Caribbean Community (CARICOM)
Statement on behalf of CARICOM
By
H.E. Mr. Dennis Francis, Ambassador Director, Multilateral Relations Division, Ministry
of Foreign Affairs of Trinidad and Tobago
At the
10th Session of the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals
on
Water and Sanitation and Sustainable agriculture, food security and nutirition
*******************************
United Nations Headquarters
1 April, 2014
2
I
speak
on
behalf
of
the
fourteen
(14)
Member
States
of
the
Caribbean
Community
(CARICOM).
CARICOM
aligns
itself
with
the
statement
delivered
by
Bolivia
on
behalf
of
the
G77
and
China.
Water
and
sanitation
CARICOM
is
open
to
a
sustainable
development
goal
on
addressing
Water
and
Sanitation
needs
for
all.
This
is
especially
so
in
light
of
the
fact
that
sanitation
was
one
of
the
targets
where
limited
progress
was
achieved
in
the
context
of
the
MDGs
framework.
We
are
of
the
view
that
this
issue
could
be
meaningfully
addressed
in
the
Post
2015
framework
as
part
of
a
stand-‐along
goal
with
water.
We
note
the
very
close
interlinkages
between
a
goal
in
this
area
with
issues
on
food
and
nutrition
security,
sustainable
cities
and
human
settlements,
sustainable
consumption
and
production,
infrastructure
and
health.
Target
areas
to
be
addressed
should
include:
-‐
Ensuring
access
to
safe
and
affordable
drinking
water
and
adequate
sanitation
for
all
-‐
Extending
wastewater
treatment
-‐
Improving
water
use
efficiency
-‐
Eliminating
pollution
and
dumping
of
toxic
materials
in
water
bodies,
and
protecting
aquifers
-‐
Enhancing
effective
water
governance
including
catchment
area
based
integrated
water
resources
management
and
appropriate
transboundary
cooperation
-‐Protecting
and
restoring
water-‐linked
ecosystems
such
as
mountains,
watersheds
and
wetlands
-‐
Improving
water
supply
systems,
developing
irrigation
and
water
harvesting
and
storage
infrastructure
for
agriculture
and
developing
sewerage
and
wastewater
treatment.
Sustainable
agriculture
food
security
and
nutrition
CARICOM
member
states
would
support
a
goal
on
“ensuring
year
round
access
by
all
to
affordable,
adequate,
safe
and
nutritious
food”.
This
goal
should
include
targets
in
the
following
areas:
-‐
Increased
investment
and
support
to
research
and
development
on
sustainable
agricultural
technologies
-‐
Increasing
global
agricultural
productivity
by
70%
by
2050
-‐
Enhancing
biological
diversity
3
-‐
Promoting
indigenous
and
sustainable
farming
and
fishing
practices
-‐
Strengthening
resilience
of
farming
systems
and
food
supplies
to
climate
change
-‐
Enhancing
effective
water
governance
including
catchment
area
based
integrated
water
resources
management
and
appropriate
transboundary
cooperation,
as
a
shared
target
with
water
and
sanitation.
-‐
Reducing
post
harvest
loss
and
food
waste
-‐
Achieving
Zero
net
land
degradation
by
2030
-‐
Eliminating
harmful
agricultural
subsidies
-‐
Containment
of
speculation
in
global
food
markets
to
a
minimum
Means
of
implementation
on
this
issue
could
include:
-‐
Assistance
from
Multilateral
agencies
to
developing
countries
for
the
design,
implementation
and
financing
of
food
safety
nets,
and
financial
instruments
at
the
international
level
in
order
to
combat
food
price
volatility
and
increase
agricultural
production
-‐
A
commitment
by
the
international
community
to
support
development-‐focused
trade
reforms
within
the
multilateral
trading
system
-‐
Increased
provision
of
investment
and
support
for
research
and
development
on
sustainable
agricultural
technologies
-‐
Capacity
building
and
financing
for
the
improvement
of
water
supply
systems
for
irrigation,
water
harvesting
and
storage
for
agriculture
By
H.E. Mr. Dennis Francis, Ambassador Director, Multilateral Relations Division, Ministry
of Foreign Affairs of Trinidad and Tobago
At the
10th Session of the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals
on
Water and Sanitation and Sustainable agriculture, food security and nutirition
*******************************
United Nations Headquarters
1 April, 2014
2
I
speak
on
behalf
of
the
fourteen
(14)
Member
States
of
the
Caribbean
Community
(CARICOM).
CARICOM
aligns
itself
with
the
statement
delivered
by
Bolivia
on
behalf
of
the
G77
and
China.
Water
and
sanitation
CARICOM
is
open
to
a
sustainable
development
goal
on
addressing
Water
and
Sanitation
needs
for
all.
This
is
especially
so
in
light
of
the
fact
that
sanitation
was
one
of
the
targets
where
limited
progress
was
achieved
in
the
context
of
the
MDGs
framework.
We
are
of
the
view
that
this
issue
could
be
meaningfully
addressed
in
the
Post
2015
framework
as
part
of
a
stand-‐along
goal
with
water.
We
note
the
very
close
interlinkages
between
a
goal
in
this
area
with
issues
on
food
and
nutrition
security,
sustainable
cities
and
human
settlements,
sustainable
consumption
and
production,
infrastructure
and
health.
Target
areas
to
be
addressed
should
include:
-‐
Ensuring
access
to
safe
and
affordable
drinking
water
and
adequate
sanitation
for
all
-‐
Extending
wastewater
treatment
-‐
Improving
water
use
efficiency
-‐
Eliminating
pollution
and
dumping
of
toxic
materials
in
water
bodies,
and
protecting
aquifers
-‐
Enhancing
effective
water
governance
including
catchment
area
based
integrated
water
resources
management
and
appropriate
transboundary
cooperation
-‐Protecting
and
restoring
water-‐linked
ecosystems
such
as
mountains,
watersheds
and
wetlands
-‐
Improving
water
supply
systems,
developing
irrigation
and
water
harvesting
and
storage
infrastructure
for
agriculture
and
developing
sewerage
and
wastewater
treatment.
Sustainable
agriculture
food
security
and
nutrition
CARICOM
member
states
would
support
a
goal
on
“ensuring
year
round
access
by
all
to
affordable,
adequate,
safe
and
nutritious
food”.
This
goal
should
include
targets
in
the
following
areas:
-‐
Increased
investment
and
support
to
research
and
development
on
sustainable
agricultural
technologies
-‐
Increasing
global
agricultural
productivity
by
70%
by
2050
-‐
Enhancing
biological
diversity
3
-‐
Promoting
indigenous
and
sustainable
farming
and
fishing
practices
-‐
Strengthening
resilience
of
farming
systems
and
food
supplies
to
climate
change
-‐
Enhancing
effective
water
governance
including
catchment
area
based
integrated
water
resources
management
and
appropriate
transboundary
cooperation,
as
a
shared
target
with
water
and
sanitation.
-‐
Reducing
post
harvest
loss
and
food
waste
-‐
Achieving
Zero
net
land
degradation
by
2030
-‐
Eliminating
harmful
agricultural
subsidies
-‐
Containment
of
speculation
in
global
food
markets
to
a
minimum
Means
of
implementation
on
this
issue
could
include:
-‐
Assistance
from
Multilateral
agencies
to
developing
countries
for
the
design,
implementation
and
financing
of
food
safety
nets,
and
financial
instruments
at
the
international
level
in
order
to
combat
food
price
volatility
and
increase
agricultural
production
-‐
A
commitment
by
the
international
community
to
support
development-‐focused
trade
reforms
within
the
multilateral
trading
system
-‐
Increased
provision
of
investment
and
support
for
research
and
development
on
sustainable
agricultural
technologies
-‐
Capacity
building
and
financing
for
the
improvement
of
water
supply
systems
for
irrigation,
water
harvesting
and
storage
for
agriculture
Stakeholders