Thank You, Mr. Co-chair for giving me the floor. Let me also congratulate the
two co-chairs for their election. I wish them all the best for their future work.
At the outset allow me to thank the two co-facilitators who have worked very
hard over the last days to reach agreement on all issues related to the
organisation of this first formal meeting of the group.
Let me also associate myself with the statement made by France, which is
chairing the French-German-Swiss team in the Open Working Group in the
month of March.
Germany is very committed to contribute to the work of the Open Working
Group on Sustainable Development Goals and keen to start the substantial
work. We have the task to deliver no less than a meaningful contribution on how
our countries, our economies and our societies may prosper sustainably in the
decades to come. We will need courage and inspiration to create the future we
want.
Development can only be sustainable if all three dimensions of sustainability are
taken into account on equal footing. Today there is no doubt that sustainable
development concerns all of us, not merely the South or merely the North.
Eradicating poverty, improving the living conditions worldwide and securing the
planet's ecosystem services are the great challenges of the future. They are
interlinked and must no longer be treated in isolation. Their growing
interdependencies require a much more holistic approach to development than
the one we practiced in the past.
Let me mention three key aspects, which we need to address in our future work:
First: These new goals are going to be universal and valid for all countries, yet
they need to be meaningful and applicable for each and every individual state.
They need to reflect all three dimensions of sustainability in an appropriate
manner, yet be concise and easy to communicate. And we need to have them
measured so that we can see the progress.
Second: We also need to take into account the interlinkages between different
sectors, for example between water, energy and food.
Third: We need convergence. We need to merge the post-MDG-process and
the SDG-process. As the SDGs are supposed to be integrated in the
overarching post-2015-UN development agenda, both processes must be
coordinated and dealt with as one process as early as possible. The world
needs one set of goals to respond to the global challenges of poverty
eradication and sustainable development. These goals are going to address all
countries worldwide. And: A strong national commitment for sustainable
development in every country is key to cope with the global challenges we are
facing today.
Mr. Chairman, let me also stress the importance of stakeholder participation.
Effective and innovative participation mechanisms are of utmost importance to
give them visibility and make their voice heard. I am convinced that input from
stakeholders and experts will enrich our discussions and contribute to our work
substantially.
To conclude let me remind us all that a historic chance is given to us here: to
jointly elaborate a strategic document that will globally serve as a guide for
sustainable development. It is in this spirit that I want to encourage us all to do
start our substantive work and fulfil the task given to us by our heads of state
and government in Rio - to submit a proposal for SDGs to the General
Assembly in autumn next year.
I wish us all fruitful discussions today and a successful work in the months
ahead.
Thank you.
