Norway
NORWAY
Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD)
IPM - New York 23 ? 27 February 2009
Africa
In spite of recent economic growth in many countries in Africa, poverty continues to be
Africa?s overwhelming sustainable development challenge.
Most of the poor people in Africa depend on the agricultural sector. Yet, the majority of the
rural population lives in the informal sector. We have heard numerous times this week that
secure tenure is necessary for people to empower themselves and we would underline that this
is vital to ensure people?s right to food. Norway would like to highlight the three main pillars
in the guidelines for tenure adapted by the Economic Commission for Africa in September
2008:
o Equitable access to land
o Improved governance in the land sector and
o Reduction of land related conflicts
These guidelines, if applied by African governments, will promote sustainable development
and may help lift their rural population out of poverty. Empowerment of women will be
crucial for this to succeed.
Climate change is another threat to sustainable development in marginalised areas of Africa.
Financing for adaptation must go beyond regular ODA. The huge costs require new funding
mechanisms. Norway has proposed international auctioning of emission allowances to
substantially increase financing for i.a. adaptation in developing countries. Auctioning 2 % of
international allowances may generate an annual income of USD15-25 billion, providing a
substantial share of the amount needed for adaptation in developing countries.
The potential of economic growth in Africa is closely linked to natural resources, including
agriculture. To ensure pro-poor growth, transparency of revenues must be strengthened to
ensure that population at large benefits. In this respect, the Extractive Industries
Transparency Initiative and other related sources could be crucial entry points of technical
advice for African Governments.
Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD)
IPM - New York 23 ? 27 February 2009
Africa
In spite of recent economic growth in many countries in Africa, poverty continues to be
Africa?s overwhelming sustainable development challenge.
Most of the poor people in Africa depend on the agricultural sector. Yet, the majority of the
rural population lives in the informal sector. We have heard numerous times this week that
secure tenure is necessary for people to empower themselves and we would underline that this
is vital to ensure people?s right to food. Norway would like to highlight the three main pillars
in the guidelines for tenure adapted by the Economic Commission for Africa in September
2008:
o Equitable access to land
o Improved governance in the land sector and
o Reduction of land related conflicts
These guidelines, if applied by African governments, will promote sustainable development
and may help lift their rural population out of poverty. Empowerment of women will be
crucial for this to succeed.
Climate change is another threat to sustainable development in marginalised areas of Africa.
Financing for adaptation must go beyond regular ODA. The huge costs require new funding
mechanisms. Norway has proposed international auctioning of emission allowances to
substantially increase financing for i.a. adaptation in developing countries. Auctioning 2 % of
international allowances may generate an annual income of USD15-25 billion, providing a
substantial share of the amount needed for adaptation in developing countries.
The potential of economic growth in Africa is closely linked to natural resources, including
agriculture. To ensure pro-poor growth, transparency of revenues must be strengthened to
ensure that population at large benefits. In this respect, the Extractive Industries
Transparency Initiative and other related sources could be crucial entry points of technical
advice for African Governments.
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