of climate change, biodiversity, disaster risk reduction and other related fields.
Bulgaria and Croatia share the opinion that climate change is an existential threat to humanity and a multiplicator of threats which has to be tackled bacause of its impacts on environment, economy and society and eventually, on peace and security. On the other hand, climate change may be the unique opportunity for human kind to make the shift towards green growth and low-carbon economies. Therefore, addressing climate change and disaster risk reduction among the priorities of the Post-2015 framework, together with coinciding goals and targets of the legal instruments for climate change and disaster risk reduction that are to be adopted in 2015 for the period beyond, is an opportunity for us to ensure the future we all want for this Planet and for the future generations.
Thank you.