STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF THE GROUP OF 77 AND CHINA BY H. E. AMBASSADOR BYRON BLAKE, DEPUTY PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF JAMAICA TO THE UNITED NATIONS, TO THE PLENARY OF THIRTEENTH SESSION OF THE COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (New York, 15 April 2005)

Mr. Chairman,

Permit me on behalf of the G-77 and China to thank you, your Bureau and the Secretariat for the text of the Chairman's draft elements for decision at this 13th session of the CSD. The G-77 and China recalls that CSDXI requires the Chair to provide such a text to assist delegations to negotiate the outcome of the meeting of CSD. We recognise the effort which has gone into producing this document from the volume of presentations on three complex set of issues.

Mr. Chairman,

The G-77 and China has analysed your text very carefully. It contains many important elements which will assist our negotiations. We have reflected on your document, and on the outcome we would wish to see from+ CSDXIII, in the context of the following:

(i) The outcome decision of CSDXIII will be a document standing on its own to motivate and guide action to achieve the MDG targets in the areas of water, sanitation and human settlements over the next 10 years. It must be self contained.

(ii) The review of performance towards the achievements of the targets over the last 5 years is unequivocal that many countries and the international community as a whole are not on track to meet the targets. The outcome must not only inspire a significant change in effort, it must inspire a sea-change in attitude on the part of all involved.

(iii) CSDXIII culminates the first in the planned cycle of two yearly review and the development of policy actions and measures for the various clusters of MDGs. It will therefore be precedent setting.

Mr. Chairman,

Viewed through those prisms, the draft document, important as it is, has come up short in at least three fundamental ways.

First, the document moves quickly to the specifics, but it is not set up in a manner which conveys the magnitude of challenge and the urgency of action to meet the targets. The G-77 and China is convinced that the first section of the outcome document must be much more motivational. We have draft texts which we will submit later to achieve that end.

Second, the main section of the draft which contains the recommendations for action, and we support many of these recommendations, does not identify the level at which the actions will be taken or who is responsible. On review, most of the actions seem directed at the national level. All our decisions since agenda 21 have had a clear structure. There is clear identification of action required and therefore responsibility at national, regional and international levels. There is usually an effort at balance.

The document needs to be restructured. The document submitted by the G-77 and China to the Plenary on Tuesday is in the kind of format which could assist. It identified the level of action and the support required at the national and regional levels as well as the support required from the international community to facilitate.

The G-77 and China is in the process of recasting and complementing the recommendations in this area.

Third, the arrangements for follow-up are very important. The G-77 and China is of the view that this section should be strengthened. There were several specific recommendations in the earlier submission by the G-77 and China. The Group is in the process of revising this section of the document.

Mr. Chairman,

The G-77 and China hopes that we can have a discussion and arrive at an understanding on these broad issues of structure and substance to provide the framework for negotiations on the more specific issues.

We appreciate the effort that your and your Bureau have been making. We are ready to continue to work with you and the other groups and delegations to ensure the kind of outcome which will make a real difference in the lives of the billions in the developing countries who now suffer from lack of facilities and provisions in these three target and related areas. It is clear that without housing and water there can be not sanitation and without sanitation there can be no health.

The G-77 and China is seeking to facilitate the process by offering text which responds to our comments.

I thank you, Mr. Chairman.