Mr. President,
Mr. Associate Administrator,
Members of the Executive Board,
Distinguished representatives,

1. I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the Group of 77 and China under Agenda Item 3 on the UNDP operations in the DPRK. The Group thanks the UNDP, and in particular the Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, for the "Proposed measures for the resumption of programme operations in the DPRK" contained in document DP/2008/8.

2. At the outset, we take this opportunity to reiterate the high degree of importance the Group places on the work of UNDP in developing countries. UNDP's core development mandate, that of capacity building, capacity development and support for national processes, is the lynchpin of sustainable human development and represents the UN's values and goals enshrined in the Mellinnium Declaration, the MDGs and other IADGs. UNDP's work is vital to the human development needs of the people of the DPRK, as it is to people all over the developing world.

3. Mr. President, during the second regular session of 2008  the Board took note of the roadmap for resumption of UNDP activities outlined by the Regional Director for Asia, and we requested a full resumption of programmatic activities as soon as possible as a matter of priority. In this regard we are pleased that the proposed measures outlined in the document bring us close to this objective. The Group of 77 and China therefore supports the proposed measures for the resumption of programme operations and encourages all Board Members to authorize the proposed measures outlined in the document for the resumption of programme operations as soon as possible. Further, we look forward to a full-fledged country programme document for approval by the Board in the future.

4. Mr. President, the Group of 77 and China also takes this opportunity to again reiterate that there should be no precedence for the suspension or interruption of UNDP country programmes in developing countries for political reasons. The work of the UNDP should not be politicized, but must be neutral and impartial. We again draw attention to the fact that safeguarding the relationship and the policy dialogue between the organization and the countries within which it operates, in particular those developing countries where there is a strong need and demand for its services, is a top priority.

5. As a Board it is our responsibility to take whatever decisions are necessary to ensure continuity of country programmes aimed at delivering vital development assistance to the people who need it most, and to prevent further interruption of this or other country programmes so that the organization can be guided and governed in the interest of human development and exercise its full mandate.

Thank you Mr. President.