Intervention of Saudi Arabia
By Aysar Tayeb
2nd Prep-Com for Rio+20
UN Headquarters, New York,
7-8 March 2011
Saudi Arabia Supports G77 Statements
Green Economy
As I did not get a chance to make an intervention yesterday, I would like
to provide additional reflection on Green Economy.
· We agree with the G77 that there is a lot of ambiguity on what this
Green Economy is, and more importantly, what is the intention of
the introduction of this idea.
· The point to be stressed, it that this title should not a mean to
follow for a new approach that breaks the balance of the three
pillars of sustainable development, and lean towards environment
at the expense of economic and social development.
· This should not also be a tool for trade protectionism
· Can this approach Green Economy be a tool for sustainable
development? Can the architects of this approach prove that it can
be implemented without compromising energy and food security?
This is yet to be seen.
· It is thus not possible to endorse this Green Economy approach in
light of all these concerns.
· We heard interesting views about this Green Economy. From some
perspectives, it was a Blue Economy. And perhaps other colors and
shades are also present.
· The differentiation between developed and developing countries,
as enshrined in the Rio Principles, and the wide divergence
between different levels of development and poverty, as well as
the varying access to natural resources, all these factors and more,
command that there has to be different colors and shades of
economy.
