Statement by
Ambassador Meron Reuben
Remarks for CSD Opening
2 May 2011
Mr. Chairman,
Allow me to congratulate you on your able stewardship on the 19th Session of the Commission on Sustainable Development.
The State of Israel attaches great importance to the deliberations of the CSD and appreciates the opportunity to contribute to this global dialogue on transport, chemicals, waste management, mining, and the ten-year framework of programs on sustainable consumption and production.
With the clear goal of promoting sustainable development, the international community must pay significant attention to each of these pressing issues. This policy session provides an opportunity to reach mutual understandings to develop and implement innovative solutions in each of these areas.
Mr. Chairman,
Allow me to provide three general comments about the draft document before us.
First, I wish to reaffirm that Israel recognizes the importance of long-term planning for sustainable transport. My government believes that the document should be more specific and set targets and timetables for achieving major sustainable transportation objectives.
Second, I would like to emphasize that it is imperative for all countries to adopt sustainable chemical management policies, particularly given the continued introduction of new chemicals into different economies around the world. To this end, harmonized and uniform international agreements on chemicals should be ratified worldwide. In addition, my government believes that we must seek to integrate into our national policies on chemical management, proven systems and mechanisms that are known to protect human health and the environment.
Third, Israel believes that an additional paragraph should be added to the draft decision devoted to sustainable materials management. This paragraph should reflect the growing consensus about the need to move from “waste policies” to “materials policies,” which cover the full life cycle of products and manufactured goods. With this goal in mind, Israel continues to promote a revolution in our country that turns waste from “nuisance to resource.”
Mr. Chairman,
As our time is limited today, I will leave the rest of my delegation’s comments and ideas for the working groups.
I would also like to extend an invitation to all delegations to a working breakfast that Israel’s Minister of Environmental Protection will be hosting on the last day of the Commission, May 13th. This breakfast will provide an opportunity for exchanging views, experiences, and best practices on using mass media to promote more sustainable consumption patterns.
To conclude, Mr. Chairman,
My delegation hopes that our deliberations will keep with the spirit of this professional committee and remain focused on the pressing issues at hand.
Israel looks forward to working closely with all member states to achieve a meaningful outcome document for this session.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
