Statement
Delivered by Belize on behalf of AOSIS
Excellencies, thank you for arranging this informal on the scope and content of the HLPF Ministerial Declaration. Thank you also for sharing the outline of the Ministerial Declaration. Before I submit the views of AOSIS on elements on substance followed by procedure, it is important to reflect on our current reality. Five months into 2020 we are reeling from the effects of the Covid-19 Pandemic; no society has been untouched, and no economy has been spared. Report after report chronicle that the impacts of the Pandemic and its repercussions into the medium-term are reminiscent of the Great Depression. According to ECLAC, Caribbean islands have never before seen this extent of economic contraction; nor have our fellow islanders in the Pacific and AIS regions. We have all crafted stabilization plans and suggestions on how relief might be sought, and rebuilding might occur. Our domestic capacities are at breaking point, and our leaders have advocated at every turn for relief that is immediate, structured, and humane. It is not the time to be boxed out of relief packages because of criteria that has never borne any connection to the reality of our true economic conditions our historical income levels Our economies are largely built on the services sectors which are very sectors that collapsed almost immediately. In countries where tourism accounts for 30 to 50 percent a decline in receipts by 25 percent could see falls in GDP of up to 16 percent! Now is not the time for anachronistic policies and prescriptions. In this regard, we welcome the advocacy of the Secretary-General for ‘brave, visionary and collaborative leadership’. And we appreciate those offers from the international financial institutions from which some of our members may gain temporary relief and partners who have stepped up. Colleagues, sadly it is not enough. Colleagues, our difficulties are compounded because even though we cannot help but frame where we ought to go by where we are, we must also be true to our development process. Covid-19 has been the great revealer of inequality and insurmountable odds that face us. SIDS have long advocated for development processes that do more than acknowledge our vulnerability. We have been the canary in coal mine on so many issues, perhaps loudest being climate change, and this time is no different. This Pandemic is our litmus test. The impact and capability to overcome its influence will not be same for all of us. Think of our States, already stressed from rising seas and increasing temperatures, limited fiscal space and dwindling social safety nets, now faced with Covid-19. Put your feet in the shoes of the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji and Tonga which have just had to battle a category 5 cyclone and of the Caribbean we are readying for another predictably volatile hurricane season, while we all do our best to shore up our heath defenses to deal with COVID-19. At this stage, SIDS leaders stand literally with their backs against the wall. Excellencies, this is not just another HLPF. This was supposed to be a moment of catalyzing the Decade of Action but instead we are at a moment of salvaging the 2030 Agenda. The HLPF Ministerial Declaration must respond to that moment. It must be bold. It must be decisive. Co-facilitators, on this note, let me first thank you for the outline you have shared which AOSIS considers to be a fair representation of views. We have only a few comments for your consideration. 1. The Covid-19 Pandemic should not eclipse the broader development plans. Because its impacts are a setback, the response must be a reset to move us forward. Climate change needs to be featured prominently in the Declaration. For SIDS, it is THE development issue. In the words of my own Prime Minister, of Belize, ‘there is no vaccine for climate change’. We propose that this issue not become just a part of the environmental action conversation in the Declaration, but its place be such that there is no doubt that the UN views this issue as imperative for all of us. 2. Disaster risk reduction is so much more than an environmental construct. This Pandemic underscores the position that SIDS have long held – systemic risk can only be overcome by viewing DRR as a cross-sectoral, high-order issue. The financing of disaster risk reduction is no different from financing overall resilience. 3. SIDS have limited fiscal space. For the majority of the time we barely move beyond borrowing from Peter to pay Paul. It is our long-held position that we will never be able to finance SDG implementation in this way. It is just not manageable. We must find new ways of providing low-cost financing to those who need it, and providing opportunities to expand fiscal space. We must also find realistic ways to ensure that economies do not face aggravated debt situations year upon year, disaster upon disaster. 4. In many ways SIDS are too small to measure. We do not often figure into regional assessments and global breakdowns. We appreciate the work being done by the UN systems to provide information that helps us to make better decisions. This is not only important for us, but also for the system that is supposed to aid us. Indicators of progress in SIDS need to be collected or we will never move beyond qualitative lip service to the challenges we face. 5. Partnership building remains the most tangible support system that we have. We rely on acts of goodwill and planned interventions with Partners for our survival. In the efforts at building back better, let us not lose sight of these cooperation mechanisms. It is also important to recall that these measures are most tangible when they support empowered policy makers and communities. Co-facilitators, we also have a few points on procedure. 1. The value of the UN and of these processes is our ability to arrive at consensual outcomes that are built on inclusive and consultative dialogue with all of us. We ask that this process not be rushed but that we are given space to arrive at the best outcome and that includes allowing groups to consult and return to you with valuable positions. 2. We would be grateful for a clear timeline on how you intend to conduct the crafting of this Declaration. Our new virtual engagements seem to be so much more intense and early planning can surely help us to help you. 3. We ask that we refrain from ‘a take it or leave it’ approach. This is no time to be neglectful of difficult decision-making. We need robust action more than ever. Excellencies, thank you for the opportunity you have afforded us today. AOSIS remains ever present and ever committed to you, to the UN, and to multilateralism. Thank you.
