Follow-up to the outcomes of the UN Conferences and Summits

STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF THE GROUP OF 77 BY AMBASSADOR DUMISANI KUMALO, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA TO THE GENERAL ASEMBLY, ON AGENDA ITEM 47: INTEGRATED AND COORDINATED IMPLEMENTATION OF AND FOLLOW-UP TO THE OUTCOMES OF THE MAJOR UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCES AND SUMMITS IN THE ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND RELATED FIELDS (New York, 20 November 2006)

Madame President

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.

The integrated and coordinated implementation of, and follow up to, the outcomes of the United Nations major Conferences and Summits in the economic, social and related fields is essential and remains the priority role of the United Nations if we are to succeed in eradicating poverty and lifting billions of people out of dehumanising and degrading poverty and hunger.

We are only six years into the 21st Century, a third of the way to the MDG 2015 target of reducing poverty and hunger by half and still billions live in degrading poverty. If we are to succeed in fully implementing the Millennium Development Goals by 2015 then full and timely implementation of all commitments made at all the United Nations Summits and Conferences must become a reality.

Madame President

With the rapid progress of globalization and the continued uncertain prospects of the global economic recovery the gap between the developed and developing countries is growing. This is increasing the imbalance in the global economic, financial and social architecture even further once again in favour of the developed countries.

Therefore, for the Group of 77 and China the critical target of 2015 set by our leaders in the Millennium Declaration to achieve the Millennium Development Goals is of paramount importance. The 2005 World Summit Outcome clearly stated that the implementation of the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals, would not be achieved, in particular in Sub-Saharan Africa, unless there is a dramatic and urgent increase in resource flows. This has never been more urgent than it is now.

There is an urgent need for concerted multilateral action to achieve the Millennium Development Goals as a means towards solving economic and social problems and promoting peace and security, and for the creation of an enabling international economic environment in order to support developing countries’ efforts to achieve sustained economic growth and sustainable development.

The United Nations has a vital role to play in the promotion of an equitable global economic, financial and trading order. In this regard, the United Nations system, and the international organizations and institutions, including the Bretton Woods institutions and the World Trade Organization, must translate all commitments made at the major United Nations Conferences and Summits in the economic, social and related fields into concrete and specific actions in order to achieve the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals. The 2005 World Summit Outcome reminds us just how important this is.

The Group of 77 and China cannot over emphasise the need for the United Nations to play a fundamental role in the promotion of international cooperation for development and the coherence, coordination and implementation of the internationally agreed development goals, including all actions agreed upon by the international community, so as to strengthen coordination within the United Nations system in close cooperation with all other multilateral financial, trade and development institutions in order to support sustained economic growth, poverty and hunger eradication and sustainable development in developing countries.

The United Nations has therefore an important responsibility to assist Governments to stay fully engaged in the follow-up to and implementation of, agreements and commitments reached at the major United Nations conferences and summits.

Madame President

There is an urgent need, as called for the Development follow Resolution (A/Res/60/265) to fully implement the global partnership for development and enhance the momentum generated by the 2005 World Summit Outcome, in order to operationalise and implement, at all levels, the commitments made in all the outcomes of all the major Untied Nations Conferences and Summits.

In this regard, the Group of 77 and China calls for the full implementation of the Development follow up Resolution, which has clearly and succinctly outlined the actions that must be undertaken in the context of the implementation of all the outcomes of all the major United Nations Conferences and Summits in the economic, social and related fields.

The United Nations must start to monitor and track progress and review implementation of the internationally agreed development goals and the MDGS. The United Nations system must, therefore, in adherence to the development follow up resolution, strengthen the existing mechanisms and other establish effective mechanisms to monitor, review and follow up the implementation of the outcomes of all the major United Nations Conferences and Summits in the social, economic and related fields as a matter of priority.

Madame President

At today’s adoption of the resolution on the Strengthening of the Economic and Social Council, ECOSOC’s role as the central mechanism for system-wide coordination in promoting the integrated and coordinated implementation of, and follow-up to, the outcomes of the major United Nations Conferences and Summits in the economic, social and related fields has been reaffirmed as a principal body for coordination, policy review, policy dialogue and recommendations on issues of economic and social development, as well as for implementation of the international development goals agreed at the major United Nations Conferences and Summits, including the Millennium Development Goals, in accordance with the Charter and the General Assembly.

Madame President

With the adoption of the Development follow up and ECOSOC strengthening resolutions, in accordance with the mandate from our leaders, the United Nations has been reaffirmed as the central fully inclusive global multilateral international and representative organisation responsible for development policies, review and progress and for the integrated and coordinated implementation of and follow up to the outcomes of the United Nations major Conferences and Summits in the economic, social and related fields.

Our leaders through the outcomes of all major United Nations Conferences and Summits have laid the necessary foundations to enhance development, the substance is in place, the commitments have been made, the systemic issues have already been already been agreed upon, all that is now needed is full and timely implementation.

The Group of 77 and China therefore, once again reiterates the call to developed countries for the full and timely implementation of the global partnership for development. so as to enable developing countries to achieve the goals and targets of the internationally agreed development goals, including the MDGs by 2015.

I thank you