Deputy Prime Minister of Malta, Vice-Chair of the Global Leaders Group on AMR, Distinguished co-facilitators, Excellencies and colleagues,

1. I have the honor of delivering this statement on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.

2. The Group appreciates the convening of this timely consultation with member states to hear a briefing on the current status of the process, and reassures its readiness to engage constructively

3. The Group appreciates the effort that has been made by Amb. Francois Jackman of the Republic of Barbados and Amb. Vanessa Frazier of the Republic of Malta, and your staff, as we approach the substance of the process. We trust in your able leadership to achieving consensus on an ambitious, concise and action-oriented political declaration.

4. The group believes the upcoming meeting is a crucial opportunity to build upon the advances made since the 2016 HLM on AMR. Although some progress has been achieved over the years, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) remains a universal challenge for all humankind and requires international cooperation to achieve action at the local, national and regional levels. It has the potential to challenge the international community's ability to deal with common infections at the global level and therefore seriously impact global public health, as well as overall development gains achieved thus far.

5. Therefore, the Group emphasizes the importance of promoting responsible antimicrobial use in human, animal, plant and environmental health to preserve the effectiveness of these life-saving drugs for future generations. We also underscore the significance of strengthening health systems, surveillance mechanisms, and research and development to address antimicrobial resistance effectively.

6. Furthermore, we stress the importance of ensuring access to affordable and quality-assured antimicrobials for all, especially in developing countries. In this regard, we call for increased investments in research and innovation to develop new antimicrobial agents, diagnostics, and vaccines.

Mr. Chair,

7. The Group is supportive of a concise action-oriented Political Declaration complimented by a clear and robust follow-up mechanism.

8. The group believes it's imperative to avoid overlapping with other critical negotiations. At this moment, a number of processes mandated by Member States are already under way, demanding time and efforts from all delegations. In that regard, it is important to avoid overburdening smaller delegations, particularly those from developing countries.

9. The Group also believes that further information should be made available to Member States on a regular basis, particularly on the different steps and timeline of the upcoming intergovernmental process, with a roadmap would be most helpful.

10. The Group emphasizes that the overall preparatory process for the High-Level Meeting, should be organized in a way that enables delegations to consult Capitals and receive instructions.

11. To conclude, the Group reiterates its commitment to engage with a constructive spirit in the preparatory process to advance the political declaration on antimicrobial resistance, and will be submitting a preliminary position paper to the esteemed co-facilitators on our key priorities for the political declaration.

I thank you.