China, Indonesia and Kazakhstan
Statement
by Mr.Akan Rakhmetullin Deputy Representative of the Republic of Kazakhstan
at the Sixth Meeting of the Sustainable Development Goals Open Working Group
on Means of Implementation (science and technology, knowledge-sharing and capacity building)
and
Global Partnership for Achieving Sustainable Development
New York, 9-13 December 2013
Distinguished Co-Chairs,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to speak on behalf of China, Indonesia and Kazakhstan.
Co Chairs,
The Rio+20 outcome document, The Future We Want, not only reinstated means of implementation in the existing multilateral agreements, but also reiterated the fact that the MoI are indispensable for achieving the full and effective translation of sustainable development commitments into tangible outcomes.
In our fervent view, finance, capacity building, technology transfer, trade as well as global partnership, as elements of the MoI, are interlinked and interdependent, and therefore, should not be decoupled from one another.
We are fully aware that Rio+20 mandated the Inter-governmental Committee of Experts on SD Financing to produce a report proposing options on an effective sustainable development financing strategy. However, maintaining synergy and coordination among different streams of the post Rio+20 processes is imperative, in order to ensure coherence among all of the related streams.
We are of the view that the OWG on SDGs should address this important issue, and should dedicate adequate space for members to address the key messages regarding the interlinked elements of the MoI, including its finance element. This discussion in the OWG should be further transmitted as inputs and messages to the Committee of Experts in following up their respective work.
Sustainable development and the future global ‘transformative’ development agenda share common factors, in that they both require technology transfer, knowledge sharing and capacity building. All play a key role in addressing development challenges across the cross-cutting sustainability dimensions, such as food and agriculture, water, energy, industry development, chemicals and waste management.
With regard to Science, Technology and Innovation (STI), Knowledge‐sharing and Capacity building, the Troika is of the view that these are parts of the fundamental pillars along with finance, to achieve sustainable development. Access to and use of information and knowledge are the key to adapting and making progress in today’s fast changing contemporary world. These three elements of STI and knowledge are vital especially in the developing countries and economies in transition, which depend on technology in order to shift to a more sustainable development path. The three elements enable growth with less, for a more efficient use of limited resources. Shared knowledge and capacity are thus fundamental to ensure that all will be able to participate and contribute actively and enjoy the outcomes of progress.
However, the technological gap between the developing and developed countries continues to persist. The vast disparities in the scientific capacity and the measures to enhance STI remain glaring and obvious within and between countries and regions. In this context, allow me to underscore some observations in advance of our deliberations on this issue.
First, such differences call for a more globally inclusive and cooperative thrust in the domains of science and scientific cooperation, if any significant and more durable momentum is to be noted. Cooperation in STI should based on mutual trust and respect local knowledge.
Second, presently, the environmental, economic and social challenges are most critical, and threaten to derail our desired outcomes. Therefore, every effort must be made to provide sustainable and effective know-how as well as enhanced capacity in particular for developing countries. The gains are best if the focus is directed to enhance and strengthen sectors with a high employment creation that are particularly important for supporting poverty eradication, with the active participation of people themselves, who are impacted by poverty.
Equally important is for the STI and knowledge base to create inclusiveness and linkages with all stakeholders in the production chains, in particular to the SMEs and rural sectors while taking into account the prevailing local wisdom. The sharing of scientific knowledge and the science‐policy‐society interface need to be strengthened, by giving full consideration to local communities’ and indigenous people’s knowledge systems, which should never be by-passed. Likewise, full priority should be given to translating scientific information into practical methods and policy options that can readily be integrated into regional, national and local policies, regulations and implementation plans in order to create a good synergy between the three dimensions.
To this end, South-South and Triangular cooperation can support the sharing of scientific knowledge, taking into account similar development levels of developing countries, and in the long term provide an avenue for countries to follow a path of sustainable development.
Third, open access to knowledge and the free flow of information need to be expanded in order to maximize the potential of to bridge the knowledge gaps within and among societies, facilitate economic growth and social cohesion, and promote good governance. Similarly, easy access to patent information can support R&D and innovation. It is our fervent view that the SDGs need to address the necessity of enhancing the transfer of public funded relevant technologies from developed countries, to support efforts to eradicate poverty and promote sustainable development
in developing countries. The Troika is also of the view that efforts should also be directed to establish and improve mechanisms for technology transfer. It is imperative to promote and support the R&D, dissemination and transfer of technologies that meet the actual needs of developing countries. Enhance human resources development and institutional capacity building through training, experience sharing, knowledge transfer and technical assistance.
Fourth, no development can occur without adequate funding and resources. Hence new, viable and innovative financing mechanisms are essential and need to be explored further at all levels and across sectors for STI, knowledge and data‐sharing, capacity development and green technology transfer. The desired objectives will come forth only with an increase in STI, accompanied by equal concentration in R&D, as a percentage of GDP and as a percentage of Official Development Assistance. This partnership has to be essentially reinforced by cooperation and joint efforts with a large range of key actors and stakeholders.
We, therefore, must endeavor to reach ODA targets, increase market access and provide debt relief to address the specific needs of the most vulnerable countries, namely the LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS. However, there is a discrepancy between our initial level of ambition and actual implementation. Thus, ODA is the only resort and hope for developing countries, particularly, those without sufficient access to public financing and other sources. In the least developed countries, ODA represents about half of all external financing available to close their savings gap. Yet, the 0.7 per cent of gross national income (GNI) ODA target, including the 0.15 percent to 0.20 per cent target for least developed countries, remains largely unfulfilled by the donors.
Fifth, capacity building is another key issue which is cross cutting in all dimensions of sustainable development. It is inextricably linked to funding, the science-policy-society interface, and monitoring and assessment. Our record of accomplishments thus far proves the need for sharpening capacity building skills for more relevant policy coherence and integrated approaches to sustainable development in all countries.
Sixth, in order to enhance and stimulate science and technology cooperation, we need to establish networks between scientific institutes of the developed and developing countries; including among universities, scientists, and related centres of excellences.
Furthermore, it is also important to build the knowledge hub in developing countries to accelerate sharing of information, and strengthen capacity-building and related technical cooperation.
Co-Chairs,
No development can overlook the core values of good governance, equality, including gender equality, and sustainability as the guideposts for alleviating poverty, including MDG 8 and the global partnership for development. All actions must follow the trajectory laid out in the Millennium Declaration, and those of Monterrey and Johannesburg. All of these above values, incorporated in action plans and outcome documents of important meetings, must essentially pay attention to ending poverty and promoting sustainable development. It is then obvious that the
international community must build on ODA stipulations and ensure that commitments are fulfilled, owned and led by the range of stakeholders. Development issues should be considered in a comprehensive and balanced manner. SDGs should be development-centered and people oriented with poverty eradication as the overarching objective. We should promote the realization of people’s right to development through implementing development agenda, and avoid over emphasizing human rights or coupling multilateral and bilateral development assistance with human rights indicators, democracy and good governance.
Co-Chairs,
The post 2015 effort between countries should include measures that promote the development and transfer of technology at all levels of the population, equally between women and men, in order to support the eradication of poverty and to promote sustainable development. This is especially important with regard to agricultural information and communications technologies, essential medical and pharmaceutical advances and life-changing and life-saving technologies especially for the disadvantaged populations. A vital measure to promote the development and transfer of technology is capacity-building. This needs to be done through national, regional and international efforts as well as through technical assistance and support, sharing best practices and lessons learned. The Troika would also like to reiterate the importance of technology facilitation mechanism that promotes the development, transfer and dissemination of clean and environmentally sound technologies to support the efforts to eradicate poverty and achieve sustainable development. In this regard, the Troika looks forward to the further process to establish the technology facilitation mechanism, as mandated by the Rio+20 Outcome document. It is imperative to promote and support the R&D, dissemination and transfer of technologies that meet the actual needs of developing countries. Enhance human resources development and institutional capacity building through training, experience sharing, knowledge transfer and technical assistance.
It is only an integrated global partnership with well-planned effective strategies and specific modes of implementation and strict accountability that can best address the global challenges of poverty eradication, food insecurity and malnutrition, gender inequality and climate change, among others, in the context of the post 2015 development agenda. We are of the view that this global partnership should be based on the principles of equity, sustainability, and shared responsibilities in accordance with the respective capabilities of Member States. Enhancing the global development partnership. A new global development partnership should be established for common prosperity and development. North-South cooperation remains as the core of this partnership and South-South cooperation is a useful supplement to North-South cooperation. Development financing should be enhanced with North-South cooperation serving as the main channel. Developed countries should honor their Official Development Assistance commitments, provide development assistance, and scale up their support for developing countries, especially African and Least Developed Countries. Developing countries should
further mobilize domestic resources, enhance South-South cooperation, help each other in the spirit of solidarity, and pursue common development.
Hence, we require all the provisions for evaluation, monitoring and further reformulation of approaches based on assessments and new evidence. The High Level Political Forum (HLPF), under the auspices of GA and ECOSOC, thus serves as the platform to review the follow up of sustainable development commitments and their related objectives. The UN should provide policy guidance to and coordinate among relevant international institutions, multilateral organization and treaty bodies for concerted steps to advance international development cooperation. While maintaining a country-led process, it is necessary to hear the constructive views of other stakeholders. A new global development partnership should be established for common prosperity and development. North-South cooperation remains as the core of this partnership and South-South cooperation is a useful supplement to North-South cooperation. Development financing should be enhanced with North-South cooperation serving as the main channel. Developed countries should honor their Official Development Assistance commitments, provide development assistance, and scale up their support for developing countries, especially African and Least Developed Countries. Developing countries should further enhance South-South cooperation, help each other in the spirit of solidarity, and pursue common development. To ensure a comprehensive and enhanced global partnership, the Troika would further like to underscore the importance of the interlink among the elements of the means of implementation – financing-technology transfer and capacity building in a reformed international governance to supports the implementation of SDGs at all levels.
To conclude, the troika of China, Indonesia and Kazakhstan pledges to be part of this global level for a strong and robust multilateral action, led by the United Nations.
Thank you.
by Mr.Akan Rakhmetullin Deputy Representative of the Republic of Kazakhstan
at the Sixth Meeting of the Sustainable Development Goals Open Working Group
on Means of Implementation (science and technology, knowledge-sharing and capacity building)
and
Global Partnership for Achieving Sustainable Development
New York, 9-13 December 2013
Distinguished Co-Chairs,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to speak on behalf of China, Indonesia and Kazakhstan.
Co Chairs,
The Rio+20 outcome document, The Future We Want, not only reinstated means of implementation in the existing multilateral agreements, but also reiterated the fact that the MoI are indispensable for achieving the full and effective translation of sustainable development commitments into tangible outcomes.
In our fervent view, finance, capacity building, technology transfer, trade as well as global partnership, as elements of the MoI, are interlinked and interdependent, and therefore, should not be decoupled from one another.
We are fully aware that Rio+20 mandated the Inter-governmental Committee of Experts on SD Financing to produce a report proposing options on an effective sustainable development financing strategy. However, maintaining synergy and coordination among different streams of the post Rio+20 processes is imperative, in order to ensure coherence among all of the related streams.
We are of the view that the OWG on SDGs should address this important issue, and should dedicate adequate space for members to address the key messages regarding the interlinked elements of the MoI, including its finance element. This discussion in the OWG should be further transmitted as inputs and messages to the Committee of Experts in following up their respective work.
Sustainable development and the future global ‘transformative’ development agenda share common factors, in that they both require technology transfer, knowledge sharing and capacity building. All play a key role in addressing development challenges across the cross-cutting sustainability dimensions, such as food and agriculture, water, energy, industry development, chemicals and waste management.
With regard to Science, Technology and Innovation (STI), Knowledge‐sharing and Capacity building, the Troika is of the view that these are parts of the fundamental pillars along with finance, to achieve sustainable development. Access to and use of information and knowledge are the key to adapting and making progress in today’s fast changing contemporary world. These three elements of STI and knowledge are vital especially in the developing countries and economies in transition, which depend on technology in order to shift to a more sustainable development path. The three elements enable growth with less, for a more efficient use of limited resources. Shared knowledge and capacity are thus fundamental to ensure that all will be able to participate and contribute actively and enjoy the outcomes of progress.
However, the technological gap between the developing and developed countries continues to persist. The vast disparities in the scientific capacity and the measures to enhance STI remain glaring and obvious within and between countries and regions. In this context, allow me to underscore some observations in advance of our deliberations on this issue.
First, such differences call for a more globally inclusive and cooperative thrust in the domains of science and scientific cooperation, if any significant and more durable momentum is to be noted. Cooperation in STI should based on mutual trust and respect local knowledge.
Second, presently, the environmental, economic and social challenges are most critical, and threaten to derail our desired outcomes. Therefore, every effort must be made to provide sustainable and effective know-how as well as enhanced capacity in particular for developing countries. The gains are best if the focus is directed to enhance and strengthen sectors with a high employment creation that are particularly important for supporting poverty eradication, with the active participation of people themselves, who are impacted by poverty.
Equally important is for the STI and knowledge base to create inclusiveness and linkages with all stakeholders in the production chains, in particular to the SMEs and rural sectors while taking into account the prevailing local wisdom. The sharing of scientific knowledge and the science‐policy‐society interface need to be strengthened, by giving full consideration to local communities’ and indigenous people’s knowledge systems, which should never be by-passed. Likewise, full priority should be given to translating scientific information into practical methods and policy options that can readily be integrated into regional, national and local policies, regulations and implementation plans in order to create a good synergy between the three dimensions.
To this end, South-South and Triangular cooperation can support the sharing of scientific knowledge, taking into account similar development levels of developing countries, and in the long term provide an avenue for countries to follow a path of sustainable development.
Third, open access to knowledge and the free flow of information need to be expanded in order to maximize the potential of to bridge the knowledge gaps within and among societies, facilitate economic growth and social cohesion, and promote good governance. Similarly, easy access to patent information can support R&D and innovation. It is our fervent view that the SDGs need to address the necessity of enhancing the transfer of public funded relevant technologies from developed countries, to support efforts to eradicate poverty and promote sustainable development
in developing countries. The Troika is also of the view that efforts should also be directed to establish and improve mechanisms for technology transfer. It is imperative to promote and support the R&D, dissemination and transfer of technologies that meet the actual needs of developing countries. Enhance human resources development and institutional capacity building through training, experience sharing, knowledge transfer and technical assistance.
Fourth, no development can occur without adequate funding and resources. Hence new, viable and innovative financing mechanisms are essential and need to be explored further at all levels and across sectors for STI, knowledge and data‐sharing, capacity development and green technology transfer. The desired objectives will come forth only with an increase in STI, accompanied by equal concentration in R&D, as a percentage of GDP and as a percentage of Official Development Assistance. This partnership has to be essentially reinforced by cooperation and joint efforts with a large range of key actors and stakeholders.
We, therefore, must endeavor to reach ODA targets, increase market access and provide debt relief to address the specific needs of the most vulnerable countries, namely the LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS. However, there is a discrepancy between our initial level of ambition and actual implementation. Thus, ODA is the only resort and hope for developing countries, particularly, those without sufficient access to public financing and other sources. In the least developed countries, ODA represents about half of all external financing available to close their savings gap. Yet, the 0.7 per cent of gross national income (GNI) ODA target, including the 0.15 percent to 0.20 per cent target for least developed countries, remains largely unfulfilled by the donors.
Fifth, capacity building is another key issue which is cross cutting in all dimensions of sustainable development. It is inextricably linked to funding, the science-policy-society interface, and monitoring and assessment. Our record of accomplishments thus far proves the need for sharpening capacity building skills for more relevant policy coherence and integrated approaches to sustainable development in all countries.
Sixth, in order to enhance and stimulate science and technology cooperation, we need to establish networks between scientific institutes of the developed and developing countries; including among universities, scientists, and related centres of excellences.
Furthermore, it is also important to build the knowledge hub in developing countries to accelerate sharing of information, and strengthen capacity-building and related technical cooperation.
Co-Chairs,
No development can overlook the core values of good governance, equality, including gender equality, and sustainability as the guideposts for alleviating poverty, including MDG 8 and the global partnership for development. All actions must follow the trajectory laid out in the Millennium Declaration, and those of Monterrey and Johannesburg. All of these above values, incorporated in action plans and outcome documents of important meetings, must essentially pay attention to ending poverty and promoting sustainable development. It is then obvious that the
international community must build on ODA stipulations and ensure that commitments are fulfilled, owned and led by the range of stakeholders. Development issues should be considered in a comprehensive and balanced manner. SDGs should be development-centered and people oriented with poverty eradication as the overarching objective. We should promote the realization of people’s right to development through implementing development agenda, and avoid over emphasizing human rights or coupling multilateral and bilateral development assistance with human rights indicators, democracy and good governance.
Co-Chairs,
The post 2015 effort between countries should include measures that promote the development and transfer of technology at all levels of the population, equally between women and men, in order to support the eradication of poverty and to promote sustainable development. This is especially important with regard to agricultural information and communications technologies, essential medical and pharmaceutical advances and life-changing and life-saving technologies especially for the disadvantaged populations. A vital measure to promote the development and transfer of technology is capacity-building. This needs to be done through national, regional and international efforts as well as through technical assistance and support, sharing best practices and lessons learned. The Troika would also like to reiterate the importance of technology facilitation mechanism that promotes the development, transfer and dissemination of clean and environmentally sound technologies to support the efforts to eradicate poverty and achieve sustainable development. In this regard, the Troika looks forward to the further process to establish the technology facilitation mechanism, as mandated by the Rio+20 Outcome document. It is imperative to promote and support the R&D, dissemination and transfer of technologies that meet the actual needs of developing countries. Enhance human resources development and institutional capacity building through training, experience sharing, knowledge transfer and technical assistance.
It is only an integrated global partnership with well-planned effective strategies and specific modes of implementation and strict accountability that can best address the global challenges of poverty eradication, food insecurity and malnutrition, gender inequality and climate change, among others, in the context of the post 2015 development agenda. We are of the view that this global partnership should be based on the principles of equity, sustainability, and shared responsibilities in accordance with the respective capabilities of Member States. Enhancing the global development partnership. A new global development partnership should be established for common prosperity and development. North-South cooperation remains as the core of this partnership and South-South cooperation is a useful supplement to North-South cooperation. Development financing should be enhanced with North-South cooperation serving as the main channel. Developed countries should honor their Official Development Assistance commitments, provide development assistance, and scale up their support for developing countries, especially African and Least Developed Countries. Developing countries should
further mobilize domestic resources, enhance South-South cooperation, help each other in the spirit of solidarity, and pursue common development.
Hence, we require all the provisions for evaluation, monitoring and further reformulation of approaches based on assessments and new evidence. The High Level Political Forum (HLPF), under the auspices of GA and ECOSOC, thus serves as the platform to review the follow up of sustainable development commitments and their related objectives. The UN should provide policy guidance to and coordinate among relevant international institutions, multilateral organization and treaty bodies for concerted steps to advance international development cooperation. While maintaining a country-led process, it is necessary to hear the constructive views of other stakeholders. A new global development partnership should be established for common prosperity and development. North-South cooperation remains as the core of this partnership and South-South cooperation is a useful supplement to North-South cooperation. Development financing should be enhanced with North-South cooperation serving as the main channel. Developed countries should honor their Official Development Assistance commitments, provide development assistance, and scale up their support for developing countries, especially African and Least Developed Countries. Developing countries should further enhance South-South cooperation, help each other in the spirit of solidarity, and pursue common development. To ensure a comprehensive and enhanced global partnership, the Troika would further like to underscore the importance of the interlink among the elements of the means of implementation – financing-technology transfer and capacity building in a reformed international governance to supports the implementation of SDGs at all levels.
To conclude, the troika of China, Indonesia and Kazakhstan pledges to be part of this global level for a strong and robust multilateral action, led by the United Nations.
Thank you.