Italy, Spain and Turkey
1
SIXTH SESSION OF THE OPEN WORKING GROUP ON
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS OF
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
New York, 9-13 Dec 2013
Statement by Turkey
Troika: Italy, Spain and Turkey
Means of implementation (science and technology, knowledge-sharing and capacity building); Global partnership for achieving sustainable development
Honorable Co-chairs,
Distinguished Members of the SDG Open Working Group,
Ladies and gentlemen,
1. I have the honor to make these remarks on behalf of the Troika composed of Italy, Spain and Turkey. I would like to thank the Co-Chairs for all their support and hard work in organizing the sixth meeting of the Open Working Group on SDGs.
2. Today we are living in a world with some 200 nation states. Cooperation, coordination and partnerships in every aspect of human related issues together with collective decision-making are therefore needed to meet global targets. While some achievements have been made, there are still potentials to fulfill aid targets, increasing market access, providing debt relief, access to information and communication technologies and meeting special needs of most vulnerable countries.
3. Means of implementation, including issues like finance, science, technology, capacity building and trade, are key tools for the achievement of sustainable development. Topics we are discussing today are partially covered under MDG 8, whose scope and range in the new post 2015 agenda should be broadened.
Distinguished Participants;
4. The topics under discussion today are critical for implementation of sustainable development policies. Technological improvements, capacity building and
2
establishing infrastructure require substantial resources. The Monterrey Consensus and the Doha Declaration, which laid the foundations for financing the Millennium Development Goals, established the fundamental set of funding instruments for development. We are convinced that these instruments remain fully valid at the present time. We must continue to deepen its implementation to achieve a global agreement on a single development funding agenda to tackle the new Objectives that will be defined in 2015.
5. Adequate financing, together with political will and good governance are key features to realize sustainable development. Thus, development financing becomes an important topic of discussion aside from fulfilling aid targets. Therefore, we look forward to mainstreaming the work of Intergovernmental Committee of Experts on Sustainable Development Financing with the OWG on SDGs.
6. As I have elaborated 10 days ago in our intervention for macroeconomic policies, realizing sustainable development can be possible with strong economy, institutional structures and adequate infrastructure. To ensure strong economy, institutional structure and adequate infrastructure in all countries, we need partnerships especially in the field of knowledge sharing and technology. Today we are living in world of ICT miracle. All states are improving their institutional and technical infrastructure for research and production. Respect to intellectual property right is important, yet networking between these infrastructures and harmonization of different networks are critical to use common knowledge and resources effectively and providing additionally. We need to find the right balance between accessibility and reward.
7. Science Technology and Innovation (STI) has a great potential to contribute to the sustainable well-being of countries. STI, already became increasingly open, collaborative and international, is the catalyst of all efforts aimed at fostering growth and socio-economic development of nations. Enabling sustainable economic growth, human development and poverty eradication requires promotion of the advances in STI capacities at all levels.
8. Though knowledge is perceived as a global public good, it is not equally accessible to all and technological gap is persistent. Major causes of these imbalances are the lack of highly skilled workforce, low investment level, uneven access to infrastructure including ICT and lack of access to reliable data sets. Low utilization of available technologies means being deprived of economic opportunities, whereas high utilization could provide an added value in areas such as resource efficiency and green growth. Therefore, SDGs should address the issue of technology transfer, information and experience sharing and should also trigger new forms of partnerships among countries as well as public and private sectors and academia.
9. All forms of partnerships i.e. global and regional cooperation as well as multilateral and bilateral partnerships should be initiated for the urgent needs of most vulnerable
3
LDCs. In that respect, it will be helpful to have a Technology Bank and Science, Technology and Innovation Supporting Mechanism dedicated to LDCs.
Distinguished Participants,
10. In the issue brief it is indicated that capacity building is inextricably linked to funding, the science‐policy-society interface, and monitoring and assessment. Deficiencies in national and administrative capacity are major bottleneck for achieving MDG’s. Strengthening national capacities refers to different levels of work according to the state of development, ranging from meeting basic needs to improving productive capacity for international trade. Yet, the requisite for strengthening human resources, strengthening national monitoring and evaluation capacities and strengthening science-policy-society interface is common for all of us at different scales.
11. Strengthened global partnership for mobilizing the means of implementation needs to promote good governance and accountability frameworks since, governance paradigm is vital for managing long term social challenges. Neither top-down government policies nor bottom-up market forces can alone support directed long-term sector-wide changes towards sustainability. They can only occur through combinations of government policies, market forces, and bottom-up initiatives from civil society. Good governance and accountability is a key for this collaborative effort.
12. Another point that I would like to raise is the need for advanced statistical capacity that will support decision making processes for the sake of horizontal and vertical equity. In that regard transparent, reliable and systematic sets of data are necessary to monitor and evaluate the process as a whole. Science-policy-society interface will guarantee the quality of such process.
Dear Participants,
13. Today, we are living in a world of trade. Globalization has diluted the state borders. Governments begin to share certain functions with private sectors and non-profit organizations. In such a world, we need different forms of cooperation to leverage the financial sources and increase the capacities. Public private partnerships could be more emphasized in near future in order to enhance multi-stakeholder engagement and dialogue and contribute to good governance.
14. International trade and foreign direct investment have a vital role in terms of technology transfer and financing as a means of implementation. Both of them require well operating institutions, rule of law, sufficient and accessible infrastructure and human capital, transparency in operations and macroeconomic stability. A global partnership should also contribute to build or support such requirements.
4
15. Another bottleneck for international trade is the non-tariff barriers. More liberal and equitable trading system would allow fair utilization of natural and economic opportunities. Countries having technological capacities and capabilities should assist the others so that the recipient countries will have an increased access to international trade network and increase their competitiveness.
16. An important source of finance for sustainable development can be generated by eliminating the environmentally harmful subsidies. These resources can be redirected in favor of the poor and the environment to be used for financing programs such as girls’ education, training for better jobs, better nutrition and clean technologies.
Distinguished Participants,
17. Last but not least, I would like to reemphasize the importance of financing sustainable development. There is a need to enhance private sector involvement in sustainable development investments. In order to leverage private finance, governments have a key role to encourage active participation of the private and financial sector by fostering the creation of an enabling environment. Additionally, for countries with a special situation, ODA is still an important source of finance and plays a catalytic role to meet the most critical needs.
18. The effective use of existing financial resources is another critical issue to be addressed. Financing architecture is generally very complex and, at times, inefficient. While there are various available resources, it is very difficult to link projects with correct and most favorable financing options. There is a need to explore ways which could help in eliminating duplication and increasing transparency and effectiveness of existing resources.
19. Moreover, sustainable development requires long term and patient investors. Having known that, short termism failed with last financial crisis, sustainability criteria should be integrated into financing assessment processes for promoting and incentivizing investments and transactions. Thus, this will also contribute to the realization of horizontal and vertical equity.
Distinguished Members,
20. For effective use of resources and increasing the effectiveness of projects, external finance should be complementary to domestic resources. For externally financed projects, increasing the role of recipient country in project formulation and prioritization will improve the decision making mechanisms and thus support effectiveness of resource utilization. Among all, development aid certainly has a crucial role for vulnerable countries in fields like health, education and food. In order to achieve this, institutional structures need to be empowered and capacity building programs should be enhanced in these countries.
5
21. Before concluding, as we have done in the previous sessions, I would like to highlight the importance credible, measurable, transparent and effective SDGs.
I thank you.
SIXTH SESSION OF THE OPEN WORKING GROUP ON
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS OF
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
New York, 9-13 Dec 2013
Statement by Turkey
Troika: Italy, Spain and Turkey
Means of implementation (science and technology, knowledge-sharing and capacity building); Global partnership for achieving sustainable development
Honorable Co-chairs,
Distinguished Members of the SDG Open Working Group,
Ladies and gentlemen,
1. I have the honor to make these remarks on behalf of the Troika composed of Italy, Spain and Turkey. I would like to thank the Co-Chairs for all their support and hard work in organizing the sixth meeting of the Open Working Group on SDGs.
2. Today we are living in a world with some 200 nation states. Cooperation, coordination and partnerships in every aspect of human related issues together with collective decision-making are therefore needed to meet global targets. While some achievements have been made, there are still potentials to fulfill aid targets, increasing market access, providing debt relief, access to information and communication technologies and meeting special needs of most vulnerable countries.
3. Means of implementation, including issues like finance, science, technology, capacity building and trade, are key tools for the achievement of sustainable development. Topics we are discussing today are partially covered under MDG 8, whose scope and range in the new post 2015 agenda should be broadened.
Distinguished Participants;
4. The topics under discussion today are critical for implementation of sustainable development policies. Technological improvements, capacity building and
2
establishing infrastructure require substantial resources. The Monterrey Consensus and the Doha Declaration, which laid the foundations for financing the Millennium Development Goals, established the fundamental set of funding instruments for development. We are convinced that these instruments remain fully valid at the present time. We must continue to deepen its implementation to achieve a global agreement on a single development funding agenda to tackle the new Objectives that will be defined in 2015.
5. Adequate financing, together with political will and good governance are key features to realize sustainable development. Thus, development financing becomes an important topic of discussion aside from fulfilling aid targets. Therefore, we look forward to mainstreaming the work of Intergovernmental Committee of Experts on Sustainable Development Financing with the OWG on SDGs.
6. As I have elaborated 10 days ago in our intervention for macroeconomic policies, realizing sustainable development can be possible with strong economy, institutional structures and adequate infrastructure. To ensure strong economy, institutional structure and adequate infrastructure in all countries, we need partnerships especially in the field of knowledge sharing and technology. Today we are living in world of ICT miracle. All states are improving their institutional and technical infrastructure for research and production. Respect to intellectual property right is important, yet networking between these infrastructures and harmonization of different networks are critical to use common knowledge and resources effectively and providing additionally. We need to find the right balance between accessibility and reward.
7. Science Technology and Innovation (STI) has a great potential to contribute to the sustainable well-being of countries. STI, already became increasingly open, collaborative and international, is the catalyst of all efforts aimed at fostering growth and socio-economic development of nations. Enabling sustainable economic growth, human development and poverty eradication requires promotion of the advances in STI capacities at all levels.
8. Though knowledge is perceived as a global public good, it is not equally accessible to all and technological gap is persistent. Major causes of these imbalances are the lack of highly skilled workforce, low investment level, uneven access to infrastructure including ICT and lack of access to reliable data sets. Low utilization of available technologies means being deprived of economic opportunities, whereas high utilization could provide an added value in areas such as resource efficiency and green growth. Therefore, SDGs should address the issue of technology transfer, information and experience sharing and should also trigger new forms of partnerships among countries as well as public and private sectors and academia.
9. All forms of partnerships i.e. global and regional cooperation as well as multilateral and bilateral partnerships should be initiated for the urgent needs of most vulnerable
3
LDCs. In that respect, it will be helpful to have a Technology Bank and Science, Technology and Innovation Supporting Mechanism dedicated to LDCs.
Distinguished Participants,
10. In the issue brief it is indicated that capacity building is inextricably linked to funding, the science‐policy-society interface, and monitoring and assessment. Deficiencies in national and administrative capacity are major bottleneck for achieving MDG’s. Strengthening national capacities refers to different levels of work according to the state of development, ranging from meeting basic needs to improving productive capacity for international trade. Yet, the requisite for strengthening human resources, strengthening national monitoring and evaluation capacities and strengthening science-policy-society interface is common for all of us at different scales.
11. Strengthened global partnership for mobilizing the means of implementation needs to promote good governance and accountability frameworks since, governance paradigm is vital for managing long term social challenges. Neither top-down government policies nor bottom-up market forces can alone support directed long-term sector-wide changes towards sustainability. They can only occur through combinations of government policies, market forces, and bottom-up initiatives from civil society. Good governance and accountability is a key for this collaborative effort.
12. Another point that I would like to raise is the need for advanced statistical capacity that will support decision making processes for the sake of horizontal and vertical equity. In that regard transparent, reliable and systematic sets of data are necessary to monitor and evaluate the process as a whole. Science-policy-society interface will guarantee the quality of such process.
Dear Participants,
13. Today, we are living in a world of trade. Globalization has diluted the state borders. Governments begin to share certain functions with private sectors and non-profit organizations. In such a world, we need different forms of cooperation to leverage the financial sources and increase the capacities. Public private partnerships could be more emphasized in near future in order to enhance multi-stakeholder engagement and dialogue and contribute to good governance.
14. International trade and foreign direct investment have a vital role in terms of technology transfer and financing as a means of implementation. Both of them require well operating institutions, rule of law, sufficient and accessible infrastructure and human capital, transparency in operations and macroeconomic stability. A global partnership should also contribute to build or support such requirements.
4
15. Another bottleneck for international trade is the non-tariff barriers. More liberal and equitable trading system would allow fair utilization of natural and economic opportunities. Countries having technological capacities and capabilities should assist the others so that the recipient countries will have an increased access to international trade network and increase their competitiveness.
16. An important source of finance for sustainable development can be generated by eliminating the environmentally harmful subsidies. These resources can be redirected in favor of the poor and the environment to be used for financing programs such as girls’ education, training for better jobs, better nutrition and clean technologies.
Distinguished Participants,
17. Last but not least, I would like to reemphasize the importance of financing sustainable development. There is a need to enhance private sector involvement in sustainable development investments. In order to leverage private finance, governments have a key role to encourage active participation of the private and financial sector by fostering the creation of an enabling environment. Additionally, for countries with a special situation, ODA is still an important source of finance and plays a catalytic role to meet the most critical needs.
18. The effective use of existing financial resources is another critical issue to be addressed. Financing architecture is generally very complex and, at times, inefficient. While there are various available resources, it is very difficult to link projects with correct and most favorable financing options. There is a need to explore ways which could help in eliminating duplication and increasing transparency and effectiveness of existing resources.
19. Moreover, sustainable development requires long term and patient investors. Having known that, short termism failed with last financial crisis, sustainability criteria should be integrated into financing assessment processes for promoting and incentivizing investments and transactions. Thus, this will also contribute to the realization of horizontal and vertical equity.
Distinguished Members,
20. For effective use of resources and increasing the effectiveness of projects, external finance should be complementary to domestic resources. For externally financed projects, increasing the role of recipient country in project formulation and prioritization will improve the decision making mechanisms and thus support effectiveness of resource utilization. Among all, development aid certainly has a crucial role for vulnerable countries in fields like health, education and food. In order to achieve this, institutional structures need to be empowered and capacity building programs should be enhanced in these countries.
5
21. Before concluding, as we have done in the previous sessions, I would like to highlight the importance credible, measurable, transparent and effective SDGs.
I thank you.