Lebanon
Statement
by
Mr. Hassan Abbas
at the informal meetings of the plenary
on the process of Intergovernmental Negotiations
on the Post-2015 Development Agenda
New York, February 18, 2015
Check against deliveryLebanon aligns itself with the statement delivered by Jordan on behalf of the Arab Group and
the statement delivered by South Africa on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.
Distinguished co-facilitators,
Allow me at the outset to commend you for the commitment and patience you have shown
throughout this negotiation process, and for your commendable effort at providing the
delegations with the Elements Paper for the Declaration which should serve as a good basis
for our deliberations.
Our round of negotiations this week is an opportunity to discuss and hopefully agree on the
major elements, balance and structure of next September’s UN Summit Declaration on the
Post-2015 Development Agenda. The Declaration is an essential constituent of the Agenda. It
is the tool through which our leaders will communicate the Agenda to the people of our
planet, and declare their commitment to a set of goals and targets that will shape the
economic, social and environmental policies of our governments for the next 15 years.
In this regard, we believe that the Declaration should be ambitious, visionary and results
oriented, and while we recognize the reasoning behind the desire expressed by some
delegations for a Declaration that is brief and concise, however, such a formulation should
not affect its comprehensiveness and inclusiveness. Every nation and its people should feel
that this Declaration speaks for them, recognizes their hopes, needs and challenges, and
leaves no one behind.
The Declaration should draw on previous processes particularly the Millennium Declaration
and Rio+20. It should continue to mobilize resources to eradicate poverty and focus on
achieving sustainable development in its three dimensions. It must be universal in scope and
in implementation bringing everyone on board in the public and private spheres.
The Declaration must recognize the significance of human rights, the rule of law, good
governance, gender equality, women’s empowerment, freedom, peace, security, justice and
representative and nationally accountable institutions for the successful implementation of
this agenda.
It must acknowledge that foreign occupation is a major impediment to the economic and
social development of peoples and societies, as well as to their environment.
It should also identify climate change and environmental sustainability as a primary
challenge to humanity’s development and prosperity in the 21st Century and beyond. Any
positive strides that we might accomplish in our collective efforts to eradicate poverty and
hunger, to fight and control disease, to achieve economic growth and reduce inequality, risk
being diluted or even reversed if climate change is not tackled promptly and decisively.Distinguished co-facilitators,
When we talk about a visionary Declaration, this means that it must also address current and
emerging challenges to sustainable development, including the mass displacement of people
due to conflict, occupation, natural disasters and other consequences resulting from climate
change. In his Synthesis Report, the Secretary-General described displacement to be at its
highest level since World War II; hence the necessity to recognize its adverse impact on
development, particularly in host countries of refugees.
Finally, The Declaration should affirm the indispensability of forging a new global
partnership to secure the mobilization of all available public and private financial resources to
implement the Agenda, and the importance of building capacities in developing countries and
of technology transfer to accompany their national efforts at creating the necessary
environment to advance innovation.
It must reaffirm the High Level Political Forum as the main international framework for
follow up and review and for monitoring the implementation of the Agenda; notwithstanding
the need to improve national monitoring frameworks, and the transparency of national data
collection mechanisms through capacity building and better governance practices.
Thank you.
by
Mr. Hassan Abbas
at the informal meetings of the plenary
on the process of Intergovernmental Negotiations
on the Post-2015 Development Agenda
New York, February 18, 2015
Check against deliveryLebanon aligns itself with the statement delivered by Jordan on behalf of the Arab Group and
the statement delivered by South Africa on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.
Distinguished co-facilitators,
Allow me at the outset to commend you for the commitment and patience you have shown
throughout this negotiation process, and for your commendable effort at providing the
delegations with the Elements Paper for the Declaration which should serve as a good basis
for our deliberations.
Our round of negotiations this week is an opportunity to discuss and hopefully agree on the
major elements, balance and structure of next September’s UN Summit Declaration on the
Post-2015 Development Agenda. The Declaration is an essential constituent of the Agenda. It
is the tool through which our leaders will communicate the Agenda to the people of our
planet, and declare their commitment to a set of goals and targets that will shape the
economic, social and environmental policies of our governments for the next 15 years.
In this regard, we believe that the Declaration should be ambitious, visionary and results
oriented, and while we recognize the reasoning behind the desire expressed by some
delegations for a Declaration that is brief and concise, however, such a formulation should
not affect its comprehensiveness and inclusiveness. Every nation and its people should feel
that this Declaration speaks for them, recognizes their hopes, needs and challenges, and
leaves no one behind.
The Declaration should draw on previous processes particularly the Millennium Declaration
and Rio+20. It should continue to mobilize resources to eradicate poverty and focus on
achieving sustainable development in its three dimensions. It must be universal in scope and
in implementation bringing everyone on board in the public and private spheres.
The Declaration must recognize the significance of human rights, the rule of law, good
governance, gender equality, women’s empowerment, freedom, peace, security, justice and
representative and nationally accountable institutions for the successful implementation of
this agenda.
It must acknowledge that foreign occupation is a major impediment to the economic and
social development of peoples and societies, as well as to their environment.
It should also identify climate change and environmental sustainability as a primary
challenge to humanity’s development and prosperity in the 21st Century and beyond. Any
positive strides that we might accomplish in our collective efforts to eradicate poverty and
hunger, to fight and control disease, to achieve economic growth and reduce inequality, risk
being diluted or even reversed if climate change is not tackled promptly and decisively.Distinguished co-facilitators,
When we talk about a visionary Declaration, this means that it must also address current and
emerging challenges to sustainable development, including the mass displacement of people
due to conflict, occupation, natural disasters and other consequences resulting from climate
change. In his Synthesis Report, the Secretary-General described displacement to be at its
highest level since World War II; hence the necessity to recognize its adverse impact on
development, particularly in host countries of refugees.
Finally, The Declaration should affirm the indispensability of forging a new global
partnership to secure the mobilization of all available public and private financial resources to
implement the Agenda, and the importance of building capacities in developing countries and
of technology transfer to accompany their national efforts at creating the necessary
environment to advance innovation.
It must reaffirm the High Level Political Forum as the main international framework for
follow up and review and for monitoring the implementation of the Agenda; notwithstanding
the need to improve national monitoring frameworks, and the transparency of national data
collection mechanisms through capacity building and better governance practices.
Thank you.
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