ENB @ CSD-14; 1-12 May 2006; United Nations Headquarters, New York

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Fri 12 & Summary

Fourteenth Session of the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD-14)

1-12 May 2006 | United Nations Headquarters, New York

Highlights for Friday, 12 May 2006

.On Friday morning, a final closed ministerial meeting was held priort to an interactive disucssion on "The Way Forward." In the afternoon, The Chair's Summary- Part II was distributed and after delegates were able to review the document, they made brief comments on the Summary in a Plenary session. Major Groups made brief statements, after which the CSD adopted the report of the meeting and CSD-14 was a adjourned. CSD-15 held its first meeting to elect the Chair and Bureau. Photo: Abdullah Hamad Al-Attiyah, Second Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy and Industry, Qatar, CSD-15 Chair (center), with UN Under-Secretary-General Jose Antonio Ocampo

Making a difference – Interactive discussions with UN agencies

Rodrigo Malmierca, Permanent Representative to the UN, Cuba, highlighted access to technology, support to adaptation efforts and explore financial alternatives. Noting that transportation is a major source of pollution, Ibrahim Sesay, Deputy Minsiter for Development and Economic Planning, Sierra Leone, emphasized the need for public-private partnerships to enable the production of more energy efficient vehicles.

Collin Beck, Permanent Representative to the UN, Solomon Islands, said we should focus dialogue on the successful implementation of development actions, and facilitating more assistance from UNEP in accessing appropriate data such as satellite mapping of wind potential.

Maria de Fatima Lima Da Veiga, Permanent Representative to the UN, Cape Verde, highlighted the need for scaling up pilot efforts and increasing access to markets and products, clean technologies, and information on viable alternatives, and called for a comprehensive set of indicators and special support to SIDs. Aldo Mantovani, Permanent Representative to the UN, Italy, recalled the global bioenergy partnership.

Jyrki Nissila, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Finland, during the session. Jerrol Thompson, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, on behalf of the Caribbean Community, urged the extension of the GEF Medium-sized Grants program to SIDS. Margarita Songco, Under-Secretary, National Economic Authority, Philippines, said limited participation in the CDM is due to difficulty in complying with its requirements and that CSD-15 should highlight successful practices that have increased access to financing.

Highlighting decreasing international funding, Claudio Langone, Deputy Minister of the Environment, Brazil, said tools were needed for South-South cooperation. Hamid Al-Bayati, Permanent Representative to the UN, Iraq

Egypt concentrated on reforestation as a mean of fighting climate change. Noting that they will not take the nuclear option, Lucien Lux, Minister of Environment, Luxembourg, stressed the connection between climate change and sustainable development, calling for an equitable and effective long term multilateral climate regime.

Karen Kraft-Sloan, Ambassador for the Environment, Canada, stressed the need for a focal point for CSD-15 discussions, suggesting energy, and a way to link funding to projects. CSD Vice-Chair Javad Amin-Mansour and Hamid Chitchian, Iran; Welcoming cooperation with other countries and organizations, Iran, on behalf of the Economic Cooperation Organization, noted a series of plans and programmes aiming to achieve the MDGs such as, inter alia, a Directorate on Sustainable Development, a regional capacity building programme for preparing national sustainable development strategies, and new and renewable energies.

The Chair's Summary-Part II is distributed and reviewed by delegates

Delegates comment on the Chair's Summary

CSD Vice-Chair Azanaw Tadesse Abreha, Ethiopia, chaired the afternoon session.

Aysar Al-Tayeb, Saudi Arabia, agreed all countries were committed to combat climate change, but cautioned against prejudging the UNFCCC process. South Africa, for the G-77/China, said the CSD is the key intergovernmental body to address sustainable development, expressing regret that her group's concerns, such as means of implementation, had not been given adequate attention.

Major Groups

A representative of Children and Youth invited participants to envision a clean future with renewable energy and environmental justice.

An NGO representative, on behalf of NGOs, recalled developed country commitments made at UNCED, the International Conference on Financing for Development, and the WSSD, and called for clear time-tables and timelines on sustainable energy and a phasing out of World Bank subsidies for large-scale hydro and nuclear energy. They cautioned that CSD-14 might one day be regarded as the Session that unleashed a wholesale corporate-led agenda at the UN and privatization.

Miscellanous Photos




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