Madam Chair,

1. I have the honour to speak on behalf of the Group of 77 and China on the Proposed Programme Planning and Proposed Programme Budget for 2025.

2. The Group would like to thank Mr. António Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations for presenting his proposed programme plan and budget for 2025. We also thank Mr. Abdallah Bachar Bong, the Chair of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions for introducing the Committee's related report.

3. We also wish to appreciate the Chairperson of the Committee for Programme and Coordination (CPC), Ambassador, Sarah Safyn Fyneah and her Bureau for their efforts during the committee's deliberations in the 64th Session of the CPC.

Madam Chair,

4. With respect to the Programme Planning; the Group wishes to underline that the programmatic nature of the United Nations regular budget cannot be altered since this is a special feature of the intergovernmental character of this Organization. To this end, the Group reaffirms its unwavering support to the prerogatives of the Committee for Programme Coordination (CPC) in its work as the main subsidiary organ of the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council for planning, programming, evaluation and coordination. The CPC role should only be strengthened rather than weakened. It is also crucial that members of the CPC continue providing their substantive recommendations to the programmes formulated by the Secretariat. The Group notes that there are a number of programmes without recommendations from the CPC.

5. We once again call for the implementation of the mandates enshrined in resolution 78/244 whereby the General Assembly decided that the incoming Presidents of the General Assembly and the Chairs of the Fifth Committee shall reach out to and support the Chairs of the Main Committees to ensure these bodies consider the programmes that are without recommendations from the CPC, as appropriate, and that conclusions and recommendations on these programmes are issued on time to the Fifth Committee.

6. Turning to the proposed budget for 2025, the Group notes that the Secretary- General has proposed a budget of about $3.6 billion before the add ons that are envisaged. The Group emphasizes that mandates must be adequately financed. However, it is particularly concerning when it comes to the financing of the Organization's priority areas related to the promotion of sustained economic growth and sustainable development, and to the development of Africa. Over the last five years, the resources for the development pillar have remained stagnant or barely changed whereas resources for some other pillars have increased by almost 64% in one aspect.

7. The Group reiterates its call for the strengthening of the development pillar and will work towards ensuring adequate resources for bodies that are integral to the development pillar. To this end, the Group also supports a well-resourced UNCTAD, DESA, OHRLLS, ECA, ESCAP, ECLAC, ESCWA among others, and we recall that the General Assembly in its resolution 72/279 paragraph 14 mandated that efficiency gains should be redeployed to development activities.

8. Relatedly, the Group wishes to reiterate the importance of having a thorough conversation on the functioning and impact of the Regular Programme of Technical Cooperation "RPTC" and the Development Account. As of today, both mechanisms receive considerably low resources, and a more coordinated structure is necessary to better respond to the needs on the ground rather than the demands of different Secretariat entities. We aspire to increase the relevance of the Secretariat to the peoples that need the United Nations the most, especially those from the global South.

9. The Group of 77 and China would also like to reiterate our strong support for UNRWA and will work towards ensuring that adequate financial resources they need during this critical time are provided.

Madam Chair,

10. The Organization recently marked the Summit of the Future as an important occasion to turbocharge the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and to reinvigorate our commitment with multilateralism. When it comes to the commitment with multilateralism, the Group is deeply concerned with the financial constraints imposed on the Organization by the significant arrears in the collection of payments, most of them pertaining to the single largest contributor. We have seen this year how much this affects the implementation of the programme budget. The approval of the proposed programme budget for 2025 will be meaningless if the Organization is not provided with the liquidity it requires to deliver its mandates.

11. The Group wishes to propose to the Secretary General that, whenever there is a liquidity crisis, a statement be made by the Secretariat, at the beginning of the General Debate of the General Assembly during the High-Level Week, informing of the financial constraints faced by Organization. We believe this critical matter deserves the attention of all delegations at the highest levels since this situation will only be remedied through higher political commitment towards the United Nations.

Madam Chair,

12. The Group also wishes to reiterate that the principles of equitable geographical representation and gender parity are a core concern of the Group of 77 and China and we look forward to understanding the practical steps being taken by the Secretary-General in achieving equitable geographical representation within the organization. While we note significant progress in achieving gender parity within the organization, there is a lack of similar and complementary efforts and progress to ensure geographical representation in the Organization, especially at senior levels where there has been a glaring imbalance for the last five years.

13. In conclusion, we reaffirm the Group's commitment that the work we undertake in this session is not only about implementing decisions and ensuring the provision of adequate resources for mandates but also about ensuring the quality of life for all individuals. We will participate in the discussions positively with a spirit of consensus on this important agenda item.

I thank you.