Handover Ceremony of the Chairmanship of the Group of 77
– As delivered –
Statement by H.E. Mr. Miroslav Lajčák, President of the 72nd Session of the UN General Assembly, at Handover Ceremony of the Chairmanship of the Group of 77
Excellencies, Distinguished guests, Dear colleagues,
I want to extend my congratulations to you, Ambassador, as Egypt takes on the Chairmanship of the Group of 77 for 2018. I am confident that you will successfully fulfil this great responsibility. Let me use this opportunity to commend Minister Espinosa and the entire Ecuadorean team which carried the mantle of leadership over last year.
The Group of 77 is the largest and most diverse alliance of Member States at the United Nations. It continued to be very active throughout the last year, including in the just concluded main session. With today’s smooth handover to Egypt, we anticipate that the Group of 77 will remain united and at the forefront of our crucial deliberations in the rest of the Session.
Excellencies,
In the year ahead, we must push forward with our agenda to deliver for people.
The 2030 Agenda contained a pledge to leave no one behind. This places great responsibility on the United Nations to support countries in their development efforts. We must continue to work for its effective implementation.
I will convene three high-level events here in New York.
- Launch of the “Water for Sustainable Development” Decade on 22 March, which is World Water Day.
- A Youth event to focus on education and prevention of violent extremism on 30 May; and
- An event on Financing for Development on 11 June.
These events aim to maintainin global momentum on the Sustainable Development Goals. They will look at ways to ensure inclusive economic growth that reduces poverty, promotes wellbeing and ensures inclusion.
We will also gather for the mandated high-level event on peacebuilding and sustaining peace on April 24 and 25. Here leaders will gather to consider vital elements such as financing for peace, improving prevention, and look at how to better position the United Nations system in support of sustaining peace.
We are about to commence negotiations for the Global Compact on safe, orderly and regular migration. Its successful conclusion in July will require our focused attention. Let us ensure we meet in Morocco in December to adopt a comprehensive, practical and effective governance framework for global migration.
In July, the High Level Political Forum will assess progress in 5 SDGs. Here it will be critical that we learn from progress as well as acknowledge and respond to gaps and challenges. I know that more than half of the Voluntary National Reviews will be from Group of 77 countries – including Egypt and Ecuador.
With today’s smooth handover to Egypt, we anticipate that the Group of 77 will remain united and at the forefront of our crucial deliberations in the rest of the Session.
Excellencies,
The unity and active involvement of the Group of 77 will remain critical in the coming months. We cannot deny that the world faces many challenges – from development to peace and security to human rights, from the social to the economic. Yet, I remain convinced that it is when we work together through dialogue and cooperation that we can collectively address and overcome these challenges.
The Group has demonstrated its commitment to this principle time and again. We saw this leadership during the review of SDG implementation, the negotiation of the Call to Action for the Ocean Conference, and the negotiation and adoption of the regular budget for 2018-2019.
Looking to the year ahead, I count on the Group to continue this approach in tackling the complex global challenges that will arise.
Excellencies, my final point relates to people.
Let us work together to ensure that our United Nations can better respond to the challenges people face around the world.
To do so, we must make progress in the area of reforms. We must fully engage on the Secretary-General’s proposals for management reform, repositioning of the UN Development System, and restructuring the peace and security architecture. We will also work on the Alignment Process and the ECOSOC Review. And we will continue with Security Council reform and GA revitalisation. All these processes are crucial to ensure that the United Nations remains relevant and beneficial to the people we represent in these hallowed chambers.
For my part, I have committed to focusing on people. I plan to visit a number of countries that are part of the Group of 77. I hope to meet and learn from people about their experiences and gain further inspiration for the work we must do here.
Let me once again wish you, Ambassador Abdellatif, and your entire team, success as you lead the Group. As always, my doors are fully open to the Group of 77. I look forward to fruitful collaboration in the resumed part of the Session.
I thank you.
