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Interactive Meeting with Civil Society for the

High-level Stocktaking Event on the Post-2015 Development Agenda:

Contributions to the Secretary-Generals Synthesis Report

Wednesday, 10 September 2014

Trusteeship Council Chamber, UN Headquarters, NY

H.E. Mr. John W. Ashe, President of the General Assembly of the United Nations

Distinguished Assistants

We would like to thank the President of the General Assembly of the United Nations

for the realization of this event: Interactive Meeting with Civil Society for the High-

level Stocktaking Event on the Post-2015 Development Agenda, and particularly forthe invitation to share our perspectives as an organization base in a small island

developing state, the Dominican Republic.

From civil society, as independent actors in development, we want to support the post

2015 development agenda, based on our permanent contribution to the development

of the less-favored, the defense of rights, environmental protection and the right to

public participation.

We want to highlight that during this period one of the activities we executed to

contribute to the post-2015 development agenda, has been a high level dialogue about

the global development agenda for the Caribbean region, together with the Ministry ofEconomy, Planning and Development of the Dominican Republic, United Nations

Development Program (UNDP), CEPEI, the Caribbean Policy Development Center

(CPDC) and Alianza ONG.

In this dialogue we have recognized the advancement of the Caribbean in some

aspects of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and identified a series of

challenges to keep working toward the improvement of well-being for the population

of these countries with high levels of debt, climate vulnerability, energy dependence,

and also with the need to motivate a sustainable development whose prosperity is

shared and does not deepen the existent inequalities.

For example, in my country, the Dominican Republic, we have had a decade of growth

over the 5% in the gross domestic product; nevertheless this growth has not been

reflected in a reduction of poverty that is close to 40% of the population. In

environmental terms we have had a positive increase in forestry, a total of 39% of our

territory covered, despite the reduction of our water resources and drought, the lack

of water in the country is a source of concern for the human consumption and

production.

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Mr. President, as you know during the present period of sessions, specifically on the

days between September the 1st and the 4th 2014, was held the Third Conference on

Small Island Developing States in Apia, Samoa.

Samoa was also the place where over 250 representatives from major groups, civil

society organizations and networks, social movements and other stakeholders from

the Caribbean, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Mediterranean and South China Seas (AIMS)

and Pacific small island developing states, we presented a series of inputs based on the

development of our islands, we encourage that these inputs from Major Groups, children

and youth, women, and NGOs to be considered.

Specifically we want to highlight a set of proposals presented for the NGO major group

in Samoa.

We underscore the need to build a robust coherence framework, noting that the post2015 development agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will create the

new architecture for the future we want. This new architecture that will drive the flow of

significant blocks of finance and other resources will only complement SIDS efforts if the

targets, benchmarks, indicators and timelines allows for SIDS to be centrally placed in

all of its components and activities.

As we look forward to our involvement in a robust implementation agenda the NGO

major group called in Samoa for:

The creation of an enabling environment for civil society engagement at levels of

governance in sustainable development processes. An enabling environment is based onrespect for human rights and freedoms, access to adequate resources, the requisite legal,

regulatory and policy environment to facilitate the operations of the sector and

importantly; unwavering political will in favour of inclusive dialogue and access to

information including data; and strengthened relations with all development partners.

The establishment of specific mechanisms for the engagement of SIDS NGOs in the

development of the post-2015 sustainable development agenda and climate change

processes to promote sharing of knowledge and good practices in implementing and

monitoring the pathway.

We want to reflect, that a demand of the governments and the civil society in ourcountries is the high level of vulnerability that we have facing climate change, as it is

known our countries are at risk of suffering greatest effects of climate change, and this

is a reality that we must not face alone.

We ask for mechanisms of implementation that recognize the social, economic and

environmental context of the small island developing states. The climate finance must

be one of the mechanisms that answers the particular challenges that we face. When

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we talk about particular mechanism we ask for measures and action that are

immediate, because what is on stake in many of our countries is life itself.

We wish for a post 2015 development agenda focused on people, their rights,

environmental sustainability as well as the reduction of poverty and inequality that

slow, exclude and deprive our population of the benefits of development. For this wecall on the member states and the institutions of the United Nations to engage in the

promotion of ambitious political changes. We also call on a national level to work

together with civil society and other stake holders in defining national priorities.

The blue in our coasts, the green of our mountains, the culture of our insular states,

have their best reflection in the smile of our people, which have the right to keep the

hope in continuing development in their privileged beauty that today is under a

growing threat.

Itsbecause of this, that from the islands, from these power halls and corridors, we ask

the Post-2015 Agenda to pay attention to the Small Islands Developing States.

Thank you.

Addys Then Marte,

Alianza ONG, Dominican Republic

athen@alianzaong.org.do

mailto:athen@alianzaong.org.domailto:athen@alianzaong.org.domailto:athen@alianzaong.org.do