Madam Chairperson,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the Group of 77 and China on agenda item 61: Towards Global Partnerships.

2. Let me express our appreciation to the Secretary General and the Secretariat for the timely reports prepared for this year's session, including for this agenda item.

3. The G77 and China attaches, as a matter of principle, great importance to the role and participation of stakeholders, including the private sector, in activities towards the realization of the UN's goals and objectives. Based on this overall premise, we are well disposed and fully prepared to engage actively in a proactive and constructive dialogue with the partners on all aspects of this important subject.

4. Put in very practical terms, the question for us is how to strengthen the development role of the UN system, how to enhance the effectiveness of its development activities and its support for national development strategies and programmes by implementing various initiatives including partnerships with all relevant partners and in particular private sector.

5. We agree that effective partnerships between the UN and the private sector can make an important contribution to our collective endeavours aimed at achieving Internationally Agreed Development Goals including Millennium Development Goals.

Madam Chair,

6. In fact the call for a global partnership for development, as set out in the Millennium Declaration, the Monterrey Consensus and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation stemmed from a distinct realization that the development related challenges were too overwhelming for the developing countries to address on their own. A strengthened and enhanced global partnership between the developed and the developing countries was, therefore, seen as essential for effectively addressing the challenges of growth and development both at the national and international levels.

7. The Group of 77 and China views the existing discussions on global partnerships as a sub-set of that wider debate with the UN System and the private sector at its center.

8. The review of various kinds of partnerships, undertaken in the Secretary General's Report is interesting and instructive. The examples cited clearly indicate the wide variety and variation in the nature and terms of engagement of the UN system with the private sector.

9. The Group of 77 and China is of the strong view that recognition of national leadership and ownership of development strategies should be a guiding principle of UN operational activities. Partnerships, we believe should also be framed and premised on this principle. They should complement rather than overtake or supercede the national development endeavours aimed at achieving objectives and goals of national development strategies.

10. Moreover, the partnerships should bring additional resources both financial and technical to build UN capacities to deliver optimally on advancing our common goals and development objectives.

11. We particularly hope that the transnational corporations, which have great influence in the global economy, would join the efforts towards the realization of the development goals of the United Nations and take concrete measures to help developing countries in their efforts to promote development.

Madam Chair,

12. We also see merit in sharing best practices and lessons learned across the UN system in fostering partnerships with the private sector. We believe that such an exercise would sensitize all concerned on the role, utility and effectiveness of partnerships. Besides, a comprehensive compendium of best practices would also bring much needed transparency and clarity on the activities and contributions of partnerships. This, we believe, will be required before we consider to move on to the next stage involving the more specific task of developing and streamlining guidelines for UN engagement with the private sector. It is important, as also rightly pointed in the Secretary General's Report, to guard against any possible abuse of the process, for personal or corporate gains, which could undermine the reputation, integrity and brand of the UN system.

13. The Group of 77 and China is rather disappointed to see limited attention and space given in the Secretary General's Report to the important issue of promoting impact assessment mechanisms as requested in Resolution 60/265. We would urge greater and more indepth analysis of this in future Reports.

14. The G-77 and China has consistently pressed for developing benchmarks and indicators to measure and monitor the implementation of Internationally Agreed Development Goals including MDGs. We, therefore, agree with the suggestion in the Report that a first step towards effective monitoring and evaluation of partnerships should involve setting measurable targets.

15. We are confident that the voluntary nature of the UN Business cooperation would ensure that their activities are not in competition with Government actions and are instead complementary in advancing UN goals and objectives. New initiatives in general and partnerships in particular, we believe, should not lead to further weakening of the regulatory role of the state and intergovernmental bodies. Importantly, the intergovernmental nature of the United Nations, and the central role and responsibility of Governments in national and international policymaking must be maintained.

Madam Chair,

16. In conclusion, let me stress that the Group of 77 and China wishes the partnerships to be governed and built around the purposes and principles of UN Charter and that there is greater transparency and accountability in their work without subjecting them to more rigid structural format.

I thank you Madam Chair,