Distinguished Chairs:
Executive Secretary:

Cuba has the honor to speak on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.

We thank you Chairs for your tireless efforts to get us through this session and we also thank the Secretariat for their continuous dedication and permanent support to the process.

We emphasized in our opening statement that multilateral system on climate change is based on the UNFCCC, its Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement. However, we have seen at these SBs, continuous attempt from developed countries partners to renegotiate the existing binding climate regime, neglecting fundamental principles such as CBDR, equity, and existing commitments, in particular on means of implementation.

When we take an overarching view to this SB sessions we perceive that, despite the tireless efforts of the G77 and China and some progress on specific areas, we are still lacking the necessary ambition and compromise from the developed countries side, to make a balanced progress on all issues, particularly with regards to means of implementation and loss and damage.

On crucial issues for developing countries, as on Research and Systematic Observation we were not able to get a call for action in this critical decade despite our regions being the most affected by climate change. It causes us great concern that this call for urgent action was not reached because our developed country counterparts would rather have no call for action than acknowledge the role of equity, CBDR-RC and historical responsibility.

The G77 and China emphasize the need for technical and financial support to bridge technology gaps in developing countries and the need to enhance progress on strengthening this linkage, and urge parties and stakeholders to provide inputs on how to improve it, looking forward to the SB 60 discussions on the matter. In view of article 10.5 and to facilitate the implementation of the Paris Agreement’s vision on technology, we propose making this linkage an agenda item for CMA5 discussions at COP 28. We also want to recall parties that the GST has a mandate to address the challenges identified by the periodic assessment of the technology framework.

Chairs:

On the Glasgow Sharm El Sheikh work programme on the Global Goal on Adaptation, we also acknowledge that some progress was achieved. Nonetheless, we are mindful that greater effort needs to be done to reach a substantive outcome that delivers on the urgent need for progress on adaptation action and support and to set the GGA roadmap beyond CMA5.

The Group of 77 and China is encouraged by the discussions during this session towards the adoption of a decision on establishing a new work programme on Just Transition Pathways at COP28.

For the G77 and China, the objective of establishing the work programme is to enhance international cooperation towards securing a transition to a low carbon and climate resilient future that also contributes to reducing inequalities, both within and among countries. Each country has the right to identify and follow its own development and transition pathways, based on national circumstances, equity and CBDR&RC. Working together we can help ensure that these transitions are realised and most importantly are just, addressing all three pillars of sustainable development and leaving no one behind.

Our Group therefore regards Just Transitions as a key part of fully implementing the Convention and its Paris Agreement in all aspects and supports work that addresses the broad scope of just transitions. We trust that our work will be fully inclusive and reflective of the diversity of the international community. We are looking forward to continue the constructive discussions in the coming sessions and mandated workshop that should be feeding in the Ministerial roundtable.

For the G77 and China, it is an issue of serious concern the growing impact of unilateral coercive measure on the capacity of developing countries to carry out their climate actions.

The difficulties on making substantive progress on loss and damages, reflect the reluctance of developed countries on getting into a real engagement on progressing the historic decision at COP27 to establish the Loss and Damage Fund and the call for advancing its full operationalization at COP28.

We need to reiterate our expectation that the LDF will provide new, additional, adequate, and predictable grant-based funding for ongoing and ex-post actions that developing countries are and will have to take to address impacts of slow onset and extreme events, including rehabilitation, recovery, and reconstruction. We look forward to have, at COP 28, the Loss and Damage Fund as a stand-alone operating entity of the Financial Mechanism of the Convention and its Paris Agreement and guided by and accountable to both the COP and CMA.

Developing countries were fully engaged and developed several proposals in order to make progress on non-market-based approaches in the context of the Glasgow Committee on non-market-approaches, however, developed countries continued with their strategy to dilute an important option for our countries to enhance ambition in mitigation, adaptation, and means of implementation. Despite of that, we achieved an agreement to facilitate the development of concrete non-market approaches in COP28. We expect a more balanced approach in the development of all items referred to in Article 6.

On response measures, while G77 and China constructively engaged with all parties across all sessions; taking different view points into account, its highly unfortunate and deeply concerning that SB58 resulted in no outcome at this session on this very important agenda item. The midterm review of a workplan which was adopted in Madrid in 2019 was delayed for three consecutive sessions, and the mandate to agree on questions and scope of the review of the functions, work programme and modalities of the forum is being delayed at this session as well. The convention and the paris agreement clearly states that “Parties shall take into full consideration, in the implementation of the commitments of the Convention, and the Paris agreement, the specific needs and concerns of developing country Parties arising from the impact of the implementation of response measures”, The group of G77 reiterate the importance of inclusive, fair and comprehensive treatment of all different agendas and calls on all parties to conduct work in the spirit of collaboration and inclusiveness.

We welcome the opportunity provided by the second Glasgow Dialogue to engage in a discussion on our vision for the newly established loss and damage funding arrangements and fund. We look forward to the SBI Chair’s report on the Dialogue, which we expect to be comprehensive and inclusive of developing countries priorities and experiences. We also expect this report will be made available well in advance of the third meeting of the Transitional Committee so as to substantively inform the ongoing work to operationalize the funding arrangements and fund.

We reaffirm our commitment and the high importance we attribute to the Global Stocktake. Here in Bonn, we had rich discussions during the Technical Dialogues and other associated events and we now have a better collective understanding of how the outcomes of the GST should be shaped, in order to enhance the implementation of the UNFCCC and its Paris Agreement in a comprehensive manner.

Chairs:

Despite the fact that the provision of climate finance is now recognized as widely insufficient, and the gap between the needs of developing countries and the support available is growing by the day, we have witnessed attempts to deviate existing obligations of developed countries through twisted interpretation of article 2.1.c.

We further regret the fact that climate finance continues to be overlooked as a relevant agenda item during the June sessions of the SBs. By that, we do not intend to disregard the importance of the mandated events, including the ones on loss and damage finance and the NCQG, but we firmly believe that this process should have a more robust agenda, which matches the ambition needed on the provision and mobilization of finance from developed countries, in accordance with its legal commitments, to assist developing countries to combat climate change and contribute to the achievement of the goals of the UNFCCC and its Paris Agreement.

Chairs:

We reiterate the willingness of the G77 and China to work constructively with you and our partners to advance our work at this session. The Group also avails of this opportunity to reaffirm our full support to the current COP27 presidency, as well as the incoming COP28 President. We look forward to work closely with you for a meaningful outcome and success of COP28 in Dubai.

Last, but not least, allow me to extent warmed congratulations to all my colleagues in the G77 and China, because a day like today, 59 years ago the Group of 77 was born from the first United Nations Conference on Trade and Development that also gave birth to UNCTAD.

Thank you very much.