– As delivered –

Statement by H.E. Mrs. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, President of the 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly

1 November 2018

 

Dear Ambassador Mohamed Edrees, Permanent Representative of Egypt and President of the Group,

Distinguished Permanent Representatives, delegates,

It is an honor to address the Group of the 77+China. A Group to which my country belongs since its inception. As you have indicated, Ecuador is the former Chair of the Group and is part of the troika.

Firstly, I would like to begin by acknowledging the leadership and efforts of the delegation of Egypt, and the work of the rest of the Member States, to defend the interests of developing countries, in our Organization.

I want to take this opportunity to thank the ever active work of this Group on the various topics coordinated in the Main Committees and also to timely table the resolutions in these Committees. This is very important so that the Committees and the General Assembly can fulfill their work on time.

For me it was a privilege to be able to participate in the Ministerial Meeting last September, which was attended by the President of Egypt, Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, and in which the delegation of Palestine was elected to chair the Group in 2019.

As I mentioned in that occasion, the delegations of Egypt and Palestine can rely on my support in the fulfillment of their duties guiding the G-77+China.

This Group plays a crucial role in promoting and defending the interests of the peoples of the global South, towards a fairer, more equitable world order.

Excellencies,

I thank you for supporting the seven priorities that I established after meeting with most of the delegations from this Group.

With your support, I will hold a Summit on “Women in Power”, on March 12, 2019, on the occasion of the next Commission on the Status of Women. I will summon women leaders from public and private sectors, from all regions, to share their experiences and best practices in the empowerment of women.

I will also hold a High Level Event on decent work and the future of work, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the International Labour Organization, on April 10, 2019. There, we will hold discussions about the opportunities to access decent work, particularly for young people and persons with disabilities.

Regarding other events and processes, my team is working to comply with the mandates that have already been established by the General Assembly, which include high level meetings on culture and sustainable development; illicit financial flows; commodities; and reviewing the programs for the Small Island Developing States and Landlocked Developing Countries, just to mention a few of the mandates for this session.

In fact, relating to the fulfillment of the mandates of the General Assembly, I have summoned, on December the 4th, the High Level Meeting on Middle-Income Countries, with the purpose of discussing the gaps and challenges of this group of countries regarding the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

I am sure that I will count with your valuable support for this event, which originated from a proposal conceived by this Group. I invite your countries to be represented there.

On that same note, I am pleased to inform you that, thanks to the support and commitment of several Permanent Representatives –many of them belonging to this Group-, we now have facilitators for most of the processes mandated for this period of sessions.

Having said that, I would like to stop and mention three very important events for the Organization, all of which are surely equally important for this Group.

First, the “High Level Conference on South-South Cooperation,” in Buenos Aires, on March, 2019. This will be an excellent opportunity to raise awareness about this form of cooperation and to promote it, as a token of solidarity between the peoples and countries of the South, but also as a great engine for the fulfillment of the Agenda 2030.

From this very moment, I will dedicate my best efforts to move forward in the preparation process for the Conference and for the transparent and inclusive negotiation of its Political Declaration. I have appointed the Permanent Representatives of Uganda and Lithuania as co-facilitators, who can, of course, count with my full trust and support to perform their tasks.

The “High Level Meeting on the protection of the global climate for present and future generations in the context of the economic, social and environmental dimensions of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” is scheduled for March, 2019, and will be an inflection point, a crucial one to continue to draw attention to the impact and negative effects of climate change felt in all countries, but particularly, in developing countries.

The participation of this Group in this event is key to continue to promote common but differentiated responsibilities in the fight against climate change.

Likewise, the outcome of this meeting will be a useful element for the meeting that will be convene by the Secretary General in the framework of this Assembly.

The “Intergovernmental Conference to adopt the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration,” which will be held on Marrakesh, next December. This historical multilateral agreement on an urgent matter deserves being adopted with the greatest possible participation of world leaders. Therefore, I urge you to represent your delegations accordingly on the highest level.

Excellencies,

Three years have passed since the 2030 Agenda was adopted, and we are only two years away from the period of time that was specified to reach 21 specific goals. We, the States, must accelerate our efforts, including the mobilization of resources, so that our most ambitious plan of action for people, planet and humanity, becomes a reality.

I know that developing countries are working hard to implement the 2030 Agenda, in accordance with their various circumstances and capabilities.

And, although many developing countries are facing increasing and detrimental risks which can considerably retard the pace of their efforts, like in the cases of countries in special situations, now is the time to not leave them behind, by taking into consideration their specific needs and respond to those needs in solidarity.

The next High Level Political Forums, on July and September, 2019, the latter of which will be held under the auspices of the General Assembly, will both be opportunities to identify how much progress we have made since the Sustainable Development Summit was held and what measures are yet to be taken to comply with the objectives that have been outlined. I count on the support of the Group for the preparatory processes, including the negotiations of both the Political Declarations.

Excellencies,

In order to revitalize the United Nations, I will continue to work in three areas: the implementation of the reforms to the system; the revitalization of the General Assembly; and the reform of the Security Council.

The commitment of the 77+China Group in these topics is crucial, since You represent 70% of the members of this Organization.

Your constructive participation will allow us to move forward in these processes with greater justice and it would guarantee having results that will match the collective interests of all countries.

Therefore, I Invite you to be at the core of the revitalization of the General Assembly and strengthening efforts of the Organization, and I also invite you to accompany my priority.

I am aware that the rationalization of the work of the General Assembly, ECOSOC and the main Committees raises concerns in this Group. However, we must acknowledge that the duplication and, in some cases, the overlap of some of the work is a reality.

Putting a house in order is not an easy task, but is necessary so that each body can fully and efficiently comply with their mandates.

A better coordination and synergy would also aid the United Nations and the Member States in improving the implementation of mandates and provisions issued by these bodies. In this regard, cooperation among the UN organs and among Member States is indispensable.

Therefore, I welcome the initiative of this Group and the European Union to consider rationalizing topics the agenda and coordinating on substantial issues.

I believe that, eventually, other measures can contribute to this purpose, such as organizing joint meetings between the Bureaus of the Main Committees as well as the bureau of the ECOSOC and its subsidiary bodies.

In that sense, my intention is to hold a briefing, at the resumed session, on how we can bring coherence and synergy to our work. I am referring to a briefing between the General Assembly and ECOSOC.

Lastly, allow me to announce that, as part of my commitments with transparency, open dialogues and inclusion, the morning meetings with the Member States will continue under the name “Morning Minga”. The word minga refers to an Andean concept of a community that meets with a common objective, which is why I have chosen that word, to point out the purpose.

In these meetings, we will continue collectively debating ideas and specific proposals of interest for Member States and the General Assembly. I hope to have Your participation in the Morning Minga. Collective work and sincere communication will help in our common objectives.

Excellencies,

This Group is essential for the Organization. With its 134 members, it plays a crucial role to strengthen the United Nations, defending multilateralism and building a more democratic and equitable international order.

Its contributions, during its fifty-plus years of existence, have been fundamental for the global South to defend its economic, social and environmental interests, as well as bringing attention to the ever growing inequality and exclusion in the world that we live in.

This Group is a symbol of hope for millions of persons in developing countries that have not yet enjoyed the benefits of globalization and that have the right to have better life opportunities.

I encourage you to continue to work for the wellbeing of the peoples of the South, guided by the principles of unity and solidarity, which have made this Group a veritable example for the United Nations.

I reiterate that you, and I say this to you Mr. Chair, have my full support and willingness. I have no doubt that together we will succeed in making the United Nations more relevant for everyone, with real impacts in their everyday lives and also with positive impacts in the lives of the great majority of the planet.

Thank you.