CLOSING REMARKS 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 CONCLUSION OF THE 13TH SESSION OF THE HIGH-LEVEL COMMITTEE ON THE REVIEW OF TECHNICAL COOPERATION AMONG DEVELOPING COUNTRIES (New York, 30 May 2003)

Mr. President,

On behalf of the Group of 77 and China, allow me to express our deep satisfaction on seeing this 13th Session of the High-level Committee on the Review of Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries (TCDC) concluding successfully its deliberations under the guidance of your able leadership.

Allow me also to thank very sincerely all the members of the Bureau, the Vice-Presidents and the Rapporteur, Mrs. Sharifah Zarah Ahmad, for her very good report. Special thanks go to Ambassador Milos Alcalay, Chairman of the Working Group, who guided talently our work and efficiently to reach very good decisions.

I would like also to express on behalf of the Group of 77 and China our deep satisfaction and appreciation for the excellent arrangements and the substantive support given to the High-level Committee by the Special Unit for South-South Cooperation under the able leadership of Madame Safiatou Ba-N'Daw.

We also wish to express our sincere and deepest thanks to Her Royal Highness Princess Basma Bint Talal of Jordan who graciously delivered a very good and inspiring keynote address to this Committee.

I would like also to highlight the important decisions adopted by consensus after joint endeavours made by our partners, the European Union, the delegation of the United states, Canada and others, with a big effort also from the Group of 77 to reach these very successful results. The consensus achieved on these issues open for us new opportunities for action and a starting point for the preparations of the High-level Conference on South-South Cooperation, scheduled to be held in Marrakech (Morocco) from 16 to 19 December 2003.

We are also very pleased to note that the High-level Committee has stressed the importance of the triangular cooperation. As it has been pointed out, a special emphasis on triangular cooperation should contribute to an effective enhancement of South-South cooperation.

Mr. President,

The support of the international community for South-South cooperation activities is another dimension requiring mobilization and action, which is necessary also in support of the initiatives for regional and sub-regional integration, which have been undertaken by the developing countries. We are convinced that the new vision of South-South cooperation could also stimulate more concrete and more substantial responses to the specific needs of development of developing countries. In this context, we note with deep appreciation the continued commitment and dedication of the Administrator of the UNDP, Mr. Mark Malloch Brown, to support South-South cooperation.

We are pleased to see the South-South Unit after 25 years of its existence has been successful discharging its mandate by responding effectively to the new needs of developing countries. The new Unit for South-South Cooperation together with the interssesional meeting of the Bureau will support this new vision of international cooperation for development and will succeed to help facing the challenges of globalization.

Mr. President,

The task ahead is still quite formidable, but with the commitment of the Special Unit for South-South Cooperation under the able leadership of Madame Safiatou Ba-N'Daw and with the support of the Bureau and all the Members, will certainly guarantee the success of future programmes of South-South Cooperation.

Thank you, Mr. President.