Distinguished Co-facilitators, Excellencies, Distinguished delegates,

I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the Group of 77 and China. At the outset, the Group commends the Co-facilitators for convening this first informal meeting and for preparing the key topics to guide our interventions as we share our views on the important issues to be reflected in the review process.

The G77 and China stresses that the last review undertaken in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic was substantiative, that included several changes, and therefore sufficient time is needed to fully implement the provisions contained therein the resolutions and assess their impact on ECOSOC and HLPF. In addition, the world remains offtrack to achieve the SDGs by 2030 and the HLPF on Sustainable Development adopted the Political Declaration at the SDG Summit in September 2023 to accelerate actions whose implementation is still in its initial stage. The G77 and China therefore, emphasizes that the 2024 review processes should focus on technically updating the General Assembly resolutions 75/290 A and 75/290 B to ensure that the ECOSOC and HLPF on Sustainable Development effectively fulfil their mandates. In this regard, the group stresses that the 2024 review processes while technically updating the resolutions should only focus on the annual themes for ECOSOC and HLPF for 2025-2027 to follow the four-year cycle (2024-2027) of the HLPF as well as the set of SDGs to be reviewed in-depth in each year.

The G77 and China reiterates its position that the reviews of ECOSOC and HLPF should not renegotiate existing intergovernmentally agreed outcomes. I therefore wish to express the Group's position on the topics as follows:

On the priorities for the reviews, the Group emphasizes that the reviews should focus on the annual themes of ECOSOC and HLPF to fully contribute to the coordinated follow up to and implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in its three dimensions in the remaining time. As the Group, we remain deeply concerned over the slow progress in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda in developing countries and we call upon the international community to take urgent action to support developing countries as the only way to rescue the 2030 Agenda. We believe that refocusing the urgent attention on accelerating actions to implement the 2030 Agenda will renew our collective commitments towards the achievement of the SDGs. In this regard, we also believe that the HLPF must promote and review the implementation of the recently adopted 2023 SDG Summit Political Declaration.

Concerning the review on strengthening ECOSOC, the Group stresses that all arrangements agreed upon 2 years ago remain relevant and should be maintained. We stress that the ECOSOC as a Charter body of the United Nations remains the central platform for coordination, policy review, policy dialogue and recommendations on issues related to economic and social development. Therefore, concrete actions should be taken to accelerate the implementation of all the provisions agreed in the last review to strengthen coordination and coherence in the Council and its subsidiary bodies and not negotiate new proposals.

Regarding the HLPF, the group emphasizes that the HLPF should continue to focus on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. All the arrangements agreed upon in 2021 except the annual themes and set of SDGs for in-depth reviews should be retained. The group stresses that the VNRs remain an important means for all countries to report their progress on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. These VNRs should remain voluntary and country led and in line with the provisions set out in the 2030 Agenda, while we continue to enhance inclusivity, transparency, and accountability in their preparation .

On the best approach regarding the selection of themes for ECOSOC and HLPF for 2025-2027, the Group stresses that these themes should focus on accelerating actions to advance the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and strengthening multilateralism. The current status on the provision of means of implementation is inadequate to support developing countries to accelerate their efforts towards the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. In this regard, the group stresses the importance of emphasizing the provision of the means of implementation and strengthening international cooperation when selecting the themes.

The group underscores that synergies and interlinkages among the SDGs is critical in determining the set of SDGs for the in-depth review during each cycle, while ensuring the balanced and integrated manner of sustainable development in its three dimensions- economic, social, and environmental. In addition, the Group stresses that five SDGs, including SDG 17 should be reviewed every year of the cycle. This would allow the HLPF to assess a reasonable set of SDGs in depth and address them in an equitable manner, without overloading the agenda. In this context, the group stresses the importance of ensuring that all SDGs are treated equally during the in-depth reviews. Therefore, the Group suggests that SDGs: 6, 7, 9 and 11, reviewed in 2023 when we had the HLPF on Sustainable Development under both the auspices of the ECOSOC and General Assembly should be excluded in the set of SDGs for the in-depth review in 2027, the last year of the current cycle, to ensure they will benefit from the negotiation of a Ministerial Declaration as part of the process of their in-depth review.

Finally, the G77 and China remains committed to engage in the consultations actively and constructively to achieve a successful outcome. We urge the Co-facilitators to take into account several intergovernmental processes currently ongoing at the UN as you plan for the subsequent consultations.

I thank you.