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 "CONSERVATION
AND SUSTAINABLE USE OF MARINE RESOURCES, OCEANS AND
SEAS & ECOSYSTEMS AND BIODIVERSITY" (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 of 77 and China believes that issues like conservation and sustainable use of
oceans and seas and their resources should be given priority, avoiding categorizing all possible
action as "urgent" as we risk missing the focus. Among those we consider to be critical we can
mention some, already included in the Rio Plus 20 outcome document, such as ocean acidification
and its impact in marine ecosystems, the need to recommit to preventing and combating illegal,
unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing so as to reach sustainable levels, the need to make the
negotiations at the WTO to discipline fisheries subsidies more expeditious, the need for capacity
building and the transfer of marine technology for science regarding the conservation and
sustainable use of the oceans and their resources. The sustainable development goals should also
refer to the access to and from landlocked developing countries to and from the oceans and seas
by all means of transportation.
3. We would like to reiterate the urgency of support and working collectively in order to prevent
ocean acidification, strengthen marine ecosystems and the communities who depend on these.
We believe that an implementation of paragraph 166 of the Rio+20 outcome document entitled
'The future we want' and relevant paragraphs of the Oceans and Law of the Sea Resolutions of the
United Nations General Assembly is necessary. But it is also necessary to draft targets without
prejudging the competence and the consideration of the issues in specific processes that are
going on, established by the General Assembly, such as the subject matter of the Ad Hoc Working
Group on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity of areas beyond national
jurisdiction.
Co-Chairs,
4.The Group would like to recall that the global awareness about the importance of forests must be
raised so as to mobilize support for sustainable and integral forest and ecosystem management
with an approach of holistic development and poverty eradication, and reinforcing its contribution
to socio-economic development and environmental sustainability. We would like to underscore that
the outcome of Río+20 also highlights the contribution of Sustainable Forest Management (SFM)
to sustainable development across all its pillars, which includes the rights of communities who live
in the forest such as indigenous peoples, peasants and rural communities. This document also
encourages the Collaborative Partnership on Forests and stakeholders to maintain their support
and engagement in the work of the Forum.
5.We would also like to emphasize the importance of biodiversity conservation, enhancing habitat
connectivity and building ecosystems resilience. We believe this must be a matter of great
importance because of the severity of the global loss of biodiversity as well as the degradation of
ecosystems, which damage global development. This in turn also affects and will keep affecting
food security and nutrition, the health of the rural poor and of people worldwide, as well as the
provision of and access to water.
6.We also recall that indigenous peoples and local communities are often the most directly
dependent on biodiversity and ecosystems and thus are often the most immediately affected by
their loss and degradation. In this regard, we reiterate our commitment to the achievement of the
three objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity, and call for urgent actions that halt and
reverse the loss of biodiversity. Therefore, we reaffirm the importance of the implementation of the
Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and the active involvement of all stakeholders in the
conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, as well as access to and the fair and equitable
sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources.
7.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. We reiterate our
call on all Parties to fully support the implementation of these Conventions in all their aspects,
including the promotion of the exchange of knowledge on best practices and lessons learned from
global and regional cooperation.
8.We call for holistic and integrated approaches to sustainable development that will guide
humanity to live in harmony with nature and lead to efforts to restore the health and integrity of the
Earth's ecosystem.
9.Finally, we recall paragraph four of Rio 20 that reads as follow: 4. We recognize that poverty
eradication, changing unsustainable and promoting sustainable patterns of consumption and
production and protecting and managing the natural resource base of economic and social
development are the overarching objectives of and essential requirements for sustainable
development. We also reaffirm the need to achieve sustainable development by promoting
sustained, inclusive and equitable economic growth, creating greater opportunities for all, reducing
inequalities, raising basic standards of living, fostering equitable social development and inclusion,
and promoting integrated and sustainable management of natural resources and ecosystems that
supports, inter alia, economic, social and human development while facilitating ecosystem
conservation, regeneration and restoration and resilience in the face of new and emerging
challenges.
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 "CONSERVATION
AND SUSTAINABLE USE OF MARINE RESOURCES, OCEANS AND
SEAS & ECOSYSTEMS AND BIODIVERSITY" (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 of 77 and China believes that issues like conservation and sustainable use of
oceans and seas and their resources should be given priority, avoiding categorizing all possible
action as "urgent" as we risk missing the focus. Among those we consider to be critical we can
mention some, already included in the Rio Plus 20 outcome document, such as ocean acidification
and its impact in marine ecosystems, the need to recommit to preventing and combating illegal,
unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing so as to reach sustainable levels, the need to make the
negotiations at the WTO to discipline fisheries subsidies more expeditious, the need for capacity
building and the transfer of marine technology for science regarding the conservation and
sustainable use of the oceans and their resources. The sustainable development goals should also
refer to the access to and from landlocked developing countries to and from the oceans and seas
by all means of transportation.
3. We would like to reiterate the urgency of support and working collectively in order to prevent
ocean acidification, strengthen marine ecosystems and the communities who depend on these.
We believe that an implementation of paragraph 166 of the Rio+20 outcome document entitled
'The future we want' and relevant paragraphs of the Oceans and Law of the Sea Resolutions of the
United Nations General Assembly is necessary. But it is also necessary to draft targets without
prejudging the competence and the consideration of the issues in specific processes that are
going on, established by the General Assembly, such as the subject matter of the Ad Hoc Working
Group on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity of areas beyond national
jurisdiction.
Co-Chairs,
4.The Group would like to recall that the global awareness about the importance of forests must be
raised so as to mobilize support for sustainable and integral forest and ecosystem management
with an approach of holistic development and poverty eradication, and reinforcing its contribution
to socio-economic development and environmental sustainability. We would like to underscore that
the outcome of Río+20 also highlights the contribution of Sustainable Forest Management (SFM)
to sustainable development across all its pillars, which includes the rights of communities who live
in the forest such as indigenous peoples, peasants and rural communities. This document also
encourages the Collaborative Partnership on Forests and stakeholders to maintain their support
and engagement in the work of the Forum.
5.We would also like to emphasize the importance of biodiversity conservation, enhancing habitat
connectivity and building ecosystems resilience. We believe this must be a matter of great
importance because of the severity of the global loss of biodiversity as well as the degradation of
ecosystems, which damage global development. This in turn also affects and will keep affecting
food security and nutrition, the health of the rural poor and of people worldwide, as well as the
provision of and access to water.
6.We also recall that indigenous peoples and local communities are often the most directly
dependent on biodiversity and ecosystems and thus are often the most immediately affected by
their loss and degradation. In this regard, we reiterate our commitment to the achievement of the
three objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity, and call for urgent actions that halt and
reverse the loss of biodiversity. Therefore, we reaffirm the importance of the implementation of the
Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and the active involvement of all stakeholders in the
conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, as well as access to and the fair and equitable
sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources.
7.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. We reiterate our
call on all Parties to fully support the implementation of these Conventions in all their aspects,
including the promotion of the exchange of knowledge on best practices and lessons learned from
global and regional cooperation.
8.We call for holistic and integrated approaches to sustainable development that will guide
humanity to live in harmony with nature and lead to efforts to restore the health and integrity of the
Earth's ecosystem.
9.Finally, we recall paragraph four of Rio 20 that reads as follow: 4. We recognize that poverty
eradication, changing unsustainable and promoting sustainable patterns of consumption and
production and protecting and managing the natural resource base of economic and social
development are the overarching objectives of and essential requirements for sustainable
development. We also reaffirm the need to achieve sustainable development by promoting
sustained, inclusive and equitable economic growth, creating greater opportunities for all, reducing
inequalities, raising basic standards of living, fostering equitable social development and inclusion,
and promoting integrated and sustainable management of natural resources and ecosystems that
supports, inter alia, economic, social and human development while facilitating ecosystem
conservation, regeneration and restoration and resilience in the face of new and emerging
challenges.
I thank you, Co-Chairs!
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