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, our group would like to congratulate you on your appointment as co-facilitators of the intergovernmental consultations on the Ministerial Declaration of the 2024 High-level Segment of the ECOSOC and HLPF. We commend you for convening today's first meeting to hear the views and ideas of delegations on issues relevant to the process. The G77 and China will constructively engage throughout the process to ensure that we all come to a consensual outcome that support the developing countries in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The ministerial declaration of 2024 comes at the backdrop of the consensual adoption of the SDG Summit Political Declaration in September 2023. We must ensure that the ministerial declaration builds on this important document and contributes to its full implementation.

The G77 and China stresses the centrality of poverty eradication as the overarching goal of the 2030 Agenda and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development. The group emphasizes that eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty, is the greatest global challenge and must be at the centre of our work. In this regard, accelerating actions to eradicate poverty in all this forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty is of the utmost importance in this year's ministerial declaration, bearing in mind we will be conducting the in-depth review of SDG 1.

The Group also emphasizes the following elements:

- The need to exert all efforts to achieving sustainable development in its three dimensions - economic, social and environmental - in a balanced and integrated manner, while guided by all the principles of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, including, the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities. - The recognition of the special challenges and needs facing all developing countries, especially countries in special situations, in particular, African countries, least developed countries, landlocked developing countries, and small island developing States as well as specific challenges faced by many middle-income countries, conflict and post-conflict countries and countries and peoples living under foreign occupation. - The importance of achieving food security zero hunger and improving nutrition, including by ensuring that developing countries are integrated in the global agrifood supply chains. We must promote a universal, rules-based, open, transparent, predictable, inclusive, non-discriminatory and equitable multilateral trading system under the World Trade Organization, keeping trade and supply chains open for agriculture trade.

The Group further highlights that developing countries are the most vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change. In this regard, the group stresses the importance of the provision of new and additional means of implementation to developing countries by developed countries. Special attention should be given to special needs of developing countries. The group reiterates that the commitments by developed countries on the provision of climate finance to developing countries need to be fulfilled.

The group reaffirms that the implementation and the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda must include and address the severe difficulties faced by countries and peoples living under colonial and foreign occupation and strive to remove the obstacles to the full realization of their right to self-determination and right to

development, which adversely affect their economic and social development. The group also reaffirms that, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, the need to respect the territorial integrity and political independence of States.

The group also stresses that sustainable development cannot be realized without peace and security and peace and security will be at risk without sustainable development.

The group expresses its opposition to unilateralism and protectionism, including any unilateral economic, financial or trade measures not in accordance with international law and the Charter of the United Nations.

The provision of the means of implementation remains the cornerstone and the cross-cutting issue that will further enable developing countries to achieve the SDGs. Scaling up for and access to concessional finance, transfer of technology and capacity building are of the utmost importance for the group.

The group reiterates its call on the urgent reform of the international financial architecture, including the international financial institution, with a view to ensure that they support the developing countries and address their specific needs.

The group also urges developed countries to fulfil their unmet Official Development Assistance commitments to achieve the target of 0.7% of gross national income for Official Development Assistance (ODA/GNI) to developing countries.

On the format of the ministerial declaration, the group believes that this year's ministerial declaration should follow the same format from previous years. The negotiation process must uphold the intergovernmental nature and allow for text-based negotiations in an open and transparent manner, while avoiding overlap with other ongoing processes. The zero draft needs to be balanced to form a basis for the intergovernmental consultations.

Finally, the G77 and China is of the view that the ministerial declaration should be a short, concise and action-oriented document, addressing macro issues and ideas on the SDGs under review in a balance manner aimed at accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

I thank you.