Statement By
H.E. Mr. Robert G. Aisi
Permanent Representative of the
Independent State of Papua New Guinea
to the United Nations and
Chair of The Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS)
to the United Nations
Pacific Troika Intervention on Focus Areas 15 and 16
on Means of Implementation/Global Partnership for Sustainable Development
and Peaceful and Inclusive Societies, Rule of Law and Capable Institutions
at the Eleventh Session of the OWG on SDGs
9 May 2014, New York
“Check against delivery”
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Co-Chair,
I am speaking on behalf of the Pacific OWG Troika of Nauru, Palau and my own country, Papua New Guinea on Focus Areas 15 and 16.
We are pleased to be joined in this intervention by the 9 other Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS) represented at the UN, namely, the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu as well as our neighbour, Timor-Leste.
We note the statements on these Focus Areas to be made later by Nauru as Chair of AOSIS and delivered earlier by Bolivia as Chair of G77 and China.
Co-Chair,
On Focus Area 15, this is a critically important cornerstone that will determine the success of the set of new global post-2015 SDGs we establish.
It is therefore imperative and incumbent on us, collectively, to ensure a right mix of MOI that are practical and meaningfully applicable to all countries to ensure attaining the transformative sustainable development agenda we all want.
In this context, we welcome the key MOI identified including trade, technology applications, financing and debt sustainability, capacity building and enhanced global partnerships.
Whilst we are generally supportive of targets "a" to "c" under the MOI for trade, the targets should however, be geared towards reforming by 2020 the multilateral trade system to foster equality and fairness among trade partners and recognize the need for special and differential treatment of developing countries, especially those in special situations, including SIDS.
We would also encourage the inclusion of aid for trade as a core element under this target area, which appears to be absent in the current working document.
On technology transfer and technological capabilities targets "d", "e", "g" and "h", these are game-changers for us. However, we would strengthen target "e" by not merely promoting technology transfer but rather reformulating it to read; establish and support relevant mechanism for transfer and dissemination of clean and environmentally sound, affordable and appropriate technologies to developing countries.
On financing and debt sustainability target "i", we propose the following language to make it more action-oriented; ensure adequate financing for development, building on the Monterrey Consensus, with special emphasis on the needs of countries in special situations and ensuring full implementation by developed countries of ODA commitments on agreed timetable based on agreed principles.
Co-Chair,
Under capacity building targets, this is of critical importance to us. National ownership of institutional building and structural reforms are pertinent for the use of country systems and promotes the retention of knowledge in all forms. We therefore continue to strongly advocate for prominence to be accorded to financial and technical assistance, where appropriate, for our national institutional capacity building that is complemented by human resources capacity strengthening. This provides a solid foundation for sustainable development.
To this end, under target "r" on data collation and management for national development policy formulation, decision-making and implementation, we suggest its rewording to read as follows; substantially strengthen institutional building and human capacities with financial and technical assistance from sources, where appropriate, disaggregated quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis for sustainable development that is timely and of high-quality.
On strengthened global partnership for sustainable development in the post-2015 development agenda, we welcome targets "u" and "v". However, the global community must build on lessons learnt from the existing internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goal 8 on Partnership.
Partnerships in all their forms should be utilized, enhanced and strengthened to ensure all stakeholders meaningful engagement and to achieve the vision of self-reliance and deliver quality outcomes for our peoples and nations. The partnership however, should be genuine and durable and also based on mutual trust, equality, respect and accountability.
Co-Chair,
On Focus Area 16, we welcome its reframing as ‘Peaceful and inclusive societies, rule of law and capable institutions’, and note that this now better reflects the issues that have been raised in discussions as we continue to build consensus on this area.
We suggest that a goal framed around peaceful and inclusive societies could be underpinned by measurable and action-oriented targets that focus on strengthening the capacity of national institutions to ensure their effectiveness, accountability and inclusiveness.
Specifically we prioritise:
Target (c) under the sub-heading ‘creating peaceful and inclusive societies’ but feel this could be strengthened to read ‘ensure people from all social groups can participate in and affect political processes and decision at national, sub-national and local levels’.
Target (e) under the sub-heading ‘creating peaceful and inclusive societies’ which talks to ‘planned and managed migration policies’ but we feel this could be better framed by focusing on the issue of displaced people from all forms of shocks, including: natural disasters, conflict, climate change and other social, economic or environmental disturbances.
Co-Chair,
Target (c) under the sub-heading ‘Rule of law, capable institutions’ could be strengthened by rewording to state ‘People from all social groups have access to and confidence in the provision of effective, accountable and impartial public services’.
To aid in the measurement of target (d) we suggest re-wording to read ‘ensure access to people from all social groups to information on public finance management, public procurement and the implementation of national development plans’.
On target (e), this be re-worded to read ‘reduce illicit financial flows by x% and recover at least y% of illicit financial flows by 2030’.
Co-Chair,
In closing, we reiterate that this is a universal agenda. Every country is susceptible to social, economic and environmental stresses, and benefit from capable and responsive national institutions. Capable and responsive national institutions provide the basis for peaceful and inclusive societies, which in turn contribute to poverty eradication and sustainable development.
I thank you.
