Mr. Chair,

1 I have the honour to speak on behalf of the Group of 77 and China and would like to thank Mr Chandramouli Ramanathan, Controller and Assistant Secretary-General, and Mr Abdallah Bachar Bong, Chairman of the Advisory Committee, for introducing their respective reports.

2 We thank the Government of Cambodia for its support to the work of the Chambers. The Group appreciates the substantial progress made by the Extraordinary Chambers towards fulfilling its mandate. With the completion of appeal proceedings in case 002/02, the Extraordinary Chambers can now commence its residual phase in 2023. We also commend the judicial officials and staff of the Chambers, for their commitment to their mandate despite challenging circumstances.

3 The Group remains seized with the efficient and effective operation of the Chambers. We recall that by its resolution 76/246, the Assembly reaffirmed the high priority accorded to the Work of the Chambers. As such, we continue to stress that ensuring adequate and sustainable financing for the Chambers remains a priority for the Group.

4 The Group commends Cambodia for its commitment to provide in-kind contributions and the majority of funding of the national component over the past five years. We further commend Member States who have provided extra-budgetary resources towards the important work of the Chambers. However, we remain concerned over the persistent financial challenges facing the Chambers despite various fundraising efforts. In particular, we note that voluntary contributions have steadily decreased over the years from $17.7 million in 2015 to $3.6 million in 2021.The Group strongly encourages the Secretary-General to continue with his efforts in mobilising the necessary funds, through voluntary contributions from Member States, to fulfil the persistent funding gaps for the Chambers.

Mr Chair,

5 It remains critical for the international community to ensure that the Chambers have the necessary financial means to ensure full accountability for the crimes perpetrated during the former Khmer Rouge regime and management of its judicial archive in line with international standards. A financial failure of the Chambers would constitute a renewed tragedy in the quest for justice of the people of Cambodia, who have waited for decades for these efforts to reach belated fruition and would constitute a serious setback to the international community’s fight against impunity.

6 In this regard, the Group supports the Secretary-General’s proposal to supplement the extra-budgetary resources for the year 2023, which we trust will be considered positively during our deliberations. The Group has also studied the recommendations contained in the report of the ACABQ and we will provide our comments and queries on the proposed way forward during our informal consultations.

7 In conclusion, The Group of 77 and China stands ready to engage constructively with our colleagues to work towards a swift conclusion of this agenda item.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.