Call for action on major commitments

Nauru has the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS). AOSIS associates itself with the statement delivered by Bolivia on behalf of the Group of 77 and China and supports the statement by Belize on behalf of CARICOM. Mr. Chair, The 69th Session of the General Assembly is a consequential year, as it sets the stage for a new post 2015 global development agenda, which will be endorsed by Heads of States and Governments in September 2015. While we continue our work under this Committee, AOSIS is mindful of the other post 2015 processes that are also proceeding in parallel, such as the post 2015 framework for disaster risk reduction, the Third International Conference on Financing for Development and the negotiations for a 2015 climate agreement under UNFCCC framework. It is also of great importance for AOSIS that the follow up to the Third International Conference on Small Island Development States is an integral part of the agenda. We have a busy year leading into 2015, and we must ensure that the realities of SIDS, which are clearly spelled out in the SAMOA Pathway, are prominent in our work. We take seriously the commitments given to our countries at the Samoa Conference and therefore, we will remain vigilant on how these commitments are delivered and turned into action in our work under this Committee leading into the post-2015 global development agenda. Mr. Chair, In the AOSIS Leaders’ Declaration of 2014, adopted last month in Samoa, our Leaders expressed their views and ambition on what the Post-2015 global development agenda should be for SIDS. Please allow me to highlight some of them. I. The priorities for SIDS need to be incorporated in the design of the post-2015 development agenda, which should build on the SAMOA Pathway. The post-2015 development agenda and SDGs should continue to recognize that SIDS remain a special case for sustainable development in view of their unique and particular vulnerabilities. We call for international support for SIDS in their efforts to fully implement the post-2015 development agenda and related goals. II. There is a need to establish a global enabling environment inclusive of national and regional dimensions for the post-2015 development agenda that enables the full implementation of the BPOA, MSI and the S.A.M.O.A Pathway. This must include a robust global follow-up system to strengthen accountability at all levels. III. We further call for the development of a global compact reflecting the collective political will of SIDS to support their sustainable development paying particular attention to the imperative of building resilience, increasing competitiveness and expanding the flow of funds for the financing of sustainable development. IV. We emphasize that, as custodians of vast expanses of oceans, we must have ownership of strategies concerning the sustainable development of our waters. This includes activities concerning fisheries, coastal tourism, possible exploitation of seabed resources, and potential sources of renewable energy. These are the building blocks of an oceanbased economy. SIDS should receive fair benefit from these resources and the burden of conservation and management should not be disproportionately transferred to SIDS. V. Strengthened cooperation and partnerships at the national, regional and international levels are vital. Partnerships are a means of building understanding, providing support, and expressing and fulfilling commitments to support SIDS efforts, taking fully into account their challenges, development priorities and national circumstances. VI. We call on the UN system and international community to support SIDS in strengthening their national institutions so that these institutions can become implementing agencies. This includes increased financial and technical assistance to strengthen SIDS capacity to effectively participate in the multilateral trading system, and we reiterate the need for special and differential treatment for SIDS in various trade and economic agreements, including the extension of trade preferences to SIDS and more flexible rules of origin. VII. SIDS possess a wealth of culture, and traditional and indigenous knowledge, which are drivers and enablers for sustainable development, and we call for the development of national, regional, and international mechanisms to promote and protect tangible and intangible cultural heritage, practices and traditional knowledge of SIDS. Finally, Mr. Chair, AOSIS underscores the great importance of addressing climate change and that SIDS are extremely vulnerable to climate change. Sea-level rise and the adverse impacts of climate change continue to pose a significant risk to small island developing States and their efforts to achieve sustainable development and, for many, represent the gravest of threats to their survival and viability, including, for some, through the loss of territory. We emphasize that the outcome of the process launched under the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action should be a Protocol under the Convention and must be legally binding and applicable to all Parties, to be adopted no later than 2015 which strengthens the multilateral rulesbased and legally binding regime, is based on science and the principles of the UNFCCC and ensures the survival of all SIDS. We urge all Parties to work with an increased sense of urgency and purpose towards an ambitious, comprehensive and meaningful outcome. Mr. Chair, Let me assure you of AOSIS’ cooperation and support as you lead our work during this session. I thank you.