Italy, Spain and Turkey
ELEVENTH SESSION OF THE OPEN WORKING GROUP ON
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
New York, 5-9 May 2014
JOINT STATEMENT FROM ITALY – SPAIN – TURKEY
Statement delivered by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation. Secretary General of International Development Cooperation
Cluster 5: Industrialization and promoting equity between nations; Sustainable cities and human settlements
Wednesday 7th May – Morning session
V.2
I have the honour to speak on behalf of Italy and Turkey.
Mister Co-Chair,
Our group agrees with the ideas reflected in these FA proposed by the Co-Chairs. Nevertheless, our group considers that Industrialization could be tackled under other Goals, such as the Goal on Inclusive Economic Growth, as a key element to accelerate transformation in a sustainable way. Also it is an issue with strong linkages with SCP or other scopes such as Energy. In any case, industrialization process must be done under the premise of sustainability and shared benefits, in order to promote structural transformation to become a real driver of development.
In relation to the proposed text, we have the following suggestions:
In item (d) the reference to developing countries could be deleted in order to make it universal.
In item (e) is highly correlated with the availability of relevant technologies. The language used here should be consistent with SCP.
In item (f) we would include the following reference: “encourage the use of environmental friendly products as well as a green approach in service sector"
For sustainable cities and human settlements, we would like to make the following suggestions:
We consider the first part of the item (b) is quite ambitious considering the amount of investment for safe, accessible and sustainable transport for all. We may replace it with the following one: "by 2030, increase the share of sustainable means of transport by x%"
Considering the calculation difficulties and methodological concerns, we propose to substitute paragraph (d) as follows: “by 2030 increase the number of cities that utilize the ecological footprint as a sustainability indicator”
In item (f), we would like to add "adequate" just after inclusive and to read the item as follow: "By 2030 enhance social cohesion and personal security and ensure universal access to inclusive, adequate and safe public spaces."
Item (g) should be read as follows; "By 2030, ensure that cities are accessible for all and offer opportunities to persons with disabilities, children and elderly."
We appreciate the inclusion of target h) concerning the protection of the worlds’ cultural and natural heritage. In this regard we wish to underline the role of culture in promoting sustainability and social cohesion, as well as sound economic growth.
We would add an additional target g): “To develop a “quality of life” indicator for cities”.
We also suggest making the following additions:
- We miss a reference on the special needs of rural areas, in where most of the development problems are more acute, and there is more need to foster an inclusive macroeconomic approach that recognizes the interdependence of urban, rural and peri-urban communities. This issue could be talked under Poverty eradication.
- We suggest adding a target related to the specific needs of vulnerable groups, such as women, disabled, and especially migrants, as most of the cities are still under the pressure of migration. In this sense, we propose the following language: “Address the specific needs of vulnerable groups, such as women, children, disabled and migrants who live in slums and suburban areas. Regarding migration, cities must adapt to migration flows through the provision of necessary shelters and basic services ".
- A specific target must be added on job opportunities for most vulnerable groups.
- On access to food, as follows: “By 2030, improve access to adequate affordable safe and nutritious food through better integration of urban, peri-urban and rural economies and markets”.
Thank you very much Mr. Co-Chair