Co-facilitators,
1. I am delivering comments this evening on behalf of the Alliance of Small
Island States (AOSIS). We align ourselves with the statement delivered by
the South Africa, on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.
2. First, let me thank you Co-facilitators and your team for the very hard work
you have committed to considering all of the varying opinions and needs
from different member states. We look forward to seeing this document move
forward to final approval.
3. With the options you made available, AOSIS is still not married to the idea of
having a preamble; if it is a necessity to include, our preference is for the 2nd
shorter option. However, before we could consider its inclusion, we would
need to see deleted the first sentence reading “We the heads of government”
as this is a preamble, not a declaration. The paragraph can begin “This
agenda.”
4. We also request to add a very short reference to climate change to the
preamble, and we suggest language citing the role that climate change can
play in undermining sustainable development to the “planet” paragraph. We
suggest the following language for this proposal
“We are determined to protect the planet from degradation, sustainably
managing its natural resources, and take urgent action to combat climate
change, so that it can…”
5. In paragraph 7 of the Declaration we ask to delete “progressively” after
“drinking water” so that the end of the sentence reads “drinking water is
realized…”
6. In paragraph 25 we recommend deleting the phrase that begins “welcoming
the Rome Declaration…” and replacing it more inclusive reference that reads
“and in this regard, reaffirm the important role and inclusive nature of this
Committee on World Food Security”. We also request to add a reference to
the sustainability of fisheries at the end of the paragraph so that the language
reads: “sustainable agriculture and sustainable fisheries and supporting …”
at the end of the paragraph, we believe it would better to give a general
reference “to all developing countries”.
7. The climate change paragraph 31 is clearly an issue of great concern for SIDS
as recognized by member states in the UN Security Council session today.
Regarding the options made available in this draft, we would prefer to work
on the basis of paragraph 31 and reject 31 alt.
8. Moving on to the Goals and Targets, we appreciate the inclusion of the
reference to baseline data, as well as how you addressed the concerns
regarding the Xs. We could live with 14c, although we would have liked the
first alternative. AOSIS can also go along with the changes in 3.2 and 8.7. On
17.2, we would like to not that developing countries has now been dropped,
and request that this be amended.
9. If you recall, on the targets to add LLDCs, we asked that since these targets
were open to tweaking now, that as LLDCs were being added to address
commitments made under the VPoA, we add SIDS to those targets that speak
to commitments made under the SMAOA Pathway, which are 1a, 9c, and 13b.
10. In conclusion, we thank you again for your many hours dedicated to this text
– it has certainly become a part of our lives and we look forward to moving
forward with these few small edits and seeing in September our heads of
state move it into action.
I thank you.