Sierra Leone
STATEMENT
by
Dr. Joseph Sam Sesay
Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security
at the
United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development
(Rio+20)
Rio de Janeiro, 22 June 2012
Check Against Delivery
Madame President,
Excellencies
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen!
Allow me on behalf of the Government and People of the Republic
of Sierra Leone, extend our gratitude to you Madam President and,
through you, to the Government and people of Brazil for hosting
this conference, and for the warm and excellent hospitality
accorded to our delegation.
We appreciate the time and effort of all governments, nongovernmental
organizations, civil society, the private sector and all
people who, in diverse ways, have contributed to the organization
of and participated in this second Rio Conference twenty years
after.
Sierra Leone is gratified to be part of this Rio conference aimed at
renewing our collective political commitment by firming up a plan
of action that seeks to provide guidance on goals, tools, institutional
reforms, technological cooperation and other means of
implementation designed to set us firmly on a sustainable path to
development.
My delegation aligns itself with the statement made by H. E. Denis
Sassou Nguesso, President of the Republic of Congo, which is in
consonance with the priorities defined by the African Union
Summit and NEPAD as reflected in Africa’s Common Position on
Sustainable Development.
Madame President,
It is encouraging to note that despite many challenges, the
Preparatory Committee can come out with a consensus on the
process for our common vision of “the future we want”.
In reaffirming the Rio principles signed in 1992, including the Rio
Declaration on Environment and Development and Agenda 21, the
Plan of Implementation of the World summit on Sustainable
Development, agreed to in Johannesburg in 2002, the Barbados
Programme of Action and the Mauritius Strategy for
Implementation, full implementation of the Istanbul Programme of
Action for Least Developed Countries, the Almaty Programme of
Action for Landlocked Developing Countries, the Political
Declaration on Africa’s development needs, and the New
Partnership for Africa’s Development; we should in that regard,
put into action our firm commitment to implementation,
development cooperation and partnerships required to achieve
progress. In that context, we must recognize the need for urgent
concerted actions to restore and sustain the ability of the Earth to
support human communities in an inclusive and equitable manner,
ensure the long-term integrity of biodiversity and ecosystem
services, and to mitigate environmental risks and scarcities guided
by the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities.
Within this context, the LDCs, conflict, fragile and conflicted
states, who are the most vulnerable group of the global community
and are likely to remain off track in the achievement of the MDGs,
should be given priority attention. Progress made in the economic,
social and human development over the decades in these countries
should be built upon through support to increased levels of social
development, and building the productive capacity and
infrastructure of these countries. To that end, the full
implementation of the Istanbul Programme of Action for the decade
2011 – 2021, as well as supporting the New Deal of the g7+
countries which builds on the Dili Declaration and the New
Partnership for Africa’s Development and their effective integration
into a global framework and post 2015 development agenda is
critical to achieving sustainable development and a more secure
world.
Madame President,
Sierra Leone has, since 2002, emerged from a decade long civil
conflict to a country that is being cited as a success story of UN
Peacebuilding and peace consolidation efforts. Despite the main
challenges that we continue to face, Sierra Leone is a good example
of how a country can move from conflict to a stable and peaceful
democracy. Today, with support from our development partners,
we have introduced policies to accelerate our interventions in the
productive sectors and expand on our infrastructure, protect the
environment and improve social safety nets.
In order to situate our development in a focused, coherent and
prioritized framework, we developed the Agenda for Change in
2008; a five year development framework, which is our Second
generation Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper with which the PBC,
the UN country team and other development partners have
realigned their strategies. The Agenda for Change prioritized
Energy, Agriculture, Health and Education. Private sector and
infrastructure development have also been areas of strong focus.
This effort required us to make bold and sometimes risky
investments to achieve our objectives. As a result, we have
increased Grid distributed electricity some ten-fold and are on
course to develop Hydro and Biomass as the core of our energy
mix. Agricultural productivity has increased with improvements in
food self-sufficiency, security and nutrition.
Indeed, Sierra Leone's efforts have been rewarded with our
President and myself as Minister of Agriculture being named the
Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme
(CAADP) Champions of Africa.
We have launched new national parks to secure our rainforest and
also established 15 protected areas to manage and secure our biodiversity.
Our Free Health Care program for lactating and pregnant
mothers and under five children has helped to significantly reduce
infant and maternal mortality by half in just one year, and has
yielded significant improvements for us on the UN Human
Development Index. Primary, Secondary and Tertiary enrollments
have risen significantly of late and the quality of the results of our
candidates in external exams is also seriously improving. We have
reduced the barriers to doing business. We launched the largest
road construction program in the history of the country and have
privatized our primary port. These and the highly favorable private
sector investment incentives have resulted in increased foreign
direct investments substantially over the years.
Madame President,
Despite these achievements, Sierra Leone continues to face
multiple challenges in building capacities in the public and private
sectors, providing access to safe drinking water to all, meeting the
increasing demand for more infrastructural development, reducing
food insecurity and poverty (MDG 1), addressing unemployment
among the youths, improving healthcare, increasing investment in
education, and institutional strengthening of the environmental
protection agency. With the current global economic climate, the
country has, like many others, been affected in its quest to attract
substantial donor support for its development projects. Whilst some
support is being provided, it falls short of providing opportunities
for the country to overcome basic conflict drivers.
Madame President,
To achieve our common vision, bold actions are required from all
of us. In particular, international support from traditional and nontraditional
donors as well as promoting south-south and triangular
cooperation is critical to achieving sustainable development. To
achieve progress on the three pillars of sustainable development
and in line with country specific priorities, there is a need for
technology transfer and more investment in infrastructure,
agriculture and social facilities and services as well as providing
further incentives for investment in the private sector.
Indeed, to talk about sustainable development without making
specific provision for sustainable and affordable energy will be
fatalistic. This is why Sierra Leone welcomes wholeheartedly the
Secretary-General’s “Sustainable Energy for All” initiative, and
congratulates the high Level Working Group for work done, and
financial commitments secured. Increased private sector
participation in the energy delivery is prerequisite to achieving
sustainable development and therefore, the public sector needs to
develop risk mitigation tools and instruments that will encourage
private capital to be allocated without sacrificing the need for
efficiency and appropriate returns. The private sector must in turn,
look at the long term predictable income streams that the energy
sector offers; and not ignore the stability that most developing
countries and emerging democracies now enjoy; and therefore price
their risks reasonably.
In essence, the economic, social and environmental dimensions of
sustainable development should be integrated in a comprehensive
and holistic manner with measurable progress in the provision of
water, energy, food security and nutrition, promoting agriculture,
and natural resource management, developing social and human
capital as well as addressing our vulnerabilities while building
resilience in the face of the increasing impact of climate change and
other disasters such as desertification, sea level rise, melting of
glaciers and coastal flooding.
Madame President,
The green economy presents new development opportunities
which, in our view, should promote green jobs and enhance our
capacity without constraining policy space to pursue a development
path in accordance with national priorities and also not becoming a
burden on development or conditionality for investments. In that
regard, it is important that the transfer of new environmental and
appropriate technology to developing countries in favourable terms,
especially to the poor and vulnerable nations, be given due
attention. Better still, green economy research, development and
innovation should be harnessed in those economies which today
(due to their lower levels of development) are de facto more green
than advanced economies; and would want to contribute to
knowledge development and already have the green competitive
advantage in their favour. There is also an increasing need to
strengthen institutional support mechanisms, in order to contribute
to enhanced productivity that would lead to a low carbon but
sustained inclusive and equitable growth. In particular, the capacity
of national, sub-regional and regional institutions in line with
national development priorities should be enhanced and
strengthened.
The immediate way forward requires concerted effort by the
international community to address endemic and abject poverty
which could hinder the achievement of the overarching goal of
sustainable development. The Rio+20 Conference therefore
presents a historic opportunity for defining our shared destiny and
common future and renewing our political and resource will to the
full implementation of these commitments as well as mapping out a
realistic, focused, timely and coherent implementation mechanism.
In that regard, we emphasize that the critical foundation for
sustainable development should be based on strong institutions that
will not only be able to effectively respond to existing and
emerging challenges but also acknowledge the need to strengthen
relevant measures within the context of efforts to reform the
Institutional Framework for Sustainable Development. My
delegation is therefore supportive of any effort by the international
community to work towards transforming UNEP into a United
Nations specialized Agency.
Madame President,
In conclusion, whilst acknowledging that some progress have been
made in terms of our global readiness to arrive at a consensus
outcome, this Rio Conference should put into place mechanisms
that should keep us engaged in order to avoid backtracking on those
commitments made twenty years ago.
To that end, Sierra Leone stands ready to contribute constructively
and substantively and to partner with all in this process; and looks
forward to a successful and promising outcome of this conference.
I thank you all.
by
Dr. Joseph Sam Sesay
Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security
at the
United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development
(Rio+20)
Rio de Janeiro, 22 June 2012
Check Against Delivery
Madame President,
Excellencies
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen!
Allow me on behalf of the Government and People of the Republic
of Sierra Leone, extend our gratitude to you Madam President and,
through you, to the Government and people of Brazil for hosting
this conference, and for the warm and excellent hospitality
accorded to our delegation.
We appreciate the time and effort of all governments, nongovernmental
organizations, civil society, the private sector and all
people who, in diverse ways, have contributed to the organization
of and participated in this second Rio Conference twenty years
after.
Sierra Leone is gratified to be part of this Rio conference aimed at
renewing our collective political commitment by firming up a plan
of action that seeks to provide guidance on goals, tools, institutional
reforms, technological cooperation and other means of
implementation designed to set us firmly on a sustainable path to
development.
My delegation aligns itself with the statement made by H. E. Denis
Sassou Nguesso, President of the Republic of Congo, which is in
consonance with the priorities defined by the African Union
Summit and NEPAD as reflected in Africa’s Common Position on
Sustainable Development.
Madame President,
It is encouraging to note that despite many challenges, the
Preparatory Committee can come out with a consensus on the
process for our common vision of “the future we want”.
In reaffirming the Rio principles signed in 1992, including the Rio
Declaration on Environment and Development and Agenda 21, the
Plan of Implementation of the World summit on Sustainable
Development, agreed to in Johannesburg in 2002, the Barbados
Programme of Action and the Mauritius Strategy for
Implementation, full implementation of the Istanbul Programme of
Action for Least Developed Countries, the Almaty Programme of
Action for Landlocked Developing Countries, the Political
Declaration on Africa’s development needs, and the New
Partnership for Africa’s Development; we should in that regard,
put into action our firm commitment to implementation,
development cooperation and partnerships required to achieve
progress. In that context, we must recognize the need for urgent
concerted actions to restore and sustain the ability of the Earth to
support human communities in an inclusive and equitable manner,
ensure the long-term integrity of biodiversity and ecosystem
services, and to mitigate environmental risks and scarcities guided
by the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities.
Within this context, the LDCs, conflict, fragile and conflicted
states, who are the most vulnerable group of the global community
and are likely to remain off track in the achievement of the MDGs,
should be given priority attention. Progress made in the economic,
social and human development over the decades in these countries
should be built upon through support to increased levels of social
development, and building the productive capacity and
infrastructure of these countries. To that end, the full
implementation of the Istanbul Programme of Action for the decade
2011 – 2021, as well as supporting the New Deal of the g7+
countries which builds on the Dili Declaration and the New
Partnership for Africa’s Development and their effective integration
into a global framework and post 2015 development agenda is
critical to achieving sustainable development and a more secure
world.
Madame President,
Sierra Leone has, since 2002, emerged from a decade long civil
conflict to a country that is being cited as a success story of UN
Peacebuilding and peace consolidation efforts. Despite the main
challenges that we continue to face, Sierra Leone is a good example
of how a country can move from conflict to a stable and peaceful
democracy. Today, with support from our development partners,
we have introduced policies to accelerate our interventions in the
productive sectors and expand on our infrastructure, protect the
environment and improve social safety nets.
In order to situate our development in a focused, coherent and
prioritized framework, we developed the Agenda for Change in
2008; a five year development framework, which is our Second
generation Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper with which the PBC,
the UN country team and other development partners have
realigned their strategies. The Agenda for Change prioritized
Energy, Agriculture, Health and Education. Private sector and
infrastructure development have also been areas of strong focus.
This effort required us to make bold and sometimes risky
investments to achieve our objectives. As a result, we have
increased Grid distributed electricity some ten-fold and are on
course to develop Hydro and Biomass as the core of our energy
mix. Agricultural productivity has increased with improvements in
food self-sufficiency, security and nutrition.
Indeed, Sierra Leone's efforts have been rewarded with our
President and myself as Minister of Agriculture being named the
Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme
(CAADP) Champions of Africa.
We have launched new national parks to secure our rainforest and
also established 15 protected areas to manage and secure our biodiversity.
Our Free Health Care program for lactating and pregnant
mothers and under five children has helped to significantly reduce
infant and maternal mortality by half in just one year, and has
yielded significant improvements for us on the UN Human
Development Index. Primary, Secondary and Tertiary enrollments
have risen significantly of late and the quality of the results of our
candidates in external exams is also seriously improving. We have
reduced the barriers to doing business. We launched the largest
road construction program in the history of the country and have
privatized our primary port. These and the highly favorable private
sector investment incentives have resulted in increased foreign
direct investments substantially over the years.
Madame President,
Despite these achievements, Sierra Leone continues to face
multiple challenges in building capacities in the public and private
sectors, providing access to safe drinking water to all, meeting the
increasing demand for more infrastructural development, reducing
food insecurity and poverty (MDG 1), addressing unemployment
among the youths, improving healthcare, increasing investment in
education, and institutional strengthening of the environmental
protection agency. With the current global economic climate, the
country has, like many others, been affected in its quest to attract
substantial donor support for its development projects. Whilst some
support is being provided, it falls short of providing opportunities
for the country to overcome basic conflict drivers.
Madame President,
To achieve our common vision, bold actions are required from all
of us. In particular, international support from traditional and nontraditional
donors as well as promoting south-south and triangular
cooperation is critical to achieving sustainable development. To
achieve progress on the three pillars of sustainable development
and in line with country specific priorities, there is a need for
technology transfer and more investment in infrastructure,
agriculture and social facilities and services as well as providing
further incentives for investment in the private sector.
Indeed, to talk about sustainable development without making
specific provision for sustainable and affordable energy will be
fatalistic. This is why Sierra Leone welcomes wholeheartedly the
Secretary-General’s “Sustainable Energy for All” initiative, and
congratulates the high Level Working Group for work done, and
financial commitments secured. Increased private sector
participation in the energy delivery is prerequisite to achieving
sustainable development and therefore, the public sector needs to
develop risk mitigation tools and instruments that will encourage
private capital to be allocated without sacrificing the need for
efficiency and appropriate returns. The private sector must in turn,
look at the long term predictable income streams that the energy
sector offers; and not ignore the stability that most developing
countries and emerging democracies now enjoy; and therefore price
their risks reasonably.
In essence, the economic, social and environmental dimensions of
sustainable development should be integrated in a comprehensive
and holistic manner with measurable progress in the provision of
water, energy, food security and nutrition, promoting agriculture,
and natural resource management, developing social and human
capital as well as addressing our vulnerabilities while building
resilience in the face of the increasing impact of climate change and
other disasters such as desertification, sea level rise, melting of
glaciers and coastal flooding.
Madame President,
The green economy presents new development opportunities
which, in our view, should promote green jobs and enhance our
capacity without constraining policy space to pursue a development
path in accordance with national priorities and also not becoming a
burden on development or conditionality for investments. In that
regard, it is important that the transfer of new environmental and
appropriate technology to developing countries in favourable terms,
especially to the poor and vulnerable nations, be given due
attention. Better still, green economy research, development and
innovation should be harnessed in those economies which today
(due to their lower levels of development) are de facto more green
than advanced economies; and would want to contribute to
knowledge development and already have the green competitive
advantage in their favour. There is also an increasing need to
strengthen institutional support mechanisms, in order to contribute
to enhanced productivity that would lead to a low carbon but
sustained inclusive and equitable growth. In particular, the capacity
of national, sub-regional and regional institutions in line with
national development priorities should be enhanced and
strengthened.
The immediate way forward requires concerted effort by the
international community to address endemic and abject poverty
which could hinder the achievement of the overarching goal of
sustainable development. The Rio+20 Conference therefore
presents a historic opportunity for defining our shared destiny and
common future and renewing our political and resource will to the
full implementation of these commitments as well as mapping out a
realistic, focused, timely and coherent implementation mechanism.
In that regard, we emphasize that the critical foundation for
sustainable development should be based on strong institutions that
will not only be able to effectively respond to existing and
emerging challenges but also acknowledge the need to strengthen
relevant measures within the context of efforts to reform the
Institutional Framework for Sustainable Development. My
delegation is therefore supportive of any effort by the international
community to work towards transforming UNEP into a United
Nations specialized Agency.
Madame President,
In conclusion, whilst acknowledging that some progress have been
made in terms of our global readiness to arrive at a consensus
outcome, this Rio Conference should put into place mechanisms
that should keep us engaged in order to avoid backtracking on those
commitments made twenty years ago.
To that end, Sierra Leone stands ready to contribute constructively
and substantively and to partner with all in this process; and looks
forward to a successful and promising outcome of this conference.
I thank you all.
Stakeholders