16 Jul 2015
Mr President,
1 Allow me to start by thanking our host, the Government and the people of Ethiopia, for their warm welcome and generous hospitality, and for the excellent organisation of this conference. Thirteen years after the Monterrey Consensus was adopted, and seven years after Doha, the importance of development financing has not diminished. With the United Nations Summit on the post-2015 development agenda just two months away, this Conference is both timely and critical. I am not the first, and nor will I be the last, to observe that the ambitious post-2015 development agenda will require equally ambitious means of implementation. Business as usual is not going to get us to the Future We Want. We have to work together on many fronts to realise our common goals.
Mr President,
2 Official Development Assistance will remain a key pillar for financing for development. In particular, the Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States urgently need continued and increased support. Several countries have met or exceeded the ODA targets pledged in the Monterrey Consensus, such as Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom. We applaud them. We also welcome the decision by EU Member states to recommit, as a whole, to meeting these targets. The launch of the Post-2015 Development Agenda this year is an opportunity for developed countries to demonstrate leadership in fulfilling any remaining ODA commitments, and in increasing support to developing countries that most need it.
3 Given the challenges at hand, ODA alone is insufficient. The post-2015 development agenda must encourage an approach based on multiple sources that engages multiple stakeholders. The developing countries have come together to address the challenges of sustainable development, including through strengthened South-South cooperation. This could take many forms, such as sharing of experiences, technical assistance, and working with third countries to provide support and funding. South-South cooperation, whilst important and growing, is not a substitute for public funding from developed countries. For many developing countries, the value-add of this Conference is to mobilise the necessary funds for their own domestic transformation.
4 Singapore is committed to playing our part in this joint endeavour. Since our independence 50 years ago, long before environmental sustainability became fashionable and climate change became a global issue, Singapore very deliberately and persistently ensured, that our push for economic development would be accompanied by social development and environmental protection. When we embarked on this development journey, Singapore benefitted enormously from technical assistance from the developed countries, from fellow developing countries and from international organisations. Having benefitted from the help we received in the past, we are committed to giving back through the Singapore Cooperation Programme.
Mr President,
5 Through this technical cooperation programme, over the past two decades, we have already shared our experiences and skills with more than 100,000 officials from over 170 countries. We have honestly shared our experiences – both the failures and successes – in areas where we have gained some expertise. These areas include economic and trade development, environment and urban planning, water management, public housing and transportation, port management, civil aviation, public governance, e-government, education and healthcare.
6 Singapore is also working actively to step up our technical cooperation efforts. In September last year, we announced a specially-prepared three-year technical cooperation package for fellow SIDS comprising customised training programmes, fellowships in civil aviation and maritime training courses in Singapore, apart from the full suite of SCP courses already available. In April this year, Singapore also launched a new capacity development programme with UN Habitat – for urban governance and planning around the world. We hope that our contribution will help cities and human settlements be more inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable, as envisioned by the Sustainable Development Goal number 11.
Mr President,
7 We cannot avoid a discussion on creating better enabling environments to facilitate greater private investment flows. National governments need to focus on clear, stable investment frameworks and environments. While the circumstances facing each country and society may be different, we have found that domestic stability, rule of law, transparency, accountability and market-oriented policies are needed to attract private investment for sustainable development.
8 While much of the responsibility for change lies at the national level, the UN and international organisations such as the World Bank and IMF can help ensure that the global economic framework remains conducive for growth. International organisations, such as the World Bank and IMF, need to be more inclusive, and give developing countries a greater say. In this regard it bears repeating that every country is unique and there is no universal model of development applicable to all countries. Every country must find its own road to the future.
9 Finally, we need to strike up creative partnerships with other stakeholders, such as civil society and philanthropic organisations, and to see how we can pool our resources and expertise to support sustainable development globally.
Mr President,
10 The challenge ahead is daunting. However, this Conference has put forward a comprehensive, action-oriented and forward-looking outcome document. It will not only contribute positively to the post-2015 development agenda, but it will also send a strong signal to the world of our collective commitment to the future we want. Singapore is ready to play our part in this joint effort to ensure that no one is left behind.
11 I thank you.
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