Lesotho
a
STATEMENT
BY
THE HONODURR.-APBOLNET SM`IOON FI`S MLTEAESTROU OTMHFEO-LLOO CSEAKLA GTOLVEERNMENT
AT
PERMANENT MISSION OF THE KINGDOM
OF LESOTHO TO THE UNITED NATIONS
KHOTSONG .
204 East 39th Street
New York, N.Y. 10016
-
THE THIRTESEUNSTTHA ISNEASBSLIOE'N D OEVFE TLHOEP CMOEMNTMISSION ON
20N AEPWR YILO R20K05
Check against delivery
Mr. Chairman,
My delegation aligns itself with the statement delivered by the distinguished
representative of Jamaica on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.
As the 13`x' Session of the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) is a policy
session, it is important that we come up with clear, specific and action-oriented policy
guidelines which will facilitate enhanced implementation towards the achievement of
targets set for water, sanitation and human settlements.
In this regard, Lesotho emphasizes the integration of planning and management of
human settlements which incorporates water supply, sanitation, waste management,
education, health care services, transport, communication and other infrastructural
facilities. Human settlements are indeed the basis upon and around which all other
infrastructure must be provided. They hold great potential as socio-economic and
cultural growth centres. However, in the least developed countries, this potential is
stifled by poverty, unemployment and lack of services, particularly in unplanned
settlements.
Yet despite the odds that they face, people living in unplanned settlements have
developed survival mechanisms, such as simple burial societies and money-lending.
schemes. In designing unplanned settlements and slum-upgrading programmes, we
need to build on this ability of the people to raise funds. While these efforts must be
supported and enhanced through micro-fmance at national level, we also urge the
donor community to assist microcredit institutions in raising capital.
Mr. Chairman,
We need to recognise the important role that can be played by local authorities in the
empowerment of people. In Lesotho, we are at the dawn of empowering people as we
will be holding local government elections on 30' April, 2005. We see great potential
in local authorities' ability to mobilise the people and to foster partnership
arrangements with the central government, the civil society and the private sector in
the planning and management of human settlements.
1
Pressure is on all of us to meet the targets of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation
(JPOI) and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). With the continuous
increase in rural-urban migration, development plans must reflect upgrading of
unplanned settlements and slums, as top priority in our human settlements
progammes. These must be supported by corresponding budgetary allocations.
Least developed countries need additional support; and therefore massive
mobilisation of resources is required in fulfilment of the developed countries'
commitment under the Monterrey Consensus.. This is necessary in order to meet
efforts at national level. We subscribe to the integrated planning and management of
human settlements, -water and sanitation. The manner in which we finance these
activities must reflect this commitment at both national and international levels.
Therefore, a holistic financing approach which focuses on human settlements as
potential growth centres, is better placed to also facilitate the provision of the
necessary basic infrastructure such as water and sanitation, as opposed to the
financing of parallel individual projects.
Mr. Chairman,
The UN-Habitat has an increased responsibility to carry forward the outcomes of
CSD-13, over and above monitoring progress and assisting member states towards the
achievement of target 11 of the Millennium Developments Goals. In this regard,
adequate resources are necessary for the UN-Habitat to position itself to effectively
contribute to improved accessibility of basic services, and to continue playing the key
role in the future work of the Commission.
If energy, climate and air quality are among issues to be considered for CSD 14,
energy consumption at household level is one of the major areas presenting
development challenges, particularly in the least developed countries. Such is the
centrality of human settlements to the development process, and such is the centrality
of the people dwelling therein, to the sustainability of that process.
I thank you.
STATEMENT
BY
THE HONODURR.-APBOLNET SM`IOON FI`S MLTEAESTROU OTMHFEO-LLOO CSEAKLA GTOLVEERNMENT
AT
PERMANENT MISSION OF THE KINGDOM
OF LESOTHO TO THE UNITED NATIONS
KHOTSONG .
204 East 39th Street
New York, N.Y. 10016
-
THE THIRTESEUNSTTHA ISNEASBSLIOE'N D OEVFE TLHOEP CMOEMNTMISSION ON
20N AEPWR YILO R20K05
Check against delivery
Mr. Chairman,
My delegation aligns itself with the statement delivered by the distinguished
representative of Jamaica on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.
As the 13`x' Session of the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) is a policy
session, it is important that we come up with clear, specific and action-oriented policy
guidelines which will facilitate enhanced implementation towards the achievement of
targets set for water, sanitation and human settlements.
In this regard, Lesotho emphasizes the integration of planning and management of
human settlements which incorporates water supply, sanitation, waste management,
education, health care services, transport, communication and other infrastructural
facilities. Human settlements are indeed the basis upon and around which all other
infrastructure must be provided. They hold great potential as socio-economic and
cultural growth centres. However, in the least developed countries, this potential is
stifled by poverty, unemployment and lack of services, particularly in unplanned
settlements.
Yet despite the odds that they face, people living in unplanned settlements have
developed survival mechanisms, such as simple burial societies and money-lending.
schemes. In designing unplanned settlements and slum-upgrading programmes, we
need to build on this ability of the people to raise funds. While these efforts must be
supported and enhanced through micro-fmance at national level, we also urge the
donor community to assist microcredit institutions in raising capital.
Mr. Chairman,
We need to recognise the important role that can be played by local authorities in the
empowerment of people. In Lesotho, we are at the dawn of empowering people as we
will be holding local government elections on 30' April, 2005. We see great potential
in local authorities' ability to mobilise the people and to foster partnership
arrangements with the central government, the civil society and the private sector in
the planning and management of human settlements.
1
Pressure is on all of us to meet the targets of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation
(JPOI) and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). With the continuous
increase in rural-urban migration, development plans must reflect upgrading of
unplanned settlements and slums, as top priority in our human settlements
progammes. These must be supported by corresponding budgetary allocations.
Least developed countries need additional support; and therefore massive
mobilisation of resources is required in fulfilment of the developed countries'
commitment under the Monterrey Consensus.. This is necessary in order to meet
efforts at national level. We subscribe to the integrated planning and management of
human settlements, -water and sanitation. The manner in which we finance these
activities must reflect this commitment at both national and international levels.
Therefore, a holistic financing approach which focuses on human settlements as
potential growth centres, is better placed to also facilitate the provision of the
necessary basic infrastructure such as water and sanitation, as opposed to the
financing of parallel individual projects.
Mr. Chairman,
The UN-Habitat has an increased responsibility to carry forward the outcomes of
CSD-13, over and above monitoring progress and assisting member states towards the
achievement of target 11 of the Millennium Developments Goals. In this regard,
adequate resources are necessary for the UN-Habitat to position itself to effectively
contribute to improved accessibility of basic services, and to continue playing the key
role in the future work of the Commission.
If energy, climate and air quality are among issues to be considered for CSD 14,
energy consumption at household level is one of the major areas presenting
development challenges, particularly in the least developed countries. Such is the
centrality of human settlements to the development process, and such is the centrality
of the people dwelling therein, to the sustainability of that process.
I thank you.
Stakeholders