Delivered by Ambassador David Roet

Deputy Permanent Representative

Thank you, Mr. President.

Information and communication technologies have dramatically changed the way we live our lives and interact with each other. The world has grown smaller as the role of technology has grown greater. And unlike most resources that are depleted when used, information and knowledge can be shared, and even grow through collaboration and partnership.

From agriculture to manufacturing, from tracking storms to staying connected to family oceans away, our societies are not the same as they were.  Just fifty years ago, we were reading books and newspapers individually printed by a process that Gutenberg would have easily recognized 500 hundred years earlier.  Twenty-five years ago, we were reading papers typeset by computers.  Today, we can read news and watch videos in any language from any country, updated instantly on a screen that fits in our hand.  Our reality is our parents’ science fiction.  What will be read or used by our children and grandchildren, one can only imagine.

Unfortunately, many are not reaping the benefits of these advances.  The world’s unconnected – mostly poor – are having to leapfrog in their ICT capacity. Addressing the digital divide will be critical if we are to achieve a sustainable world where no one is left behind.

Mr. President,

More information at greater speed allows for better decision-making in all sectors.  In agriculture, for example, farmers could know whether the commodity price of their crop is on the rise overseas, knowledge they could leverage for better prices domestically. ICT can generate advanced information about severe weather events, and lead to preemptive emergency government action.  

We should emphasize that while information and communication technology is a tool that offers limitless possibilities, we must ensure that it does not become a tool for limiting access to information and undermining democracy. Unfettered access to knowledge can empower all citizens, and enable them to hold their governments accountable.  The people of all nations should demand no less of their governments and of us.

Mr. President,

Israel knows about innovation and technology.  A recent report of the Secretary-General ranks Israel first worldwide in terms of research and development as a share of GDP.  Indeed, Israel is often referred to as the “start-up nation”.  Energized in this environment, Israeli entrepreneurs are unlocking the potential of ICT for the benefit of everyone, including those in developing countries.

In one recent example of Israel’s many contributions to global development, an Israeli entrepreneur established the University of the People, offering accredited on-line courses to anyone in the world with an internet connection.  These courses are free, and the University charges minimal processing fees only to those who can afford to pay.  Imagine a young woman, living many miles from the nearest city, being the first in her family to graduate from university because of innovations like this. From free, world-class online education to rural cell phone banking, we should embrace the limitless possibilities, and guide the technology conversation in a direction that will benefit humanity.

Israel works hard to ensure that the potential of ICT serves development and we strongly believe that for development cooperation to work we must focus on capacity-building, knowledge-sharing and transfer of skills to guarantee sustainable growth.

Mr. President,

Today we face a more complex architecture for development cooperation, characterized by new challenges, new funding streams, and a greater number of state and non-state actors.  Partnerships have also grown in complexity, with the traditional arrangements  between the global North and South now sharing a field that includes partnerships among middle income countries, south-south and triangular cooperation, and new forms of public-private partnerships.

In all its partnerships, and in its international development cooperation, Israel maintains the four core principles of the Busan Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation:

1.    National ownership of development priorities;

2.    Focus on results, through local consultation and local solutions;

3.    Inclusive development partnerships, where openness, trust, mutual respect and learning lie at the core; and finally,

4.    Transparency and accountability

Israel works with flexibility and creativity in its overseas development projects.  To achieve our goals, we have created bilateral, triangular and multilateral partnerships with government agencies of traditional donors, new emerging donors, private sector organizations, international, national and local NGOs, and international organizations and development banks, such as the WHO, UNDP, FAO, UNEP and the World Bank.

Mashav – Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation – conducts a number of bilateral programmes in developing countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East.  The programmes help leverage innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship for development. Mashav has trained over a quarter-million participants from 132 countries, or two-thirds of the nations represented in this hall.

M

a

s

hav is also involved in a number of triangular partnerships, which combine the separate strengths of several donors into a single, coordinated effort to make a real difference on the ground.

Earlier this year, Israel joined forces with Germany to establish “The Africa Initiative”, a political framework aimed at enhancing development cooperation on the continent.  In Kenya, we established a large-scale project to rehabilitate highly contaminated Lake Victoria.  Ultimately, we expect the environmental turn-around will improve the lives of around 5 million people living in the region.

The Africa Initiative is also active in Ghana, improving the efficiency of smallholder Ghanaian citrus farmers.  This project combines agricultural assistance, capacity building, and elements of microfinance and microcredit.

In the Horn of Africa, Israel and Germany, together, have teamed with Ethiopia on irrigation and community development projects.  We look forward to expanding the initiative to other countries in Africa, including Cameroon, Burundi and Burkina Faso.

Israel also enables South-South cooperation through its "training of trainers" and capacity-building activities. South-South cooperation offers real, concrete solutions to common development challenges by promoting the sharing of knowledge and best practices. This type of cooperation is extremely important for the development of solutions tailored to specific local conditions.

Mr. President,

As we look towards 2015 and beyond, it is clear that the only way to achieve our overarching goals is by building effective partnerships and working together as a family of nations. Only then will we show the world that we can make a difference for the common good and our common future.  

Thank you, Mr. President.