Dist

At the outset, the Group wishes to express its appreciation to you, distinguished excellencies in your capacities as Co-Facilitators, for convening today's meeting and for presenting the zero draft of the modalities resolution for the Fourth United Nations Conference to Support the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.

The Group also wishes to thank the Governments of the Republic of Korea and Chile for their leadership and commitment as co-hosts of the forthcoming Conference, which is scheduled to be held in the Republic of Korea in June 2028. We look forward to working closely with both co-hosts to ensure the success of the Conference.

We thank you for the preparation of the zero draft, which we consider to be a solid basis for our negotiations. We appreciate that the draft generally follows the format and structure of the modalities resolutions adopted for the previous United Nations Conferences to Support the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14. This approach provides continuity, builds on agreed language, and offers a constructive foundation for our work.

Co-Facilitators,

The Group of 77 and China attaches great importance to the conservation and sustainable use of oceans, seas and marine resources as an integral component of sustainable development and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Progress on SDG 14 is closely linked with the achievement of many other Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those related to poverty eradication, food security, sustainable livelihoods, economic growth, climate resilience and the special needs of developing countries.

The Group reiterates that the 2028 Conference should maintain a clear focus on supporting the implementation of SDG 14, consistent with its mandate. The Conference should serve as an action-oriented platform that promotes the implementation of existing commitments, facilitates international cooperation, strengthens partnerships, and mobilizes the means of implementation necessary to support developing countries in achieving SDG 14.

In this regard, the Group emphasizes that the Conference should fully respect the integrated, indivisible and balanced nature of the 2030 Agenda and reaffirm that implementation of SDG 14, like all the Sustainable Development Goals, requires adequate and predictable means of implementation, including financial resources, technology development and transfer, capacity-building, and enhanced international cooperation.

The Group further stresses that the Conference should take into account the different national circumstances, capacities and priorities of countries, while recognizing the particular challenges faced by developing countries.

As we move into negotiations, the Group will carefully review the draft and engage constructively with all delegations. In order to fulfil this responsibility effectively, the Group respectfully request an extension of the deadline for submission and looks forward to receiving your proposed timeline to enable adequate planning and preparation.

We will be guided by the principles of transparency, inclusiveness and consensus, with a view to reaching an ambitious and balanced modalities resolution that enjoys the broad support of the membership.

The Group also underscores the importance of ensuring an open, transparent and Member State-led preparatory process that enables the full, effective and meaningful participation of all Member States. The modalities should also facilitate the valuable contributions of the United Nations system and other relevant stakeholders, in accordance with established United Nations rules and practices, while preserving the intergovernmental nature of the process.

Finally, the Group reaffirms its commitment to working constructively with the Co-Facilitators and all delegations throughout this process to ensure a successful outcome and a Conference that advances the implementation of SDG 14 and contributes meaningfully to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

I thank you.

At the outset, the Group regrets that this Political Declaration was put to a vote.

Throughout the process, the Group engaged actively, constructively and in good faith, with a clear preference for a consensual outcome, and acknowledges the efforts of the co-facilitators to steer a complex negotiation and accommodate, to the extent possible, the concerns and priorities expressed by delegations. We therefore regret that consensus could not be preserved at the point of adoption.

Mr. President,

The Group of 77 and China decided not to break the second silence procedure and to join consensus, and therefore voted in favour of the final text, as, taken as a whole, it represented an acceptable and carefully balanced outcome, particularly in light of the difficult negotiating context.

For the Group, it was especially important that the final text preserve key elements of relevance to developing countries. Among them, we note in particular the explicit reaffirmation of the principles of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, including the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities; the preservation of language on the particular challenges faced by developing countries and countries in special situations; the retention of references of importance to many developing countries in the area of unilateral measures; and the inclusion of meaningful language on means of implementation, particularly for developing countries, including financing, capacity-building, technology transfer on mutually agreed terms, and strengthened international cooperation.

The Group also took into account that, while not every element of the final text fully reflected its preferred formulations, the third revised text accommodated a number of the Group's substantive concerns and, on balance, provided a basis on which the Group could support adoption in a spirit of compromise.

Mr. President,

The Group hopes that this unfortunate recourse to a vote will not detract from the political value of the Declaration, nor from the importance of the High-Level Meeting itself. Our attention must now turn to implementation. The commitments contained in this Declaration must translate into concrete support for developing countries, including adequate means of implementation, strengthened international cooperation, and renewed political commitment to the New Urban Agenda.

I thank you.

The Group wishes to reiterate its appreciation to the Co-Chairs, Ambassador Brian Wallace, Permanent Representative of Jamaica, and Ambassador Merete Fjeld Brattested, Permanent Representative of Norway, for convening this meeting and for their continued leadership of the UN80 workstream on mandate implementation review.

The Group welcomes the opportunity to consider the Secretary-General's review of mandated reports, prepared pursuant to paragraphs 16 and 33(d)(ii) of General Assembly resolution 80/251. We appreciate the timely submission of the note and the Secretariat's efforts to review a portfolio comprising more than 600 report series published between 2023 and 2025.

The Group views the document as a constructive and useful basis for further consideration by Member States. We welcome its pragmatic focus on identifying concrete opportunities to reduce overlap and repetition, improve periodicity and format, and make reports more timely, focused, accessible and user-oriented, while preserving transparency and comprehensive coverage of important issues.

The Group also notes that the review concluded that the vast majority of existing reports remain appropriate in their current form, while identifying a limited number of areas where adjustments could be considered. The proposed gradual and targeted approach is particularly important, as it avoids a one-size-fits-all methodology and recognizes the diversity of mandates, subject matters, and intergovernmental processes across the United Nations system. The Group encourages future recommendations to continue to be supported by clear analytical evidence, objective criteria and transparent methodology, so that Member States can make informed decisions on any proposed adjustments.

We further acknowledge the emphasis placed on clearer word limits, drafting discipline, structured formats, key information tables, focused summaries, stronger use of data and visuals, and precise cross-references to previous reports and continuously updated sources.

The Group takes positive note of the preliminary identification of opportunities to combine reports in fewer than five per cent of cases and to adjust periodicity or format in approximately ten per cent of cases. We also note the estimated potential reduction of around 700,000 words this year. Such efficiencies could be meaningful, if they are pursued transparently, based on objective evidence, and without weakening mandates or limiting Member States' access to information.

Relatedly, the Group appreciates the document's clear reaffirmation that decisions on mandates remain the exclusive prerogative of Member States. Where an intergovernmental organ has specified the format, periodicity or content of a report, such guidance must continue to be respected. Any proposal requiring a decision by Member States should therefore be presented to the competent intergovernmental body, with a clear rationale and sufficient supporting information.

The Group also encourages the Secretariat to proceed, where appropriate and consistent with existing mandates, with reporting improvements that do not require intergovernmental decisions, including measures to enhance readability, accessibility, usability and timeliness, while keeping Member States informed of progress and without compromising the substantive information required for effective oversight.

In this regard, the Group would welcome updates on the implementation of the proposed measures, further clarity on the next steps, and the basis for distinguishing between reporting improvements that can be implemented within existing mandates and those requiring a decision by Member States, with a view to informing future improvements in reporting practices.

Excellencies, Co-Chairs,

The Group of 77 and China stands ready to engage constructively in the next phase of this work. Our shared objective should be to ensure that reporting mandates remain fit for purpose, avoid unnecessary duplication, enhance support for Member States in the exercise of their oversight responsibilities and sovereign prerogatives, and that the integrity of mandates and the priorities of developing countries are fully preserved.

I thank you.