STATEMENT BY MR. MOHAMMED ARROUCHI, COUNSELLOR, ON BEHALF OF THE G 77 AND CHINA, ON AGENDA ITEM 95 ENTITLED: " IMPLEMENTATION OF AGENDA 21, THE PROGRAMME FOR THE FURTHER IMPLEMENTATION OF AGENDA 21 AND THE OUTCOMES OF THE WORLD SUMMIT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT", AT THE SECOND COMMITTEE OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY (New York, 20 October 2003)

Mr. Chairman,

On behalf of the G-77 and China, allow me at the outset, to thank the Secretariat for its report which provides an overview of initial follow-up actions taken by the international community for the implementation of the commitments made with regard to sustainability.

Mr. Chairman,

While the international community has at its disposal a solid and comprehensive repertoire of commitments for the attainment of sustainability, it is highly regrettable to witness nowadays that poverty and hunger still afflict more than a billion of people; climate change is destabilizing many Nations; millions of children continue to die due to lack access to clean drinking water and adequate sanitation; deadly diseases continue to take millions of lives; and the gap between the poor and the rich continues to widen while unsustainable patterns of production and consumption persist.

To confront this challenge, General Assembly resolution A/Res/57/253 decided to adopt sustainable development as a key element of the overarching framework for U.N. activities, in particular for achieving the internationally agreed development goals, including those contained in the U.N. Millennium Declaration, and to give overall political direction to the implementation of Agenda 21 and its review.

The same resolution reaffirms the need to ensure a balance between economic development, social development and environmental protection as interdependent and mutually reinforcing pillars of sustainable development. It also reaffirms that poverty eradication, changing unsustainable patterns of production and consumption and protecting and managing the natural resource base of economic and social development are overarching objectives, and essential requirements, for sustainable development.

These objectives can only be translated into reality if accompanied with a real political will to engage enthusiastically in a durable and accountable process of implementation through the provision of adequate and reliable means of implementation.

We would like to reiterate that while the primary focus of implementation remains at the national level, it should be recalled that Johannesburg Declaration and the Plan of Implementation strongly emphasized commitments to multilateral action and the urgent need for a more focused practical approach for the implementation of Agenda 21 through the reinforcement of the international community support and the provision of the required means of implementation.

It is important to recall in this respect that the plan of Implementation of the WSSD stated clearly that adequate and reliable financing is indispensable for the achievement of sustainable development goals and targets. Indeed the Plan emphasizes that " the internationally agreed development goals, including those contained in the Millennium Declaration and Agenda 21, as well as in the Plan of Action, will require significant increases in the flow f financial resources, in particular to developing countries, to support the implementation of national policies and programs developed by them, improve trade opportunities, access to and transfer of environmentally sound technologies, education and awareness-raising, capacity-building and information for decision-making and scientific capabilities within the agreed time frame required to meet these goals and initiatives".

The implementation course that we have chosen in the follow-up to the World Summit on Sustainable development calls for an urgent exploration of effective, durable reliable and measurable means of implementation while ensuring accountability of global partnership.

With regard to the Follow-up actions taken at the intergovernmental level, the G-77 and China would like to highlight the following:

- The international community has elaborated a comprehensive and solid repertoire of commitments with regard to sustainable development; therefore, it is highly expected that the intergovernmental processes focus on implementation and avoid embarking on normative and repetitive debates. The momentum generated by the Johannesburg Summit should be maintained and the launching of an implementation Plan with specific goals and time-bound targets should be translated into effective and measurable actions.

- We would like in this regard to welcome the major decisions taken by at the intergovernmental level that have an immediate impact on the implementation of the outcomes of the Johannesburg summit.

As to the outcomes of the 11th session of the Commission on Sustainable Development, we would like to reiterate the following:

• The implementation process of specific goals and targets with regard to all issues identified in Agenda 21 and JPOI is a parallel process, which should simultaneously cover all these issues. The choice of a given thematic cluster during a cycle should in no means imply that priority in implementation is given to this cluster at the expense of the other thematic clusters. The main objective behind the choice of a thematic cluster is to help reinforce the implementation process with regard to the issues of that thematic cluster through the identification of constraints encountered during the implementation process in order to expedite the latter.
  
• The Commission on Sustainable Development, as the high-level intergovernmental body on sustainable development within the U.N. system, should, during its multi-year program of work, ensure an effective and measurable implementation of Agenda 21, the Programme for the further Implementation of Agenda 21 and the Johannesburg Plan of implementation through a scientific, qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the progress made which will enable us rightly decide on the additional practical measures to reinforce the implementation process.
  
• The CSD should ensure, through a good organization of its work, the success of the forthcoming first review and policy sessions.

With regard to the Integrated and coordinated conference follow-up, the G-77 and China would like to underline the following:

¢ The implementation of the recommendations of the Ad hoc Working group of the General Assembly on the integrated and coordinated implementation of and follow-up to the outcomes of the major United Nations conferences and summits in the economic and social fields is a crucial step in enhancing the implementation process of sustainability.

• The role of ECOSOC and of its functional Commissions in strengthening system-wide coordination in this respect is of paramount importance. We look forward to the establishment by ECOSOC of a multi-year work programme for the coordination segment of its substantive session, based on a focused and balanced list of cross-sectoral thematic issues as identified in the major U.N. conferences and Summits.
• The vital role of the World Solidarity Fund in eradicating poverty and promoting sustainable development through financing projects to be submitted by developing countries necessitates regular and adequate contributions to the Fund by major donors, international organizations, private sector, relevant institutions etc,
• We welcome the different actions taken by the UN system organizations and stress the importance of their cooperation, within their respective mandates, with the Commission on Sustainable Development in promoting and reinforcing the implementation process of sustainable development goals and targets.
• A synergy within and between the United Nations system and relevant international institutions is indispensable in the achievement of sustainable development specific goals and time-bound targets. A lot still has to be done in this respect. Coordination and collaboration within and between the UN systems is not a choice but a must and an indispensable strategic means to ensure implementation of sustainability. It is only through a collective and harmonious action that the Un system can deliver and meet the expectations of millions of populations under the scourge of poverty.
• We look forward to an active participation of UN agencies, programmes and funds, GEF as well as international and regional financial and trade institutions in the work of the coming session of the CSD.
• The launching of international initiatives and events in follow-up to the summit should be supported and encouraged. We welcome in this regard the organization by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs in cooperation with UNEP, of the International Expert Meeting on the 10-year Framework of Programmes for sustainable Consumption and Production, held in Marrakech ( 16-19 June 2003) the outcome of which will be presented, for consideration, to the forthcoming session of CSD.
• While recognizing the importance of enhancing accountable partnerships between governmental and non-governmental actors, including major groups, on programs and activities for the achievement of sustainable development, we would like to reiterate the following:
  • Partnerships should be considered as complementary instruments to enhance the process of implementation but not as a substitute for the intergovernmental commitments agreed upon in agenda 21 and WSSD;
  • Contribution of partnerships to the process of implementation should be balanced, effective, relevant and focused on concrete results, in accordance with Johannesburg Plan of Implementation;
  • Review of the implementation process should be presented in a transparent manner that also include achievements by the different actors involved in partnerships;
  • UN agencies involvement in partnerships should conform to the intergovernmental agreed mandates and not lead to diversion of resources otherwise allocated for intergovernmental agreed priorities.

Finally, The Group would like to express its support to the recommendations contained in para. 51 of the SG report A/58/210.

Mr. Chairman,

Sustainable development of Small Island Developing States has been identified among the cross-cutting issues which should be dealt with along the consideration of the CSD multi-year program of work. In relation to the General Assembly decision to convene an international meeting in 2004 to undertake a full and comprehensive review of the implementation of the Programme of action for sustainable development of Small Island Developing States, the Group of 77 and China would like to emphasize the importance of a wider international engagement in the preparatory process of this conference to ensure its success.

The Group supports the recommendations contained in the SG report (paras. 35 to 40).

Thank you Mr. Chairman.