Mr. Chairman,

 

I have the honor to speak on behalf of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC). We thank the Secretary General for the presentation of all the reports related to item 19.

 

With just few months left before the conclusion of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), we stress the need to accelerate our efforts to properly address the pending agenda of MDGs and build on that experience the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In that sense, we would like welcome the adoption of resolution 68/309, which recognized the proposal from the Open Working Group as the basis for integrating Sustainable Development Goals in the Post-2015 Development Agenda. The Open Working Group Report must be not only the basis for integrating SDGs in the new development agenda and it should not be re-opened nor even re-negotiated. We welcome also resolution 68/310, on options for a technology facilitation mechanism, whose establishment is to be decided during the current GA session, in the context of the intergovernmental negotiations for the Post-2015 Development Agenda.

Regarding the outcome document of the Intergovernmental Committee of Experts on Sustainable Development Financing, CELAC Members look forward to take such document into account, together with the report of the Open Working Group, in the preparatory process for the Third Finance for Development Conference. The SDGs, the financing strategy and the technology facilitation mechanism constitute the core inputs for the Post-2015 Development Agenda, whose implementation will count on the leadership, guidance and recommendations emanating from the High Level Political Forun on Sustainable Development. CELAC wishes to express its appreciation for the successful implementation of such Rio+20 mandates.

CELAC countries would like to reaffirm their commitment to engage in an active and constructive manner to the next phases of the elaboration of the Post-2015 Development Agenda and in that regard, we highlight the importance of the first integrated set of meetings of the HLPF, which represented a significant opportunity to pave the way for the implementation of the mandates given in Rio+20 and in resolutions 68/1 and 67/290, reaffirming the role of ECOSOC in achieving a balanced integration of the three dimensions of sustainable development, and the mandate of the HLPF to enhance such integration and provide political leadership, guidance and recommendations for sustainable development. We stress, however, the importance of the Forum to become a dynamic platform for regular dialogue with a focused, action-oriented agenda to ensure the appropriate consideration of new and emerging sustainable development challenges. We believe these efforts should go beyond the academic scope of the topics and as such, the Forum should emphasize in the definition and discussion of political recommendations and guidance for Member States, as reiterated before.

In that endeavor, while recognizing the importance of the regional dimension of sustainable development, we highlight the need to strengthen the cooperation between the Forum both under the auspices of both the GA and ECOSOC, the United Nations regional commissions and other relevant regional entities, in order to contribute substantially with the work of the Forum.

Therefore, we have the opportunity of achieving a truly balanced, holistic and cross-sectoral integration at all levels for the follow up and implementations of mayor conferences and summits in the social, economic and environmental fields and the Post 2015 Development Agenda, including the set of sustainable development goals and targets agreed upon within the Open Working Group on SDGs.

We reaffirm the intergovernmental nature of the negotiations of the Post 2015 Development Agenda and at the same time we recognize the importance of the contribution of the major groups, social movements, and the civil society in this process through the sharing of their expectations, challenges, and successful experiences, engaging in consultations at national and international levels, and in accordance with the visions, strategies and national policies of development.

Mr. Chairman,

CELAC would like to congratulate the Government of Samoa for its effective hosting of the Third International Conference of the Small Islands Developing Countries,  which took place on September 1-4. We welcome the adoption of the innovative outcome document of the Conference, the “Samoa Pathway” and look forward to working with other members of the international community to support SIDS in their efforts to secure its full and effective implementation.

CELAC would also like to state the importance our region attaches to disaster risk reduction and building resilience among communities and countries. As Member States are aware, climate change and other environmental disorders have increased the frequency and intensity of natural disasters in Latin-American and Caribbean countries. Poverty and under-development increase States vulnerability to the impact of disasters, particularly for the poor in a disadvantaged social situation, who are the ones that suffer the most from natural disasters and who are least equipped to deal with them.

 

We note that the report of the OWG on SDGs addressed the issue of disaster risk reduction in various targets. In this connection, we reiterate our call that disaster risk reduction and resilience should be adequately considered in the context of the intergovernmental process of the Post-2015 Development Agenda which, at the same time, should create synergies with the process of defining the Hyogo Framework of Action (HFA2) to be agreed at the III World Conference for Disasters in Sendai, Japan in March 2015.

 

CELAC reaffirms the importance of pursuing a balanced, efficient and coherent implementation of the 3 goals of the Convention on Biological Diversity: conservation, sustainable use and fair and equitable sharing of the benefits derived from the use of biodiversity.

      

We reiterate our call for the adoption of urgent measures to effectively reduce, halt and reverse the loss of biodiversity and, in this context, reiterate the importance of the implementation of the Strategic Plan for 2011-2020. CELAC countries also note that the report of the OWG on SDGs addressed the issue of biodiversity within various targets and in that regards, we also welcome the entry into force of the “Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization” which will contribute to the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, poverty eradication and sustainable development.

 

Mr. Chairman,

 

Climate change is one the most serious challenges of our time and it threatens not only the development prospects and the achievement of sustainable development, but also the very existence and survival of our societies. Developing countries, despite the fact that have contributed the least to this problem, continue suffering the most from the its adverse impacts, in particular for the increasing frequency and intensity extreme weather events.

 

We maintain that the UNFCCC is the primary international and intergovernmental forum for negotiating the global response to climate change and reaffirm the relevance and necessity of respecting all the principles and provisions of the UNFCCC and its Kyoto Protocol, including the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities. In this regard, CELAC acknowledges that the Report of the OWG on SDGs also addresses this issue.

CELAC would also like to reiterate its congratulation to the Secretary-General for organizing the Climate Summit 2014 that took place on September 23. We stress, after this Summit, our general call to support the multilateral formal negotiations, and to achieve concrete progress and commitments in Lima in the areas of mitigation, adaptation, finance and technology transfer as essential components of a legally binding agreement in 2015 in Paris. It is also crucial to capitalize the Green Climate Fund and guarantee direct access of the world’s most vulnerable countries to its funds. We stress our strong support to the Government of Peru, that will chair this year the "Conference of the Parties on Climate Change" from 1-12 of December, 2014. The Group also reiterates its support for constructive discussions at the Social Pre-COP meeting to take place in Venezuela in November 4-7, 2014.

Mr. President,

CELAC holds the view that international agreed development goals should be linked to a strengthened and genuine global partnership for development with effective means of implementation. The notion of means of implementation consists of, among others, the provision of financial resources, technology development and transfer, as well as capacity-building. These means of implementation must be supported by concrete actions from developed countries, including through quantitative time-bound financial targets besides those established for ODA, in accordance with the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and the universal scope of the Post-2015 Development Agenda.

The international cooperation must take into account the different development stages, priorities, circumstances and capabilities of developing countries, as well as the multidimensional nature of all developing processes. This also will require, the establishment of an enabling international environment to support national efforts. We believe this is the best way to achieve the overarching international goal of poverty eradication.

 

Thank you.