Madam Deputy Secretary-General, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I have the honor to deliver these remarks on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.

I would like to thank the DSG Mrs. Amina Mohamed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, for her briefing and for convening this meeting.

In 2016 as we prepared for the QCPR and noting the shift from the MDGs to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable development and its SDGs, we decided that the UN Development System (UNDS) needed to be adjusted to meet the new and very ambitious agenda we had set for ourselves.

Further in 2018 we all agreed to the Secretary-General’s proposal to reposition the UNDS, to reinvigorate the RC System and to revamp the regional level in an effort to make the system more fit-for-purpose to help facilitate programme countries achievement of the 2030 Agenda and its SDGs.

Today, 8 years into the 2030 Agenda and heading into the third QCPR, we have to ask what we have been doing wrong given that there are more people living in poverty than in 2015, while there are many more multibillionaires; why there are far more wars and unrest; why climate change is raging havoc on countries around the world; why there are more countries under economic and financial distress; why after agreeing to the repositioning of the UNDS and the reinvigorated RC system, we are yet to ensure the appropriate funding to sustain them.

During this QCPR cycle, despite some advances, development activities have not received the same attention and resources from the international community as other matters. Reports on financing the UN Development System reveal a worrisome trend of a decline in the volume and quality of funding the UNDS entities receive to enable their agility, effectiveness and support to programme countries in the implementation of the SDGs.

The Group of G77 and China attaches great importance to the need to provide sustainable, predictable and adequate funding to the United Nations Development System and its Resident Coordinator system. We cannot expect the system to operate and deliver the type of service we require to accelerate implementation of the 2030 Agenda with inadequate resources.

The Group reminds developed countries that they have an obligation and a commitment to assist developing countries in meeting their development objectives.

Funding development activities must be a top priority. Only one month ago, member states committed to fully support the UN Development System, including the RC system and the Joint SDG Fund, to deliver better in support of programme countries and their efforts to implement the 2030 Agenda and its SDGs. We cannot keep walking back from commitments and obligations we voluntary subscribed to.

The Group takes note of the SG’s recommendations, which we are reviewing and discussing. We look forward to the discussions on the RC system funding and the Funding Compact, will remain open and will engage constructively throughout these dialogues.