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STATEMENT
BY H.E. AMBASSADOR NASSIR ABDULAZIZ AL-NASSER, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE
OF THE STATE OF QATAR TO THE UNITED NATIONS, CHAIRMAN OF THE GROUP
OF 77, AT THE PLENARY MEETING OF THE GROUP OF 77 ROME CHAPTER (Rome,
5 May 2004) |
Excellencies, It is a great privilege for me to address this important gathering in my capacity as Chairman of the Group of 77. Please allow me, Mr. Chairman, to thank you very sincerely for the warm welcome and the excellent arrangements made for this meeting. As you are aware, the Group of 77 on 11 and 12 June 2004 will commemorate in Sao Paulo its 40th anniversary on the eve of UNCTAD-11. On that occasion, the Group of 77 will have an opportunity to review its achievements of four decades of solidarity for the development of the South. The Group of 77 is a remarkable experiment in the South history. It is both a framework for action and a political force for developing countries in the face of harsh economic realities. It is the only tool that our countries have to bring political pressure to bear as necessary during the negotiating processes with our development partners. This is a new opportunity for the Group of 77 to reaffirm its cohesion and political unity in the challenging international environment and to position itself as one of the principal actors in the difficult multilateral stage. The prospects of achieving the objectives of the Group are closely related to our capacity to maintain and improve coordination of the activities that we undertake in the different centers of the United Nations system. Excellencies, The multi-central character of the Group of 77 makes it imperative that such efforts be harmonized. The Group should represent the South as a whole wherever it operates and serve as its principal organ in protecting the economic and social interests of the Third World. The strength and vitality of the Group of 77 is demonstrated by its considerable achievements over the years. Working for equity and justice in the world economic order to build solid foundation for world peace and came to exercise significant influence in shaping international multilateral relations particularly in the field of trade, Financing for Development and poverty eradication. Excellencies, The agenda of the Group of 77 has always been that of multilateral diplomacy agenda and some of the key issues that were on the agenda of the Group 40 years ago are still valid, such as the question of debt, commodities, protectionism, and financing for development. The Group is always aware of the need to seek new solutions and new avenues for cooperation. It has always sought cooperation rather than confrontation and in today's interdependent world the Group of 77 realize more and looks forward to increasing cooperation that is based on mutual and beneficial partnerships between the developing and the developed countries. Coordination among the various chapters of the Group of 77 is essential in order to ensure that we can collectively participate in all north-south and south-south activities as a cohesive body. Under the present pressures of a fast moving world, only close coordination can bring success. For 40 years, the Group has functioned as unique negotiating machinery within the U.N. system in all G-77 chapters. Coordination among the G-77 chapters should not be restricted to the annual Chapters meetings but should also be based on a continuing and flexible process, relying on its own mechanisms. Flexibility in the methods of work in the chapters is not incompatible with the preservation of our true negotiating power. More important is that we build together solidarity and common perception of the issues that we are facing together as we struggle in each of our chapters for the cause of development. I would like you to maximize this opportunity to bring forth all your concerns so that together we can in a single voice represent all the chapters of the Group of 77 as one entity with unity and solidarity. Thank you. |