ELEMENTS OF THE STATEMENT MADE 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, BEFORE THE 36TH SESSION OF THE COMMISSION ON POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT - New York, 31 March 2003

The G77 and China:

- Reaffirms the commitments made by developing regarding the principles and objectives of the programme of action of the ICPD

- Emphasizes the efforts made by developing countries to achieve the objectives of the ICPD, although their limited resources and the challenges they are facing with regard to the problems of external debt, heavily dependence on commodities and market access difficulties in the international trading system.

- Emphasizes the role of international community in supporting developing countries pursue their national programmes in population and development fields.

- As the document E/CN.9/2003/4 on the flow of financial resources stated out, the community of donors plays a very important role in the financing of population activities in most of developing countries, and in some of them, donors assure the financing of this sector. The said document affirms the need of developing countries for a more enhanced external aid to finance their activities in population field. However, from the reading of the mentioned document, we note with deep concern that the trend of international financial flows, particularly those arising from bilateral aid, are declining. They are decreasing compared with both ODA and GDP.

- The G77 and China reaffirms the role the organizations and agencies of the United Nations in the field of population and development. The Group believes that a coordinated and integrated approach pursued by the System of the United Nations would contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the Millennium relevant to population. In this respect, the goal no. 2 striving to ensure that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling is specifically mentioned. Several UN organizations and agencies are working to contribute to the achievement of this goal and the Secretary General initiatives in this regard reflect the centrality of education at the UN system level.

- Drawing from the documents before the Commission and the statements made at the opening of the 36th session, we note the importance of education and its impact on all population variables and processes. The Commission should contribute to the visibility of the linkages and interrelations between population, education and development. Developing countries are highly conscious in this regard and place education on the top of their priorities.

- The Group reaffirms its support to the UNFPA whose the activities undertaken at the field is one of the most important factors in looking for the achievement of the objectives of the programme of action of the ICPD by developing countries. The Group expresses its satisfaction for the work undertaken by the Population Division

- The G77 and China is of the view that the GA resolution A/RES/57/270 of 24 January 2003, in its paragraph 6 decided that future decisions on follow-up to conferences whose ten-year anniversaries are imminent shall be kept pending subject to the decisions to be taken by the GA on the report of its working group on the integrated and coordinated implementation and follow-up. Therefore, it is for the GA to decide on the format and nature of the second quinquennial review of the ICPD.

- While waiting for the GA to decide on the WG recommendations, the G77 and China is of the view that the 2004 session of the commission should be foreseen as a regular session of a functional commission to undertake follow-up actions to the recommendations of the ICPD. It should take stock of what has been achieved so far and what has not been.

- The Group of 77 and China is also of the view that the Commission in its thirty seventh session in 2004 could benefit from a cross-cutting approach in reviewing the implementation of the programme of action of the ICPD. The Commission could select a limited list of cross-cutting themes on the basis of which the Commission should undertake follow-up actions to the recommendations of the ICPD.

- At its 58th session, the General Assembly may consider taking decision on the commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the ICPD which could take place during its 59th session.

- The G77 and China is of the view that the Commission could consider in its thirty-sixth session only the theme for 2005. In this respect, the G77 and China would prefer that the focus of the Commission in 2005 would be placed on "Population, poverty and VIH/AIDS".