South Africa
South Africa?s Statement to the Intergovernmental Preparatory Meeting for the 19th Session of the
United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development
Session of Sustainable Consumption and Production
03 March 2011
New York
Thank you Chairperson
The South African Delegation appreciates the useful interventions by the panel as well as
the secretary general?s report as presented by the secretariat. South Africa associates fully
with the statement made by Argenina on behalf of the G77 and China.
Chairperson, South Africa has responded to the commitments made at the WSSD in 2002
as outlined in the Chapter III of the JPOI on sustainable consumption and production, as
well as the goals and objectives reflected in the Africa 10 year framework of programmes
on sustainable consumption and production that was adopted in 2005. To this effect we
have made substantive progress as outlined in the country?s review report presented at
CSD 18.
Chairperson, as the world faced serious economic crisis in 2008, like many other
economies, in November 2009, the South African Government, Civil society and business
developed a framework in response to the economic crisis. In that response, we recognized
the opportunities in industries that combat negative impacts to the environment and natural
resource base and believed that we should develop strong capacity in clean technologies
and industries in order to ensure sustained growth; this move requires significant support
and lesson sharing.
We would therefore support a 10 YFP that includes systems that support incentives for
investment in programmes that create large numbers of jobs in industries and facilities that
are designed to reduce environmental impacts and enhance natural resource conservation
and efficiency while enhancing social well being while contributing positively to economic
wellbeing. This ideal chairperson is in line with the specific objectives outlined in the
resource paper.
South Africa further wishes to highlight that even though positive steps towards SCP have
been undertaken through the Marrakesh Process, there is still a lot that needs to be done as
a collective, both at a regional and global level. Adoption of a coherent 10 Year Framework
will enable countries to reflect their good practises in this area and to effectively acquire the
necessary resources for up scaling such existing and ongoing initiatives A 10 Year
Framework of Programmes on SCP should enhance cooperation among all key
stakeholders, namely the UN and related agencies, business, civil society and
governments. This enhanced cooperation should focus on up scaling existing initiatives
rather than inception of new programmes.
South Africa has adopted a resource efficient and low carbon approach as one of the key
drivers of our economic growth path; to this effect we see the implementation of a 10 year
framework of programmes on SCP as one of the enabling factors towards that goal and we
see no other alternative to ensure sustainable development globally. We therefore urge
parties to build on the work achieved through the Marrakech process to make it more
formalised and structured from its current form, we would support an improvement that
would include a review and reporting system that will allow for sharing of lessons learnt and
improvement of programmes, a global oversight and coordination mechanism that will
ensure the up scaling and provision of the necessary means of implementation, regional
coordination mechanism that will ensure joint planning and information exchange as well as
strengthened national focal points that will oversee implementation of SCP programmes.
In Conclusion chairperson, we call on parties to work towards a 10 YFP on SCP that will
unblock resource acquisition processes and routes; one that will ensure that developed
countries take the lead in providing the necessary support for developing countries based
on unique national circumstances and needs; one that will have a clear monitoring and
reporting framework to track progress and address blockages. The South African delegation
looks forward to engagements on this issue and will act in the most positive and progressive
manner to see a successful conclusion of the negotiations at CSD 19.
I thank you
United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development
Session of Sustainable Consumption and Production
03 March 2011
New York
Thank you Chairperson
The South African Delegation appreciates the useful interventions by the panel as well as
the secretary general?s report as presented by the secretariat. South Africa associates fully
with the statement made by Argenina on behalf of the G77 and China.
Chairperson, South Africa has responded to the commitments made at the WSSD in 2002
as outlined in the Chapter III of the JPOI on sustainable consumption and production, as
well as the goals and objectives reflected in the Africa 10 year framework of programmes
on sustainable consumption and production that was adopted in 2005. To this effect we
have made substantive progress as outlined in the country?s review report presented at
CSD 18.
Chairperson, as the world faced serious economic crisis in 2008, like many other
economies, in November 2009, the South African Government, Civil society and business
developed a framework in response to the economic crisis. In that response, we recognized
the opportunities in industries that combat negative impacts to the environment and natural
resource base and believed that we should develop strong capacity in clean technologies
and industries in order to ensure sustained growth; this move requires significant support
and lesson sharing.
We would therefore support a 10 YFP that includes systems that support incentives for
investment in programmes that create large numbers of jobs in industries and facilities that
are designed to reduce environmental impacts and enhance natural resource conservation
and efficiency while enhancing social well being while contributing positively to economic
wellbeing. This ideal chairperson is in line with the specific objectives outlined in the
resource paper.
South Africa further wishes to highlight that even though positive steps towards SCP have
been undertaken through the Marrakesh Process, there is still a lot that needs to be done as
a collective, both at a regional and global level. Adoption of a coherent 10 Year Framework
will enable countries to reflect their good practises in this area and to effectively acquire the
necessary resources for up scaling such existing and ongoing initiatives A 10 Year
Framework of Programmes on SCP should enhance cooperation among all key
stakeholders, namely the UN and related agencies, business, civil society and
governments. This enhanced cooperation should focus on up scaling existing initiatives
rather than inception of new programmes.
South Africa has adopted a resource efficient and low carbon approach as one of the key
drivers of our economic growth path; to this effect we see the implementation of a 10 year
framework of programmes on SCP as one of the enabling factors towards that goal and we
see no other alternative to ensure sustainable development globally. We therefore urge
parties to build on the work achieved through the Marrakech process to make it more
formalised and structured from its current form, we would support an improvement that
would include a review and reporting system that will allow for sharing of lessons learnt and
improvement of programmes, a global oversight and coordination mechanism that will
ensure the up scaling and provision of the necessary means of implementation, regional
coordination mechanism that will ensure joint planning and information exchange as well as
strengthened national focal points that will oversee implementation of SCP programmes.
In Conclusion chairperson, we call on parties to work towards a 10 YFP on SCP that will
unblock resource acquisition processes and routes; one that will ensure that developed
countries take the lead in providing the necessary support for developing countries based
on unique national circumstances and needs; one that will have a clear monitoring and
reporting framework to track progress and address blockages. The South African delegation
looks forward to engagements on this issue and will act in the most positive and progressive
manner to see a successful conclusion of the negotiations at CSD 19.
I thank you
Stakeholders