Presentation to the First Extraordinary Meeting of the Inter-American Committee for Sustainable Development, June 29-30, 2015

Importance of Sustainable Development (SD) established by AG/RES. 1440Declaration and Plan of Action on SD adopted at special summit of the Americas on SD (Bolivia 1996)Human beings/poverty alleviation are at the center of concerns of SD Declaration of Santa Cruz + 10 (AG/RES. 2211)

The PIDS:is a hemispheric strategic program of action defined by Member Statesis non-binding on Member States and does not instruct Member Statesinstructs the GS/OAS to support member states efforts in priority areas of sustainable development.is demand-driven does not commit Member States to provide financial resourcesinstructs the GS/OAS to mobilize resources for its implementationImplementation at the national level is at the specific invitation of member states

Current PIDS first adopted at Ministerial on SD in Santa Cruz Bolivia in December 2006Extended at Ministerial on SD in Santo Domingo, DR, in November 2010Update/revision mandated by Member states (AG/RES. 2816)PIDS extended to permit revisionPIDS revision to take account of UNGA RES. 66/288 - The Future We Want and the P2015 Agenda process

OAS/GA instructed the Inter-American Commission on Sustainable Development (CIDS) in reviewing/updating of PIDS, to:continue efforts to address the adverse effect of climate changeconsider the outcomes of consultations on climate change (including COP 20 in Peru and the SDGs related to climate change (AG/RES. 2818) consider conclusions of 5th Assessment Report of the IPCC

Revised PIDS aligned with:Declaration of the Strategic Vision of the OAS (AG/RES.2814)Social Charter of the Americas and its Implementation Plan Inter-American Plan for Disaster Prevention and Response and the Coordination of Humanitarian AssistanceAdditional Protocol to the Inter-American Convention on Human Rights in the Area of Economic and Social Rights (Protocol of San Salvador)Mandates from Member States

Revised PIDS considers feedback from member states to invitation from technical secretariat to indicate: what priority sustainable development challenges should be addressed?what concrete actions should be included within each of the priority areas that relate to hemispheric dialogue, exchange of lessons and experiences; and hemispheric cooperation as per Article 95 of OAS Charter?how the PIDS can support the implementation of the SDGs?what strategies should be used in implementing a revised PIDS?what strategies should be used to mobilize new and additional resources?Feedback from consultations with civil societyConsultations from the CIDS meeting in October 2014

Revised PIDS reflects the comparative advantages of the OAS and DSD:Convening power of the OASIntimate knowledge of the SD challenges, and political and institutional culture of the region from 50+ years of workAbility to bring an integrated (economic/social/environmental) approach to resolving issues and challenges in SDAbility to work at a hemispheric levelMature multi-stakeholder networks in all thematic areasStrong international image/reputation

Defining the Strategic Framework

The Goal of PIDS is to support Member States efforts at achieving SD through effective management at all levels and identifying, designing and implementing actions that integrate environmental protection with poverty alleviation and economic development

The PIDS proposes that the GS/OAS should:Serve as a hemispheric forum to promote dialogue and coordinate progress in SD Support the exchange of information and experiences on SDAct as a partner in cooperation among stakeholders _______________________________________________________ in the following strategic program areas:1. Sustainable Management of Land and EcosystemsWater Resources Management Sustainable Energy -----------------------------------------Cross-Cutting Areas5. Sustainable CitiesClimate Change and Disaster Risk ManagementGood Governance for Inclusive and Sustainable Development

Recurring disaster undermine SDClimate-related disasters often have higher impact on economies and livelihoods than intensive disastersSendai framework places explicit on people and their health and livelihoods and calls for DRR and resilience-buildingSocio-economic integration of OAS Member states creates inter-dependencies that increase risk of the spread of negative impacts of disastersThe consequences of disasters can extend far beyond the border of the country (ies) directly affected.

5 of 10 most biodiverse countries in the world are in the AmericasHabitats are being threatened by land use changes for increased food productionIPCC Assessment Report # 5 attributes coral reef bleaching, migration and extinction of species Current efforts (WHMSI, ReefFix and Mesoamerica, IABIN) have helped to increase understanding of value of ecosystem servicesPIDS to promote opportunities to create new economic, financial and business opportunities that help protect biodiversity and main ecosystem services

Americas has abundant surface and groundwater resources and relatively low extraction ratesWater wealth not evenly distributed Water availability under pressure from local and global extraction activitiesIPCC attributes climate change with shrinking glaciers, permafrost thawing and changes in river flowEffective water use hampered by limited information, obsolete laws, fragmented decision-making, increasing pollution, land degradation, over-extraction of waterPIDS proposes inclusive, participatory management to promote the equitable provision and use of water while reducing the potential for social conflict and supporting climate change adaptation.

Americas most urbanized region in the world; home to 80% of populationsCities are home to industries which account for two-thirds of employmentPoor design and management of cities are the cause of traffic congestion, loss of productivity, health challenges (NCDs)Industries also source of much of the pollution that afflict citiesPIDS proposes the dissemination of best practices, capacity building and the promotion of technical cooperation about renewable energy/energy efficiency water, waste management, sanitation, urban planning, transport and urban development promoted through certified training and small grants for grass roots actions

Access to energy key to economic growth, social development and poverty alleviationFossil fuel market fluctuations strain the regions economies and threaten prosperitySocial and economic hardships caused by energy price volatility IPCC attributes GHGs from fossil fuel use to global warming and climate change PIDS proposes continued support for the design of policies and strategies that favor clean energy use at the national level

SD requires peaceful, cooperative and inclusive societies and institutions, access to information, access to justice, participatory decision-making and to due processsharing best practice and building the capacity of institutions and communities to manage linkages among social, economic and environmental domains critical to SDPIDS proposes strengthening the environmental rule of law and policies and programs that incorporate SD into decision-making Supporting Member States in:implementing Rio Principle 10 and Inter-American Strategy for the Promotion of Public Participation in Decision-making on SD (adopted by MS)Implementing multilateral environmental agreementsAddressing the environmental impacts of trade/economic agreements

Implementation of PIDS falls primarily to the Department of Sustainable Development (DSD) acting in concert with SEDI, the GS/OAS, and regional and international agencies/organizationsImplementation planned at the political, programmatic, technical and institutional levels.

At the Political Level DSD to: Strengthen political and institutional mechanisms and promote strategic partnershipsFoment national and regional political dialogue on SDPromote the development of common regional positions on SDFacilitate the harmonization of legal, regulatory and policy frameworksStrengthen existing partnerships and develop new alliances

At the Technical level DSD to: Frame technical cooperation services in a manner that responds to PIDS prioritiesContribute its experiences and lessons learned to the evolution of the regional agenda on poverty alleviation and SDProvide technical support to member states in the formulation of policies, laws and regulationsPromote the exchange/transfer of new technologies and scientific and technical knowledge

At the Institutional Level DSD to:Pursue strategies to improve its planning, management and communications capacity to:ensure the fulfilment of its missionimprove the coordination and focus of its servicesstrengthen its impact at the national and regional levelsStrengthen its technical and analytical and management capacity through targeted contracting of staffStimulate in-house debate, research and the production of technical publications.

At the Programmatic Level the DSD to:address cross-cutting issues and promote constructive synergies among the various areaemphasize close, on-going cooperation and coordination with multi-lateral organizations with a mandate in SDsupport the strengthening of sub-regional of sub-regional and regional organizationsStrengthen existing and promote new partnerships with other organizations

CIDS now entrusted with identifying options for measuring progress in SD Future role of CIDS to be determinedDSD will:utilize a results-based management framework for all projects designed for implementation at the national/regional levelsupport the efforts of member states to develop benchmarks for monitoring progress of the PIDS and the SDGsinclude in project budgets, provisions for monitoring, evaluation, and review and for communicating the results of projects and lessons learned.

Directions/suggestions from Member States invited regarding:the use of internal sources of financethe identification of new and additional external resources and strategies for securing these resourcesThe use of mechanisms such as private-public-partnerships for project implementation in member states