STATEMENT BY MR. HASSAN ABOUTAHIR, MINISTER PLENIPOTENTIARY, PERMANENT MISSION OF THE KINGDOM OF MOROCCO TO THE UNITED NATIONS, ON BEHALF OF THE GROUP OF 77 AND CHINA, AT THE 34TH SESSSION OF THE STATISTICAL COMMISSION (New York, 4 March 2003)

Mr. Chairman,

1. I would like to express the support of the G77 and China to the Statistical Commission and for the invaluable work it has done and to which we attach great importance, in particular its contribution to the implementation of the internationally agreed development goals, including those contained in the Millennium Declaration.

2. With this statement, the G77 and China expresses its respect for the technical work of the Statistical Commission. We wish to share our views though this with the distinguished members of the Commission and to make them aware of some of our concerns regarding the development and use of indicators as far as the implementation of the international development goals is concerned. We also emphasize that the Commission is the intergovernmental system-wide focal point to deal with the issue of indicators. In this regard, the G77 and China support further strengthening of this role within the UN system.

3. The development of indicators should benefit from a more direct and enhanced participation by developing countries. The strengthening of the capacities of developing countries in this respect is highly needed. Efforts should be undertaken in reducing the burden on developing countries in responding to different requests for data from the various components of the United Nations system as mentioned in the ECOSOC Resolution 2000/27.

4. The G77 and China would like to clarify the relationship between the work of the statistical Commission and the UN Development Working Group with respect to the ongoing work where the emphasis is on implementation of commitments arising from the major UN conferences and Summits. Harmonization and coordination between the two processes are needed. In this regard, the G77 and China stresses the concerns voiced by the Commission in the paragraph 66 of the report at its thirty third session with respect to the relationships between the various indicators sets, including the Millennium development goals indicators. In the same vein, the G77 and China believe that there should be one common intergovernmental list for the UN system.

5. The indicators list should be balanced by encompassing indicators at both national and international levels. It should also be balanced by addressing the concerns of developing countries, particularly regarding indicators on means of implementation, systemic issues, and indicators on the performance of the UN system.

6. We believe that it is very difficult to use core indicators in all situations. Therefore, the differences between countries and regions are to be taken into consideration in developing and using indicators in such situations.

7. The G77 and China attaches high importance to the report requested by the ECOSOC on the work on indicators for the integrated follow-up and implementation of the major Conferences and Summits, including indicators on means of implementation. In this respect, the G77 and China are looking forward to this comprehensive report of the Commission, to be submitted to the Council in its next summer session, as mentioned in the ECOSOC Resolution 2002/311.