South Africa
1
STATEMENT BY
THE COUNSELLOR FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT,
MR THEMBELA NGCULU
THE PERMANENT MISSION OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
TO THE UNITED NATIONS
ON
THE OCCASSION OF THE SIXTH SESSION OF THE OPEN WORKING GROUP ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (OWG-SDGs)
‘Needs of Countries in Special Situations, African countries, LDCs LLDCs and SIDS in the context of the SDGs.’
NEW YORK
12 DECEMBER 2013.
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Mr Chair,
My delegation will comment on the sub-item, Needs of Countries in Special Situations.
My delegation aligned itself with the sentiments expressed by the Group of 77 and China the African Group and the Southern African group earlier in the Session on this particular matter.
Chair, Many African countries are classified as LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS. The prosperity of Africa and the right and the need for African countries to develop and to be afforded the necessary policy space to allow for development remains a priority for South Africa. South Africa is fully aware and concerned about the global financial situation, and the effect it has on this vulnerable group of countries and resultant constraints to develop. In an effort to implement the outcomes of Rio+20 and to assist these countries to move forward and develop in a sustainable manner, it is important that these countries receive increased international support without adding undue conditionalities on them in the process of extending support.
It remains a further concern that this group of countries in their efforts to prioritise poverty eradication is handicapped by the lack of the necessary human and financial capacity. Any undue demands in the context of the SDGs will further impact on these countries’ abilities to develop. In an effort to address the development needs of vulnerable countries poverty eradication and hunger need to be central to the UN Agenda beyond 2015.
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The elaboration of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) should be consistent and coordinated with the definition of a post-2015 development agenda and focus on sustainable development must prevail over a mere focus on economic growth.
Mr Chair,
The SDGs elaboration process and UN Development Agenda beyond 2015 need to include the necessary means of implementation which should not be limited to ODA, although that remains critical for the medium term. Equally important are market access, technology and skills access and transfer, and support for Foreign Direct Investment. There should be coherence between support and other policies to make sure results on the ground are achieved.
The prospects of developing countries to achieve the MDGs by 2015 would be significantly enhanced with greater access to markets in industrial countries. South Africa is firmly committed to the pursuit of a fair, rules-based, non-discriminatory multilateral trading system. This remains one of the most crucial but also most difficult of the targets to achieve in the furtherance of the international development agenda.
We maintain that the on-going debate on post-2015 development agenda should take into account the vulnerabilities that threaten the realization of development aspirations of the people living in these countries and therefore we reiterate the call we made in 2005 that the international
4
community should increase its efforts to provide support to these very special groups of developing countries. In conclusion, Chair, we are fully aware that sustainable development is primarily a national responsibility, but for the developing countries to succeed, the Rio Principles, including, the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, must be given specific expression for the groups of countries in special situations. It is important that all developing countries work closely together to ensure that our developmental imperatives and vulnerabilities to environmental degradation are addressed in the decisions taken. Therefore, we fully support the efforts by Samoa to organize the Third International Conference for (SIDS) next year in that country. It is South Africa’s view that Africa and all the vulnerable countries and SIDS, in particular, should continue to deepen their cooperation in the post-2015 development agenda. I thank you.
STATEMENT BY
THE COUNSELLOR FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT,
MR THEMBELA NGCULU
THE PERMANENT MISSION OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
TO THE UNITED NATIONS
ON
THE OCCASSION OF THE SIXTH SESSION OF THE OPEN WORKING GROUP ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (OWG-SDGs)
‘Needs of Countries in Special Situations, African countries, LDCs LLDCs and SIDS in the context of the SDGs.’
NEW YORK
12 DECEMBER 2013.
2
Mr Chair,
My delegation will comment on the sub-item, Needs of Countries in Special Situations.
My delegation aligned itself with the sentiments expressed by the Group of 77 and China the African Group and the Southern African group earlier in the Session on this particular matter.
Chair, Many African countries are classified as LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS. The prosperity of Africa and the right and the need for African countries to develop and to be afforded the necessary policy space to allow for development remains a priority for South Africa. South Africa is fully aware and concerned about the global financial situation, and the effect it has on this vulnerable group of countries and resultant constraints to develop. In an effort to implement the outcomes of Rio+20 and to assist these countries to move forward and develop in a sustainable manner, it is important that these countries receive increased international support without adding undue conditionalities on them in the process of extending support.
It remains a further concern that this group of countries in their efforts to prioritise poverty eradication is handicapped by the lack of the necessary human and financial capacity. Any undue demands in the context of the SDGs will further impact on these countries’ abilities to develop. In an effort to address the development needs of vulnerable countries poverty eradication and hunger need to be central to the UN Agenda beyond 2015.
3
The elaboration of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) should be consistent and coordinated with the definition of a post-2015 development agenda and focus on sustainable development must prevail over a mere focus on economic growth.
Mr Chair,
The SDGs elaboration process and UN Development Agenda beyond 2015 need to include the necessary means of implementation which should not be limited to ODA, although that remains critical for the medium term. Equally important are market access, technology and skills access and transfer, and support for Foreign Direct Investment. There should be coherence between support and other policies to make sure results on the ground are achieved.
The prospects of developing countries to achieve the MDGs by 2015 would be significantly enhanced with greater access to markets in industrial countries. South Africa is firmly committed to the pursuit of a fair, rules-based, non-discriminatory multilateral trading system. This remains one of the most crucial but also most difficult of the targets to achieve in the furtherance of the international development agenda.
We maintain that the on-going debate on post-2015 development agenda should take into account the vulnerabilities that threaten the realization of development aspirations of the people living in these countries and therefore we reiterate the call we made in 2005 that the international
4
community should increase its efforts to provide support to these very special groups of developing countries. In conclusion, Chair, we are fully aware that sustainable development is primarily a national responsibility, but for the developing countries to succeed, the Rio Principles, including, the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, must be given specific expression for the groups of countries in special situations. It is important that all developing countries work closely together to ensure that our developmental imperatives and vulnerabilities to environmental degradation are addressed in the decisions taken. Therefore, we fully support the efforts by Samoa to organize the Third International Conference for (SIDS) next year in that country. It is South Africa’s view that Africa and all the vulnerable countries and SIDS, in particular, should continue to deepen their cooperation in the post-2015 development agenda. I thank you.
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