Dear co-facilitators,
Excellencies,

I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the G77 and China. Our first words are in appreciation of the co-facilitators of this process, who have well interpreted the feelings of many Members States and have called for this meeting in order to gain further clarity on the scope of the Summit of the Future.

The Group has intensively coordinated in the past days in order to provide the facilitators and the whole membership as well, with the priorities of developing countries for the Summit of the Future. Considering we will distribute our position paper through the co-facilitators, we just highlight some of the more relevant points of this document.

The Group reiterates that the priority in the coming months must be the SDG Summit. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals should be at the heart of preparations of any outcome of the Summit of the Future. Since the Summit of the Future will take place in September 2024, it is desirable that this very high-level meeting draws on the debates and outcome of the SDG Summit, which will occur in September this year. The declaration of the SDG Summit should be an essential input for the definitive result of the Summit of the Future.

Taking into account we will enter into the critical phase of the preparations of the SDG Summit starting the month of May, we ask the different co-facilitators on Our Common Agenda related processes and the Secretariat, to slow down significantly the number of meetings they call, to avoid jeopardizing the focus we all should devote to the SDG Summit.

The Group emphasizes that Member States will decide the scope and elements of the Summit and the definition of its tracks, guided by three major elements: firstly, intergovernmental debates and dialogues about all the issues in discussion; secondly, a broad and transparent intergovernmental negotiation process, in order to achieve a concise action-oriented outcome document as agreed in resolution A/RES/76/307, and thirdly, relevant information, as contained in reports across the UN system, including the issues tackled in the Policy Briefs and the High-Level Advisory Board report. On this last issue, we highlight that the content of the Policy Briefs and other reports, will not automatically be part of the Pact for the Future, unless agreed upon by Member States.

It is also the view of G77 and China that the intergovernmental negotiations, in particular leading up to the Ministerial Meeting in 2023, should be devoted only to consultations on the scope, topics and other elements mandated by OP16 a) of resolution A/RES/76/307. Beginning substantive discussions on specific proposed elements, without Member States deciding on the overall scope of the Summit would appear to be premature, and prejudges its general outcome.

For the G77 and China, development is a cross-cutting issue and it should be addressed in a substantive way in the outcome document of the Summit. Since the Summit of the Future is meant to turbo-charge the SDGs, it must address comprehensively the issue of Means of Implementation for the 2030 Agenda, which includes, but is not limited to, financing, technology transfer and capacity building.

The Group underlines the critical importance of Financing for development as one of the main drivers for the achievement of the SDGs and the 2030 Agenda. The reform of the international financial architecture and the establishment of measures that go beyond GDP are going to be critical to close the financing for development gap.

There is an urgent need for a profound and comprehensive restructuring of the international financial architecture, which is controlled today by few institutions. The increasing debt vulnerabilities of developing countries, the tightening of global financial conditions, and fiscal space in developing countries, the increase in global interest rates and strengthening of US dollar, leading to increased debt service costs of developing countries and roll-over risks, require urgent additional actions and further initiatives to reform the international financial architecture for long-term debt sustainability.

The Group also highlights that the Summit of the Future must provide concrete solutions for the promotion of technology transfer and capacity building as well as technological and scientific cooperation from developed countries to developing countries in order to close the digital divide and foster sustainable development in its three dimensions and the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

We would also like to point out that the Summit of the Future must provide recommendations for the further reform of the international trading system, and building stable and sustainable supply chains to contribute to the achievement of the SDGs through the promotion of export-led growth in developing countries.

In these times of multidimensional crises that weigh particularly on the countries of the South, we can only look to the future with the conviction that solidarity and cooperation must prevail to achieve the development and well-being of present and future generations.

I thank you

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G77/CHINA POSITION PAPER ON THE DEFINITION OF THE SCOPE OF THE SUMMIT OF THE FUTURE

1. The Group remains fully committed and constructively engaged in the intergovernmental preparations of the Summit of the Future, an important event to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the achievement of SDGs. Developing countries, which continue to be left behind, attach particular importance to those efforts aiming at reverting the disadvantageous situation faced by the Global South.

2. The Group also reiterates that the priority in the coming months must be the SDG Summit. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals should be at the heart of preparations and at any outcome of the Summit of the Future. The 2030 Agenda is a plan of action for people, planet and prosperity with development at its core.

3. Since the Summit of the Future will take place in September 2024, it is desirable that this very high-level meeting draws on the debates and outcome of the SDG Summit, which will occur in September this year. The declaration of the SDG Summit should be an essential input for the definitive result of the Summit of the Future. In this regard, the Ministerial Meeting for this Summit, to be held also in 2023, as part of the preparatory process, should also take the valuable input that will be the outcome from the SDG Summit.

4. The Group believes that the Summit of the Future should reinvigorate the multilateral system, with the aim, among others, of fulfilling the SDGs, including addressing the needs of the current and future generations taking into account the mandates of existing bodies and structures, and avoiding any overlapping or duplication of intergovernmental efforts

5. The Group emphasizes that Member States will decide the scope and elements of the Summit and the definition of its tracks, guided by three major elements:

A.- Intergovernmental debates and dialogues about all the issues in discussion, taking into consideration the contribution of other relevant actors and stakeholders, including from the Global South. Transparency in the participation and contribution of other relevant actors and stakeholders must be ensured, as well as adherence to the principle of equitable geographical distribution. These debates and dialogues must not clash with other inter-governmentally mandated negotiations scheduled for the current session.

B.- A broad intergovernmental negotiation process, in order to achieve a concise action-oriented outcome document entitled “A Pact for the Future” agreed in advance through intergovernmental negotiations as agreed in resolution A/RES/76/307 as currently the only intergovernmentally mandated substantive outcome of the Summit of the Future.

C.- Relevant information, as contained in reports across the UN system, including the issues tackled in the Policy Briefs and the High-Level Advisory Board report, can contribute as an input for the intergovernmental discussions. The content of the Policy Briefs and other reports will not automatically be part of the Pact for the Future, unless agreed upon by Member States.

6. The relevant actions arising from the Summit of the Future aiming to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and its SDGs should be further implemented and/or monitored, as appropriate, by the existing corresponding platforms to do so within the 2030 Agenda, avoiding duplication.

7. The Group of G77 and China considers that the concerns about future generations have a very close relation with the problems and challenges faced by present generations. In this regard, efforts to achieve a better life for present generations are critical to guaranteeing a better future, including their right to development.

8. On the proposal to adopt a Declaration for the Future Generations in the context of the Summit of the Future, the understanding of the Group is that depending on intergovernmental negotiations, this could be one of the elements of the outcome document established in Resolution A/RES/76/307.

9. It is also the view of G77 and China that the intergovernmental process of negotiations should decide which elements will be included in the outcome of the Summit of the Future.

10. The first part of this process, in particular leading up to the Ministerial Meeting in 2023, should be devoted only to consultations on the scope, topics and other elements mandated by OP16 a) of resolution A/RES/76/307.

11. Beginning substantive discussions on specific proposed elements, without Member States deciding on the overall scope of the Summit would appear to be premature, and prejudges its general outcome. Substantive discussions on specific topics, to be tackled at the Summit of the Future, should include an important component related to development, without which G77 and China as a whole, cannot conceive the future. Development is a cross-cutting issue and should be addressed in a substantive way in the outcome document.

12. The eradication of poverty; food insecurity; climate change; provision of universal health care for all and gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls; bridging the digital divide addressing the challenges from new and emerging technologies; adequate transfer of technology; ease of finance for developing countries and knowledge-sharing and capacity building, are among key issues affecting current and future generations from the Global South.

13. The Summit of the Future should permit to the continuation of the multilateral system reform to move towards a more just, equitable, united and sustainable world that advances towards the sustainable development and prosperity of all the countries in the world, in line with the UN Charter. The path to this noble purpose is, indisputably, to change the current unjust and exclusionary international order.

14. Since the Summit of the Future is meant to turbo-charge the SDGs, it must address comprehensively the issue of Means of Implementation for the 2030 Agenda, which includes, but is not limited to, financing, technology transfer and capacity building.

15. The Group underlines the critical importance of Financing for development as one of the main drivers for attainment of the SDGs and the 2030 Agenda. The reform of the international financial architecture and the establishment of measures that go beyond GDP are going to be critical to close the financing for development gap. Therefore, it is for the SDGs Summit to establish an urgent way forward on these two initiatives, and taking into account the possible convening of the IV International Conference on Financing for Development in 2025. The Summit of the Future might expand on these results from the SDG Summit.

16. There is an urgent need for a profound and comprehensive restructuring of the international financial architecture, which is controlled today by few institutions. It is also important for countries to take responsible fiscal and monetary policies, as well as enhance macroeconomic policy coordination so as to ensure a conducive international environment for developing countries to implement the 2030 Agenda.

17. The increasing debt vulnerabilities of developing countries, the tightening of global financial conditions, and fiscal space in developing countries, the increase in global interest rates and strengthening of US dollar, leading to increased debt service costs of developing countries and roll-over risks, require urgent additional actions and further initiatives to reform the international financial architecture for long-term debt sustainability.

18. The effects of these imbalances, are multiplied for countries punished by the arbitrary application of unilateral coercive measures that affect an important group of countries of the G77. Any outcome of the Summit of the Future will have to call on States to refrain from promulgating and applying any 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.

19. Greenhouse gases are at record concentration levels. Developing countries, and especially Small Island Developing States, are increasingly affected by devastating hurricanes and other climate-related events. Acting urgently to avert a climate catastrophe, is critical to ensure life in the future. The Group highlights the primacy of the existing multilateral framework for climate change cooperation, and stresses that the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is the primary international, intergovernmental forum for negotiating the global response to climate change. The Group stresses that the climate change agenda must be fully and faithfully implemented in accordance with the principle of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities.

20. The post-pandemic world is a more divided, unjust and unequal world, where we face multidimensional crises in the health, climate, energy, food, economic and financial spheres, which affect us all, particularly developing countries. The universal damage of the pandemic is not yet quantified, but its very strong impact on the economy is already being felt by all, particularly developing countries, due to the prevalence of unfair and unsustainable patterns of production, trade and consumption. There is an urgent need to reverse this trend, noting the importance of transitioning to sustainable lifestyles and sustainable patterns of consumption and production in efforts to address climate change.

21. The full potential of science, technology and innovation, knowledge-sharing and capacity building for poverty eradication and sustainable development will be best harnessed by building coherent enabling legal, policy, financial and institutional frameworks at the national, regional and international levels. The application of science, technology and innovation must be based on a sustainable development path and accessible to all developing countries. It is about those capacities enabling us to promote prosperous sustainable development, with full respect for national priorities, as well as, ensuring independence and sovereignty. Hence, the Summit of the Future must provide concrete solutions for the promotion of technology transfer and capacity building as well as technological and scientific cooperation from developed countries to developing countries in order to foster sustainable development in its three dimensions and the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

22. The Group emphasizes the need for a universal, open, non-discriminatory and equitable multilateral trading system. In this context, the commitment of necessary reform of the WTO to improve all its functions as well as the application of the principle of special and differentiated treatment for developing countries are crucial. The Summit of the Future must provide recommendations for the further reform of the international trading system, and building stable and sustainable supply chains to contribute to the achievement of the SDGs through the promotion of export-led growth in developing countries. To this end, Special and Differential Treatment for Developing countries should be strengthened as a multilateral principle.

23. To ensure a better future for all, we have to address the present inequalities and challenges with a future long term perspective, including through a Social Summit.

24. To ensure a timely transition to a sustainable and dynamic global economy that provides fiscal space and enables developing countries to build resilience against future shocks, it is essential to mobilize, with the core support of partners, significant investment annually in sustainable infrastructure (energy, transport, housing, industry, agriculture). Besides access to public and private finance, developing countries must be supported in preparing a pipeline of viable projects.

25. In these times of multidimensional crises that weigh particularly on the countries of the South, we can only look to the future with the conviction that solidarity and cooperation must prevail to achieve the development and well-being of future generations.