Co-facilitators,

It is an honor for me to deliver this statement on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.

The Group wishes to welcome the initiative by the Co-facilitators to organize a debate on the themes for interactive dialogues for the Summit which will take place in September to adopt the post-2015 development agenda. We thank the Co-facilitators for circulating a list of six themes last night for consideration by Member States

Co-facilitators,

Clearly the time to prepare for this debate was rather short as the Group of 77 and China would need to properly coordinate its position on this important topic of the themes, in order to ensure that we provide concrete and constructive inputs in this process.
   
At the outset I wish to state that the basis for the themes for the interactive dialogues for the post-2015 Summit should be the inter-governmentally agreed outcomes of the recent Summits and member-driven processes, in particular the Rio+20 Conference and the Report of the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals. With this approach Member States will easily narrow any arising gaps and ensure conclusion of the process in time to form part of the post 2015 development agenda.

We note that the Summit will be the last gathering of the Heads of State and Government related to development, before the deadline for the MDGs. It would be appropriate for the Summit to consider the transition from the MDGs framework to the SDGs and the broader post-2015 development agenda. It is the view of the Group that the Summit will be an opportunity to exchange lessons learnt at the highest political level and prepare the ground for the implementation of the successor development framework.

In this connection the Group maintains that poverty remains the greatest global challenge afflicting developing countries and therefore poverty eradication must remain the overriding objective of the post-2015 development agenda. In addressing this global challenge our efforts must be underpinned by the Rio principles in particular principle 7 i.e. Common but Differentiated Responsibilities. The Group reiterates its long standing view that for developing countries poverty eradication remains the sin quo non for the realization of sustainable development and the post 2015 development agenda must seek to translate this belief into concrete action. Additionally, it remains critically important, as we consider themes to catalyze efforts and deepen integration of the three dimensions of Sustainable Development to ensure global responsiveness to the needs of developing countries.

Co-facilitators,
  
It would be remiss of the international community not to reinvigorate a debate on the urgent need to strengthen global partnership as the failure for some regions to realize MDGs could be largely attributed to lack of delivery on MDG 8. For the agenda to be truly transformative and successful, necessary means of implementation should be made available to developing countries. We must ensure access by developing countries to financial assistance and capacity-building while also ensuring that we move with the necessary speed and establish the technology mechanism in the context of the post-2015 development agenda to ensure its speedy operationalization.

The SDGs elaboration process has revealed a set of common cross-cutting issues such as inequalities both within and among nations that need synergistic approach in implementation. To address the scourge of inequality the international community must ensure that gender equality, women empowerment, indigenous peoples and people living in vulnerable situations, such as migrants and persons with disabilities, the elderly and young people and climate change among others, receive the necessary attention in the context of the post-2015 development agenda.

The Group of 77 and China would like to make an appeal that in refining themes for the interactive debate the Co-facilitators must take into account the above-mentioned imperatives.

With this preliminary input the Group of 77 and China believes that the Co-facilitators have a basis on which to engage and further consult with Member States.

I thank you.