Briefing and Interactive Discussion with the Group of 77

– As prepared for delivery –

Statement by H.E. Mr. Miroslav Lajčák, President of the 72^nd Session of the UN General Assembly, at Briefing and Interactive Discussion with the Group of 77

Thank you, Mr. Chairman,

Excellencies, Dear colleagues,

We are in a critical moment on the global stage. Multilateralism faces tough challenges. The Group, under your leadership, plays an invaluable role in how we will overcome them. The Group remains an indispensable partner in the progress we must make – together. Despite diversity, you have been united on many issues. You have spoken with one voice. This has served the interests of the world’s most vulnerable and our United Nations.

I am committed to work closely with the Group in a spirit of accountability, transparency and continuity. And so, I appreciate the opportunity to share perspectives this afternoon.

First, I want to talk about some of the work we have done, so far, in this 72^nd Session.

In a few different areas:

1/ Sustaining Peace

The first is the recently convened High-Level Meeting on Peacebuilding and Sustaining Peace. I count this as a success because we brought attention to sustaining peace; and we maintained the momentum needed to move this ahead as a global priority.

There was a strong show of political commitment. A commitment to reinforce peacebuilding, to promote conflict prevention, and to strengthen sustaining peace.

2/ Migration

On migration, we are now half-way through the 6 rounds of inter-governmental negotiations on the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. The negotiations resume next week; I trust that your engagement will continue. The Compact is within our reach, but now is the time to start reaching across the aisles.

I also invite delegations to participate in the final multi-stakeholder hearing on the GCM on 21 May.

3/ SDGs

Implementation of the 2030 Agenda must remain a core priority. We cannot let up on fulfilling commitments in the Paris Agreement and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda.

The upcoming session of the High Level Political Forum will be crucial. It will focus on 6 SDGs. And I commend the 47 countries who will present Voluntary National Reviews in July.

I want to also look back, on the high-level event to launch the International Decade for Action: Water for sustainable development 2018-2028. Based on the discussions, we came up with a set of recommendations on what needs to be done to achieve water-related goals and targets. They included a focus on how to mobilize needed partnerships and finance.

On 11 June, my office will convene an Event on SDG Financing.  We know the enormous price tag for implementing the Goals. And we know about the investment gaps, especially in developing countries. But we also know that the funds exist; and we must use all sources and potential partners.

At the event we will work to identify obstacles and come up with solutions. Please make your voices heard – please bring your ideas to the table.

4/ Travel to support SDG Implementation

Excellencies,

I am convinced that to move our agenda forward we must reach beyond these walls. I have made it a priority to do so on my visits to various countries and regions. To name a few:

• The UN Environment Assembly session in Nairobi dedicated to the critical issue of pollution;
• Sustainability Week in Abu Dhabi where I addressed the eighth session of IRENA;
• In Colombia, where I participated in the launch of the National SDG Implementation Strategy;
• The World Economic Forum in Davos;
• I attended the Transform Africa Summit in Kigali earlier this week. While there I also presented a $10,000 contribution to the Genocide Memorial on behalf of the General Assembly;
• And next week I will travel to Bangkok for the ESCAP meeting on Inequality in the era of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

In all these engagements I have continued to emphasise the importance of making more progress on SDG implementation; of investing in the SDGs; of partnerships; and, importantly, of making the SDGs count for people.

5/ Young People

On my travels, something is clear. There is real commitment – and real passion – out there. And this is true for young people They are advocating, they are speaking out, and they are actively involved in creating solutions to many of our challenges. So, let us do more to bring them to the table. They should not just listen but have space to speak up and to contribute.

I am organising a Youth Dialogue on 30 May to do just that. We will listen to them; we will engage with them; we will empower them. So, I encourage members of the Group to include youth representatives in their delegations for the event.

Excellencies,

Secondly, I want to turn now to some of the other mandated processes and events on the horizon.

1/ Reforms

To begin, we have the ongoing discussions on reforms.

We have to ensure that the United Nations – both the organisation and the system – is well structured to be effective in the 21^st Century. We cannot fulfil our collective responsibility without doing this. And so, we must continue to push ahead on reform. And we need to develop good results from the ECOSOC Review and the Alignment processes.

The Secretary-General’s proposals on reform of the UN Development System, the Peace and Security architecture, and the management are also on our plate.

The negotiations on the UNDS have been successfully completed. I recognise that this was not an easy process, especially for your Group. I thank Ambassador Sabri Boukadoum for his good work as a cofacilitator of the resolution. I will convene a meeting on 21 May to adopt the text.

We must maintain the momentum on Revitalisation of the work of the General Assembly. Just last Friday, we held the first ever interactive dialogues with candidates for the position of President of the General Assembly. There was a clear commitment to this new process judging by the high level of participation and interaction by Permanent Representatives.

2/ Mandated Meetings

We have a busy schedule ahead. Several mandated meetings are on the horizon. They address issues of vital importance to our peoples and countries.

On health, we have the first ever High-Level Meeting on Tuberculosis in September. And there is also the High-Level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases. Negotiations on their outcome documents will begin shortly. I know the Group will continue to engage constructively.

Both processes will also feature multi-stakeholder hearings: the first on tuberculosis is on June 4, then on NCDs on July 5.

I have also been mandated to propose modalities on next year’s High-Level Meeting on universal health coverage. I expect to appoint co-facilitators on that subject soon.

Furthermore, there will be a high-level event on Middle Income Countries at the start of the 73^rd Session. I have appointed the Permanent Representatives of Norway and Kyrgyzstan as co-facilitators. And on 16 July, I will convene the dialogue on Sands and Dust Storms. It will look at the devastating impact on the environment, health, socio-economic well-being and other aspects of life.

Yesterday, the Assembly adopted the resolution “Towards a Global Pact for the Environment”. I will soon appoint co-chairs of the ad hoc open-ended working group, as mandated by the resolution.

And lastly, I met with the General Committee this morning. We looked ahead to the 74^th Session which is already showing a bottleneck of mandated High-Level Meetings. I will appoint a facilitator to consult with Member States on this issue. We will need to agree on a decision regarding scheduling of High-Level Meetings during the opening segment of the 74^th Session.

3/ Morning Dialogues

Before I close, allow me to highlight my Morning Dialogues initiative. I have received positive feedback about the usefulness of that forum. Some colleagues suggest it be institutionalised.

Permanent Representatives engage in their individual capacity; and yes, it is an informal process. But in fact, it seems those are the very qualities which have made it a success. We engage in true dialogue, brainstorming and idea sharing in an inclusive manner.

I hope to welcome those of you who have not yet attended.

Mr. Chair,

Dear colleagues,

I have said a lot. But this is because there is a lot of work done; and yet a lot of work remains.

It is important that the Group of 77 remains engaged and active. This will ensure that the interests of the world’s developing countries remain at the heart of the UN’s agenda.

I thank you for the positive spirit of collaboration since the start of the session. And I thank you for the support, both political and financial, that you have provided to me and my office.

I know I can count on your continued support throughout the remainder of the 72^nd Session.

I thank you.