Honorable Co-Chairs,

The Group of G-77 and China is pleased to contribute to this informal consultative process on the institutional framework for the United Nation’s environmental activities under paragraph 169 of World Summit Outcome 2005.

2.       We thank the co-Chairs for all their efforts and extensive consultations with Member States and other relevant stakeholders over the last year and a half on the institutional framework for the United Nation’s environmental activities and for presenting their ‘Options Paper’ based on those consultations. 

3.       The process of consultations conducted so far clearly indicates that while there is a broad consensus to reform and strengthen the institutional framework for environmental activities, serious divergences exist on how best to move forward.

4.       The Group of 77 and China would like to reaffirm its commitment to the International Environmental Governance process agreed to in Cartagena in 2002 and would support the continuation of this process aimed at exploring a more coherent institutional framework for UN environmental activities.

5.       We contributed to this consultative process on the firm understanding that no time limits would be set or pressure brought, to reach consensus on those issues that have remained unresolved, including on the agenda of inter-governmental bodies outside the General Assembly. We trust that we will continue to be realistic and careful about setting any deadlines for this process. In this regard, the Group of 77 and China is still considering the timelines proposed by the co-Chairs.

6.       The Group of 77 and China would also like to take this opportunity to seek clarifications on how do the Co-chairs view and define the issue of “broader transformation” and would this be related to the discussions on the proposed seven “building blocks”. A plain reading of the text, in our understanding, envisages separate processes for discussing the seven building blocks and issues of broader transformation. Without prejudice to the positions that we may take henceforth, the G-77 and China would favor an integrated and holistic approach dealing with all the issues simultaneously. The ToRs, proposed to be drawn to carry the process forward, should also reflect this. 

Honorable Co-Chairs,

7.       While addressing the issues of environmental activities, the Group of 77 and China strongly believe that the three pillars of sustainable development should be addressed in a coordinated, integrated and comprehensive manner. UN environmental activities must not only be supportive of the objectives of major UN Conferences and Summits in the economic and social and related fields but also preserve the integrity of the three pillars of sustainable development, as agreed in Agenda 21, the Millennium Summit, the World Summit on Sustainable Development and 2005 World Summit.

8.          Through this process, we will seek to secure the implementation of the decisions reached at the Rio, Johannesburg and Bali conferences. We are disappointed that so far little progress has been made towards the implementation of Bali Strategic Plan for Capacity Building and Technology Transfer. We believe that the provision of stable, predictable and adequate financial resources for environmental activities and entities are vital for implementation of development commitments.

I thank you.