Madam Chair,
Excellences,
Ladies and gentlemen,

1. I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.

2. At the outset, the Group would like to thank the Secretary-General for the report and updates presented under this important agenda item, which will enrich our deliberations today.

3. As we are all aware, the years 2021 to 2022 bear great significance for the LDCs. As mandated in General Assembly resolution 73/242, 74/232 and 74/232B we have since the beginning of this year been working on our next programme of action which will culminate in a meeting at the level of Heads of States and Government to be held in Doha, State of Qatar, January 2022.

4. Consultations have taken and continue to take place with various stakeholders from the UN development system, private sector, CSOs, NGOs and academia among others. This diverse multi-stakeholder discussion is what we aim to be the hallmark of the LDC 5 process. That through inclusivity we will come out with a document that is universally owned and will be propelled forward through implementation by stakeholders at all levels.

5. The Group would like to thank all colleagues and stakeholders for their continued support and diligent engagement so far in the LDC5 process. We look forward to everyone’s continued constructive engagement in pursuit of a text that serves the LDCs’ best development interests.

6. As we begin to close the chapter on the IPoA we would like to thank Turkey the hosts of LDC4 for their support and collaboration over the past ten plus years and we look forward to their continued cooperation with the LDCs going forward.

7. Turning the Chapter to Doha, we would like to reiterate the call for participation and attendance at the highest level and look forward to Doha representing a dynamic start of the next LDCs chapter that coincides with the decade of Action.

Madam Chair,
8. The Group reiterates its recognition of the special needs and challenges faced by landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) caused by their lack of territorial access to the sea, aggravated by remoteness from world markets and high transit costs and risks. These impediments impose serious constraints on export earnings, private capital inflow and domestic resource mobilization, among others.

9. We reaffirm our commitment to the effective implementation of the Vienna Declaration and the Vienna Programme of Action (VPoA) for LLDCs, for the Decade 2014-2024. We encourage landlocked developing countries, transit countries, their development partners, the United Nations system and other key actors to implement the provisions that have been agreed upon in the Vienna Programme of Action.

10. The COVID pandemic abruptly halted progress in almost all priority areas of the Vienna Programme of Action. For LLDCs, the fiscal implications of the pandemic have led to increased risk of debt distress, limiting their fiscal and policy space for critical investments in recovery, including accessing vaccines.

11. The Group highlights that investment in infrastructure plays a key role in reducing the cost of development for landlocked developing countries. The development and maintenance of transit transport infrastructure, information and communications technology and energy infrastructure are crucial to reducing the high trading costs, improving competitiveness, and enabling LLDCs to become fully integrated into the global market.

12. We recall paragraph 66 of GA resolution 74/15 Political Declaration of the High-level Midterm Review on the Implementation of the Vienna Programme of Action for Landlocked Developing Countries for the Decade 2014-2024 regarding the need hold a comprehensive ten-year review conference on the implementation of the Vienna Programme of Action in 2024, referred to as the third United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries, in accordance with GA Resolution 69/137.

13. The Group looks forward to a constructive engagement on these crucial issues during our deliberations. We cannot back-track on commitments to these countries – the circumstances confronting LDCs and LLDCs, in the implementation of their respective Programmes of Action and the 2030 Agenda, demand nothing less.

Madam Chair,

14. The Group highlights the importance of a robust, effective, transparent, and long-term Global Partnership of public and private sectors to support the achievement of the 2030 Agenda, taking into account different national realities, capacities and levels of development, respecting national policies and priorities, through the delivery of the means of implementation as contained in Sustainable Development Goal 17, as well as in each specific Sustainable Development Goal.

15. We welcome the progress and reaffirm the importance of further strengthening South-South cooperation projects and initiatives, especially in the current international economic environment. The Group reaffirms that South-South cooperation is a collective endeavor of developing countries, based on the principle of solidarity. However, the Group reiterates its position that South-South cooperation is a complement rather than a substitute for North-South cooperation.

16. Finally, to enhance global partnership for development, we reiterate the need for developed countries to fulfill their commitments regarding Official Development Assistance to developing countries.

17. The Group of 77 and China reassures its readiness to work with all stakeholders to encourage effective partnerships, including public, public-private and with civil society, to enhance synergies on our joint efforts for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Thank you.