South Africa
Mr. Chairman,
On behalf of the South African Government, I congratulate you and the Bureau
on your election and leadership in this process .
We associate ourselves with the earlier statements by the Group of 77 and
China, as well as the Africa group .
CSD 14 is an important meeting for us, as it creates yet another opportunity to
review progress on the implementation of Agenda 21 and the goals set at the
World Summit on Sustainable Development and reflected in the Johannesburg
Plan of Implementation.
We meet timeously as the world continues to feel the pinch of global energy
insecurity, the impact of climate change on our natural resources, on people s
livelihoods and on the global fight against poverty .
We are also meeting when we in the developing world are beginning to develop
and implement robust industrial development strategies . This progress takes
place despite uncertainties, and yet in the hope that the continuing negotiations
in the World Trade Organization will succeed and will address the existing
imbalances and inequities that prejudice the trade and development interests of
developing countries . South Africa is committed to the full implementation of the
Doha Development Agenda and urges all partners to view development as the
essential measure for defining success in the current round of WTO negotiations .
Mr. Chairman,
We agreed at CSD 11 that the themes of energy for sustainable development,
industrial development, climate change and air pollution are integrated and
complementary and must be addressed in a balanced manner.
We further agreed that our discussions should identify the barriers and
constraints in implementing the internationally agreed development goals
including the Millennium Development Goals and the Johannesburg Plan of
Implementation .
In Johannesburg we agreed that the greatest challenge of our time was the
eradication of poverty, and that to meet this challenge, we need to change our
unsustainable patterns of production and consumption as well as protect and
manage the natural resource base of economic and social development - all of
which are overarching objectives of, and essential requirements for, sustainable
development.
Our frank assessment is that whilst significant progress has been made in many
developing countries with implementation of the JPOI, these actions are not
being equally matched by actions in the developed world to address
unsustainable growth and the resulting depletion of the natural resource base .
The continuing and increasing levels of poverty, underdevelopment and natural
resource degradation in the developing world cries out for more action .
Last year at the five year review of the Millennium Summit, the Millennium
Project reports clearly indicated that failure in meeting the MDGs is more than
just an inconvenience to the world s poor, but rather a matter of the survival of
humanity .
Next year, 2007, marks the five-year milestone since the Johannesburg Summit .
If we continue to send the same message of failure to meet the MDGs and JPOI
targets, many may well give up hope .
Mr. Chairman,
We should not fail to uphold the commitment made by world leaders at the
WSSD in 2002, to act now before it is too late .
Whilst some countries and the donor community have met their commitments,
particularly those that we agreed upon at the Monterrey Financing for
Development Conference, there are those that continue to move at a slower
pace and with conditionalities .
To realize the Monterrey Consensus, we need an accelerated and integrated
global effort through Overseas Development Assistance, the creation of an
environment conducive for investment and an equitable and fair trading system .
In addition we need a global science and technology for development agenda
that promotes technology transfer as well as appropriate capacity building
programmes that are underpinned by viable financing mechanisms .
South Africa, attaches great importance to the contribution of our major groups
and of business and industry towards the achievement of the JPOI targets . We
can without doubt say that their efforts channeled through partnerships that are
locally driven, government supported and monitored can complement our efforts
and ultimately make a difference .
The Commission on Sustainable Development must remain relevant in a
reformed United Nations, as a global platform to review and measure progress in
the implementation of the global sustainable development agenda . We have a
responsibility to ensure that the CSD is strengthened in its role of holding all of us
accountable for our commitments to achieving sustainable development .
Mr. Chairman
By the end of CSD14 it is our hope that we have sufficiently explored the barriers
and constraints to implementation in a manner that enables us at CSD 15 to
define and agree on clear action to unblock and expedite implementation .
In addition, in view of the fact that CSD 15 marks five years since the WSSD, the
Commission should consider integrating a five year review into its organization
of work.
We look forward to a meaningful and constructive meeting
I thank you .
On behalf of the South African Government, I congratulate you and the Bureau
on your election and leadership in this process .
We associate ourselves with the earlier statements by the Group of 77 and
China, as well as the Africa group .
CSD 14 is an important meeting for us, as it creates yet another opportunity to
review progress on the implementation of Agenda 21 and the goals set at the
World Summit on Sustainable Development and reflected in the Johannesburg
Plan of Implementation.
We meet timeously as the world continues to feel the pinch of global energy
insecurity, the impact of climate change on our natural resources, on people s
livelihoods and on the global fight against poverty .
We are also meeting when we in the developing world are beginning to develop
and implement robust industrial development strategies . This progress takes
place despite uncertainties, and yet in the hope that the continuing negotiations
in the World Trade Organization will succeed and will address the existing
imbalances and inequities that prejudice the trade and development interests of
developing countries . South Africa is committed to the full implementation of the
Doha Development Agenda and urges all partners to view development as the
essential measure for defining success in the current round of WTO negotiations .
Mr. Chairman,
We agreed at CSD 11 that the themes of energy for sustainable development,
industrial development, climate change and air pollution are integrated and
complementary and must be addressed in a balanced manner.
We further agreed that our discussions should identify the barriers and
constraints in implementing the internationally agreed development goals
including the Millennium Development Goals and the Johannesburg Plan of
Implementation .
In Johannesburg we agreed that the greatest challenge of our time was the
eradication of poverty, and that to meet this challenge, we need to change our
unsustainable patterns of production and consumption as well as protect and
manage the natural resource base of economic and social development - all of
which are overarching objectives of, and essential requirements for, sustainable
development.
Our frank assessment is that whilst significant progress has been made in many
developing countries with implementation of the JPOI, these actions are not
being equally matched by actions in the developed world to address
unsustainable growth and the resulting depletion of the natural resource base .
The continuing and increasing levels of poverty, underdevelopment and natural
resource degradation in the developing world cries out for more action .
Last year at the five year review of the Millennium Summit, the Millennium
Project reports clearly indicated that failure in meeting the MDGs is more than
just an inconvenience to the world s poor, but rather a matter of the survival of
humanity .
Next year, 2007, marks the five-year milestone since the Johannesburg Summit .
If we continue to send the same message of failure to meet the MDGs and JPOI
targets, many may well give up hope .
Mr. Chairman,
We should not fail to uphold the commitment made by world leaders at the
WSSD in 2002, to act now before it is too late .
Whilst some countries and the donor community have met their commitments,
particularly those that we agreed upon at the Monterrey Financing for
Development Conference, there are those that continue to move at a slower
pace and with conditionalities .
To realize the Monterrey Consensus, we need an accelerated and integrated
global effort through Overseas Development Assistance, the creation of an
environment conducive for investment and an equitable and fair trading system .
In addition we need a global science and technology for development agenda
that promotes technology transfer as well as appropriate capacity building
programmes that are underpinned by viable financing mechanisms .
South Africa, attaches great importance to the contribution of our major groups
and of business and industry towards the achievement of the JPOI targets . We
can without doubt say that their efforts channeled through partnerships that are
locally driven, government supported and monitored can complement our efforts
and ultimately make a difference .
The Commission on Sustainable Development must remain relevant in a
reformed United Nations, as a global platform to review and measure progress in
the implementation of the global sustainable development agenda . We have a
responsibility to ensure that the CSD is strengthened in its role of holding all of us
accountable for our commitments to achieving sustainable development .
Mr. Chairman
By the end of CSD14 it is our hope that we have sufficiently explored the barriers
and constraints to implementation in a manner that enables us at CSD 15 to
define and agree on clear action to unblock and expedite implementation .
In addition, in view of the fact that CSD 15 marks five years since the WSSD, the
Commission should consider integrating a five year review into its organization
of work.
We look forward to a meaningful and constructive meeting
I thank you .
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