G-77 to Commemorate its 40th Anniversary
in Sao Paulo on 11 – 12 June 2004
New York, 30 April 2004 – A Special Ministerial Meeting will mark the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Group of 77 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on 11 – 12 June 2004. Ministers and high-level representatives of developing countries, Heads of United Nations institutions and other intergovernmental organizations, many observers and guests are expected to attend this celebration. To that end, a special programme of events will be observed in all other Group of 77 chapters in Geneva, Nairobi, Rome, Paris, Vienna and Washington, D.C.
The Special Ministerial Meeting will, inter alia, review the evolution of the Group of 77, assess the achievements of the Group over 40 years of efforts, and analyze the challenges facing developing countries. This meeting will constitute also an opportunity for developing countries to reaffirm their commitment to the continuing validity and relevance of the objectives and principles of the Group. In this regard, the meeting is expected to adopt through a solemn declaration the new strategy of action of developing countries.
H.E. Ambassador Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations and Chairman of the Group of 77 for 2004 said in a press conference “The Group of 77 has made a notable contribution to the effective functioning of the United Nations. The Group can legitimately claim a large part of the credit for the U.N. system moving towards a global governance system in the economic and social field. The Group has thus been a bulwark in the process of the evolution of multilateralism within the United Nations system”.
“The Group remains committed to internationally agreed development goals and multilateral commitments including the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) and initiatives aimed at poverty eradication. It is the firm conviction of the Group that the anniversary meeting would allow the developing countries to come up not only with a common assessment on the latest developments on the international scene, but also to better coordinate their positions on important issues such as the multilateral trade negotiations, the digital divide, the strengthening of South-South cooperation and the advancement of North-South partnership and dialogue”, the Chairman of the Group of 77, Ambassador Al-Nasser concluded.
The Group of 77 was created on 15 June 1964 when 77 developing countries adopted at the conclusion of the first United Nations Conference on Trade and Development a joint declaration. The Group of 77 held its First Ministerial Meeting in Algiers in October 1967 and adopted the “Charter of Algiers”that projected the Group’s vision, which has endured for four decades. The evolution and history of the Group of 77, therefore, have been intimately linked with the United Nations system, demonstrating the dedication of developing countries to the goals and objectives of the Charter of the United Nations.
As the largest grouping in the world, the Group of 77 has played during the last four decades a cardinal role in international economic relations towards narrowing the gap between the developing and developed countries. The Group has been also a major actor as the prime mover of initiatives relating to development and international economic cooperation among developing countries. The Group of 77 is headquartered at the United Nations in New York and it has six chapters located at United Nations Centers in Geneva, Nairobi, Paris, Rome, Vienna, and Washington, D.C. Qatar is the chair country of the Group of 77 in New York for 2004.
****
The Chairmen of the Group of 77 Chapters for 2004 are:
Geneva: H.E. Mr. Luis Felipe de Seixas Correa (Brazil)
Nairobi: H.E. Mr. Syed Zahid Hussain (Pakistan)
Paris: H.E. Mr. Mame Birame Diouf (Senegal)
Rome: H.E. Mr. Fabio Valencia Cossio (Colombia)
Vienna: H.E. Ms. Taous Feroukhi (Algeria)
G-24 (Wasington, D.C.): Senator the
Hon. Conrad Enill, Minister in the Ministry of Finance of Trinidad and Tobago
For more information, please contact:
Mr. Mourad Ahmia
Executive Secretary of the Group of 77
United Nations Headquarters, Room S-3953
New York, N.Y. 10017
Telephone: (1) (212) 963-3816 / 963-0192
Fax: (1) (212) 963-3515 / 963-1753
Email: g77off@unmail.org
Website: www.g77.org
