Mr. Secretary General,
President of the General Assembly,
Under-Secretary General Turk,
Excellencies,

1. I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the G77 and China.

2. I would like to express the Group’s appreciation to both the Secretary General and the co-facilitators for the update provided on the OCA processes.

3. The Group expects such briefings to take place on a regular basis in order to keep Member States abreast of the several processes related to “Our Common Agenda” Report.

4. On the Summit of the Future, the Group has already expressed its position during the informal consultations held on 28 July 2022. However, I would, however, reiterate the following key points:

i. The way forward for the Summit must be a detailed inter-governmentally negotiated modalities resolution which encompasses the format, date, timeline, participation, scope and objectives, ‘tracks’, preparatory processes or events, and outcome document of the Summit.

ii. Considering the high ambition for the Summit, adequate time must be provided to negotiate both the modalities resolution and the outcome of the Summit – the ‘Pact for the future’ – to ensure consensus. To allow time for consultations by experts, the negotiating sessions should not be held closely together.

iii. The so-called “tracks” for the Summit must be decided through inter-governmental negotiations. Hence, the modalities resolution should contain details on the tracks.

iv. In order for the Summit to achieve a meaningful and inclusive outcome at the Summit, it is essential to ensure the active engagement of all delegations, especially from developing countries, in all of its preparatory processes and events.Overlap with other negotiations, processes and events should be avoided in order to allow for effective participation of smaller delegations.

v. On the timing of the Summit, the Group would like to recall that there are various other high level events scheduled for 2023, such as the SDG Summit, the High Level Dialogue on Financing for Development, the High Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage.

vi. The Summit must be complementary to, and not compete with, the above-mentioned events. Moreover, since the Summit is meant to ‘turbo-charge’ SDG implementation, it should benefit from and be informed by the above-mentioned events.

vii. At this stage, as the holding of the Summit in 2023 may necessitate overlap with several other events, it is important to ensure that smaller delegations from the G77 and China are able to keep track of all processes and participate at high-level .

5. Hence, the timing of the Summit should be decided accordingly, keeping all of the above factors in mind. A clear road map, providing timelines for negotiations on the modalities resolution, for the preparatory processes or events (if any) leading up to the Summit, and for the negotiations on the outcome document, is essential.

6. On the Declaration on Future Generations, the Group would highlight the following points:

i. The majority of future generations will be born in the global South. Hence, the Declaration must incorporate the needs, priorities and aspirations of developing countries.

ii. The world today is the harbinger of the future. Hence, achieving intra-generational equity is the only possible path towards inter-generational equity.

iii. The 2030 Agenda and its implementation is our agreed roadmap for safeguarding the interests of both current and future generations.

iv. The Declaration on Future Generations should provide guidance to ‘turbo-charge’ the implementation of the 2030 Agenda in an inclusive and equitable manner. Its focus should be on implementation of existing commitments.

v. This is only possible through the provision of adequate, predictable and sustainable means of implementation, including access to concessional finance, technology transfer on concessional and preferential terms and capacity building for developing countries.

vi. Therefore, the Declaration on future Generation should provide guidance on how these means of implementation could be ensured.

vii. The Declaration must consider all three dimensions of sustainable development, economic, social and environmental, in a balanced manner.

viii. It must reaffirm our commitment to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.

ix. The elimination of unilateral economic, financial, or trade measures not in accordance with international law and the Charter of the United Nations that impede the full achievement of economic and social development, particularly in developing countries, is also essential.

7. Detailed written inputs of the Group on the elements paper for the Declaration will be provided by the deadline of 10 August.

Effective Multilateralism

8. The Group believes that in order to overcome the challenges facing our world today, a renewed commitment to multilateralism, international solidarity and cooperation is required.

9. The international community needs to recognize the UN’s pivotal role in supporting countries to tackle present and future problems and the challenges facing humanity and arriving at their solutions.

10. In the Group’s view, effective implementation of the United Nations Charter is required to promote adherence to international law, and advance the mutually reinforcing objectives of human rights, development and peace and security.

I thank you.