Mr. President,

1. I have the honour to deliver this Explanation of Position (EOP) on behalf of the G77 and China.

2. At the outset allow me to express Group’s appreciation to the co-facilitators (Ambassador Carolyn Schwalger and Ambassador Mohamed Hassan) for their tireless efforts in achieving a balanced outcome.

3. The Group also congratulates you and through you the co-facilitators for the successful outcome of a complex process.

4. The Group decided not to break silence and to join consensus as a show of its commitment to multilateralism and global solidarity, which is most at this time when the world is facing multiple and cascading crises.

5. Nevertheless, the Group wishes to express its concerns regarding the process:

6. First, it is not clear why the consultations on draft resolution were conducted with such obvious haste.Throughout the process, the Group was not afforded sufficient time to consult internally and respond to the tight deadlines imposed for no apparent reason.

7. Even the silence procedure on the final text was concluded in less than 24 hours, which is unprecedented.

8. Second, it would have been important to have clarity on the process with a calendar containing details for the circulation of drafts and for the holding of meetings, as it is standard practice. This would have allowed consultations to develop and conclude in a better fashion.

9. Third, it must be understood that in any negotiation,sufficient time must be provided for Member States to reflect on the text, engage in dialogues, exchange proposals and find compromises, with the assistance of the co-facilitators.

10. Hence, the Group is also surprised by the new method of negotiations by which the co-facilitators consulted the member states and not even a single session was arranged by the co-facilitators for negotiations amongst the concerned delegations.

11. Regarding the text of the draft resolution, the Group reaffirms that its reading of operative paragraph 17 comes in full consistency with the content of preambular paragraph 10 and operative paragraphs 4 and 16 which highlight that the preparations for the Summit and the negotiations over its outcome will be through an intergovernmental process, in line with the United Nations Charter and the rules of procedure of the General Assembly

12. The Group would also express its reservations on referring to the outcome document as Pact for the Future as it is pre-judging the process, which is yet to start.

13. Finally, the Group would like to put it on record that such form of consultations should not act as precedence for any future negotiations. We hope there will be a clear way forward regarding the Summit in order to allow for more constructive engagement.

I thank you.