Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States - USG

Remarks at High-level Event on Promoting Innovation and Infrastructure Development at the 74th Session of the UN General Assembly

Anonymous — Wed, 25 Sep 2019 16:33:00 +0000

Remarks by Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

25 September 2019
New York, USA

Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates,
Ladies and gentlemen,
I thank you for the opportunity to join you at this third high-level event on the Third Industrial Development Decade for Africa.
Moderator, thank you for this very important question.

Building productive capacity lies at the core of what the Istanbul Programme of Action for the LDCs is about. LDCs experience specific challenges in achieving their structural economic transformation. Their challenges are generally high vulnerability including to climate change, a narrow resource base for export opportunities, and the limited contribution of manufacturing to their economies. This for just a few of the challenges. This is where digital innovation, new technologies and the new landscape of the Fourth Industrial Revolution have the potential to offer unique opportunities for the LDCs.

Allow me to take the example of access to broadband. This is an enabling technology. The effective use of broadband has been found to generate important positive economic impacts. And in some LDCs already it has shown to have even greater impact than in some developing countries. In their vast majority though, LDCs lag far behind in mobile-broadband subscriptions. Lag behind in the systematic use of broadband to address challenges of inclusive finance, governance, education and commerce, to name a few. This is a situation we must address. Every coin though has two sides. So we also must take a hard look and find appropriate policy responses regarding the possible negative impacts of emerging technologies, for example on employment, especially so on low-skilled workers, or indeed cyberthreats.

A further key enabler is of course infrastructure. Countless studies exist showing how appropriate infrastructure drives productive capacity and is at the core of diversifying economies. Energy infrastructure is particularly critical for achieving many - if not all - of the SDGs, for pro- active management of climate change impacts and for enabling sustainable industrial development. But I must stress that it is a MUST to ensure that infrastructure is built with sustainability and mitigation and resilience to climate change in mind!

Now, of course all this requires financing and technology access and the financing and technology access gaps are considerable to state it mildly. Foreign Direct Investment has to play a central role as it is is proven to be an important conduit for technology transfer. The reality though right now is that FDI flows to the vulnerable countries are declining.

Overall, I urge for greater and faster support by the international community. I urge LDCs to intensify work on attracting and retaining investment in sectors that lead to innovation spillover effects to the rest of their economies.

We know of the ingredients needed: adequate infrastructure, strong institutions, as well as access to information that will allow private companies to prepare robust business and investment plans.

My final point concerns the growing number of young people in LDCs. We must focus policies and action on giving them the skills, tools and opportunities needed to harness the potential gains from technology, and to spur innovation. If not, youth in these countries will simply left further behind with little horizons for hope.

Thank you.

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High Representative Welcome Message UNGA74

Anonymous — Fri, 20 Sep 2019 20:18:00 +0000

usg_welcome_unga74.png

USG Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu

UNOHRLLS

NEW YORK, 20 September 2019 – The 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly is upon us. World leaders will soon gather to signal how countries will work together to tackle the climate emergency, ensure health and wellbeing of people, accelerate achievement of the SDGs and support small island developing States. Watch Here

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Remarks at the Briefing to Permanent Missions of the LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS

Anonymous — Fri, 13 Sep 2019 20:45:00 +0000

Remarks by Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

13 September 2019
New York, USA

Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Dear Colleagues,

I would like to welcome you to this briefing for the Permanent Missions of the LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS.

I have the pleasure of convening this event together with Mr. Fabrizio Hochschild Drummond, who is the Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Digital Cooperation and the Preparations for the Seventy-Fifth United Nations Anniversary.

Today’s briefing will focus on the report of the UN Secretary-General’s High-level Panel on Digital Cooperation. Mr. Drummond will also provide a brief update on the on-going preparations for the 75th UN Anniversary.

We welcome this opportunity to support the Secretary-General’s Initiatives.

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

Digital technology is a topic that is of enormous significance to all countries. It is perhaps even more important to the groups of countries that are present in this room, given their individual vulnerabilities, that make it challenging for them to be globally competitive.

There are concerns about the impact of emerging technologies on employment, especially for low-skilled workers, as well as competitiveness, which could make attraction of investment to LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS even more difficult. However, there is also the expectation that these groups of countries can benefit through inter alia; better connectivity, more efficient delivery of basic services, disaster management and innovation.

The reality of the matter is that while developed countries and countries with more advanced technologies are currently grappling with the opportunities and challenges associated with frontier technologies, there is very little conversation over how these new technologies affect the production patterns and specialization of these countries as well as their ability to structurally transform their economies. Conversely, little is being discussed about how the vulnerable countries could embrace and reap the benefits of these technologies.

The international community in SDG Target 9.c. commits to “significantly increase access to information and communications technology and strive to provide universal and affordable access to the Internet in least developed countries by 2020”. This target will certainly be missed as many vulnerable countries are struggling to get their people connected to the internet. In LDCs, only 17.5 percent have internet connection, in comparison to 81 percent in developed countries. In addition, there are indications that the growth in penetration of households with internet access at home, in LDCs, is slowing down.

These countries are far behind when it comes to broadband or high-speed internet, which is at the core of driving the new technologies. Recent data from ITU shows that there are four times as many mobile-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants in developed countries as there are in LDCs.

Yet, broadband Internet can help all countries to leap-frog in various areas, including education, health, government services, and trade. Broadband Internet can also deliver innovative services and applications and trigger new business opportunities.

Given these challenges, it is therefore a concern that frontier technologies could increase inequality between richer countries and those that are left behind.

I would like to take this opportunity to highlight a few findings of a recent study that ITU and my office conducted on the impact of broadband in LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS. The report confirms that broadband has positive economic impact in LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS. For example, our study found that a 10 percent increase in mobile broadband penetration leads to between 2.5 percent and 2.8 per cent increase in GDP per capita. The increase in GDP per capital is influenced by among others, increased investment opportunities, improved education and skills, better job opportunities and, increased labour force participation.

Another important finding of our report is that the economic impact of both fixed and mobile broadband is greater in LDCs, LLDCs and SIDs than in developed countries. This indicates that a policy of further investment in improving broadband access, connectivity and uptake in LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS could yield higher economic returns than in other countries.

A summary of this report has been circulated in the room. The full report can be found on both the ITU and OHRLLS website. I would like to end my opening remarks by stressing that LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS can and should benefit from the digital economy. They should be at the center of discussions related to this topic, including, when setting norms at the international level. Otherwise, these vulnerable countries will be left further behind. As the preparations of the Fifth United Nations Conference on LDCs have started, my hope is also that the outcomes of your engagement on issues of digital Cooperation feed into negotiations on the formulation of the programme of action for LDCs for the decade 2021-2030.

Other groups should also find the various avenues where elements of the initiative we are discussing today, as well as, the broader discussion on digital interdependence could be incorporated.

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Statement at LLDCs Ambassadorial Meeting

Anonymous — Thu, 12 Sep 2019 20:27:00 +0000

Statement by Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

12 September 2019
New York, USA

Excellencies, Distinguished delegates,

I wish to thank Chair, His Excellency Ambassador Julio Cesar Arriola, for inviting me to participate in this meeting and would also like to thank him for his tireless efforts and excellent leadership of the LLDC Group.

I understand that you have just elected a new Bureau for the period 2020 to 2021. I wish to congratulate the newly elected Bureau as well as new Chair on their election. I am confident that your leadership together with the elected Bureau will give a great impetus to the work of the Group in addressing the special challenges of landlocked developing countries. OHRLLS remains ready to work closely with you and accord you the necessary support during your tenure.

Excellencies,

The main issue in this year’s LLDC agenda is the midterm review of the Vienna Programme of Action and I wish to thank you for your full engagement and for your support during the preparatory process. In its resolution 73/243, the General Assembly mandated OHRLLS to coordinate the preparatory process of the Midterm Review. Allow me to give you an update on what has been achieved so far. Consistent with the mandate of the General assembly, OHRLLS organized three regional review meetings for Euro-Asia, Africa and Latin America regions. All the three regional meetings adopted forward looking outcomes, and these provided inputs to the draft outline of the outcome document that OHRLLS prepared and submitted to the co-facilitators. OHRLLS also prepared the report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of the Vienna Programme of Action which was also important background material for the negotiations.

As part of the preparatory process, OHRLLS, in collaboration with partners, has so far organized 22 thematic pre-conference events. We are still working on a few more pre-conference thematic events to be held in the month of October and these include a meeting on Best Practices in Corridor Development and Management for the Benefit of LLDCs and Transit Countries; Expert Group Meeting on Trade Facilitation; and a joint event with the World Bank Group to discuss priorities of the LLDCs. I encourage active participation of LLDCs in these meetings.

The meeting on Best Practices in Corridor Development and Management for the Benefit of LLDCs and Transit Countries will be held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, from 29 to 30 October 2019 and the meeting is being organized in collaboration with Government of Mongolia. Invitations to this meeting have been sent to LLDCs’ Ministries of Transport through the Missions. I encourage your countries to participate in this meeting and urge you to follow-up with your capitals and confirm participation. OHRLLS will provide funding for one capital-based official to participate in the meeting. I wish to thank the Government of the Russian Federation for their contribution towards organization of the meeting and the Government of Mongolia for hosting the meeting.

Regarding the outcome document of the Comprehensive high-level midterm review, I would like to thank the Chair and the LLDCs Group for your active participation in the informal consultations leading to a consensual document that passed silence procedure. The outcome document has a call for action, which, if fully implemented together with the VPoA, will greatly contribute to the desired socioeconomic transformation of LLDCs in the remaining five years and contribute to the acceleration of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Once again, I wish to thank the co-Facilitators Ambassadors of Austria and Bhutan for overseeing the negotiations of the outcome document of the Midterm Review.

Excellencies,

As you are all aware, the PGA circulated that the dates of the Comprehensive high-level midterm review are 5 and 6 December 2019 here in New York. We are now working closely with the PGA, the Chair and the Department for General Assembly and Conference Management in organizing the Midterm Review. We received contribution that will support the participation of delegates from the capitals and we will be working with the missions of LLDCs and some of the transit countries to facilitate the participation of the capital-based delegates.

I wish to emphasize that it will be important that the LLDCs participate in the midterm review at the highest possible level as stated in resolution 73/243 and the draft High-level Political declaration of the Midterm Review also indicates participation at Head of State level.

Excellencies,

Now getting to the events of the high-level week which will be starting in a few days, this year, in addition to the general debate, there will be a series of summits and high-level meetings. The UN Secretary General will convene the Climate Summit and the General Assembly will convene one-day high-level meeting on Universal Health Coverage, High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, High-level dialogue on financing for development and the high-level meeting on the midterm review of the SAMOA Pathway. I encourage you to actively participate in these meetings. Your participation in the SIDS midterm review will be an important sign of solidarity to another vulnerable group.

The LLDCs meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs will also be held on 25 September 2019 and encourage all LLDCs to participate in this meeting.

In concluding my remarks, I would also like to bring to your attention some of the very important meetings to be held in 2020 which I encourage LLDCs to actively participate in and these include: the 12th World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference to be hosted by the Government of Kazakhstan; the Second UN Global Sustainable Transport Conference to be held in China; the 15th UNCTAD Quadrennial Conference to be held in Barbados, and the World Investment Forum in United Arab Emirates.

I wish to assure you of OHRLLS outmost support in these processes.

I thank you for your attention.

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Remarks at the Heads of State Panel for UN Trade Forum: SDGs and Climate Change

Anonymous — Mon, 09 Sep 2019 18:53:00 +0000

Remarks by Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

9 September 2019
Geneva, Switzerland

Excellencies,

Distinguished delegates

Ladies and gentlemen,

I am sure we all sit here happy to enjoy bearable temperatures ! But, is this an exception or the norm?

In August, the World Meteorological Organization reported that this past July maybe broke the record for the hottest month since we have data. Hurricane Dorian is the second-strongest Atlantic storm on record. The worst ever to strike The Bahamas. The reporting shows us unprecedented damage. Not to mention loss of lives, wounded and numerous people who remain unaccounted for.

Is this our new norm - devastating extreme weather events taking lives and livelihoods? It is not this audience that I need to tell how it is the peoples of the Small Island Developing States, the Least Developed Countries and the Land-locked Developing Countries among the most vulnerable of our shared planet. Their very geography, their stage of and overall development settings make them most vulnerable to present and projected climate change impacts. Yet, it is these countries, their people, contributing the least to global warming.

I just attended on behalf of the Secretary-General the Pacific Islands Forum held this August in Tuvalu. At the meeting, and once more, Pacific leaders insisted on how urgent, how existential it is that the IPCC Special Report on 1.5 degrees is acted on. Time has run out for words and tokens of action - we need concerted and expedited action, we need major steps now lest we are willing to simply accept a new reality of catastrophes.

Pacific leaders adopted the Forum Communiqué and the “Kainaki II Declaration for Urgent Climate Change Action Now”. This Declaration as well as the Boe Declaration which was adopted at last year’s Pacific island Leaders Forum highlight in no uncertain terms the many and also the security risks posed by climate change. SIDS by their very location and geographic nature are confronted with profound structural challenges and disadvantages documented and analyzed extensively.

The world community was already alerted during the first Barbados Conference which followed the 1992 Rio Conference how slow onset events of sea-level rise and would directly threaten lives and livelihoods. I let you do the math on time since gone by. It is somewhat of an understatement to say that there is urgency of action now!These slow, and may be no longer so slow.... , onset events and specifically sea level rise causing loss of land and forcing internal and external migration can not be underestimated. These events raise fundamental issues of sovereignty, state integrity, national identity and in some cases do pose threats to military and defense installations.

These are intricate, often highly technical but also expensive - in every sense of the word - challenges. Yet, countries face limited institutional capacity and difficulties in accessing finance and resources. Add to this the low per capita GNI in LDCs limiting their domestic ability to build resilience and respond to disasters and you have what I called a few months ago " the perfect storm ". As we are confronted with more frequent and more powerful extreme weather events I venture to predict that we will see more and more destroyed vital infrastructure, negative impacts on tourism and the tradeable sectors countries live from, reduced land availability contributing to basic food insecurity, potable water scarcity, and populations being displaced and relocated.

Is this what we want?

The damage from disasters sets countries back for years if not decades. The damage and lack of action can set us back years on progress made on the respective Programmes of Action the global community adopted and the 2030 Agenda and its SDGs. Climate change just simply is no longer just a security “threat-multiplier.” It is a truly existential threat to people, communities and nations. It is a threat impacting not only the path to sustainable development but also on keeping peace and security.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
In just two weeks’ time, 150 Heads of State or Government will gather in New York for the start of the 74th session of the General Assembly. The Secretary-General’s Climate Action Summit takes place on 23 September. The Summit is both our opportunity and our responsibility to boost ambition and accelerate actions to implement the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. The weekend immediately before is devoted to a Youth Climate Summit and a day of roundtables on the nine action areas of the Climate Summit. The Summit must mobilize world leaders to launch initiatives and actions to upgrade their Nationally Determined Contributions in the lead-up to the deadline of 2020.

Let me just say this - so many young people all over the world tell us that they no longer want to hear words, they want to see action! The Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Climate Summit, H.E. Mr. Luis Alfonso de Alba, has been working hard with delegations in New York and the capitals to come up with a compelling and comprehensive set of initiatives. By all accounts, the response to date has been overwhelmingly positive.

We owe to our children, our grand- children and future generations to show deeds. Major ambition is needed NOW in our mitigation efforts if we are to stay within the 1.5-degree threshold.The switch to and access for all to renewable forms of energy lies at the core. At the same time we must drastically and speedily step up our support for the developing countries – especially for adaptation in the most vulnerable countries! The fact though is that we have a serious shortfall between the available financial resources for adaptation in LDCs, SIDS and LLDCs as compared to the estimated requirements to meet their adaptation challenges and build resilience.

I encourage all development partners to contribute ambitiously to the ongoing replenishment of the Green Climate Fund. I encourage all partners to find ways to facilitate access to available funds to ensure action on the ground. This is an important signal to give the developing countries to raise ambition and speed up achieving their own climate commitments. We must also accelerate the process of preparation of National Adaptation Plans by end 2020. The NAPs do play a critical role. The NAPs help in developing a systematic approach for countries to integrate climate change considerations into policy decision-making and implementation.

We also must accelerate our implementation of the Sendai Framework and improve our recovery processes. The cutoff date of 2020 for Sendai Targets to substantially increase the number of national and local strategies for disaster risk reduction is approaching fast. As for the contribution of the United Nations system, risk-informed and risk- mitigating investment in the SDGs must lie at the centre of the new generation of UN sustainable development cooperation framework. The ongoing efforts to achieve this, led by UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, and the Resident Coordinators with the UN system entities, is critically important.

I am happy to report to you that at the upcoming Climate Change Summit, the most vulnerable nations will make every effort to set the tone in the hope for others to follow. I applaud their ambitious stance and it is a stance they will adopt at the Summit. The SIDS will present a comprehensive package of initiatives for ambitious climate action, as well as a series of national announcements. The package includes an Alliance if small island states commitments on new or updated NDCs as well as a list of SIDS pledging to long-term low greenhouse emissions development strategies that are consistent with the 1.5-degree scenario.

These messages will be reinforced throughout the high level week. This will particularly be the case during the high-level Midterm Review of the SAMOA Pathway, which will set the stage for the next phase of implementation of the SIDS Sustainable Development Agenda. The LDCs are collectively launching a political “Call for Action” to all Member States to raise ambition for climate adaptation and resilience. They are also launching - as a separate initiative - their own LDC Initiative for Effective Adaptation and Resilience, under which they pledge unconditionally to achieve their 2050 Vision for a climate resilient future.

Dozens of other initiatives will be announced. It is my hope that collectively this sends a strong message to the international community. Together we all must take ambitious action in the lead up to the 2020 deadline for updating NDCs. A holistic and coherent vision, backed up by resources and capacity- strengthening, is needed to give the peoples of the LDCs, LLDCs and especially the SIDS the support to achieve their sustainable development goals in today’s rapidly changing world. Just as much as climate change impact cuts across all sectors and segments of society indeed, climate action should go hand in hand with measures to boost productive capacity, increase value-addition and alleviate debt. New technologies offer unprecedented and great opportunities to manage, to combat climate change.

The Secretary-General’s Climate Change Summit provides us all with the platform for catalyzing ambitious action and at the same time inject this great sense of urgency. We need the full engagement of all stakeholders, to build momentum towards CO25 and COP26. We need to heed what the young tell us - enough words, action now!

Thank you.

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Statement at SIDS National Focal Points Meeting

Anonymous — Thu, 25 Jul 2019 19:24:00 +0000

Statement by Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

25 July 2019
Praia, Cabo Verde

Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates,
Ladies and gentlemen,

I warmly welcome you all to our second meeting of the National Focal Points of SIDS.

First, I must thank the Government of Cabo Verde for so graciously hosting us. Thank you.

I also express our gratitude to the Government of Italy for their continued support to the SIDS and for funding this important meeting.I thank the colleagues from the UN and other international and regional organisations for your active participation and your spirit of partnership in this endeavour.

It is good to see how we all are in this truly TOGETHER.

This SIDS National Focal Points (NFPs) mechanism responds to paragraph 120 of the SAMOA Pathway, which mandates the Office of the High Representative for LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS (OHRLLS) to enhance the coherence of SIDS issues in UN processes, including at the national, regional and global levels. Yes, this is only our second meeting. But it is already clear that the NFPs are vitally important to our efforts! As we adopt the Terms of Reference for the SIDS National Focal Points today, we will complete a key building block in making this mechanism work for result. NFPs, through this mechanism, will be better able to effectively contribute to a coherent national, regional and global implementation of the SAMOA Pathway, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and related global frameworks.

I hope we will also be able to identify the best ways to further strengthen the role of the NFPs and build your capacities to carry out your critical work. Our annual meetings are a key part of this process. The insights offered by you the NFPs on the implementation of the SAMOA Pathway during the inaugural meeting in Samoa last year, have greatly steered the focus and efforts of OHRLLS. But not just us. They also inform the UN system in general to deliver targeted support and policy advice at the regional and global levels.

In particular, the discussions on the data challenges in SIDS have led us to consider how best to support building the statistical capacities of your countries. This in turn has led us to coordinate the development of a toolkit for a harmonized approach for monitoring and reporting on the SAMOA Pathway for your consideration.I am really pleased to see so many of our partner institutions here. I count on you to actively contribute to our discussions on the draft toolkit during this meeting. This will lay the foundation for a coordinated and coherent reporting process for SIDS.

We all are aware of the multiplicity of global sustainable development frameworks. I think it is a must for us all to work together to minimize the reporting burden, while maximizing results and solutions for the countries. I also hope that our annual meeting provides you the NFPs with a unique and very valuable opportunity to meet face-to-face, share best practices, share what did not work, how to address challenges and identify ways forward in the implementation of the SAMOA Pathway and the SDGs. This is particularly important as a growing number of SIDS present their Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) during the highlevel political forum on sustainable development (HLPF) each year.

For large developed countries, the VNR process can seem daunting. The challenge is so much greater for SIDS. SIDS only have a fraction of the resources available to prepare for the Presentations. This year there were eight SIDS presenting VNRs. We will hear from many of them during this meeting, as well as from those SIDS, which have presented in previous years. Their experiences will undoubtedly serve as a foundation on which other SIDS can build future successes, particularly as it relates to ensuring alignment in the implementation of the SAMOA Pathway with the SDGs.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

We meet at a critical juncture. We meet just before the Midterm Review of the SAMOA Pathway, which is to be held this September. Because of that, our discussions over the next two days are particularly relevant.

This meeting provides you the NFPs with an excellent platform to call greater attention to key issues as we set our priorities over the next five years. Our discussions during this NFP meeting are meant for us to dig deeper into key issues. This in turn will better inform our political discussions at the Midterm Review, and set the stage for more targeted action at all levels – action that is relevant, practical and feasible for SIDS.

Advocacy for SIDS remains very critical. SIDS must be heard!

OHRLLS has increased the advocacy efforts. This has included building effective partnerships across the UN-system and with all relevant stakeholders. This has included, and will continue to include, close engagement with high-level policymakers to promote action in support of the implementation of the SAMOA Pathway. The Midterm Review will provide an excellent space for OHRLLS to further enhance our advocacy outreach and efforts.

It is my sincere hope that this effort coupled with your work as national focal points will greatly facilitate your efforts in national coordination. I look forward to your feedback and suggestions in this regard.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, In Agenda 2030, the global community promised people to leave no one behind. We must ensure that the SIDS, which are among the most vulnerable, will indeed not be left behind! The full implementation of the SAMOA Pathway is crucial in this regard.

The international community, including the UN system, must provide SIDS with the necessary support. We must look more closely into how we can support countries in strengthening their human and institutional capacities in support of achieving inclusive and sustainable development paths.

So, I urge you to have open, frank and action-oriented discussions and I look forward to listening to you.

Thank you.

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Video Statement to CARICOM

Anonymous — Tue, 23 Jul 2019 19:51:00 +0000

Statement by Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

23-24 July 2019
Georgetown, Guyana

Excellencies,

Distinguished delegates,

Ladies and gentlemen,

It is my privilege to deliver this message to the 10th General Meeting between the CARICOM and associated institutions and the UN system. The continued partnership between the Caribbean Community and the United Nations is most appreciated.The themes of your discussions over the coming two-days will serve as important contributions to how the United Nations can be a better partner in supporting the Caribbean region.

Allow me to highlight a few areas, where I believe my Office, OHRLLS, can strengthen cooperation with CARICOM. On the repositioning of the UN development system and in particular with regard to the reviews of the Multi-Country Offices, my Office will facilitate further consultations, as called for by ECOSOC in its recent resolution. The consultations will seek clarity on expectations of the MCO-covered countries and other key stakeholders. My office counts on your support to ensure that the review of the MCOs, yield the best outcome for the Caribbean region. 2019 is an important year for the small island developing states. In September, global focus will be on SIDS as the international community gathers for the mid-term review of the SAMOA Pathway.

The negotiations on the political declaration are now at an advanced stage. It addresses priority areas for SIDS including: climate change and resilience-building, finance, as well as social development including: health, gender equality and youth among others. I encourage Caribbean countries to be represented at the highest-level in this mid-term review which will be critical to its success. Indeed, the success of a meeting is measured by translation of commitments into actionable outcomes. My Office will spare no effort in mobilizing resources to support SIDS in furthering the implementation of the SAMOA Pathway over the next five years.

OHRLLS is also increasing its support to SIDS to strengthen coordination and cooperation at the national, regional and global levels. For this purpose, the Office launched the SIDS National Focal Points Network in November 2018. This will be the key mechanism through which implementors of the SDGs and SAMOA Pathway at the national levels can share tools and best practices. There is a lot we can learn from each other and I hope the National Focal Points will contribute to accelerating progress on the ground.

Indeed, I am currently in Cabo Verde, for the second SIDS National Focal Points meeting and pleased to have the participation of 12 Caribbean SIDS whose presence will add value and enrich the discussions. Additionally, the 2020 meeting of SIDS National Focal Points will be held in the Caribbean. I very much look forward to the outcomes of your meeting and I remain committed to ensuring that we take forward recommendations and solutions to our Leaders in September and beyond. The SIDS deserve no less.

Thank you very much.

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Opening Statement on The 2030 Agenda at a Crossroads

Anonymous — Tue, 16 Jul 2019 20:48:00 +0000

Statement by Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

16 July 2019
New York, USA

Excellencies,

Distinguished delegates,

Ladies and gentlemen,

A warm welcome to you all.

First, my sincere appreciation and a big thank go to the Permanent Mission of Sweden, the Permanent Mission of Fiji, and SIPRI, for your partnership in this event.

We all know first hand from our work how complex the interlinkages between development, inequality, peace and security, and climate change are. And, I add, how much more complex this has become given the ever increasing speed of change that we all have experienced.

One may wonder how given new technologies and computing powers that we could not have dreamt of a couple decades ago, still have not made us more proficient in addressing and managing complexity. More than ever before, it is critical for us to understand the interlinkages making up complexity. More than ever before we are challenged not to manage them post- facto but by anticipating. The high vulnerability and poverty levels in the LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS put these countries, their peoples, women, men, girls and boys at high risk of ever more rapidly cascading crises. When you add to that the capacity and financial resources constraints they all experience, I leave it to you to picture the manifold challenges!

For a long time, interlinkages were looked at from the perspective of human agency or the economy alone. We no longer can ignore that the ever accelerating climate change impacts have moved from a “threat multiplier” to an existential threat in itself. Some of you may have seen the picture of the Secretary- General on TIME magazine - this is the reality of too many by now and especially in the SIDS - ever since the first Barbados Conference, warnings about rising sea levels and climate change impacts have been expressed. How do you manage interlinkages, address complexity when you are close to loosing the land, the space to which your nationality, your identity is tied?

Climate change impact is known to undermine hardwon or taken for granted peace, prosperity and it causes social and political tensions, and it surely creates new fault-lines in national, regional and global relations. Ocean acidification, melting mountain glaciers, rising sea levels, desertification and water shortages, go way beyond just threatening the most basic need of food security. They threaten physical survival, they deprive young girls and boys of hope, they lead to ever more intense competition for scarce resources and eventually are the trigger for conflict and the involuntary displacement of people. They take away basic human rights.

Planned relocation - be it international or national - is now a reality. It brings with its own set of political, economic, social and legal challenges. Yes, overall we have made progress in poverty alleviation. And yes, GDP growth has picked up in the LDC, LLDC and SIDS countries in recent years. Yet, poverty persists and potentially is on the rise with climate change impacts and contributes to social tensions, crime, instability, fragility.

Ultimately, this increases the risks of conflict for all of us. Capacities are constrained and the devastation from extreme weather events which now seem to occur almost weekly, presents major challenges to national institutions. How to provide adequate emergency and relief response, let alone reconstruction? How to balance between short- term emergency response and the need for medium to long- term action for sustainable development paths? How to muster capacity to locate and access much needed external financing?

Our internationally-agreed frameworks are often designed to look at one set of problems somewhat in isolation, each having their own reporting requirements and they often are driven by sectoral imperatives. We have the Programmes of Action of the LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS, the Paris Agreement, the peace and security institutional arrangements, and of course the overarching Agenda 2030. We must of course continue, we must accelerate work to achieve these individually set targets and goals and that surely includes remaining within the 1.5 degree threshold.

But we also must look much more into how they interact with each other. The human and natural ecosystems are a whole and managing in parallel or worse in separate ways the myriads of requirements just simply puts major capacity challenges on countries already struggling to beef up policy and management capacities to meet basic needs of their peoples.

Closer to home, and very much in line with the Secretary- General's call for efficiency and impact, we must review and adapt intergovernmental processes and the UN architecture as already called for. We must be able not just to keep up with understanding complex interactions, see emerging new threats and challenges - we must be able to manage and deliver!

So, it is my hope that today’s discussion will help us get further insight and experience to better understand and reach consensus on what sort of institutional mechanisms and actions we need internationally, regionally and nationally. We must act now to mitigate the risk of ever more rapidly cascading crises - we must invest now in what it takes to promote inclusive and peaceful development paths for all.

Thank you.

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Statement at the UN Technology Bank for LDCs: Driving the SDGs Through STI Meeting

Anonymous — Mon, 15 Jul 2019 20:40:00 +0000

Statement by Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

15 July 2019
New York, USA

Excellencies,

Distinguished delegates,

Ladies and gentlemen,

I first wish to thank Turkey, Norway, Qatar, Malawi, UNCTAD and the Technology Bank for convening this side-event. Science, Technology and Innovation are at the core of finding our road to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. They drive productive capacity, structural transformation, ways and means for poverty eradication, and they very much drive the transitioning to sustainable development. They truly will be determining in addressing climate change.

As I keep saying, our true challenge will be to ensure that the 47 LDCs will not be left behind in achieving what we say in the Istanbul Programme of Action and in Agenda 2030. For that, we must ensure that they also can fully access the benefits of Science, Technology and Innovation. The current reality is that LDCs continue to lag behind in various STI indicators, including R&D, human resource capacity, patents and innovation, just to list a few!

Recognizing this, the Istanbul Programme of Action and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development called for the establishment and full operationalization of the Technology Bank for Least Developed Countries. The Technology Bank was the first SDG target to be achieved, target 17.8. This is a positive step forward in our shared determination to include all, to leave no one behind in making the 2030 Agenda a reality for all.

It is a beginning. The United Nations entity on Science Technology and Innovation- dedicated to the 47 LDCs - the Technology Bank has ambitious tasks ahead. It must be able to support countries to tackle one of the great new divides of our times: access to science, technology and capacity to innovate. The Bank enjoys the support of the collective expertise of the entire UN system.

We hope, the Bank will translate global initiatives into concrete actions on the ground in support of the most vulnerable countries. Through that, we hope it will help countries in their strive for transformative change.

Excellencies, More than 8 years have elapsed since the adoption of the Istanbul Programme of Action. There is not much time left to ensure that the programme goals agreed on by member states become reality for the peoples of the LDCs. At Doha in 2021, the Fifth UN Conference on the LDCs will consider the next 10-year partnership framework in support of the LDCs. The time period of the next Programme of Action for LDCs will coincide with the remaining years of implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

We have no time to waste. It is NOW that we must invest in the ways and means to harness the potentials of STI to maximize the social, economic and environmental benefits for all. We must ensure we include the poorest and most marginalized. LDCs need both - the will and the support to embrace the on-going Technological Revolution and keep pace with new technological advances.

As many economies and societies already show us, embracing fully STI has significant impact on labor, connectivity, delivery of basic services, disaster management, and thus ultimately on Sustainable Development. Right now, there is a critical need for diagnostics, assessments and policy reviews of STI needs and gaps in all LDCs. We must find coherent science, technology and innovation policy mixes that can facilitate enabling environments to promote STI.

These policy mixes also must address potential socioeconomic impacts be it from the perspective of socio- economic changes or that of how to ensure that we leave no one behind. Building the STI base requires long-term infrastructure investments and investments in institutional capacity building and ensuring supply of skilled human resources. It is now that we must invest in building the productive, creative and digital skills of the next generation. They must be equipped to effectively build and participate in more diversified and sustainable economies.

A key challenge relates to developing critical and basic STI infrastructure. It is now that investment in ICT infrastructure is required. Yes, the needs are vast and complex, and time is of the essence! And this also applies to the Technology Bank. Further resources are needed to ensure the Technology Bank can reach its full potential with activities in all LDCs.

So once more, allow me to appeal to all Member States and all stakeholders to contribute to the Technology Bank.

I thank you.

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Opening Statement at the HLPF Side Event: "Partnerships for Accelerated Sustainable Energy Development and Enhanced Resilience Building"

Anonymous — Fri, 12 Jul 2019 16:14:00 +0000

Statement by Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

12 July 2019
New York, USA

Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates,
Ladies and gentlemen,

Ensuring accessto affordable, reliable and modern energy for all isthe key driver, the key means to realizing key SDGs and to ultimately ensuring no one is left behind. In short, energy is both a basic human right and an enabler for sustainable development. It is key in improving livelihoods; enhancing industrialization and structural economic transformation; responding to the challenges of climate change , for fostering regional integration through regional power pools, and increasing trade facilitation that is so necessary for reducing the high trade costs that the LLDCs face. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development set and so did the Vienna Programme of Action for LLDCs. They are not separate but complementary commitments made. Both stress the need to expand and upgrade infrastructure forsupply, transmission and distribution of modern and renewable energy servicesin rural and urban areas in LLDCs.

We are Midway in the implementation of the Vienna Programme of Action and we already are four years into the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Yes, some progress has been achieved. But we must work more, we must work faster. The LLDCs continue to lag behind when we look at global averages. Yes, the average percentage of population with access to electricity in LLDCs increased from 49.5% in 2014 to 56.3% in 2017. At a global scale the average is at 88.8% in 2017. So more than 30 per cent higher!! Access to clean fuels and technologies for cooking in LLDCs increased only marginally from 28.1% in 2015 to 28.8% in 2017.

Again, at the global level the average stood at 59.8% in 2017. These are averages - they are telling but they also hide significant intra- and intercountry variations and notably those between rural and urban areas. Now, add to this the high level of vulnerability of the LLDCs to the impacts of climate change. LLDCs are predominantly located in dryland regions where the impact of climate change is at best more pronounced and at worst catatstrophic.

Some LLDCs have a large proportion of their land in mountainous terrain suffering from land- and mudslides, flooding and given that LLDCs tend to be heavily dependent on climate-sensitive resources for agriculture, forestry, water, and fisheries, I let you imagine what this means for people's livelihoods. The adverse impacts of climate change already severely affect many LLDCs and make it all the more harder and complex for the LLDCs to achieve sustainable development. LLDCs do not at all lack the determination to transform their economies and societies into resilient and sustainable ones. They know that this is critical to translating the global community's climate change goals into reality. And we all know how it is modern, sustainable energy which is at the core of sustainability and resilience.

Affordable, scalable, renewable energy solutions are now accessible to give countries a chance to leapfrog to cleaner, more resilient economies. Achieving this transition and increasing access requires a strong national vision, leadership, solid national strategies and implementation capacities together with requisite human and institutional capacities and above all financial resources. To make this happen, I see at the core an urgent need for greater partnerships. Partnerships at all levels - national public sector, the private sector, development partners, multilateral financial institutions, the United nations system and other international, regional, sub-regional and national organizations. Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen As I see it, we are at a critical juncture and we have a great strategic opportunity this year to push forward in ensuring we do not leave the LLDCs behind.

We have the High level Mid-term Review of the Vienna Programme of Action take place on 5 and 6 December 2019, here in New York. The high-level meeting will review progress and identify practical and forwardlooking ways and means to accelerate the implementation of the Vienna Programme of Action and the SDGs. In my view, a lot of the success rests on having a solid and truly participatory process leading up to the meeting. We have already successfully concluded 3 regional preparatory meetings jointly organized with the UN Regional Economic Commissions in the Euro-Asia, Africa and Latin America regions.

Energy and climate change received considerable focus in all preparatory meetings, including the need to scale up investment, build capacity and enhance the enabling environment for expanding renewable energy in LLDCs. So, it is against this background that I do look forward to our discussion today. I look forward to hearing about experiences on how different partnerships have or can support LLDCs to accelerate sustainable energy development and enhanced resilience building to climate change. The outcome of today's discussions will feed into the preparatory process of the midterm review. I assure you that OHRLLS is very committed to closely working with the LLDCs and all partners to support effective implementation of the Vienna Programme of Action and achievement of the SDGs.

To conclude, allow me to share with you a policy brief on landlocked developing countries that my office and partners have prepared as part of the work of the SDG7 Technical Advisory Group to contribute to the upcoming midterm reviews. I thank you

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Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States - USG

Remarks at High-level Event on Promoting Innovation and Infrastructure Development at the 74th Session of the UN General Assembly

Remarks by Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

25 September 2019 New York, USA

High Representative Welcome Message UNGA74

usg_welcome_unga74.png

Remarks at the Briefing to Permanent Missions of the LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS

Remarks by Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

13 September 2019 New York, USA

Statement at LLDCs Ambassadorial Meeting

Statement by Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

12 September 2019 New York, USA

Remarks at the Heads of State Panel for UN Trade Forum: SDGs and Climate Change

Remarks by Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

9 September 2019 Geneva, Switzerland

Statement at SIDS National Focal Points Meeting

Statement by Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

25 July 2019 Praia, Cabo Verde

Video Statement to CARICOM

Statement by Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

23-24 July 2019 Georgetown, Guyana

Opening Statement on The 2030 Agenda at a Crossroads

Statement by Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

16 July 2019 New York, USA

Statement at the UN Technology Bank for LDCs: Driving the SDGs Through STI Meeting

Statement by Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

15 July 2019 New York, USA

Opening Statement at the HLPF Side Event: "Partnerships for Accelerated Sustainable Energy Development and Enhanced Resilience Building"

Statement by Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

12 July 2019 New York, USA

25 September 2019
New York, USA

13 September 2019
New York, USA

12 September 2019
New York, USA

9 September 2019
Geneva, Switzerland

25 July 2019
Praia, Cabo Verde

23-24 July 2019
Georgetown, Guyana

16 July 2019
New York, USA

15 July 2019
New York, USA

12 July 2019
New York, USA