Mkutano
wa nane wa maajadiliano ya wazi kuhusu maandalizi ya malengo
mpya ya maendeleo endelevu baada ya 2015 ( SDGs) umekamilika siku ya
Ijumaa hapa Makao Makuu ya Umoja wa Mataifa. Katika Mkutano huu wa wa
wiki moja wajumbe walijadiliana na kubadilishana mawazo kuhusu mada
kadhaa ambazo ziliwasilishwa mbele yao kuangalia ni kwa namna gani
zinaweza kuwa sehemu ya malengo hayo mapya ya maendeleo endelevu.
Mada hizo zilihusu masuala ya Bahari, Misitu na Viumbe hai, Usawa wa
Jinsia na uwezeshwaji wa wanawake, uzuiaji wa machafuko, uimarishaji
wa amani , ujenzi wa amani baada ya machafuko, utawala wa sheria na
utawala bora. Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania ni kati ya Mataifa 30
yaliyokuwa yamechaguliwa kuwa wajumbe wa majadiliano hayo ya wazi ( Open
Working Group). na Imeshiriki kikamilifu tangu mkutano wa kwanza hadi
huu wa mwisho
Balozi
Celestine Mushy, Mkurugenzi, Idara ya Ushirikiano wa Kimataifa,
akizugumza katika mkutano huo wa mwisho wa maandalizi ya malengo mapya
ya maendeleo endelevu baada ya 2015, Balozi Mushy ndiye aliyeongoza
ujumbe wa Tanzania katika Mkutano huo. Pembeni ni Bw. Noel Kaganda
Afisa wa Uwakilishi wa Kudumu wa Tanzania katika Umoja wa Mataifa
Washiriki wengine wakifutalia kwa makini majadiliano hayo
Washiriki wengine wakifutalia kwa makini majadiliano hayo
Wajumbe
wakifuatiali mchango wa Tanzania uliowasilishwa na Balozi Mushy
kuhusu uzuiaji wa machafuko, uimarishaji wa amani, ujenzi wa amani
baada ya machafuko, utawala wa sheria na utawala bora.
STATEMENT
BY AMBASSADOR CELESTINE MUSHY,DIRECTOR, DEPARTMENT OF MULTILATERAL COOPERATION,
MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND INTERNATIONAL
COOPERATION AT THE EIGHTH SESSION OF THE OPEN WORKING GROUP ON SUSTAINABLE
GOALS ON THE ITEM ENTITLED: “CONFLICT PREVENTION, POST-CONFLICT PEACEBUILDING
AND THE PROMOTIONS OF DURABLE PEACE, RULE OF LAW AND GOVERNANCE”, NEW YORK, 7
FEBRUARY 2014
Mr.
Co-Chair,
We are glad to address
this session in its last day of its eighth session which is also the climax of
the stocktaking phase of the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals.
At the outset we wish
to associate ourselves with the statement delivered by the
Plurinational State of Bolivia on behalf of members of the
G77 and China, Benin on behalf of the Least Developing Countries (LDCs) and
Guinea on behalf of the African Group.
We wish to make the
following additional remarks in our national capacity:
Mr.
Co-Chair,
It is encouraging to
note that we have been bold enough to include the issues of
conflict prevention,
rule of law and governance in our consideration as we navigate through this
important task of formulating the Sustainable Development Goals.
We believe it is quite
in order to accord sufficient consideration to these issues, which are intrinsically
linked to development. Conflicts impede development and the latter flourishes
in societies that have embraced democracy, good governance and those that
uphold the rule of law.
We have not heard any
views to the contrary on the need to build and strengthen, as appropriate,
public institutions which are prerequisite for any meaningful development prospects
in our countries.
Our challenge however,
and this is very apparent, is how to deduce all these issues into specific and
ambitious targets and indicators without distorting the universal goals that we
are crafting through these continued consultations.
My delegation
appreciates the attempts by several Member States and other stakeholders,
including the civil society to suggest goals, targets and indicators in this
area.
Such attempts have
brought some light into our deliberations and will undoubtedly enable us to
approach these issues in a more focused manner.
Mr.
Co-Chair,
Let me detangle these
issues for a moment – beginning by singling out the subject of conflict
prevention. Looking at conflict prevention from the sustainable development
point of view, it is very clear that our objective is to eliminate the
impediments to achieving the end goal, which is sustainable development. We
have mechanisms in place at national, regional and international levels for
dealing with this impediment.
For example, we have
the police, judiciary and army as well as other organizations including faith
based organizations which are actively involved at national level in
preventing, managing and resolving conflicts of all sorts. We have regional
arrangements such as the African Peace and Security Architecture for dealing
with this issue.
At the international
level, we have the United Nations Security Council and other tools for
preventing and dissolving conflicts as elucidated in Chapter Six of the Charter
of the United Nations. What we need here is not a specific goal on conflict,
but rather an appreciation that, if we are to achieve sustainable development
for all, we need to do away with conflicts, particularly armed conflicts which
seem to a curse in our great continent, Africa.
We need to address the
root causes of conflicts, which include poverty, inequality and exclusion,
religious and tribal differences, proliferation of arms and their ammunitions,
and foreign induced instability. We could discuss all these issues through the
new development framework, if we so decide, but we strongly believe that we
have a forum for them already.
The best cure for inactivity
of these fora is not a shift of focus but rather to dare and undertake comprehensive
reforms. For example we need to reform the UN Security Council to make it more
democratic, transparent and proactive.
Mr.
Co-Chair,
Turning to rule of
law: it has been stressed severally that we need to
uphold it nationally, regionally and internationally. Let me state very clearly
here that, presence of rule of law alone, does not necessarily guarantee
sustainable economic growth and development.
However, it is an
important development enabler as confirmed in the outcome documents of the 2005
World Summit; the 2010 MDG review summit and the Rio + 20 conference.
It cannot be disputed
that we need to do something about the 4 billion people who live outside the protection
of the law, the poor and marginalized who are excluded from the socio-economic
endeavors. We believe that the presence of rule of law, in a meaningful manner,
enables the poor and marginalized to equally access development opportunities
and eventually to break loose from the shackles of poverty. Undeniably, rule of
law provides voice to the voiceless; hope to the hopeless; and freedom and
justice to the oppressed and marginalized.
It is thus crystal
clear, in our opinion that we cannot succeed in our collective efforts to empower
our people and reduce inequality and exclusions without paying due regard to
rule of law at both national and international levels. Our overall goal must be
to eradicate all barriers to development, including trade barriers and economic
blockades which are impeding developing countries from achieving sustainable
economic growth and development.
Mr.
Co-Chair,
Let me conclude by
touching upon the third issue: governance. This too is a development enabler,
one which cuts across so many other issues, including the two I have just
touched upon. Responsibility, accountability, inclusivity and transparency are
essential pillars in any governance system, whether national and international.
We must do our utmost to ensure that these aspects are reflected in the
sustainable development goals, particularly on the aspect of means of
implementation.
The United Republic of
Tanzania is and has always promoted conflict prevention, rule of law and good
governance and has voluntarily joined regional and global initiatives such as the
African Peer Review Mechanism, the Open Government Partnership and Extractive Industry
Transparency Initiative. This is what drives my delegation to call for good and
responsible governance at local, national, regional and international levels.
Tanzania's commitments to these issues goes a while back.
We fought apartheid and
other discriminatory systems with all strength and resources – Tanzania was the
headquarters of the liberation movement in Southern Africa; our troops fought
alongside Ugandans to end the brutal regime of Iddi Amin Dada; we fought
alongside the people of the Comoros to remove an illegitimate ruler; and we are
actively engaged in peacekeeping as well as peace building efforts, including in
the Great Lakes Region of Africa, at a huge sacrifice of our men and women in
blue helmet. We do so out of a firm conviction that, development and prosperity
for all will remain elusive, if discrimination, injustice and conflicts
continue to reign.
In this regard, we
shall render the necessary cooperation to ensure that the SDGs, once adopted,
will contribute to building economically, socially and environmentally
resilient societies, which are free from inequality, injustice and conflicts.