GROUP OF 77
NAIROBI

Statement delivered on behalf of the G77 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 United Nations Environment Assembly (Nairobi, 28 February 2022)

Your Excellencies, Heads of State and Government, Excellencies Prime Ministers, Excellencies Ministers of Environment, Excellencies Ambassadors and High Commissioners, Honorable Members of the Diplomatic Corps, Madame Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP, distinguished delegates, colleagues, ladies, and gentlemen,

It is my pleasure to deliver this statement on behalf of the G77 and China, Nairobi Chapter.

The Fifth United Nations Environment Assembly provides an opportunity to bridge, build on and catalyze action in relation to multilateral environmental efforts including on biodiversity, desertification, climate change and pollution.

The G77 and China actively engaged last week during the OECPR. 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 and observer-states owned and driven process, ensuring that no-one is left behind.

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. Despite the great challenges it faces and in pursuit of building forward better, G77 has not lost sight of its enormous responsibility and actively engaged in all the intersessional meetings and will continue to engage in the various negotiations during this week.

The Group supported the multilateral effort to tackle the global plastic pollution challenge, in marine and other environments. We welcome the intent to launch negotiations - in the context of an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee - on an international legally binding instrument on Plastic Pollution, including in the marine environment, with ambitious goals and equally ambitious means of implementation, and wide participation, while fully recognizing the different national circumstances and different starting points of member and observer states.

As the political group that represents the interests of the developing world, many members of the G77 and China put forward resolutions reflecting the theme of UNEA: "Strengthening actions for nature to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Resolutions on Biodiversity and Health and Animal Welfare, Environment, and Sustainable Development nexus expressed the need to address the interlinkages across human, animal and enhance ecosystems services that can bring benefits to human health and overcome global health inequalities. The Group further stressed that developing countries need financial and technical assistance as well as technology transfer to move towards more sustainable patterns of consumption and production.

Consistent with the Group's commitment to eradicate poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty, as the greatest global challenge and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development, the Group backed initiatives recognizing the need to mobilize financial resources, transfer of technology and capacity building, and called for reinvigorated North-South, South-South and Triangular Cooperation to achieve sustainable development in harmony with nature. The challenges we face represent an opportunity to enhance the integration of the social, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainable development and leave no one behind. We must recommit to a renewed sense of solidarity, being mindful that strengthening actions for nature depends on strengthening actions for people.

The Group encouraged actions to protect, conserve, sustainable manage and use of ecosystems, which can better prepare developing countries to face the challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, desertification and pollution.

The Group recognized that the sustainable use of natural resources is an effective way to achieve economic growth in harmony with nature.

G77 and China hopes that all draft resolutions will be adopted by consensus along with the draft Ministerial Declaration. It would highlight our commitment to strengthen actions for nature, to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

I thank you Mr. Chair.