Click link to go to the UN Web TV site

YOUR EXCELLENCY THE PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF BRAZIL,

YOUR MAJESTIES,

YOUR EXCELLENCIES, HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT,

MR. SECRETARY-GENERAL, BAN KI MOON,

YOUR EXCELLENCIES,

DISTINGUISHED DELEGATES,

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,

INTRODUCTION

MADAM PRESIDENT,

FIRST OF ALL, LET ME SAY HOW DELIGHTED I AM TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS NOBLE GLOBAL CONFERENCE WHOSE RATIONALE IS TO LOOK AT PROGRESS MADE SO FAR AND ISSUES THAT ARE POSING CHALLENGES TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES.

 

 

ALTHOUGH COMING 20 YEARS AFTER THE LANDMARK 1992 UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT, HELD IN THIS BEAUTIFUL CITY OF RIO, THERE IS NO COMPELLING TIME THAN NOW TO DEVOTE OURSELVES TO THIS GLOBAL AGENDA FOR THE BENEFIT OF OUR FUTURE GENERATIONS.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE 

THIS CONFERENCE ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IS VERY SIGNIFICANT FOR THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY. IT PROVIDES A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO REFLECT ON PAST EXPERIENCES, SUCCESSES AND LESSONS LEARNT IN THE FACE OF EMERGING SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES CONFRONTING OUR WORLD TODAY.

THE CONFERENCE SHOULD INVIGORATE OUR COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND INFLUENCE THE DEVELOPMENT PATH TOWARDS LONG TERM SUSTAINABLE GROWTH AND EQUITY.

IN PARTICULAR, WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO UPHOLD THE PRINCIPLE OF COMMON BUT DIFFERENTIATED RESPONSIBILITY (CBDR) IN ORDER TO ENSURE EQUITY IN OUR DEVELOPMENT ENDEAVOURS.

 

CHALLENGES FACED BY DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

MADAM PRESIDENT,

LET ME ADD MY VOICE TO THE SENTIMENTS OF DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. MANY OF US ARE FACED WITH DAUNTING CHALLENGES SUCH AS THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE.

CLIMATE CHANGE IS AN EMERGING THREAT WITH ITS ADVERSE EFFECTS BEING MANIFESTED IN THE FORM OF ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION, FOOD INSECURITY, INVASIVE ALIEN SPECIES AND NATURAL DISASTERS, AMONGST OTHERS.

AS A RESULT, OUR FARMERS HAVE SUFFERED THE MOST DUE TO THE ERRATIC RAINFALL PATTERNS.

THE MAGNITUDE OF THIS PROBLEM IS THE DRASTIC REDUCTION OF THE ANNUAL MAIZE YIELD IN THE COUNTRY WHICH WILL NOW COMPEL US TO IMPORT OUR STAPLE FOOD AT A HIGHER COST.

WE HAVE ALSO BEEN ADVERSELY AFFECTED BY THE ECONOMIC DOWN-TURN WHICH HAS RESULTED IN MOST OF OUR DEVELOPMENTAL PROJECTS STALLING DUE TO LACK OF RESOURCES.

OUR SOCIAL SERVICES DELIVERY AND POVERTY ERADICATION PROGRAMMES HAVE ALSO NOT BEEN SPARED.

 

MADAM PRESIDENT,

THE KINGDOM OF ESWATINI THEREFORE APPEALS TO THE DEVELOPED COMMUNITY TO HONOUR THEIR COMMITMENTS TOWARDS THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (SD) AGENDA AND A GREEN ECONOMY (GE).

 

 

THE PROVISION OF ADEQUATE FINANCIAL RESOURCES, TRANSFER OF ENVIRONMENTALLY-SOUND TECHNOLOGIES AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, ARE CRITICAL IF WE ARE TO ACHIEVE OUR GLOBAL OBJECTIVES.

 

IT IS A FACT THAT DEVELOPING ECONOMIES LIKE OURS  CONTRIBUTE LEAST TO GREEN HOUSE EMISSIONS AND YET WE ARE THE WORST VICTIMS OF CLIMATE CHANGE.

 

WE THEREFORE APPEAL TO OUR DEVELOPED PARTNERS TO HONOUR THEIR PLEDGE MADE TOWARDS THE GREEN FUND AND THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME AS A MATTER OF PRIORITY.

 

AT A NATIONAL LEVEL, WE HAVE COMMITTED OURSELVES TO MOVING TOWARDS THE NOBLE GOAL OF CREATING EMPLOYMENT IN MANY SECTORS OF OUR ECONOMY AND ENSURING ACCESS TO EDUCATON, HEALTH, ENERGY AND RENEWABLE ENERGY, CLEAN WATER AND OTHER BASIC SERVICES.

WE HAVE ALSO COMMITTED OURSELVES TO REDUCING GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS AND TO PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT BY ESTABLISHING AN AUTHORITY TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE.  

 

IT IS IMPERATIVE, THEREFORE, TO PUT IN PLACE ADEQUATE INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS AT INTERNATIONAL, REGIONAL AND NATIONAL LEVELS AS WELL AS APPROPRIATE FRAMEWORKS THAT WILL FACILITATE THE INTEGRATION OF THE THREE PILLARS OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT.

 

IN DOING SO WE SHOULD BUILD UPON THE CONVENTIONS AND AGREEMENTS ALREADY MADE AND STRENGTHEN EXISTING INSTITUTIONS.