Statement on Behalf of the Group of 77 and China on the Draft Resolution: Promoting Inclusive and Accountable Public Services for Sustainable Development, L.81/Rev.1 by Mr. Mahlatse Mminele, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Republic of South Africa to the United Nations
New York, 14 September 2015
Mr President,
I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.
At the outset, the Group of 77 and China wishes to thank you Mr President for your leadership and stewardship of this august body of the United Nations, as we move closer to ring down the curtain of this 69th Session of the General Assembly.
Mr President,
The Group of 77 and China tabled this draft resolution entitled "Promoting inclusive and accountable public services for sustainable development,' L.81/Rev.1,which we believe will be useful to member states in building inclusive and accountable institutions for the achievement of sustainable development.
Sustainable development emphasizes a holistic, equitable and far-sighted approach in decision-making at all levels. It rests on integration and a balanced consideration of social, economic and environmental goals and objectives in both public and private decision-making processes. It also emphasizes intra-generational and inter-generational equity. As we move in transition from the Millennium Development Goals to the upcoming Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), governments will need to adopt approaches to promote policy change and integration, institutional coordination, participatory decision-making processes, and effective, responsive, inclusive and accountable service delivery.
The adoption of this resolution sends a strong signal to all governments, the United Nations system as well as civil society organisations on the importance of public administration. This resolution states categorically that the foundations of sustainable development at all levels include transparent, participatory and accountable governance and a professional, ethical, responsive and ICT-enabled public administration.
It will encourage the international community to continue to support capacity development in public governance and institution-building at all levels to accelerate progress towards sustainable development.
Mr President,
The Group of 77 and China firmly believes in the importance of promoting inclusive and accountable public services for sustainable development. This is more pertinent as we move towards the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Public services need to be strengthened at the appropriate levels to ensure that services are provided to the people in a transparent manner and also speedily. It is very pertinent to unlock bottlenecks affecting service delivery at the local level. Functional municipalities are a critical part in achieving better results. It is in the main, the duty of governments to ensure that public services are functional and benefit their respective populations.
Each country has therefore, the primary responsibility for its own economic and social development. The role of national policies and development strategies cannot be overemphasized, at the same time respecting each country's policy space and governance structures to implement policies for promoting inclusive and accountable public services for sustainable development, while remaining consistent with relevant international rules and commitments.
Mr President,
The Group would like to state that the United Nations System has a central role to play in promoting international cooperation to strengthen public institutions and public services for sustainable development.
We believe that the United Nations can play a role as well in creating an enabling environment for states to meet their national plans, internationally-agreed development goals, including the unfinished Millennium Development Goals and the forthcoming Sustainable Development Goals. The prominent role of North-South Cooperation cannot be overemphasized through the importance of the Official Development Assistance (ODA), which is being received by many developing countries, which, inter alia, plays a vital role in ensuring that public services run smoothly at country-level.
Mr President,
The Group of 77 and China do value the importance of freedom, human rights, and national sovereignty, good governance, rule of law, peace and security, combatting corruption at all levels and in all its forms, and effective, accountable, and inclusive democratic institutions at the sub-national, national and international levels as central to enable inclusive and accountable public services for sustainable development.
The Group also recognizes that efficient, accountable, effective, inclusive and transparent public institutions and public services at all levels have a key role to play in the implementation of internationally agreed development goals, including the unfinished business of the Millennium Development Goals and the forthcoming Sustainable Development Goals.
Mr President,
The Group also believes that member States should be encouraged to utilize information and communications technologies in the design of public policies and the provision of public services in order to support national development efforts and respond effectively to national and local needs and priorities. Without this important technology, services will be hampered. There is a need for the North to provide more support to the developing countries in that regard, with particular attention to the least developed countries (LDCs).
Mr President,
The Group of 77 and China recognizes, in their specific context, including through the positive contribution of indigenous peoples and local communities, including through some of their traditional values and principles, to strengthen individual and societal commitments in order to improve the efficiency, effectiveness and transparency of public administration and promote inclusive and accountable public services for sustainable development. This will also speed up services and bring about inclusivity and collective memory in public services and its administration. It is as thus very critical to leave no one behind as we work together to improve public services.
Mr President,
The Group of 77 and China has had enriching informals with the partners on the draft resolution under consideration. We have in good faith, worked tirelessly to achieve a common understanding to lead to a consensus resolution. We are in this spirit requesting support for this resolution as it aims to unlock bottlenecks in the public services and to ensure that bureaucratic bungles are dealt with. This can only assist in creating a better atmosphere to allow for the promotion of inclusive and accountable public services for sustainable development.
I thank you.