Ethiopia
STATEMENT BY H.E. TEKEDA ALEMU , AMBASSADOR, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF FEDERAL DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF ETHIOPIA TO THE UNITED NATIONS, ON THE THEME: “Sustained and inclusive economic growth, macroeconomic policy questions (including international trade, international financial system and external debt sustainability), infrastructure development and industrialization” (New York ,November 25 -27/ 2013)
Co-Chairs,
I thank you, on behalf of my delegation, for convening this fifth session of the Open Working Group of the General Assembly on Sustainable Development Goals, which deals with very serious topics indeed.
I would also like to thank the UN Technical Support Team for their excellent job in providing us with the “TST Issues Brief” which are designed to facilitate our work. I am also grateful for the contribution made by the Panelists who introduced the theme.
I would like to associate myself with the statements delivered by the Permanent Representatives of Fiji, Gabon and Benin, on behalf of the G77 and China, the African Group, and LDCs respectively. And add some points in my national capacity.
Co-Chairs,
The international community has reached a consensus that poverty eradication is the overarching global challenge, and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development. The post-2015 development goal on poverty eradication needs, in this regard, to be complemented by other interrelated goals that address the key elements for sustained growth.
There is one major issue that needs to be highlighted in this connection and that relates to the fact that few countries have managed to overcome the challenge of poverty with out industrialization. That is why it is so critical that the vision of inclusive and sustainable industrialization is brought up and front in the effort we are making to formulate the Post -2015 sustainable development goals.
As stated in to the Technical Support Team working paper, sustained economic growth requires structural and especially technological change, that is, the ability of an economy to constantly generate new and fast growing activities characterized by higher value addition and productivity. Industrial development has been historically and continues to be for most countries an important phase of their growth process, especially in the transition from predominantly agricultural economies. In the same vein, historical evidence from the advanced economies and the successful newly industrialized countries shows that the improvement of wages associated with structural change due to industrialization
helped greatly in pulling large sections of the population out of poverty.
Industrialization has a pull-effect on other sectors due to productive linkages. An expanding industrial sector enables economic diversification and fuels the demand for more and improved primary goods and services. Therefore, when considering industrial development, necessary emphasis should be given to its connectivity with agriculture and trade. While we aspire and stride to achieve a higher level of industrialization in the soonest time possible, in developing countries like ours, the agriculture sector continues to be a key area of employment generation in the coming decade. In Ethiopia’s case over 85% of agricultural land is held by small scale farmers. Therefore, we must also focus on creating jobs with greater value addition and environmental sustainability. There is just no possibility for eradicating poverty in a sustainable manner outside the context of inclusive and sustainable industrialization which coincidentally UNIDO has made its flagship.
With regard to infrastructure development, we recognize its potential to contribute to the achievement of the three dimensions of sustainable development, as enabler for sustainable development. Industrialization cannot be realized if we do not invest on infrastructure; Investment in roads, railways and energy infrastructure is critical for industrial development. This is one important area where international partnership both in terms of
financing and technology transfer matters significantly. This is confirmed by us own experience in Ethiopia.
Here we also wish to underline the role of access to affordable and modern energy sources with out which one can not realistically think of embarking in an on industrialization program. In other words, industrialization and energy supplies has to be taken in tandem and it is our conviction the same approach would be adopted in the process of formulating the goals for sustainable development.
All this Mr. Co-chars, is to emphasize that we in the developing world, and the least developed and Africa in particular, need to bring about structural transformation without which poverty can not be eradicated and for which industrialization is the indispensible element.
That is why Ethiopia feels there is a need for a stand-alone goal of industrialization in the formulation of the sustainable development goals. It is also important in our view to recognize the varying circumstances and capacities of the countries in perusing this goal and also the need to create enabling global regional and national economic environment , adequate policy space as well as sound global partnership for development with accountability and transparency.
I thank you.
Co-Chairs,
I thank you, on behalf of my delegation, for convening this fifth session of the Open Working Group of the General Assembly on Sustainable Development Goals, which deals with very serious topics indeed.
I would also like to thank the UN Technical Support Team for their excellent job in providing us with the “TST Issues Brief” which are designed to facilitate our work. I am also grateful for the contribution made by the Panelists who introduced the theme.
I would like to associate myself with the statements delivered by the Permanent Representatives of Fiji, Gabon and Benin, on behalf of the G77 and China, the African Group, and LDCs respectively. And add some points in my national capacity.
Co-Chairs,
The international community has reached a consensus that poverty eradication is the overarching global challenge, and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development. The post-2015 development goal on poverty eradication needs, in this regard, to be complemented by other interrelated goals that address the key elements for sustained growth.
There is one major issue that needs to be highlighted in this connection and that relates to the fact that few countries have managed to overcome the challenge of poverty with out industrialization. That is why it is so critical that the vision of inclusive and sustainable industrialization is brought up and front in the effort we are making to formulate the Post -2015 sustainable development goals.
As stated in to the Technical Support Team working paper, sustained economic growth requires structural and especially technological change, that is, the ability of an economy to constantly generate new and fast growing activities characterized by higher value addition and productivity. Industrial development has been historically and continues to be for most countries an important phase of their growth process, especially in the transition from predominantly agricultural economies. In the same vein, historical evidence from the advanced economies and the successful newly industrialized countries shows that the improvement of wages associated with structural change due to industrialization
helped greatly in pulling large sections of the population out of poverty.
Industrialization has a pull-effect on other sectors due to productive linkages. An expanding industrial sector enables economic diversification and fuels the demand for more and improved primary goods and services. Therefore, when considering industrial development, necessary emphasis should be given to its connectivity with agriculture and trade. While we aspire and stride to achieve a higher level of industrialization in the soonest time possible, in developing countries like ours, the agriculture sector continues to be a key area of employment generation in the coming decade. In Ethiopia’s case over 85% of agricultural land is held by small scale farmers. Therefore, we must also focus on creating jobs with greater value addition and environmental sustainability. There is just no possibility for eradicating poverty in a sustainable manner outside the context of inclusive and sustainable industrialization which coincidentally UNIDO has made its flagship.
With regard to infrastructure development, we recognize its potential to contribute to the achievement of the three dimensions of sustainable development, as enabler for sustainable development. Industrialization cannot be realized if we do not invest on infrastructure; Investment in roads, railways and energy infrastructure is critical for industrial development. This is one important area where international partnership both in terms of
financing and technology transfer matters significantly. This is confirmed by us own experience in Ethiopia.
Here we also wish to underline the role of access to affordable and modern energy sources with out which one can not realistically think of embarking in an on industrialization program. In other words, industrialization and energy supplies has to be taken in tandem and it is our conviction the same approach would be adopted in the process of formulating the goals for sustainable development.
All this Mr. Co-chars, is to emphasize that we in the developing world, and the least developed and Africa in particular, need to bring about structural transformation without which poverty can not be eradicated and for which industrialization is the indispensible element.
That is why Ethiopia feels there is a need for a stand-alone goal of industrialization in the formulation of the sustainable development goals. It is also important in our view to recognize the varying circumstances and capacities of the countries in perusing this goal and also the need to create enabling global regional and national economic environment , adequate policy space as well as sound global partnership for development with accountability and transparency.
I thank you.
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