2. At the outset, the Group wishes to express its sincere appreciation to you, Madam Chair, for your steadfast leadership, patience and tireless efforts in guiding the work of the Committee throughout this session.

3. The Group also extends its appreciation to the members of the Bureau, the Secretariat of the Fifth Committee, the conference services staff, the interpreters, as well as to all facilitators, for their continued engagement with Member States. We also wish to recognize the support of the Controller, the Secretariat and the representatives of all advisory bodies for their valuable contributions to the work of the Committee.

Madam Chair,

4. The Group is pleased that, despite the complexity of the negotiations, the Committee was able to conclude a number of important agenda items by consensus. In particular, we welcome the adoption of the landmark decision establishing a revised mechanism for the return of credits, alongside the approval of the peacekeeping budgets, the review of reimbursement rates for troop- and police-contributing countries, the recommendations of the 2026 Working Group on Contingent-Owned Equipment and the Support Account. Together, these outcomes strengthen the financial sustainability and operational effectiveness of the Organization and reflect the Committee's ability to deliver meaningful results through dialogue, flexibility and constructive engagement.

5. The Group also notes that several agenda items were concluded through skeletal resolutions. While these outcomes allowed the Committee to preserve continuity in essential areas, they should not become the preferred method of addressing substantive policy questions that require meaningful intergovernmental guidance.

6. At the same time, while the Committee was unable to conclude substantive outcomes on several other important issues, the successful conclusion of negotiations under the agenda item concerning the review of the efficiency of the administrative and financial functioning of the United Nations stands as a defining achievement of this session.

Madam Chair,

7. The adoption of a revised mechanism for the return of credits represents a landmark decision for this Organization. It demonstrates that, in the face of unprecedented financial challenges, Member States can come together to develop pragmatic, balanced and innovative solutions to respond to the Organization's pressing operational needs while preserving the integrity of the Financial Regulations and Rules.

8. This agreement establishes a new methodology for the categorization and return of budgetary credits, introducing a coherent framework applicable across the regular budget, peacekeeping budgets and the international tribunals. By distinguishing between different categories of credits and ensuring the automatic return only of credits supported by available liquidity, the methodology strikes a careful balance between the rights of Member States and the financial needs of the Organization. In doing so, it reinforces sound financial management and reflects our shared determination to safeguard the effective implementation of the mandates entrusted to the United Nations.

9. As a matter of fact, transparency and consistency in the recording of arrears, by fiscal year, remains a cornerstone of this new methodology. The application of this mechanism shall in no way diminish the responsibility of Member States associated with outstanding assessed contributions. On the contrary, it reinforces the fundamental principle that all Member States must fulfill their financial obligations under the Charter of the United Nations by paying their assessed contributions in full, on time and without conditions, thereby safeguarding the Organization's financial integrity and long-term sustainability.

10. Throughout these negotiations, the Group engaged constructively with all partners, demonstrating a genuine willingness to bridge differences. Guided by clear principles and a spirit of compromise, Member States were ultimately able to converge on a balanced solution that addresses the concerns of all parties while responding to the urgency of the current liquidity situation.

11. More broadly, today's agreement sends a powerful message that multilateralism continues to deliver meaningful results when Member States demonstrate political will, good faith and a shared commitment to strengthening this Organization. At a time when confidence in the international system is increasingly being tested, this Committee has shown that consensus remains possible, even on the most complex and politically sensitive issues.

Madam Chair,

12. Throughout this session, the Group has conducted itself in a spirit of openness, flexibility and responsibility. As long as Uruguay serves as Chair of the Group, it will continue to uphold this approach, honoring the Group's unwavering commitment to multilateralism and to this Organization, which stands at the heart of the multilateral system and remains indispensable to addressing the complex global challenges of our time, including those faced by developing countries.

I thank you.

The Group wishes to reiterate its appreciation to the co-facilitators for the opportunity to engage with the members of the High-level Expert Group last week, and looks forward to receiving further information on the modalities and timeline for the written responses to the questions raised during that meeting.

The Group of 77 and China acknowledges the importance of the intergovernmental process mandated by resolution 79/1, entitled 'The Pact for the Future'. In this regard, the Group wishes to underscore the relevance of advancing the establishment of a set of measures of progress on sustainable development that complement or go beyond Gross Domestic Product (GDP), in order to inform access to concessional finance and technical cooperation for developing countries.

For the Group, it is imperative to ensure that development remains a central pillar of any framework aimed at measuring progress that go beyond GDP. Therefore, the process should be guided by the objective of advancing sustainable development in its three dimensions in a balanced and integrated manner, while fully recognizing that poverty eradication remains the greatest global challenge and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development. Therefore, the framework should contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the development challenges faced by developing countries and support ways to address them.

Furthermore, the Group takes note of the withdrawal of one of the co-facilitators and encourages the immediate appointment of a successor, in line with the established practice of the General Assembly, to ensure an inclusive and balanced intergovernmental process.

Finally, the Group reiterates its commitment to exploring measures of progress in sustainable development that complement or go beyond GDP to help us all advance the three dimensions of sustainable development.

I thank you.

2.The Group appreciates the overview provided by the Under-Secretary-General for Policy, Mr. Guy Ryder on the UN80 initiative, as well as the updates received on work packages 14 and 27.

3.The Group wishes to acknowledge efforts to provide Member States with pre-briefing materials and relevant reports, and reiterates its request to receive them with enough time in advance of these briefings in order to facilitate more substantive exchanges.

4. At the outset, let me reaffirm the Group of 77 and China's continuous support for the UN80 initiative, as well as its overarching objective of achieving "a paradigm shift" in how the UN system organizes its work in order to deliver greater impact on the ground for the people we serve.

5. The Group also wishes to reiterate that any reform proposal should not lead to the dilution of development mandates, nor jeopardize long-standing country-level work carried out by UN development entities. Any structural adjustments should respond to clearly identified challenges and respect the operational realities of field presences. Whenever possible, efficiency gains should be redeployed to development activities in programme countries, with a view to fulfilling the UN80 vision of strengthening impact on the ground.

6. The Group of 77 and China sees particular merit in work package 14 and takes note with appreciation of the pre-briefing material entitled "UN80:Unified Services Roadmap". The Group welcomes the efforts undertaken under the leadership of the Secretariat to improve efficiencies and reduce costs through a consistent and evidence-based framework aimed at enhancing the delivery of operational services, and agrees on the need to free up resources for programmes and delivery. The Group further takes note of the four areas of ongoing work and acknowledges the finding that no single delivery model fits every service, taking into account the different national contexts and needs. The Group looks forward to receiving the full Unified Services Roadmap by 30 June, as well as the outcome report to be submitted by the end of October.

7. Regarding work package 27, the Group takes note of the pre-briefing material entitled "UN80 Initiative: Environment", the 10 recommendations contained therein, and the goal of strengthening the UN system's environmental architecture to deliver environmental support more coherently, maximizing country impact and improving effectiveness and efficiency. The Group looks forward to receiving the Secretary-General's information brief in August.

8. The Group of 77 and China would appreciate it if you could elaborate on how the proposals or recommendations under this work package would contribute to advance resource mobilization and fundraising, in order to support developing countries in their implementation of their national commitments under the diverse Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs).

9. The Group remains firmly committed to engaging in all relevant deliberations actively and constructively, with the aim of ensuring that all processes are transparent and inclusive, thereby enabling a more effective, efficient, equitable, and truly representative United Nations system.

Thank you.