Naledi Pandor addresses UN General Assembly on climate change

International Relations Minister Naledi Pandor has told the international community to come up with a coordinated and integrated response for the effective management of the inevitable impact of climate change.

Addressing the United Nations General Assembly in New York at the weekend, Pandor said South Africa, together with all the nations of the world, was confronted by the most devastating changes in global climate in human history.

“We must all make a fair contribution to the global effort to stabilise greenhouse gas concentrations so that economic and social development can proceed in an environmentally sustainable manner.”

“We recognise that those living under conditions of poverty and vulnerability will be hardest hit by drought, floods and extreme temperatures. These people will also have the least capacity to adapt to climate change,” she said.

“As part of our commitment to the ratification of the 2015 Paris Agreement to Combat Climate Change we have championed the low carbon transition to tackle poverty, unemployment and to increase economic efficiencies across the value-chain,” Pandor added.

“Our natural assets are under unprecedented threat from climate change, environmental degradation and the loss of our biodiversity. We require a coordinated and integrated response to climate change for the effective management of the inevitable impact of climate change.

“We must all make a fair contribution to the global effort to stabilise greenhouse gas concentrations so that economic and social development can proceed in an environmentally sustainable manner,” Pandor said.

The minister attended the UNGA to represent President Cyril Ramaphosa who decided to stay home to address local issues such as service delivery, the recent xenophobic attacks and gender-based violence in the country.

Pandor suggested that building strategic cooperative global partnerships, in view of current challenges, would assist countries, regions and the world in making advancements in the mobilisation of both human and financial resources.

“Developing countries have fully embraced the primary responsibility for their development – but this does not absolve developed countries from their responsibility to complement these efforts,” she added.

“Developed countries must continue to honour their historic obligations and responsibilities, as part of the commitments made in the context of the global partnership for development.

“We urge the developed countries to deliver on their official development assistance (ODA) commitments of 0.7 percent of their gross national income.

“The means of implementation is fundamental to the success of countries meeting their developmental needs, and achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs), yet it is the one area that has received neither the appropriate attention, nor the requisite priority.

– ericn@citizen.co.za

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