STATEMENT OF TUNISIA ON FOCUS AREAS 15: MEANS OF IMPLEMENTATION
AND 16: PEACEFUL AND INCLUSIVE SOCIETIES, RULE OF LAW AND CAPABLE INSTITUTIONS
11TH SESSION OF THE OWG ON SDGS
By Mr Elyes LAKHAL, Counsellor, Permanent Mission of Tunisia to the UN
Thank you Mr. Co-chair,
My delegation associates itself with the statements made by the G77 and China, the African Group, the Arab Group and the Group of NAM.
I/ On Focus area 15: Means of implementation, my delegation attaches great importance to this focus area, since MOI are indispensible tools for implementing the ambitious goals and targets under this new sustainable agenda.
In this regard, we reiterate our call that MOI should be included as a standalone goal as well as to be linked to each goal and target.
We also stress the need to obtain a preliminary assessment of the SDGs financial requirements, preferably ahead of the next session of the OWG.
Let me now turn on specific proposals and amendments related to the objectives and targets under focus area 15.
The subtitle related to this focus area should be action oriented, such as Ensure predictable and adequate MOI for sustainable development.
On the section related to trade, the title should read “enhance trade capacity”. On the content of this section, the current text seems to underestimate the importance of trade in services and its contribution to sustainable development, including job creation and poverty eradication.
Export services industry includes a wide variety of enterprises from health to high technology. If we take the US economy alone, the service sector accounts for about 70% of US GNP and 75% of employment. Internationally, world export services grew in the past decade at an average rate of 5% a year to constitute approximatively 20 % of all world trade today.
In saying that, we call for redrafting target (C ) to read the following: Improve market access for agricultural, industrial and services exports of developing countries, especially Least Developed Countries, and at least double the share of exports of LDCs and other Developing countries witnessing structural trade deficit, in global exports by 2020.
We would like also to propose the following three targets:
a) Enhance the ability of developing countries to diversify their economies and exports
b) Enhance the ability of developing countries to capture a greater part of value-added production.
c) Increase international assistance to developing countries efforts to improve their competitiveness.
On the section related to technology transfer, we’d like to propose amendments to the title , so that it reads: Enhance science, technology and innovation capacities at the national level.
As far as the targets related to this sub section are concerned, we’d like to propose the following new targets:
1) Ensure implementation of WSIS outcomes and action lines no later than 2015 and enhance international cooperation to address new challenges in the ICTs.
2) Establish a global Fund on technology transfer and facilitation for sustainable development by 2017.
3) Operationalize the UN global Transfer of technology Mechanism for sustainable development by 2017.
Target (e ) should be amended to read the following: (e ) promote transfer and dissemination of technologies, including clean and environmentally sound technologies to developing countries.
On the section related to financing and debt sustainability, we’d like to amend the title to make it more action oriented. It should read the following: “Ensure stable and predictable financing for sustainable development and debt sustainability”.
We’d like to propose the two following additional targets to this section:
1) Enhance international cooperation and information sharing related to foreign stolen assets and facilitate more systemic and timely return of these assets.
2) Undertake a comprehensive review at the UN level of the working methods of the international credit rating agencies and establish transparent standard norms for these methods at the UN level with a view to fostering accountability, transparency and competition in the credit rating agency industry at the national and global levels.
3) We can support a standalone target on “reducing the cost of remittances”.
4) We support as well the proposal for ODA commitments to be met urgently and no later than 2020 and for the commitment to be enhanced to 1% of GNI by 2030.
We’d like also to suggest a new section related to “Employment” under Means of implementation, in addition to trade , technology, financing and capacity building.
The target associated to this new section should read the following: “operationalize the UN global strategy on youth employment no later than 2020.
On the section related to capacity building, we’d like to add the following target “Increase support for trade related capacity building, including production capacity and trade in services, with a view to improving developing countries international competitiveness, particularly of SMEs”.
II/ Focus area 16: peaceful and inclusive societies, rule of law and capable institutions
While my delegation recognizes the important links between Peaceful and Inclusive Societies
And Capable Institutions with development, however we notice that the focus is rather deviated on the national level on the one hand and on the other hand, there’s no consensus among member states, on the need to have these enablers forming part of a standalone goal.
In this regard, my delegation believes that the best way to overcome this gap is to address the root causes and conditions for ensuring peaceful societies and rule of law. These root causes and conditions are encompassed in justice, equity and fairness at the national and international levels that require solidarity and cooperation at all levels. In this spirit, Henry Louis Menken stressed, I quote” if you want peace, work for justice”.
On the best way to achieve eternal peace, Dwight Eisenhower highlighted, I quote “Though force can protect in emergency, only justice, fairness, consideration and cooperation can finally lead men to the dawn of eternal peace”.
Marthin luther King also said, I quote “justice denied anywhere diminishes justice everywhere”. In the same context, justice denied in the occupied territories is leading to downgrading justice everywhere in the world.
In this regard, we reiterate our call to address clearly and effectively the issues of “justice, fairness and equity in this framework as a standalone goal as well as in each specific goal. The the goal associated to focus area 16 should then read “Promoting just, fair and peaceful world and inclusive societies, rule of law and capable institutions at the national and international levels”.
Any subtitle related to this focus area should reflect as well the objective in its new formulation.
As far as targets related to this focus area are concerned we’d support a new priority target that reads “Ending foreign occupation”.
In addition to that, Target (b) should be amended as follows “by 2030 eliminate discriminatory unjust, inequitable and unfair laws, policies and practices, empower people in vulnerable situations, in all fields including social, political and economic fields”. My delegation doesn’t believe that all discriminatory laws are bad, since positive discrimination seen as preferential treatment is needed to empower countries and/or people that are marginalized and in need, such as disabled, poor and rural women. Justice and fairness brings the appropriate answer to this issue.
Target (e) should be deleted from this section.
On the section related to “promoting rule of law and capable institutions at the national and international levels”, we fully support enhancing “Accountability and transparency not only at the national level but also the international level, which is the main objective of this agenda.
We are also strong supporters of eliminating corruption and improving capability of public institutions and are committed to freedom of media, association and speech. In this regard, we support an amended target (e) that reads: “by 2030 decrease by x% corruption in all its forms and illicit financial flows at the national and international levels”.
I thank you.
