State of the marine environment, including socioeconomic aspects

STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF THE GROUP OF 77 AND CHINA BY MARCELO ZAMBRANA TORRELIO, MINISTER COUNSELLOR OF THE PERMANENT MISSION OF THE PLURINATIONAL STATE OF BOLIVIA TO THE UNITED NATIONS, AT THE FIFTH MEETING OF THE AD HOC WORKING GROUP OF THE WHOLE OF THE REGULAR PROCESS FOR GLOBAL REPORTING AND ASSESSMENT OF THE STATE OF THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT, INCLUDING SOCIOECONOMIC ASPECTS (New York, 31 March 2014)

On Item 5. Publication of the Summary for Decision Makers in the 6 official languages

Co-Chairs,

At its fourth meeting, the Working Group recommended to the General Assembly a "pragmatic approach" consisting in not translating into the 6 official languages the First Global Integrated Assessment, but to issue the Summary for Decision Makers as a UN official document, to ensure that being translated into the UN official languages, it would be accessible to decision makers.

This was the product of an understanding among delegations. Many understood that due to scarcity of resources a 600 page document would be very expensive, and all understood that as many decision-makers do not speak English, in order to be relevant in policy-making, the Summary had to be translated.

At the 68th session of the GA, we were surprised to see that the GA requested the Working Group to consider the source of funding for issuance of the summary of the first global integrated marine assessment as an official document of the General Assembly.

The G77 and China had originally proposed to translate all outcome documents, that is to say the First Global Assessment as such and the Summary, but we accepted to have only the Summary, as that is the document that is relevant for policy makers. We still maintain the need to have it in the 6 official languages.

The Regular Process is a undertaking aiming at a scientific product to contribute to decision-making. Despite its importance and the magnitude of the undertaking, the Regular Process is being financed by voluntary contributions and is being undertaken based on the voluntary work of many people, in particular scientists.

We cannot afford to have a product that is not read by decision makers.

The Summary is going to be a UN document. Therefore, it has to be translated into the 6 official languages. Voluntary contributions are not only not enough in the case of the Regular Process, they are also not a valid means for a task that is in the core of the UN: translation.

To summarize, the G77 and China believes this WG has to make a clear recommendation to the GA that the Summary is issued as an official document of the UN and consequently translated into the 6 official languages.

Thank you.