Group of 77 and China
STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF THE GROUP OF 77 AND CHINA BY H.E.
MR. RENé ORELLANA, AMBASSADOR ON ENVIRONMENT AND
DEVELOPMENT ISSUES OF THE PLURINATIONAL STATE OF BOLIVIA,
AT THE 11TH SESSION OF THE OPEN WORKING GROUP ON
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGS) ON "SUSTAINABLE
CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION AND CLIMATE CHANGE" (New
York, 8 May 2014)
Distinguished Co-Chairs,
1. I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.
2. The Group underscores that achieving sustainable patterns of consumption and production is
fundamental to the sustainable development agenda. This view is consistent with the call made by
our political leaders more than twenty years ago at the 1992 Earth Summit.
Chapter 4 of Agenda 21 recognized that "the major cause of the continued deterioration of the
global environment is unsustainable patterns of consumption and production, particularly in
industrialized countries" and Principle 8 of the Rio Declaration urges states to reduce and
eliminate unsustainable patterns of consumption and production.
This call was subsequently reaffirmed in the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, the 2002 World
Summit on Sustainable Development, and the Rio+20 Summit, which led to the adoption of the
Ten-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns (the
"10 YFP") in 2012 at Rio.
3. As previously stated by the Group in early January of this year, there is an urgent need to change
current consumption and production patterns, including the prevention of high rates of food loss
and waste.
We express deep concern on the serious imbalanced and inequitable nature of global
consumption and call for time-bound effective implementation of the 10-Year Framework of
Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns, which is a concrete and
operational outcome of the Rio+20 Conference.
Furthermore, based on the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, developed
countries need to take the lead.
4. As previously stated, the Group reiterates that enabling conditions must be created for new and
innovative solutions by using a mix of regulatory and economic instruments, existing and new
technologies, empowerment of stakeholders and a governance structure that entails decisionmaking
founded upon inclusive and participatory approaches.
International cooperation on financing, innovation and technology transfer is essential to assist
developing countries to progress towards sustainable development goals. Furthermore, the means
of implementation should ensure that impediments to achieving sustainable consumption and
production are reduced or even removed, particularly in international agreements and trade rules.
5. In the context of the SDGs, the Group holds the view that the 10-Year Framework of
Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns should serve as a global
cooperative framework to help accelerate the shift towards sustainable patterns of consumption
and production, including sound chemical and waste management.
Making this global shift requires strong leadership from developed countries, as recognised in a
number of international declarations. With developed countries taking the lead and developing
countries following a similar pattern, we are convinced that our collective efforts could mitigate or
even reverse the damage to the global environment, thereby preserving a sustainable future for our
children.
On Climate Change
6. As the Group of 77 and China highlighted in the last session on the OWG we call once again for
your attention since the alarming average of 226 million people in the world who are affected by
disaster or natural hazards; and it has been shown that this is linked to poor policies and practices
in land-use planning, governance, urbanization, natural resource management, ecosystem
management and poverty levels. With this in mind, we would like to underscore the importance of
modifying our current model of development to one that is inclusive, equitable, risk sensitive,
adaptive and disaster risk reducing, in harmony with nature, so as to successfully address the
impacts of climate change we are facing. Disasters are preventable, therefore it is crucial that we
act while we can.
7. We understand and recall that the international community, in particular the developed countries,
need to take the lead in addressing the climate change challenge within the UNFCCC and its
principles and provisions, particularly, the principles of equity and common but differentiated
responsibilities and respective capabilities, and provide financial and technology support
to developing countries.
8. Furthermore, we urgently call for the fulfilment of the commitments made by developed countries
in the context of the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol and urge the developed
countries that are not part the second commitment period to make comparable quantified
commitments of mitigation. Developed countries have to take the lead in the solution of the climate
change crisis. Developing countries should enhance mitigation actions in the context of Common
but Differentiated Responsibilities with the respective support of means of implementation as it is
stated in the Climate Change Framework Convention.
9. There is an urgent need also to advance supporting adaptation plans and actions and a Loss
and Damage programme, a Technology Mechanism, and the establishment of the Green Climate
Fund in which developed countries have expressed their commitment to reinforce and the
International Mechanism on Loss and damage recently created in the Warsaw Decision at COP
19. There is also a need to have a clear commitment about the commitment of development
countries to mobilize 100 billion US dollars per year both for adaptation and mitigation by 2020.
We also urge developed countries to transfer technologies to developing countries, so that
developing countries will have affordable and appropriate technologies to combat climate change.
10. These elements have to be part of our approach to the issue of climate change. And it has to
be clear that it is in the context of the UNFCCC that the decisions are going to be taken.
11. To address climate change and build resilience to disaster and climate impacts, the
international community should embrace a multi-stakeholder, multi-sector approach within the
global development agenda. This requires coordinated policies and actions across all sectors and
at all levels of decision-making with all aspects of sustainable development.
12. We would like to highlight that in order to address further discussions on this issue, the Group
recognizes the inter-relationship between climate change, loss of biodiversity and desertification
and the need to intensify efforts to combat desertification and promote sustainable land
management, and stress the need for enhanced cooperation and coordination among the
Secretariats of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, UNFCCC and the
Convention on Biological Diversity, while respecting their individual mandates.
I thank you, Co-Chairs!
MR. RENé ORELLANA, AMBASSADOR ON ENVIRONMENT AND
DEVELOPMENT ISSUES OF THE PLURINATIONAL STATE OF BOLIVIA,
AT THE 11TH SESSION OF THE OPEN WORKING GROUP ON
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGS) ON "SUSTAINABLE
CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION AND CLIMATE CHANGE" (New
York, 8 May 2014)
Distinguished Co-Chairs,
1. I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.
2. The Group underscores that achieving sustainable patterns of consumption and production is
fundamental to the sustainable development agenda. This view is consistent with the call made by
our political leaders more than twenty years ago at the 1992 Earth Summit.
Chapter 4 of Agenda 21 recognized that "the major cause of the continued deterioration of the
global environment is unsustainable patterns of consumption and production, particularly in
industrialized countries" and Principle 8 of the Rio Declaration urges states to reduce and
eliminate unsustainable patterns of consumption and production.
This call was subsequently reaffirmed in the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, the 2002 World
Summit on Sustainable Development, and the Rio+20 Summit, which led to the adoption of the
Ten-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns (the
"10 YFP") in 2012 at Rio.
3. As previously stated by the Group in early January of this year, there is an urgent need to change
current consumption and production patterns, including the prevention of high rates of food loss
and waste.
We express deep concern on the serious imbalanced and inequitable nature of global
consumption and call for time-bound effective implementation of the 10-Year Framework of
Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns, which is a concrete and
operational outcome of the Rio+20 Conference.
Furthermore, based on the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, developed
countries need to take the lead.
4. As previously stated, the Group reiterates that enabling conditions must be created for new and
innovative solutions by using a mix of regulatory and economic instruments, existing and new
technologies, empowerment of stakeholders and a governance structure that entails decisionmaking
founded upon inclusive and participatory approaches.
International cooperation on financing, innovation and technology transfer is essential to assist
developing countries to progress towards sustainable development goals. Furthermore, the means
of implementation should ensure that impediments to achieving sustainable consumption and
production are reduced or even removed, particularly in international agreements and trade rules.
5. In the context of the SDGs, the Group holds the view that the 10-Year Framework of
Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns should serve as a global
cooperative framework to help accelerate the shift towards sustainable patterns of consumption
and production, including sound chemical and waste management.
Making this global shift requires strong leadership from developed countries, as recognised in a
number of international declarations. With developed countries taking the lead and developing
countries following a similar pattern, we are convinced that our collective efforts could mitigate or
even reverse the damage to the global environment, thereby preserving a sustainable future for our
children.
On Climate Change
6. As the Group of 77 and China highlighted in the last session on the OWG we call once again for
your attention since the alarming average of 226 million people in the world who are affected by
disaster or natural hazards; and it has been shown that this is linked to poor policies and practices
in land-use planning, governance, urbanization, natural resource management, ecosystem
management and poverty levels. With this in mind, we would like to underscore the importance of
modifying our current model of development to one that is inclusive, equitable, risk sensitive,
adaptive and disaster risk reducing, in harmony with nature, so as to successfully address the
impacts of climate change we are facing. Disasters are preventable, therefore it is crucial that we
act while we can.
7. We understand and recall that the international community, in particular the developed countries,
need to take the lead in addressing the climate change challenge within the UNFCCC and its
principles and provisions, particularly, the principles of equity and common but differentiated
responsibilities and respective capabilities, and provide financial and technology support
to developing countries.
8. Furthermore, we urgently call for the fulfilment of the commitments made by developed countries
in the context of the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol and urge the developed
countries that are not part the second commitment period to make comparable quantified
commitments of mitigation. Developed countries have to take the lead in the solution of the climate
change crisis. Developing countries should enhance mitigation actions in the context of Common
but Differentiated Responsibilities with the respective support of means of implementation as it is
stated in the Climate Change Framework Convention.
9. There is an urgent need also to advance supporting adaptation plans and actions and a Loss
and Damage programme, a Technology Mechanism, and the establishment of the Green Climate
Fund in which developed countries have expressed their commitment to reinforce and the
International Mechanism on Loss and damage recently created in the Warsaw Decision at COP
19. There is also a need to have a clear commitment about the commitment of development
countries to mobilize 100 billion US dollars per year both for adaptation and mitigation by 2020.
We also urge developed countries to transfer technologies to developing countries, so that
developing countries will have affordable and appropriate technologies to combat climate change.
10. These elements have to be part of our approach to the issue of climate change. And it has to
be clear that it is in the context of the UNFCCC that the decisions are going to be taken.
11. To address climate change and build resilience to disaster and climate impacts, the
international community should embrace a multi-stakeholder, multi-sector approach within the
global development agenda. This requires coordinated policies and actions across all sectors and
at all levels of decision-making with all aspects of sustainable development.
12. We would like to highlight that in order to address further discussions on this issue, the Group
recognizes the inter-relationship between climate change, loss of biodiversity and desertification
and the need to intensify efforts to combat desertification and promote sustainable land
management, and stress the need for enhanced cooperation and coordination among the
Secretariats of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, UNFCCC and the
Convention on Biological Diversity, while respecting their individual mandates.
I thank you, Co-Chairs!
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