Dominican Republic
14th Session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD-14)
Statement by the Representative of the Dominican Republic
HIGH LEVEL SEGMENT
Date: 11 May 2006
Session: Making a Difference: Ministerial Dialogue with Major Groups
Delivered by: John R. Gagain Jr., Executive Director, Presidential Commission on the Millennium
Development Goals and Sustainable Development (COPDES)
www.copdes.gov.do
Permanent Mission of the Dominican Republic to the United Nations ● 144 East 44th Street, 4th Floor ● New York, NY 10017
Tel: 212-867-0833/34 ● Fax: 212-986-4694 ● Web www.un.int/dr ● Email: drun@un.int 1
PERMANENT MISSION OF
THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
TO THE UNITED NATIONS
(Translated from Spanish to English)
Thank you Mr. Chairman, I am going to be speaking in English if that is OK.
Mr. Chairman, let me first start by saying that the Dominican Republic believes that this session is quite
important. We believe that once we begin to engage with Major Groups, we begin to highlight concrete
measures and actions and challenges that are really needed to overcome and ensure a positive solution to the
energy crisis that exists in most countries.
Mr. Chairman, I think that the interventions, the presentations of the Major Groups are important in the sense
of really supporting what many governments have stated here when they talk about their interest in moving
forward with concrete actions here at the CSD-14 and on into CSD-15.
I would like to say that if we are really going to move forward we need focus more on the document and take
for example these great eight action points of the Women?s Major Group and make an effort to integrate
them into the Chairman?s Summary.
I think the CSD is not a ?talk-shop? and we are not here ?filibustering?. The fact that we are talking signifies
the need to move more towards the document to ensure concrete commitment. Mr. Chairman, last night
reading the second draft of the Chairman?s Summary, I fell asleep. And when asleep, I had a nightmare; a
nightmare that ?reliance on fossil fuels? would continue. But now we are back here in reality. We are all
awake and we know that the consensus is not that.
As we heard today in the straight talk forum of the ministers, specifically from Denmark, from South Africa,
from Bahamas and from other ministers that spoke this morning, I think the key is to really remember,
financially, what the World Bank said yesterday if we are to achieve the MDGs. Five hundred million
people, including women and children, will need access to modern energy services, and 200 billion dollars
will be needed in order to address the energy crisis and achieve the MDGs.
14th Session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD-14)
Statement by the Representative of the Dominican Republic
HIGH LEVEL SEGMENT
Date: 11 May 2006
Session: Making a Difference: Ministerial Dialogue with Major Groups
Delivered by: John R. Gagain Jr., Executive Director, Presidential Commission on the Millennium
Development Goals and Sustainable Development (COPDES)
www.copdes.gov.do
Permanent Mission of the Dominican Republic to the United Nations ● 144 East 44th Street, 4th Floor ● New York, NY 10017
Tel: 212-867-0833/34 ● Fax: 212-986-4694 ● Web www.un.int/dr ● Email: drun@un.int 2
PERMANENT MISSION OF
THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
TO THE UNITED NATIONS
So, the supposed consensus is not a consensus Mr. Chairman, it is a reality. But it?s a ?sad reality?, because
countries like the Dominican Republic have their hands tied, we rely on imported fossil fuel, 100% of the
fossil fuels in the Dominican Republic are imported, but the frank reality is that if we continue to rely on
fossil fuels in the Dominican Republic we will not achieve the MDGs. We will not achieve MDG 7, we will
not achieve the infant mortality MDG, we will definitely not achieve the targets to reduce hunger and
extreme poverty by 50%, and we will have trouble even achieving MDG 2 because, schools will continue to
have power outages, blackouts.
Mr. Chairman, I think that these points of the Major Groups is an opportunity to focus more on the
constraints and means of implementation portions of the Chairman?s Summary.
One thing I would like to highlight before we move on is what was said this morning by Denmark and that
fact that there is no single body within the U.N. System that deals with the sustainable energy, ?its task has
no home?.
Additionally, we heard the Bahamas yesterday mentioning that energy needs, what happened to HIV-AIDS,
?a champion?. For example, more antiretroviral medicine reaches more poor and is more affordable,
especially for those who are poor and suffer from the disease. In a private conversation I had yesterday with
someone from the UNDP, they stated ?energy needs a Jeffrey Sachs, someone that will be ?the champion?
for energy.
Finally, because this issue is so important on the international agenda, we would like to once again reiterate
our President?s call for a Summit of Leaders. President Leonel Fernandez hopes that leaders from all over
the world will come together and address the energy crisis, in the context of the increasing price of
petroleum.
14th Session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD-14)
Statement by the Representative of the Dominican Republic
HIGH LEVEL SEGMENT
Date: 11 May 2006
Session: Making a Difference: Ministerial Dialogue with Major Groups
Delivered by: John R. Gagain Jr., Executive Director, Presidential Commission on the Millennium
Development Goals and Sustainable Development (COPDES)
www.copdes.gov.do
Permanent Mission of the Dominican Republic to the United Nations ● 144 East 44th Street, 4th Floor ● New York, NY 10017
Tel: 212-867-0833/34 ● Fax: 212-986-4694 ● Web www.un.int/dr ● Email: drun@un.int 3
PERMANENT MISSION OF
THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
TO THE UNITED NATIONS
Finally, perhaps, putting all this together we can propose something like a U.N. High Commissioner for Energy
or Sustainable Energy, but we would need to discuss this in context of U.N. reform because I think before we add
more bureaucracy, or more positions or more departments; we need to discuss the efficiency of this institution
that we love and we are all part of.
And finally Mr. Chairman I just wanted to ask, if possible, if the Women Major Group could clarify here the last
sentence, which says ?we call for this to be reflected? in the Chair's Summary and ?the same consideration to be
given to fossil fuels?. If they could just clarify, the part, which says ?the same consideration to be given to fossil
fuels?, the Dominican Republic would appreciate it. Thank you Mr. Chairman.
***
(Texto Original)
Gracias Señor Presidente, hablaré en Inglés si esta bien.
Sr. Presidente, permítame primero comenzar diciendo que la República Dominicana entiende que esta sesión
con los Grupos Principales es muy importante. Creemos que una vez que comencemos a comprometernos
con Grupos Principales, comenzamos a subrayar medidas concretas y acciones y retos que son realmente
necesarios para superar y asegurar una solución positiva a la crisis de energía que existe en la mayoría de los
países.
Sr. Presidente, pienso que las intervenciones o las presentaciones de los Grupos Principales son importantes
en el sentido de apoyar verdaderamente lo que muchos gobiernos han declarado aquí cuando han hablado
sobre su interés en avanzar hacia adelante con acciones concretas aquí en la CDS-14 y hacia CDS-15.
Me gustaría decir que si realmente vamos a avanzar hacia adelante, necesitamos enfocarnos más en el
documento y tomar por ejemplo, los grandiosos 8 puntos de acciones del Grupo Principal de Mujeres y hacer
un esfuerzo para integrarlas dentro del resumen del Presidente.
14th Session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD-14)
Statement by the Representative of the Dominican Republic
HIGH LEVEL SEGMENT
Date: 11 May 2006
Session: Making a Difference: Ministerial Dialogue with Major Groups
Delivered by: John R. Gagain Jr., Executive Director, Presidential Commission on the Millennium
Development Goals and Sustainable Development (COPDES)
www.copdes.gov.do
Permanent Mission of the Dominican Republic to the United Nations ● 144 East 44th Street, 4th Floor ● New York, NY 10017
Tel: 212-867-0833/34 ● Fax: 212-986-4694 ● Web www.un.int/dr ● Email: drun@un.int 4
PERMANENT MISSION OF
THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
TO THE UNITED NATIONS
Pienso que CDS no es un lugar para pláticas de negocios. Y no estamos aquí para filibustear. Sr. Presidente,
anoche mientras leía el segundo borrador del Resumen del Presidente, me quedé dormido. Y cuando
desperté, había tenido una pesadilla; una pesadilla sobre que la dependencia en los combustibles fósiles iba a
continuar. Pero ahora estamos aquí de regreso en la realidad. Estamos todos despiertos. Sabemos que eso no
es un consenso.
Como escuchamos hoy en el foro directo con los ministros, especialmente aquellos de Dinamarca, Sur
África, de las Bahamas y otros ministros que hablaron esta mañana, yo pienso que la clave es recordar
realmente, que financieramente, lo que el Banco Mundial dijo ayer, es si vamos a cumplir con los ODM, 500
millones de personas incluyendo mujeres y niños, necesitarán acceso a servicios modernos de energía, y 200
billones de dólares serían necesarios para direccionar esta crisis de energía de modo que se alcancen los
ODMs.
Entonces, Sr. Presidente, el consenso no es un consenso, es una realidad. Pero es una ?triste realidad?,
porque países como la República Dominicana tienen las manos atadas, nosotros dependemos de la
importación de combustibles fósiles, 100% del combustible fósil es importado en la República Dominicana,
pero la franca realidad es que si continuamos dependiendo en los combustibles fósiles, en la República
Dominicana no vamos a alcanzar los ODM. No alcanzaremos a cumplir ODM 7, no alcanzaremos a reducir
la mortalidad infantil, definitivamente no cumpliremos con las metas de reducir la pobreza y el hambre en un
50%, así como, vamos a tener problemas incluso para alcanzar ODM 2. Las escuelas continuarán teniendo
apagones y sufrirán.
Sr. Presidente, pienso que estos puntos de los Grupos Principales son una oportunidad para concentrarnos
más en los impedimentos y medios de la implementación del documento.
Una cosa que me gustaría señalar antes de que continuemos, es que lo que dijo esta mañana Dinamarca, no
hay un sólo órgano dentro del Sistema de la ONU que trate el tema de energía sostenible, esta tema ?no tiene
casa?.
14th Session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD-14)
Statement by the Representative of the Dominican Republic
HIGH LEVEL SEGMENT
Date: 11 May 2006
Session: Making a Difference: Ministerial Dialogue with Major Groups
Delivered by: John R. Gagain Jr., Executive Director, Presidential Commission on the Millennium
Development Goals and Sustainable Development (COPDES)
www.copdes.gov.do
Permanent Mission of the Dominican Republic to the United Nations ● 144 East 44th Street, 4th Floor ● New York, NY 10017
Tel: 212-867-0833/34 ● Fax: 212-986-4694 ● Web www.un.int/dr ● Email: drun@un.int 5
PERMANENT MISSION OF
THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
TO THE UNITED NATIONS
Ayer escuchamos a las Bahamas mencionar sobre las necesidades de energía y lo que pasa con el VIHSIDA,
un campeón, más medicinas y más barato se desarrollan para los más pobres y los individuos que
sufren esta enfermedad. En una conversación privada que sostuve ayer con alguien de PNUD, ?el tema de
energía necesita un Jeffrey Sachs?, dijo. Alguien que será un campeón para la energía.
Y por último, porque este punto es tan importante para la agenda internacional, solamente me gustaría
reiterar otra vez el llamado de nuestro Presidente, él espera que los líderes de todo el mundo se unifiquen y
direccionen la crisis de energía en la creciente crisis del petróleo.
Finalmente, quizás, para resumir todo, podríamos proponer algo como una Alta Comisión sobre Energía o
Energía Sostenible, pero necesitaríamos discutir esto en el contexto de la ONU, porque pienso que antes
teníamos más burocracia, o más posiciones y más departamento. Necesitamos discutir la eficiencia de esta
institución que amamos y de la que todos formamos parte.
Y finalmente, Sr. Presidente, quisiera preguntar a las mujeres, si es posible que en su declaración, en la
segunda acción, hagan una aclaración en la última oración donde dice ?llamamos a que esto sea
reflexionado?, en el resumen del Presidente, si la misma consideración puede darse al tema de los
combustibles fósiles, la República Dominicana lo apreciará.
Gracias Sr. Presidente.
Statement by the Representative of the Dominican Republic
HIGH LEVEL SEGMENT
Date: 11 May 2006
Session: Making a Difference: Ministerial Dialogue with Major Groups
Delivered by: John R. Gagain Jr., Executive Director, Presidential Commission on the Millennium
Development Goals and Sustainable Development (COPDES)
www.copdes.gov.do
Permanent Mission of the Dominican Republic to the United Nations ● 144 East 44th Street, 4th Floor ● New York, NY 10017
Tel: 212-867-0833/34 ● Fax: 212-986-4694 ● Web www.un.int/dr ● Email: drun@un.int 1
PERMANENT MISSION OF
THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
TO THE UNITED NATIONS
(Translated from Spanish to English)
Thank you Mr. Chairman, I am going to be speaking in English if that is OK.
Mr. Chairman, let me first start by saying that the Dominican Republic believes that this session is quite
important. We believe that once we begin to engage with Major Groups, we begin to highlight concrete
measures and actions and challenges that are really needed to overcome and ensure a positive solution to the
energy crisis that exists in most countries.
Mr. Chairman, I think that the interventions, the presentations of the Major Groups are important in the sense
of really supporting what many governments have stated here when they talk about their interest in moving
forward with concrete actions here at the CSD-14 and on into CSD-15.
I would like to say that if we are really going to move forward we need focus more on the document and take
for example these great eight action points of the Women?s Major Group and make an effort to integrate
them into the Chairman?s Summary.
I think the CSD is not a ?talk-shop? and we are not here ?filibustering?. The fact that we are talking signifies
the need to move more towards the document to ensure concrete commitment. Mr. Chairman, last night
reading the second draft of the Chairman?s Summary, I fell asleep. And when asleep, I had a nightmare; a
nightmare that ?reliance on fossil fuels? would continue. But now we are back here in reality. We are all
awake and we know that the consensus is not that.
As we heard today in the straight talk forum of the ministers, specifically from Denmark, from South Africa,
from Bahamas and from other ministers that spoke this morning, I think the key is to really remember,
financially, what the World Bank said yesterday if we are to achieve the MDGs. Five hundred million
people, including women and children, will need access to modern energy services, and 200 billion dollars
will be needed in order to address the energy crisis and achieve the MDGs.
14th Session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD-14)
Statement by the Representative of the Dominican Republic
HIGH LEVEL SEGMENT
Date: 11 May 2006
Session: Making a Difference: Ministerial Dialogue with Major Groups
Delivered by: John R. Gagain Jr., Executive Director, Presidential Commission on the Millennium
Development Goals and Sustainable Development (COPDES)
www.copdes.gov.do
Permanent Mission of the Dominican Republic to the United Nations ● 144 East 44th Street, 4th Floor ● New York, NY 10017
Tel: 212-867-0833/34 ● Fax: 212-986-4694 ● Web www.un.int/dr ● Email: drun@un.int 2
PERMANENT MISSION OF
THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
TO THE UNITED NATIONS
So, the supposed consensus is not a consensus Mr. Chairman, it is a reality. But it?s a ?sad reality?, because
countries like the Dominican Republic have their hands tied, we rely on imported fossil fuel, 100% of the
fossil fuels in the Dominican Republic are imported, but the frank reality is that if we continue to rely on
fossil fuels in the Dominican Republic we will not achieve the MDGs. We will not achieve MDG 7, we will
not achieve the infant mortality MDG, we will definitely not achieve the targets to reduce hunger and
extreme poverty by 50%, and we will have trouble even achieving MDG 2 because, schools will continue to
have power outages, blackouts.
Mr. Chairman, I think that these points of the Major Groups is an opportunity to focus more on the
constraints and means of implementation portions of the Chairman?s Summary.
One thing I would like to highlight before we move on is what was said this morning by Denmark and that
fact that there is no single body within the U.N. System that deals with the sustainable energy, ?its task has
no home?.
Additionally, we heard the Bahamas yesterday mentioning that energy needs, what happened to HIV-AIDS,
?a champion?. For example, more antiretroviral medicine reaches more poor and is more affordable,
especially for those who are poor and suffer from the disease. In a private conversation I had yesterday with
someone from the UNDP, they stated ?energy needs a Jeffrey Sachs, someone that will be ?the champion?
for energy.
Finally, because this issue is so important on the international agenda, we would like to once again reiterate
our President?s call for a Summit of Leaders. President Leonel Fernandez hopes that leaders from all over
the world will come together and address the energy crisis, in the context of the increasing price of
petroleum.
14th Session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD-14)
Statement by the Representative of the Dominican Republic
HIGH LEVEL SEGMENT
Date: 11 May 2006
Session: Making a Difference: Ministerial Dialogue with Major Groups
Delivered by: John R. Gagain Jr., Executive Director, Presidential Commission on the Millennium
Development Goals and Sustainable Development (COPDES)
www.copdes.gov.do
Permanent Mission of the Dominican Republic to the United Nations ● 144 East 44th Street, 4th Floor ● New York, NY 10017
Tel: 212-867-0833/34 ● Fax: 212-986-4694 ● Web www.un.int/dr ● Email: drun@un.int 3
PERMANENT MISSION OF
THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
TO THE UNITED NATIONS
Finally, perhaps, putting all this together we can propose something like a U.N. High Commissioner for Energy
or Sustainable Energy, but we would need to discuss this in context of U.N. reform because I think before we add
more bureaucracy, or more positions or more departments; we need to discuss the efficiency of this institution
that we love and we are all part of.
And finally Mr. Chairman I just wanted to ask, if possible, if the Women Major Group could clarify here the last
sentence, which says ?we call for this to be reflected? in the Chair's Summary and ?the same consideration to be
given to fossil fuels?. If they could just clarify, the part, which says ?the same consideration to be given to fossil
fuels?, the Dominican Republic would appreciate it. Thank you Mr. Chairman.
***
(Texto Original)
Gracias Señor Presidente, hablaré en Inglés si esta bien.
Sr. Presidente, permítame primero comenzar diciendo que la República Dominicana entiende que esta sesión
con los Grupos Principales es muy importante. Creemos que una vez que comencemos a comprometernos
con Grupos Principales, comenzamos a subrayar medidas concretas y acciones y retos que son realmente
necesarios para superar y asegurar una solución positiva a la crisis de energía que existe en la mayoría de los
países.
Sr. Presidente, pienso que las intervenciones o las presentaciones de los Grupos Principales son importantes
en el sentido de apoyar verdaderamente lo que muchos gobiernos han declarado aquí cuando han hablado
sobre su interés en avanzar hacia adelante con acciones concretas aquí en la CDS-14 y hacia CDS-15.
Me gustaría decir que si realmente vamos a avanzar hacia adelante, necesitamos enfocarnos más en el
documento y tomar por ejemplo, los grandiosos 8 puntos de acciones del Grupo Principal de Mujeres y hacer
un esfuerzo para integrarlas dentro del resumen del Presidente.
14th Session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD-14)
Statement by the Representative of the Dominican Republic
HIGH LEVEL SEGMENT
Date: 11 May 2006
Session: Making a Difference: Ministerial Dialogue with Major Groups
Delivered by: John R. Gagain Jr., Executive Director, Presidential Commission on the Millennium
Development Goals and Sustainable Development (COPDES)
www.copdes.gov.do
Permanent Mission of the Dominican Republic to the United Nations ● 144 East 44th Street, 4th Floor ● New York, NY 10017
Tel: 212-867-0833/34 ● Fax: 212-986-4694 ● Web www.un.int/dr ● Email: drun@un.int 4
PERMANENT MISSION OF
THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
TO THE UNITED NATIONS
Pienso que CDS no es un lugar para pláticas de negocios. Y no estamos aquí para filibustear. Sr. Presidente,
anoche mientras leía el segundo borrador del Resumen del Presidente, me quedé dormido. Y cuando
desperté, había tenido una pesadilla; una pesadilla sobre que la dependencia en los combustibles fósiles iba a
continuar. Pero ahora estamos aquí de regreso en la realidad. Estamos todos despiertos. Sabemos que eso no
es un consenso.
Como escuchamos hoy en el foro directo con los ministros, especialmente aquellos de Dinamarca, Sur
África, de las Bahamas y otros ministros que hablaron esta mañana, yo pienso que la clave es recordar
realmente, que financieramente, lo que el Banco Mundial dijo ayer, es si vamos a cumplir con los ODM, 500
millones de personas incluyendo mujeres y niños, necesitarán acceso a servicios modernos de energía, y 200
billones de dólares serían necesarios para direccionar esta crisis de energía de modo que se alcancen los
ODMs.
Entonces, Sr. Presidente, el consenso no es un consenso, es una realidad. Pero es una ?triste realidad?,
porque países como la República Dominicana tienen las manos atadas, nosotros dependemos de la
importación de combustibles fósiles, 100% del combustible fósil es importado en la República Dominicana,
pero la franca realidad es que si continuamos dependiendo en los combustibles fósiles, en la República
Dominicana no vamos a alcanzar los ODM. No alcanzaremos a cumplir ODM 7, no alcanzaremos a reducir
la mortalidad infantil, definitivamente no cumpliremos con las metas de reducir la pobreza y el hambre en un
50%, así como, vamos a tener problemas incluso para alcanzar ODM 2. Las escuelas continuarán teniendo
apagones y sufrirán.
Sr. Presidente, pienso que estos puntos de los Grupos Principales son una oportunidad para concentrarnos
más en los impedimentos y medios de la implementación del documento.
Una cosa que me gustaría señalar antes de que continuemos, es que lo que dijo esta mañana Dinamarca, no
hay un sólo órgano dentro del Sistema de la ONU que trate el tema de energía sostenible, esta tema ?no tiene
casa?.
14th Session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD-14)
Statement by the Representative of the Dominican Republic
HIGH LEVEL SEGMENT
Date: 11 May 2006
Session: Making a Difference: Ministerial Dialogue with Major Groups
Delivered by: John R. Gagain Jr., Executive Director, Presidential Commission on the Millennium
Development Goals and Sustainable Development (COPDES)
www.copdes.gov.do
Permanent Mission of the Dominican Republic to the United Nations ● 144 East 44th Street, 4th Floor ● New York, NY 10017
Tel: 212-867-0833/34 ● Fax: 212-986-4694 ● Web www.un.int/dr ● Email: drun@un.int 5
PERMANENT MISSION OF
THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
TO THE UNITED NATIONS
Ayer escuchamos a las Bahamas mencionar sobre las necesidades de energía y lo que pasa con el VIHSIDA,
un campeón, más medicinas y más barato se desarrollan para los más pobres y los individuos que
sufren esta enfermedad. En una conversación privada que sostuve ayer con alguien de PNUD, ?el tema de
energía necesita un Jeffrey Sachs?, dijo. Alguien que será un campeón para la energía.
Y por último, porque este punto es tan importante para la agenda internacional, solamente me gustaría
reiterar otra vez el llamado de nuestro Presidente, él espera que los líderes de todo el mundo se unifiquen y
direccionen la crisis de energía en la creciente crisis del petróleo.
Finalmente, quizás, para resumir todo, podríamos proponer algo como una Alta Comisión sobre Energía o
Energía Sostenible, pero necesitaríamos discutir esto en el contexto de la ONU, porque pienso que antes
teníamos más burocracia, o más posiciones y más departamento. Necesitamos discutir la eficiencia de esta
institución que amamos y de la que todos formamos parte.
Y finalmente, Sr. Presidente, quisiera preguntar a las mujeres, si es posible que en su declaración, en la
segunda acción, hagan una aclaración en la última oración donde dice ?llamamos a que esto sea
reflexionado?, en el resumen del Presidente, si la misma consideración puede darse al tema de los
combustibles fósiles, la República Dominicana lo apreciará.
Gracias Sr. Presidente.
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