Mr Chairman,

At the outset, the Group of 77 and China would like to congratulate you on your able leadership in steering the work of the Second Committee until this very last day of this Session. Special thanks also go out to the Bureau, the Coordinators, Facilitators and indeed all delegations, who made this possible for all of us.

Mr Chairman,

2015 has been a momentous year wherein we adopted the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Indeed, we also need to mention the Paris Agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that was adopted on 12 December 2015, at the 21st Conference of Parties in Paris.

Mr Chairman,

The Group of 77 and China would like to re-affirm that enhanced means of implementation will be critical for the realisation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Our unwavering commitment to this Agenda would make a huge impact in bridging global economic disparities and inequalities that continue to characterize the current world economic system. Adequate financing and resources are therefore still needed, and these are areas where developed countries should demonstrate leadership and unequivocal commitment, in order to assist all of us to finally eradicate poverty in all its forms, unemployment, and inequality. The Group would thus like to reiterate that North-South Cooperation still lies at the core of the global partnership for development. South-South Cooperation, Triangular Cooperation and the private sector are complements, rather than substitutes, thereto.

Mr Chairman,

The 2012-2016 Quadrennial Comprehensive Policy Review (QCPR) is about to come to an end. Next year will be yet another important year that we will, begin work on the upcoming QCPR negotiations. The Group of 77 and China is ready to negotiate in good faith, as always, with our development partners to ensure that the next QCPR is more focused and ready to strengthen the United Nations Development System's role in meeting the objectives and aspirations of the 2030 Agenda.

Mr Chairman;

It is without a doubt that the Group's coordinators on resolutions did excellent work in protecting the interests of developing countries and also worked tirelessly to ensure that poverty eradication in all its forms and dimensions, sustainable development and inclusivity are well-placed in the agenda of the United Nations, going forward. We appreciate the solid foundations that were proposed from these draft resolutions in order for the system to have a clear mandate in creating platforms for member states to engage in inter-governmental processes aiming to assist in strengthening international development cooperation.

Chairman,

We were taken aback by constant complaints from our development partners pertaining to the negotiating process and the blame that was apportioned to the Group of 77 and China in terms of the delayed submission of draft proposals and the partners' decision not to engage in some instances, which in our view does not recognise the exceptional circumstances of this session. The adoption of several major outcome documents this year required a major rethinking and reworking of all the resolutions during the drafting process by the Group, which was a challenging and time-consuming task. The UN Sustainable Development Summit held in September 2015 also led to a delayed start to the work of the Committee. Though we respect each Delegation's sovereign right to engage or not to engage in certain instances, we believe that choosing the former stance was not constructive and caused tension and uneasiness, which in our perspective, could have been avoided. We thank the partners who chose to remain engaged in negotiations throughout.

Mr Chairman,

In conclusion, the Group of 77 and China has done its utmost best to make this negotiating period a fruitful one through its constructive engagement and positive spirit, which was evident throughout the diverse range of negotiations and Plenary Sessions of the Second Committee. It is these attributes that continue to shape our thinking in our endeavour to solidify international development cooperation and of course, our call for a strengthened and reinvigorated global partnership.

I thank you.