Message from H.E. Ambassador Mourad BENMEHIDI,
Permanent Representative of Algeria to the United Nations and Chair of the Group of 77, to the Participants at the United Nations Global South-South Development Expo 2012 on the theme: "Energy and Climate Change:
Inclusive Partnerships for Sustainable Development"
Vienna, Austria, 19 November 2012
Mr. President of the High-Level Committee, Honourable Ministers, Mr. Director-General of UNIDO, Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
1. In my capacity as Chair of the Group of 77, I am honoured and privileged to congratulate you for organizing the United Nations Global South-South Development Expo 2012 around the theme: "Energy and Climate Change: Inclusive Partnerships for Sustainable Development".
2. Allow me to express our appreciation for the efforts undertaken by UNIDO, the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation and other sponsors to promote South-South initiatives as well as triangular cooperation, which have contributed in giving greater visibility to South-South cooperation agenda.
3. This Global South-South Development Expo 2012 is an opportune occasion to acknowledge the remarkable progress made in many corners of the South. The hosting by UNIDO of this Expo, for the first time, gives us a rallying point to reflect on its increasing importance and raise the awareness of the international community on its continued relevance. South-South cooperation is a growing phenomenon that is vital to address the challenges faced by the developing countries. This is an occasion to reaffirm the continued relevance of South-South cooperation.
4. Today, we are very pleased to acknowledge that on this Global South-South Development Expo 2012, a large number of UN institutions and development agencies have joined hands with the UN Office for South-South Cooperation to share their experiences and know-how of South-South cooperation. This is indeed a timely action which underscores the need to intensify support for South-South and triangular cooperation in an effort to address the multiple development challenges of our time.
5. The theme of the Global South-South Expo: "Energy and Climate Change: Inclusive Partnerships for Sustainable Development", is another opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of increasing sustainable access to energy efficiency and renewable energy in developing countries. It is important to promote the development and dissemination of affordable and sustainable energy technologies. We hope that the forthcoming UN conference on climate change will take necessary action to facilitate transferring environmentally sound and clean technologies as part of the global efforts for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and the promotion of sustainable development.
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
6. Our Group attaches high political importance to South-South Cooperation initiatives. We believe that the South must be adequately supported by more inclusive and innovative public and private partnership mechanisms in order for developing countries to effectively participate in the development process. The efforts of developing countries to promote and implement South-South cooperation should not be regarded as a substitute for traditional cooperation with our developed partners. The premises are different, the conditions are different, and the expectations are different and must be accordingly reflected.
7. We believe strongly that the Southern-grown development solutions help developing countries to achieve sustainable and equitable development through the sharing of experiences with the support of the donor community and the multilateral system under innovative triangular and public-private partnership arrangements. Partnership plays an important role in generating political dynamism in order to achieve important development goals for developing countries through South-South and triangular cooperation.
8. In their Declaration adopted on 28 September 2012 at the United Nations in New York, the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the Member States of the Group of 77 reaffirmed the importance of strengthening South-South cooperation especially in the current international economic environment and reiterated their support for South-South cooperation as a strategy to sustain the development efforts of developing countries and also as a means of enhancing their participation in the global economy.
9. In conclusion, let me stress that the support of the United Nations system to South-South and triangular cooperation could be scaled up through strengthening the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation by providing human, financial and technical resources that will help the Office to keep pursuing its advisory development role, providing substantive and strategic advice while giving capacity-building to support the mainstreaming of South-South cooperation across the United Nations development system.
I wish all success to your deliberations.
Thank you.
* * *
Statement by H.E. Ambassador Antonio GARCÍA REVILLA, Permanent Representative
of Peru to the United Nations in Vienna and Chair of the Group of 77, Vienna
Chapter, at the closing ceremony of the United Nations Global South-South Development
Expo 2012 on the theme: "Energy and Climate Change: Inclusive Partnerships for
Sustainable Development"
Vienna, Austria, 23rd November 2012.
1. In my capacity as Chair of the Group of 77, I am honored and privileged to be one of the speakers at the closing ceremony of the United Nations Global South-South Development Expo 2012 around the theme: "Energy and Climate Change: Inclusive Partnerships for Sustainable Development".
2. At the outset, allow me to express our appreciation for the efforts undertaken by UNIDO, the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation and all sponsors to promote South-South initiatives as well as triangular cooperation, which have contributed in giving greater visibility to South-South cooperation agenda.
3. This Global South-South Development Expo 2012 has been a great opportunity to highlight the progress made in many corners of the South. This is a growing phenomenon that is vital to address the challenges faced by the developing countries in achieving industrialization in a sustainable and inclusive manner. The South-South Development Expo 2012 was the perfect occasion to reaffirm the continued relevance of South-South cooperation.
4. The various panels on Knowledge-Sharing Networks, Green Industry, Public-Private partnerships and Network Governance and Environmental and Legal Empowerment have provided an excellent opportunity to exchange experiences and share lessons learnt that can be adapted to the different realities in the developing world.
5. Today, with great satisfaction, we see that many regions in the developing world have achieved significant positive results in terms of economic and social indicators. Those regions and countries stand ready to establish south-south cooperation models in which their experiences and lessons can be shared. My own country, Peru, as a middle income economy and intermediate industrialized country is in the process of consolidating South-South cooperation agreements and will be holding the Fifteenth General Conference of UNIDO in Lima, in December 2013. I believe that bringing the General Conference of UNIDO to the developing world in 2013 will reinforce the dynamics between the Organization and its Member States and will also enable other regions in the world to witness the positive developments in the Latin American region to further develop South-South cooperation patterns.
Mr. Chairman, Ladies and gentlemen,
6. The Group of 77 attaches high political importance to South-South Cooperation initiatives. We believe that more inclusive and innovative public and private partnership mechanisms will allow us to effectively participate in the development process. In addition to that, the efforts of developing countries to promote and implement South-South cooperation should not be regarded as a substitute for traditional cooperation with our developed partners. The premises are different, the conditions are different, and the expectations are different and must be accordingly reflected.
7. We strongly believe that the Southern-grown development solutions help developing countries to achieve sustainable and equitable development through the sharing of experiences with the support of the donor community and the multilateral system under innovative triangular and public-private partnership arrangements. Partnership plays an important role in generating political dynamism in order to achieve important development goals for developing countries through South-South and triangular cooperation.
8. Finally, let me stress that the support of the United Nations system to South-South and triangular cooperation could be scaled up through strengthening the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation by providing human, financial and technical resources that will help the Office to keep pursuing its advisory development role, providing substantive and strategic advice while giving capacity-building to support the mainstreaming of South-South cooperation across the United Nations development system.
9. I wish all a safe trip back home and thank you very much for your attention.
