Mr. Chair,

1. I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the Group of 77 and China on the organization of work for the second part of the resumed 77th session of the Fifth Committee.

2. The Group reiterates its sincere appreciation to you, Mr. Chair, for your able leadership, as well as to members of the Bureau for the work they are doing to ensure the smooth functioning of the Committee.

3. We would also like to recognize the efforts made by the Chair and members of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions in providing sound technical advice to the Committee on the important matters before us during this part of the session.

4. We further reiterate that timely submission of reports by the Secretariat and the ACABQ to enable the committee to effectively undertake and complete its work remain crucial for effectively carrying out the work of this committee.

5. The Group also welcomes the continuation of in-person meetings of the Committee, which remain vital when attempting to achieve delicate balances, truly successful outcomes and meaningful engagement amongst all member States.

Mr. Chair,

6. At the outset, I would like to express the Group`s gratitude for the women and men who have served and continue to serve in different peacekeeping missions, whether civilian or uniformed, who carry the brunt of the burden every day in order to achieve the mandates of these missions as set out by the relevant Security Council resolutions. The Group also pays tribute to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the pursuit of peace.

Mr. Chair,

7. Our Group is committed to a thorough consideration of agenda items allocated to this Committee, including the one on improving the financial situation of the UN, that merits serious attention to ensure smooth functioning of the Secretariat and effective delivery of mandates.

8. Our Group attaches great importance to the consideration of administrative and budgetary aspects of the financing of UN peacekeeping operations, in particular, the overview of the financing of UN peacekeeping operations, cross-cutting issues, the Support Account for peacekeeping operations, plan and the budgets of the Regional Service Center and the United Nations Logistics Base. These multifaceted items demand our close attention, and we should focus on concluding our deliberations on time to ensure that peacekeeping operations are given the necessary resources to fulfill their mandates.

Mr. Chair,

9. The Group of 77 & China intends to engage actively in the upcoming consultations with special attention to ensuring that the formulation, presentation and approval of peacekeeping operations budgets are based on their mandates and the real situation on the ground, and not as arbitrary, across-the-board cost-cutting exercises.

10. I assure the active engagement of our Group with all member states on other items allocated to the Committee for the second resumed session, including special measures for protection from sexual exploitation and abuse, the triennial review of the rates and standards for reimbursement to Member States for contingent-owned equipment, the delivery model of the UN Mine Action Service, the report of the Office of Internal Oversight Services on peace operations, among others.

Mr. Chair,

11. We reaffirm our commitment to consider and conclude the items before us within the allocated timeframe of the programme of work. We also reiterate our full cooperation and constructive engagement with you and the Bureau to arrive at a successful outcome for this session.

I thank you.