Group of 77 and China
+
REMARKS ON BEHALF OF THE GROUP OF 77 AND CHINA BY THE REPRESENTATIVE OF SOUTH AFRICA AT THE HIGH-LEVEL POLITICAL FORUM ON THE SAMOA PATHWAY: TRANSLATING VISION INTO ACTION (Trusteeship Council, 1 July 2015)
Mr President,
The Group would like to thank you for putting the issue of the implementation of the SAMOA Pathway on the agenda of the HLPF and thus ensuring the forum’s engagement on it.
In addressing the task at hand, which is, translating the vision of the SAMOA Pathway into action, the Group would like to raise the following points:
Firstly, the Group of 77 and China believes that it is crucial that we keep reaffirming the special case of Small Island Developing States for sustainable development. This reaffirmation is an important aspect towards real recognition of the unique and particular challenges faced by SIDS, and targeted action therein in addressing those persistent challenges. This includes orienting the United Nations system to best support SIDS in their development, as called for through a comprehensive review of UN system support for SIDS.
The second point we would like to raise, Mr President, is that translating the vision of the SAMOA Pathway into tangible action requires dedicated commitment towards implementation. The specific challenges faced by SIDS necessitate particular and specific concrete actions as called for in the SAMOA Pathway. It is in this context that we stress the need for a thorough assessment of the implementation of the outcome in this fora through highlighting what has been provided in terms of capacity building and the provision of requisite means of implementation to effect the sustainable development of SIDS.
A third point we would like to raise relates to the issue of global development partnership. We need to reinvigorate global partnership in support of sustainable development. We maintain that North-South cooperation is the core of this partnership and South-South cooperation is a complement to North-South cooperation. We recognize that concrete, genuine and durable partnerships will also play an important role in advancing sustainable development. It is also of critical importance that building durable partnerships is informed by the priorities of SIDS and that the Partnership Framework being developed for SIDS will monitor the full implementation of pledges and commitments through partnerships for SIDS and ensure new partnerships are launched to address their Sustainable development needs.
This platform, the HLPF, can be a useful mechanism for assessing the efficacy and durability of the partnerships we build to assist the SIDS.
In fulfilling its mandate of following up and reviewing progress in the implementation of sustainable development commitments, the HLPF has an important role to play in addressing the particular development challenges faced by SIDS. Within the UN system, it can serve as a useful platform to improve coordination of efforts aimed at assisting sustainable development of SIDS. It can also assist and promote the sharing of best practices and lessons learnt, and promote system-wide coherence of sustainable development policies.
The added significance of the HLPF in addressing the challenges of the SIDS in sustainable development lies in its mandate to conduct regular reviews on the follow up and implementation of sustainable development commitments and objectives. In this regard, the HLPF can help ensure that the vision for the sustainable development of the SIDS that is spelt out in the outcomes of the Barbados Programme of Action, the Mauritius Strategy and the Samoa Pathway is translated into concrete action and that its implementation is also linked to the follow up of the Post 2015 development agenda and other related processes.
Thank you
REMARKS ON BEHALF OF THE GROUP OF 77 AND CHINA BY THE REPRESENTATIVE OF SOUTH AFRICA AT THE HIGH-LEVEL POLITICAL FORUM ON THE SAMOA PATHWAY: TRANSLATING VISION INTO ACTION (Trusteeship Council, 1 July 2015)
Mr President,
The Group would like to thank you for putting the issue of the implementation of the SAMOA Pathway on the agenda of the HLPF and thus ensuring the forum’s engagement on it.
In addressing the task at hand, which is, translating the vision of the SAMOA Pathway into action, the Group would like to raise the following points:
Firstly, the Group of 77 and China believes that it is crucial that we keep reaffirming the special case of Small Island Developing States for sustainable development. This reaffirmation is an important aspect towards real recognition of the unique and particular challenges faced by SIDS, and targeted action therein in addressing those persistent challenges. This includes orienting the United Nations system to best support SIDS in their development, as called for through a comprehensive review of UN system support for SIDS.
The second point we would like to raise, Mr President, is that translating the vision of the SAMOA Pathway into tangible action requires dedicated commitment towards implementation. The specific challenges faced by SIDS necessitate particular and specific concrete actions as called for in the SAMOA Pathway. It is in this context that we stress the need for a thorough assessment of the implementation of the outcome in this fora through highlighting what has been provided in terms of capacity building and the provision of requisite means of implementation to effect the sustainable development of SIDS.
A third point we would like to raise relates to the issue of global development partnership. We need to reinvigorate global partnership in support of sustainable development. We maintain that North-South cooperation is the core of this partnership and South-South cooperation is a complement to North-South cooperation. We recognize that concrete, genuine and durable partnerships will also play an important role in advancing sustainable development. It is also of critical importance that building durable partnerships is informed by the priorities of SIDS and that the Partnership Framework being developed for SIDS will monitor the full implementation of pledges and commitments through partnerships for SIDS and ensure new partnerships are launched to address their Sustainable development needs.
This platform, the HLPF, can be a useful mechanism for assessing the efficacy and durability of the partnerships we build to assist the SIDS.
In fulfilling its mandate of following up and reviewing progress in the implementation of sustainable development commitments, the HLPF has an important role to play in addressing the particular development challenges faced by SIDS. Within the UN system, it can serve as a useful platform to improve coordination of efforts aimed at assisting sustainable development of SIDS. It can also assist and promote the sharing of best practices and lessons learnt, and promote system-wide coherence of sustainable development policies.
The added significance of the HLPF in addressing the challenges of the SIDS in sustainable development lies in its mandate to conduct regular reviews on the follow up and implementation of sustainable development commitments and objectives. In this regard, the HLPF can help ensure that the vision for the sustainable development of the SIDS that is spelt out in the outcomes of the Barbados Programme of Action, the Mauritius Strategy and the Samoa Pathway is translated into concrete action and that its implementation is also linked to the follow up of the Post 2015 development agenda and other related processes.
Thank you
Stakeholders