H.E. Yoka Brandt, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands,
H.E. Brian Wallace, Permanent Representative of Jamaica to the United Nations,
Distinguished co-facilitators:

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

The Group appreciates the work you have done so far in relation with a potential Declaration on Future Generations. Since you are convening this meeting to consider a document for deciding on guiding principles on the matter, the Group would like to thank you for the possibility to express here its views on any future consultation on a substantive matter related to this issue. The Group expects that after the scope and elements of the Summit of the Future is intergovernmentally agreed, there will be an opportunity to discuss the proposal for the principles you are presenting today.

G77 and China remains fully committed and is constructively engaged in the intergovernmental negotiations of the SDG Summit and the preparations of the Summit of the Future.

The Group, as it stated on the consultations of 19 April, reiterates that, as already established, the first part of this process, leading up to the Ministerial Meeting in 2023, should be devoted only to consultations on the scope, topics and other elements mandated by OP 16 a) of resolution A/RES/76/307.

As agreed in Resolution A/RES/76/307, “the Summit will adopt only a concise, action-oriented outcome document entitled “A Pact for the Future”, agreed in advance by consensus through intergovernmental negotiations”. In this regard, the Group reiterates its question to the cofacilitators about the linkage between the Pact for the Future and a possible Declaration on Future Generations.

On any proposal related to a potential Declaration on Future Generations in the context of the Summit of the Future, the understanding of the Group is that, pending the outcome of the intergovernmental negotiation process, this could be one of the issues or elements integrated to the final outcome document to be adopted in September 2024.

It is also imperative to avoid overlapping with other critical negotiations. At this moment, a number of processes mandated by Member States are already under way, demanding time and efforts from all delegations. In that regard, it is important to avoid overburdening smaller delegations, particularly those from developing countries.

Regarding the substance, the Group of 77 and China reiterates the position paper it submitted to the co-facilitators on August 10th, 2022. It notes that some important elements proposed by the Group were not included in the elements paper produced by the co-facilitators in September 2022 and are still not reflected in the current ‘Guiding Principles’ for the Declaration on Future Generations. The Group would like to clarify if the Guiding Principles will be available for intergovernmental consideration by Member States before triggering a consultation process on the potential Declaration.

The Group expects that these views are taken into account in future exercises.

Thank you very much.