Mr. Chair,

1. I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the Group of 77 and would like to thank Mr. Chandramauli Ramanatha, Controller and Assistant Secretary General for introducing the revised estimates report and Mr. Abdallah Bachar Bong, Chair of ACABQ for sharing the Advisory Committee’s related report.

2. The Group welcomes the efforts led by the Secretary General to further raise the profile of the youth agenda into the UN system and to advance institutionalization of efforts on youth through his recommendation in the Our Common Agenda report.

3. The establishment of the UN Youth Office endorsed by the General Assembly on 8th September this year, is a step forward in our joint commitments to deepen solidarity with the Youth’s world and to “listen to and work with youth” as stated in The Political Declaration of the High-Level Meeting to mark the 75th Anniversary of the United Nations.

4. The Group recognizes the importance of today’s generation of young people, as they comprise the largest, most interconnected, and most educated in history – 1.6 billion people, mainly living in the global South. At the same time, we recognize the important role they play in tackling the multifaceted crises; we are facing today, disproportionately affecting their lives, livelihoods, and futures.

5. The Group have carefully considered the proposal of the Secretary General and the ACABQ on the operational functions, structure, resources and staffing of the new Youth Office.

6. The Group considers that the Secretary General’s proposal is realistic in terms of resources and capacities needed for the establishment of the UN Youth Office and the fulfillment of its mandate given by the Member States in the resolution 76/306. In this regard, we fully support that the staffing and the mandate gives due regard to regional representation and gender balance as stipulated in this resolution.

7. The Group further encourages Member States to work productively with the new UN Youth Office with an aim to further empower and improve the lives of youth as a key demographic segment for advancing the principles and purposes of the UN Charter, and enable them to be the torchbearers of the Sustainable Development agenda.

8. In conclusion, the Group of 77 and China stands ready to continue to engage constructively during the informal deliberations of this agenda item.

I thank you.