Malaysia

Malaysia
Permanent Mission to the United Nations
STATEMENT
BY
H.E . AMBASSADOR RADZI RAHMAN
ALTERNATE PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF MALAYSIA
TO THE UNITED NATIONS
AT THE
12TH SESSION OF THE
COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
21 APRIL 2004
NEW YORK
Please check against delivery
313 East 43rd Street, New York , NY 10017 Tel: [phone] Fax [phone] E-Mail: [e-mail]
Mr. Chairman,
Allow me to begin by commending you and the Bureau for the hard work in
preparing for this first substantive session of the CSD under the new
format. It reminds us of the challenges we faced in 1993, when Malaysia
chaired the first CSD meeting after the Rio Summit . As was evident then,
the comprehensive reports prepared by the Secretary General were
central in ensuring informed deliberations and in this context, we commend
the Secretariat for the useful reports prepared for this meeting .
Mr. Chairman,
2 . Malaysia associates itself fully with the statement made by Qatar on
behalf of the Group of 77 and China . We also agree with the observation
of the Secretary General that the two years since the World Summit on
Sustainable Development is perhaps too short a time to see results .
However, we think that enough time has passed to begin to discern trends,
and we are disconcerted with what we see . Using progress in the Means
of Implementation as our litmus test, we see average official development
assistance still hovering at 0 .23 per cent of GNP ; we see protectionist
markets, and we also see continued difficulties for developing countries in
particular in accessing environmentally sound technologies . The lack of
progress in the Means of Implementation is compounded by the failure to
date, of the partnership arrangements to bring the much needed additional
resources . It is our view Mr. Chairman, that this Commission needs to
evaluate the reasons and constraints for the lack of progress in the Means
of Implementation . This will enable us to craft appropriate policy measures
at CSD 13 to ensure real progress in implementing the Johannesburg Plan
of Implementation .
3 On its part, Malaysia has put in place plans, programmes and
projects to address water, sanitation and human settlements issues . As a
result of these measures, 97 per cent of the urban population has access
to safe drinking water, with the corresponding figure being 86 per cent for
the rural population . Our water tariff structures are devised to include a
lifeline rate to ensure affordability by the poor of the minimum quantities
needed to support life and health . Malaysia expects to achieve 100 per
cent coverage by 2015 . With regard to sanitation services, we currently
have almost 100 per cent coverage in urban areas and 80 per cent in rural
areas.
4 . A National Water Resources Master Plan with a 50 years planning
horizon from 2000 to 2050 is also in place, among others, to ensure that
water catchments are protected, conserved and developed in a timely
manner to meet future needs . Last month, our water and sanitation
services were placed under one agency to strengthen coordination and
improve resource mobilization .
5 . In addition, the provision of adequate, affordable and quality houses
to all Malaysians has always been a priority with particular emphasis to the
low-income group . The Government has earmarked several funds for the
construction of low-cost houses . The prices and rental of low-cost houses
are controlled to ensure affordability . Our planning requirements oblige
private developers to allocate 30 per cent of housing developments to lowcost
homes, and to put land aside for the construction of community
amenities . Government loans at low interest rates are also made available
for the very poor to build or buy low-cost houses .
6 . In conclusion Mr. Chairman, we wish to emphasize that the
discussion on water, sanitation and human settlement issues must take
place within the development context . We must be wary of and able to
curb any tendency to descend to narrow technical discussions of concepts
and approaches that might make us miss the opportunity to contribute to
real progress .
Thank you for your attention .