Fifth Meeting of the Open-ended Committee of Permanent Representatives

GROUP OF 77
NAIROBI

Statement delivered on behalf of the G-77 and China, Nairobi Chapter, by H.E. Monica de Greiff Lindo, Chairperson, Ambassador of the Republic of Colombia in Kenya and Permanent Representative to UNEP - Fifth Meeting of the Open-ended Committee of Permanent Representatives (Nairobi, 21 February 2022)

Excellencies, distinguished delegates, colleagues, ladies, and gentlemen,

1. I am honored to deliver this statement on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, Nairobi Chapter. Member States in the Group waited for a long time to get to this stage of the Fifth Assembly. We have gone from the uncertainty of the worst times of the pandemic, to a certain degree of confidence, in which the Group believes it is possible to contend with the pressing environmental challenges facing our planet. The Group wishes to commend our common effort and commitment to keep UNEP and the environmental multilateralism active despite the difficult circumstances, coming together for the well-being of people and the planet.

2. The Group of 77 and China would like to highlight the flexibility and resilience of UNEP, its staff, Kenya as the host country, and the whole membership in facing the challenges imposed by the pandemic, especially regarding measures taken to guarantee a fully transparent, inclusive, participatory and member-states owned and driven process, ensuring that no-one is left behind.

3. The Fifth session of UNEA still takes place as the world attempts to overcome and recover from a pandemic that has undermined many development gains and brought to the forefront the challenges faced by developing countries, such as frail health systems, increased poverty, food insecurity and malnutrition, insufficient financing and high debt levels, inadequate market access for goods and services, unstable global supply chains, the expanding digital divide, restrictions in accessing needed pharmaceuticals and medical supplies, the vaccines inequity, and reductions in revenue from tourism, remittances and exports, among others. In this regard, G77 and China reaffirm their commitment to take actions needed for coordinated and comprehensive multilateral response to the developmental challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the great challenges it faces and in pursuit of building forward better? G77 has not lost sight of its enormous responsibility and has actively engaged in all the intersessional meetings, and will keep doing so in the weeks ahead.

4. The Group comes to this meeting of the OECPR with the aim of achieving its ambition to have a meaningful and impactful Fifth United Nations Environment Assembly. The Group will continue to advocate strongly for a ministerial declaration that takes into consideration, in a balanced manner, all member states interests and concerns.

5. The Group supports the efforts to address the global marine litter and plastic pollution challenge. The Group reaffirms its commitment to reach an agreement on this significant issue at UNEA-5.2, with the aim to launch negotiations on an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution and marine litter, with ambitious goals and equally ambitious means of implementation, and wide participation.

6. As a crosscutting matter, the Group wishes to underline the imperative of a holistic, integrated and indivisible treatment of the economic, social and environmental dimensions for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals. We are further encouraged by recalling paragraph 247 of the Rio Outcome Document, which states that sustainable development goals are "… global in nature and universally applicable to all countries, while taking into account different national realities, capacities and levels of development and respecting national policies and priorities", whilst also reaffirming the well-established principle of common but differentiated responsibilities. The Group recalls that Member States bear common but differentiated responsibilities, as enshrined in Principle 7 of the Rio Declaration, and adds that, within our respective capabilities, we are all expected to do our utmost to achieve full implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

7. Finally, the group would like to reiterate the need for strengthened international cooperation and functioning multilateral institutions in dealing with key environmental challenges, which include biodiversity loss, climate change and pollution occasioned by waste and chemicals. In doing so, we must take into consideration the different national circumstances.

8. In conclusion, G77 and China reiterates its commitment to strengthen actions for nature to achieve the sustainable development goals and hopes that the draft resolutions and decisions brought here for consideration will be endorsed to the Assembly and adopted by consensus.

Thank you Madame Chair.