Mr. President,
Excellencies,
Dear colleagues,

I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the G77 and China.

The Group of 77 and China welcomes the adoption of resolution today.

The Group of 77 and China thanks the delegation of Singapore for chairing the negotiations on the draft resolution and wishes to take this opportunity to reiterate its thanks to all delegations for their positive and constructive engagement, which has resulted in a balanced text. In the course of the negotiations, we listened carefully to all proposals and ideas expressed by delegations.

On the issues of participation and decision-making in the preparatory commission, careful consideration was given to all views on the approach reflected in the zero draft of the resolution. We would like to highlight the importance to ensure that the participation and decision making in the preparatory commission be open, inclusive, and transparent.

The Group recognizes that the passing of today's resolution is just one of the first steps in this important line of achievements towards the effective implementation and activation of the BBNJ Agreement, one that we all worked so hard to reach. The Group is eager to commence the work of the preparatory commission, which will be vital to ensuring the entry into force of the Agreement; its effective implementation; and, perhaps most importantly, ensuring that all the substantive rights and obligations laid out in the Agreement can become a true reality with all due haste.

In anticipation of the commission's meeting, including the planned three-day organizational meeting in the first half of 2024, the Group would like to highlight a few important considerations.

First, in line with operative paragraphs 14 and 15 of this resolution, the Group underlines the vital importance of ensuring the attendance of delegates from all Member States at each stage of the Preparatory Commission. While many of our members have worked within groups for this process - including of course that of the Group of 77 and China - each and every delegation plays a key role for coordination and future national implementation of and compliance with the Agreement. The Group thanks in advance any and all contributors to the voluntary trust fund, and encourages further contributions to ensure the utmost inclusivity and supporting and facilitating developing countries in attending the Preparatory Commission.

Second, in line with operative paragraph 16 of this resolution, capacity building and technical assistance activities need to be more tailored and responsive to the needs of developing States, in a similar needs assessment approach as the one is set out in the Agreement itself, in order to increase the number of parties to the Agreement and to ensure universal inclusion. Member States are best placed to know the most applicable approaches and activities that would best support these goals. This will be an important procedural approach to be discussed during the organizational meeting.

Additionally, in the context of the implementation and preparation for the entry into force of the Agreement, the Group also stresses the need for a wide participation of developing countries in the new Agreement to improve their representation and guarantee equal participation in international decision-making under the BBNJ Agreement. In that regard, the Group welcomes the fact that four States of the Group have already ratified the Agreement so far, showing our commitment to the early entry into force of the Agreement, and it also notes with appreciation the offer of Chile, one of those four countries, to host the Secretariat of the BBNJ Agreement.

The Group wishes to reiterate its thanks to all delegations for their continued constructive engagement on the path to the fullest achievements that we all worked so hard on in this Agreement.

I thank you.