Mr. Chairman,
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

The Group of 77 and China would like to thank the Chairman for circulating Chairman’s draft negotiating document on Policy options and possible actions to expedite implementation on the themes of Energy for Sustainable Development, Industrial Development, Air/Atmosphere Pollution and Climate Change. The Group of 77 and China would like to offer our preliminary comments on the structure and substance of the Chairman’s draft.

On the structure, the Group of 77 and China would like to see the draft to have a clearer format in terms of stating/outlining policies and actions proposed, and clearly identifying the actors both at the international and national level, taking into account the Rio Principles, particularly the principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities. Such a format would have been in line with the Group of 77 and China’s expectations, repeatedly expressed in our statements during this week, that the IPM should lead to a set of action-based and development-oriented policy options with an inbuilt mechanism for their implementation.

Mr. Chairman,

We have also noted that there is lack of any reference to the internationally agreed umbrella of commitments contained in Agenda 21, Johannesburg Plan of Implementation (JPOI), Bali Strategic Plan for Capacity Building and Technology Transfer, Mauritius Strategy and Barbados Plan of Action, which, we believe, should be the starting point of our deliberations. Another conspicuous omission in the draft is lack of emphasis on dealing with the three pillars of sustainable development in a coordinated integrated and comprehensive manner.

Moreover, we see the text as providing elements for the draft negotiating document and this is how we would have liked this to be described henceforth.

We would have also liked to see the references to developing countries and their sub-categories follow the generally agreed/accepted format i.e. developing countries particularly those in Africa, LDCs, LLDCs and SIDs.

We also take note of the omission of reference to the needs of countries emerging from conflict as well as disaster prone countries.

Similarly, we have also noted with some degree of concern the lack of balance in the draft-negotiating document in its treatment of North-South, South-South and Triangular Cooperation.

We would have liked to see a more inclusive and encompassing document reflecting the views and concerns expressed by the Group of 77 and China on behalf of 130 countries.

Mr. Chairman,

On the substance, the Group of 77 and China would like to point out that a number of elements that we deem as critical and important have not been reflected in the draft in the four clusters. We would, therefore, like to submit to the Chair the missing elements in each of the four clusters forthwith in writing without listing them in this intervention in view of the paucity of time.

We hope that our views will be reflected in the revised Chairman’s draft negotiating document that is expected to be issued this afternoon and provide basis for negotiations.

I thank you.