On the matter of the preparation of the Zero draft.

Thank you Madam President,

I have the honour to make this intervention on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.

Madam President,

The Group of 77 and China believe that the deliberations that took place in the four informal groups show clearly the seriousness of member states and relevant IGOs and NGOs in addressing this process, and the importance they attach to advancing it at the right pace.

The Group of 77 and China acknowledge the fact that we might not all share identical views or positions, nevertheless we share the same interests in maintaining our Ocean healthy and to conserve and sustainably use it, these are our common duty and mandate that the world is impatiently waiting for us to fulfill.

The group of 77 and China have expressed on many occasions its support for switching gears to move this process forward. Therefore, the preparation of a zero draft of the international legally binding instrument is the next logical step in this direction. We were encouraged to observe many delegations expressing similar views in their general statements.

The Group of 77 and China are of a view that having a draft text will be conducive to launching more focused and substantive discussions; it will also allow member states to put their hands on areas of consensus as well as major divergence and challenges. This clarity will motivate delegations to elaborate and figure out new approaches and possible ways to bridge gaps and consider compromises when and where appropriate.

In this context, the group of 77 and China trust your ability Madam President to fulfill the task of producing a negotiating draft text to be circulated in a timely manner prior to the second substantive session of the IGC.

The Group of 77 and China believe that you Madam President has the well-needed knowledge and expertise to draft a balanced legal text that comprehensively reflects positions expressed during our lengthy deliberations during this session and in the previous four sessions of the PrepCom.

This draft text can be structured in a flexible manner while maintaining its legal nature, by containing more than one option, where needed, and to be open to delegations for further inputs. This will be useful in facilitating more productive negotiations aimed at addressing concerns expressed by different delegations, and in facilitating the possibility of making compromises and ultimately reaching consensus.

Finally, as this will be the last intervention by this delegations during the first session, I would like to thank all delegations for their active and serious engagement during our deliberations, and to thank the facilitators for their crucial role and the informative oral reporting to the IGC, as well as to express appreciation for all the support provided by DOALOS and last but not least to commend you madam president for all your efforts and hard work, you gave us a heavy summer homework to address questions in the president's aid to discussions document, now I guess it's our turn to kick the ball back to you requesting you to prepare a back to school thesis.

We do trust that you are up to the task and that you will be able to guide us wisely on the way forward.

I conclude by wishing you Madam President best of luck.

Thank you.