HISTORY
was established on 15 June 1964 by seventy-seven developing countries signatories of the “Joint Declaration of the Seventy-Seven Developing Countries” issued at the end of the first session of the United Nations Conference on the Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in Geneva. Beginning with the first “Ministerial Meeting of the Group of 77 in Algiers (Algeria) on 10 – 25 October 1967, which adopted the Charter of Algiers”, a permanent institutional structure gradually developed which led to the creation of Chapters of the Group of 77 with Liaison offices in Geneva (UNCTAD), Nairobi (UNEP), Paris UNESCO, Rome (FAO), Vienna (UNIDO) and the Group of 24 (G-24) in Washington D.C. (IMF and World Bank). Although the members of the G-77 have increased to 134 countries, the original name retained due to its historic significance.
The G-77 is the largest intergovernmental forum of developing countries in the United Nations system, and as such provides the means for the countries of the South to articulate and promote their collective economic interests. Furthermore, it enhances their joint negotiating capacity on all major international economic issues within the United Nations system and promotes South-South cooperation for development.
The Group sponsors and negotiates resolutions and decisions at global conferences and other meetings dealing with international cooperation, economy and development that are held under the aegis of the United Nations. A Chairperson who acts as a spokesman, coordinates the Group’s action in each Chapter. The Chairmanship, which is the highest political body within the organisational structure of the Group of 77, rotates on a regional basis between Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America and the Caribbean.
G-77 VIENNA CHAPTER
The Vienna Chapter of the G-77 was inaugurated on 19 May 1998 by the then Director-General of UNIDO, Mr. Carlos Magariños, and the Chairperson H.E. Ambassador Ms. Nozipho Mxakato-Diseko, the then Permanent Representative of South Africa.
The main focus of the G-77 Vienna Chapter, which is financially supported by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), is the promotion of technical cooperation activities and international cooperation.
The Liaison Officer coordinates the work of the Group in Vienna throughout all the Vienna based UN organizations (namely: UNIDO, IAEA, UNODC, UNOOSA, UNCITRAL and CTBTO) and liaises with other chapters. An average of 150 group meetings per year are being organized by this Chapter. On the Vienna Chapter’s website all the statements, positions and activities can be followed. The Chapter’s website serves among others, as institutional memory of the Group.