Venezuela
VENEZUELA
Permanent Mission of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
to the United Nations, New York
Statement by the President of the Hydrologic Company of Venezuela
(HIDROVEN), Crist6bal Francisco Ortiz, on the occasion of the High - Level
Segment at the XII Period of the
UN Comission on Sustainable Development,
New York, 29 April 2004
Meeting: Basic needs in water, sanitation, and human settlements, with
particular focus on water.
Check against deliver
Statement by the President of the Hydrologic Company of Venezuela (HIDROVEN),
Cristobal Francisco Ortiz, on the occasion of the High - Level Segment at the XI1
Period of the
UN Comission on Sustainable Development,
New York, 29 April 2004
Meeting: Basic needs in water, sanitation, and human settlements, with particular
focus on water
Check against deliever
Mr. President
Distinguished Ministers
Ladies and Gentlemen
Water, an irreplaceable resource for life is constantly present in all our daily life
and social entities, hence its management is really a complex task to undertake,
in particular the aspect referred to the provision of efficient services of safe
drinking water and sanitation .
In Venezuela, the action of the Bolivarian Government through its different official
bodies has been focused in an ethic and politic imperative which has led to a
continuous search for social justice. Under these premises, we have so far
accomplished significant success both in management and investments for the
improvement of our standards of quality, coverage and the efficiency in services
of safe drinking water and sanitation . We have put special emphasis in marginal
sectors living in urban and rural areas .
As it was stated yesterday, on the remarks by Dr. Aria Elisa Osorio ; our Minister
of Environment and Natural Resources, Venezuela has already accomplished
the Millennium Development Goal related to safe drinking water, with an average
of 88% of coverage, and we will are committed to attain the same goal in
sanitation before 2010. By this time Venezuela will account coverage of 99% in
safe drinking water and sanitation in urban areas, and 90% in rural and remote
areas ; likewise, waste water treatment will reach 40% . In order to realize these
goals, we have made significant investments in the order of 3,500 million dollars .
With respect to institutional matters, we would like to highlight that during 2001
was enacted the Organic Law for Services of Fresh Drinking Water and
Sanitation . This Law defined the legal framework regarding the improvement in
quality services, promotion of full access of the whole population to services, and
a special contribution to the sustainable development of hydrologic resources,
and at the same time, made possible an important support to the national
economic growth . Furthermore, this Law stipulates the decentralization of
services to local and regional governments, however, it does not represent that
the National Government should stay aside from its primary responsibility and
commitment in the development of the services, which is materialized by the
1
establishment of the Financial Aid Fund, a special fund which acts under three
basic modalities :
?
Loans for infrastructure,
?
Donations for infrastructure (Subsidies of supply)
?
Contributions-to direct subsidies (Subsidies of demand)
In this context, this Fund gives a great contribution to the sustainability of the
system of cross subsidies, which allows that the poorest segments of the
population have access to services and simultaneously the borrower entities
remain financially steady .
This legal framework also promotes a full and active participation of the
communities in the processes of planning and management of services of fresh
drinking water and sanitation, and alike in overseeing and controlling the
provision of services. Additionally, by means of the Program of Community
Involvement, the Government of Venezuela provides technical assistance to
organized communities and bestows them with responsibilities in the process of
providing services and for the creation of cooperatives to the same end .
At this present time, we are implementing a sexennial plan (2001 -2007) which is
part of the National Plan of Economic and Social Development, which is in close
connection with the goals and objectives of the Millennium Declaration, and
addresses the eradication of poverty of the communities, with emphasis in rural
and indigenous population .
We would also like to take this opportunity to affirm that we consider that this new
format adopted by the -CSD creates the necessity to design mechanisms of
cooperation which involve the protagonism and total participation of the
population that has not been benefited or included in the process of management
of services, which is nothing else than the empowerment of the poorest .
The experience we have developed in Venezuela allows us to state that grass
root communities are capable to manage appropriately services of safe drinking
water and sanitation .
Mr. President,
Finally, I would like to reiterate that sustainable development : will not be possible
in our planet while the model of consumer behavior, that still prevails, imposes
superfluous necessities to human beings .
Thank you
Permanent Mission of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
to the United Nations, New York
Statement by the President of the Hydrologic Company of Venezuela
(HIDROVEN), Crist6bal Francisco Ortiz, on the occasion of the High - Level
Segment at the XII Period of the
UN Comission on Sustainable Development,
New York, 29 April 2004
Meeting: Basic needs in water, sanitation, and human settlements, with
particular focus on water.
Check against deliver
Statement by the President of the Hydrologic Company of Venezuela (HIDROVEN),
Cristobal Francisco Ortiz, on the occasion of the High - Level Segment at the XI1
Period of the
UN Comission on Sustainable Development,
New York, 29 April 2004
Meeting: Basic needs in water, sanitation, and human settlements, with particular
focus on water
Check against deliever
Mr. President
Distinguished Ministers
Ladies and Gentlemen
Water, an irreplaceable resource for life is constantly present in all our daily life
and social entities, hence its management is really a complex task to undertake,
in particular the aspect referred to the provision of efficient services of safe
drinking water and sanitation .
In Venezuela, the action of the Bolivarian Government through its different official
bodies has been focused in an ethic and politic imperative which has led to a
continuous search for social justice. Under these premises, we have so far
accomplished significant success both in management and investments for the
improvement of our standards of quality, coverage and the efficiency in services
of safe drinking water and sanitation . We have put special emphasis in marginal
sectors living in urban and rural areas .
As it was stated yesterday, on the remarks by Dr. Aria Elisa Osorio ; our Minister
of Environment and Natural Resources, Venezuela has already accomplished
the Millennium Development Goal related to safe drinking water, with an average
of 88% of coverage, and we will are committed to attain the same goal in
sanitation before 2010. By this time Venezuela will account coverage of 99% in
safe drinking water and sanitation in urban areas, and 90% in rural and remote
areas ; likewise, waste water treatment will reach 40% . In order to realize these
goals, we have made significant investments in the order of 3,500 million dollars .
With respect to institutional matters, we would like to highlight that during 2001
was enacted the Organic Law for Services of Fresh Drinking Water and
Sanitation . This Law defined the legal framework regarding the improvement in
quality services, promotion of full access of the whole population to services, and
a special contribution to the sustainable development of hydrologic resources,
and at the same time, made possible an important support to the national
economic growth . Furthermore, this Law stipulates the decentralization of
services to local and regional governments, however, it does not represent that
the National Government should stay aside from its primary responsibility and
commitment in the development of the services, which is materialized by the
1
establishment of the Financial Aid Fund, a special fund which acts under three
basic modalities :
?
Loans for infrastructure,
?
Donations for infrastructure (Subsidies of supply)
?
Contributions-to direct subsidies (Subsidies of demand)
In this context, this Fund gives a great contribution to the sustainability of the
system of cross subsidies, which allows that the poorest segments of the
population have access to services and simultaneously the borrower entities
remain financially steady .
This legal framework also promotes a full and active participation of the
communities in the processes of planning and management of services of fresh
drinking water and sanitation, and alike in overseeing and controlling the
provision of services. Additionally, by means of the Program of Community
Involvement, the Government of Venezuela provides technical assistance to
organized communities and bestows them with responsibilities in the process of
providing services and for the creation of cooperatives to the same end .
At this present time, we are implementing a sexennial plan (2001 -2007) which is
part of the National Plan of Economic and Social Development, which is in close
connection with the goals and objectives of the Millennium Declaration, and
addresses the eradication of poverty of the communities, with emphasis in rural
and indigenous population .
We would also like to take this opportunity to affirm that we consider that this new
format adopted by the -CSD creates the necessity to design mechanisms of
cooperation which involve the protagonism and total participation of the
population that has not been benefited or included in the process of management
of services, which is nothing else than the empowerment of the poorest .
The experience we have developed in Venezuela allows us to state that grass
root communities are capable to manage appropriately services of safe drinking
water and sanitation .
Mr. President,
Finally, I would like to reiterate that sustainable development : will not be possible
in our planet while the model of consumer behavior, that still prevails, imposes
superfluous necessities to human beings .
Thank you
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