Madame Chair,
Distinguished delegates,

I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.

At the outset, allow me to extend to you, Madame Chair, and the Bureau of the Second Committee, our heartfelt appreciation and gratitude for your leadership and stewardship of the work of the Committee during the 77th session of the General Assembly.

We also applaud you and the Bureau for the very successful and timely conclusion of the Committee’s work during the main segment. This demonstrates that the Committee has been effective in implementing its methods of work and that the current dynamic is yielding positive results for the global development agenda.

The Group thanks the Bureau for preparing and sharing in advance the informal paper, which contains an overview of the Committee’s work during this session, its existing methods of work, reflects recent practices and a list of proposals that were made in previous informal dialogues but did not enjoy consensus.

In this regard, the Group of 77 and China appreciates this initiative to try to advance the revitalization process, and we acknowledge the efforts extended by the Second Committee Bureau, as well as the progress made in advancing this agenda item.

We worked during the 75th and 76th sessions under exceptional circumstances in response to the situation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After those very difficult and unprecedented two years, during the 77th session, the Committee returned to normality and the membership had negotiations on draft resolutions in its entirety.

As it was reflected in the paper, the current practices and methods of work have contributed to a timely conclusion of the Committee’s work. Importantly, the Group would like also to highlight that more resolutions were adopted by consensus this session than in the previous two sessions, which undoubtedly confirms that the Committee is improving its work and preserving the solidarity and multilateralism that should guide our discussions.

However, even though the Group accords a high level of importance to the revitalization of the work of the Second Committee, it believes that moving beyond the Committee’s decisions adopted in the 74th and 75th sessions at this time would be premature as we are yet to properly assess and evaluate the implementation of those decisions, as some of its provisions are still to be implemented or realized.

The Group recalls, in this regard, some of the important principles including the right of Member States to submit resolutions and new proposals.

Further, this year is particularly challenging, taking into account all of the high level meetings, events and intergovernmental processes that are currently consuming the attention of the Membership, that will have an impact in the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals, the implementation of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda and in the well-being of our populations.

In this regard, the Group is of the view that there is no need to take a decision on revitalization this session, as it is important to take into account the pressing ongoing processes, which demands our immediate attention within the very limited time remaining in the 77th Session.

Without a clear understanding of the full impact of previous decisions on the work of the Second Committee, the Group considers that this year’s decision should be postponed to a future session so that said decisions can be assessed fully, and further improved upon, if deemed necessary.

Madame Chair,

In concluding, the Group of 77 and China reiterates its commitment to engaging constructively on this agenda item in future sessions, with a view to ensuring that the work of the Second Committee is conducted in a manner that gives greater impact and relevance to its intended purpose.

Thank you.