STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF THE GROUP OF 77 AND CHINA BY H.E. MR. RENé ORELLANA, AMBASSADOR ON ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT ISSUES OF THE PLURINATIONAL STATE OF BOLIVIA, AT THE 11TH SESSION OF THE OPEN WORKING GROUP ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGS) ON "CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE USE OF MARINE RESOURCES, OCEANS AND SEAS & ECOSYSTEMS AND BIODIVERSITY" (New York, 8 May 2014)

Distinguished Co-Chairs,

1. I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the Group of 77 and
China.

2. The Group of 77 and China believes that issues like conservation and sustainable use of oceans and seas and their resources should be given priority, avoiding categorizing all possible action as "urgent" as we risk missing the focus. Among those we consider to be critical we can mention some, already included in the Rio Plus 20 outcome document, such as ocean acidification and its impact in marine ecosystems, the need to recommit to preventing and combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing so as to reach sustainable levels, the need to make the negotiations at the WTO to discipline fisheries subsidies more expeditious, the need for capacity building and the transfer of marine technology for science regarding the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans and their resources. The sustainable development goals should also refer to the access to and from landlocked developing countries to and from the oceans and seas by all means of transportation.

3. We would like to reiterate the urgency of support and working collectively in order to prevent ocean acidification, strengthen marine ecosystems and the communities who depend on these. We believe that an implementation of paragraph 166 of the Rio+20 outcome document entitled 'The future we want' and relevant paragraphs of the Oceans and Law of the Sea Resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly is necessary. But it is also necessary to draft targets without prejudging the competence and the consideration of the issues in specific processes that are going on, established by the General Assembly, such as the subject matter of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction.
 
Co-Chairs,

4.The Group would like to recall that the global awareness about the importance of forests must be raised so as to mobilize support for sustainable and integral forest and ecosystem management with an approach of holistic development and poverty eradication, and reinforcing its contribution to socio-economic development and environmental sustainability. We would like to underscore that the outcome of Río+20 also highlights the contribution of Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) to sustainable development across all its pillars, which includes the rights of communities who live in the forest such as indigenous peoples, peasants and rural communities. This document also encourages the Collaborative Partnership on Forests and stakeholders to maintain their support and engagement in the work of the Forum.
 
5.We would also like to emphasize the importance of biodiversity conservation, enhancing habitat connectivity and building ecosystems resilience. We believe this must be a matter of great importance because of the severity of the global loss of biodiversity as well as the degradation of ecosystems, which damage global development. This in turn also affects and will keep affecting food security and nutrition, the health of the rural poor and of people worldwide, as well as the provision of and access to water.

6.We also recall that indigenous peoples and local communities are often the most directly dependent on biodiversity and ecosystems and thus are often the most immediately affected by their loss and degradation. In this regard, we reiterate our commitment to the achievement of the three objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity, and call for urgent actions that halt and reverse the loss of biodiversity. Therefore, we reaffirm the importance of the implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and the active involvement of all stakeholders in the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, as well as access to and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources.

7.The Group recognizes the inter-relationship between climate change, loss of biodiversity and desertification and the need to intensify efforts to combat desertification and promote sustainable land management, and stress the need for enhanced cooperation and coordination among the Secretariats of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, UNFCCC and the Convention on Biological Diversity, while respecting their individual mandates. We reiterate our call on all Parties to fully support the implementation of these Conventions in all their aspects, including the promotion of the exchange of knowledge on best practices and lessons learned from global and regional cooperation.

8.We call for holistic and integrated approaches to sustainable development that will guide humanity to live in harmony with nature and lead to efforts to restore the health and integrity of the Earth's ecosystem.

9.Finally, we recall paragraph four of Rio 20 that reads as follow: 4. We recognize that poverty eradication, changing unsustainable and promoting sustainable patterns of consumption and production and protecting and managing the natural resource base of economic and social development are the overarching objectives of and essential requirements for sustainable development. We also reaffirm the need to achieve sustainable development by promoting sustained, inclusive and equitable economic growth, creating greater opportunities for all, reducing inequalities, raising basic standards of living, fostering equitable social development and inclusion, and promoting integrated and sustainable management of natural resources and ecosystems that supports, inter alia, economic, social and human development while facilitating ecosystem conservation, regeneration and restoration and resilience in the face of new and emerging challenges.

I thank you, Co-Chairs!