STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF THE GROUP OF 77 AND CHINA BY PETER LE ROUX, COUNSELLOR, PERMANENT MISION OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA TO THE UNITED NATIONS, ON AGENDA ITEM 58: OPERATIONAL ACTIVITIES FOR DEVELOPMENT, IN THE SECOND COMMITEE OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY (New York, 2 November 2006)

Madame Chair,

I have the honor to speak on behalf of the G77 & China on the reports submitted by the Secretary-General for our consideration under this agenda item.

Since we already had a long and constructive debate during the Economic and Social Council meeting in Geneva during July 2006 on the reports, and as we are preparing for negotiations on the Triennial Comprehensive Policy review of Operational Activities for Development of the United Nations system next year, the G77 and China would like to limit its comments to the following short observations:

The Group of 77 and China has repeatedly over the past years reiterated the importance of operational activities for development and in particular to ensure that development remains a priority in deliberations on the reform of the United Nations. This was again highlighted by the adoption of the World Summit Outcome by our Heads of State, through resolution 60/1, last year. Subsequently to the adoption of this important resolution, recognition was given this year to the importance of maintaining a strong focus on implementing what has already been decided at the intergovernmental level regarding development, through the adoption of the Follow-up resolution to the development outcome of the 2005 World Summit, resolution 60/265.

Operational activities for development are directly dependent on adequate, sustainable, timely and predictable funding. We have expressed our concern already on the lack of adequate resources in the EOSOC resolution of this year, but would like to reiterate the point highlighted in the report of the Secretary-General (A/61/77) on the need to further refine data in these reports to better reflect funding for operational activities for development, including a better distinction between contributions made for humanitarian assistance and for long-term development cooperation and expenditures and actual contributions as received and channelled through the UN funds, programmes and specialized agencies and the UN Secretariat. This would allow us to obtain a better idea of the distinction between funds being provided for development and those for humanitarian assistance.

Madame Chair,

It remains important that operational activities for development of the United Nations system should be valued and assessed on the basis of their impact on recipient countries as contributions to enhance their capacity to pursue poverty and hunger eradication, sustained economic growth and sustainable development.

We have furthermore discussed during the debate on Operational Activities in Ecosoc this year in Geneva the need to ensure that developing countries are being provided the necessary support to develop their own national capacities, at their request and under their leadership, in order to achieve their own national development plans, as well as the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals.

The G77 & China is therefore looking forward to next year's debate to, amongst other, ensure that the discussions during the TCPR discussions will contribute to the development of national capacities to achieve the above, to further improve the coherence, efficiency and effectiveness of the operational activities for development of the United Nations system, ways to improve south-south cooperation and enhance its development effectiveness and to review steps taken by the United Nations development system to ensure country ownership and leadership of UN operational activities.

I thank you.