STATEMENT DELIVERED BY A.P. ETANOMARE OSIO, MINISTER, PERMANENT MISSION OF NIGERIA TO THE UNITED NATIONS, NEW YORK, ON BEHALF OF THE GROUP OF 77 AND CHINA AT THE ANNUAL SESSION 2000 OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD OF UNDP/UNFPA

Geneva, 14 June 2000

Mr. President,

On behalf of the Group of 77 and China, I thank you and other members of the Bureau for this annual session here in Geneva. Let me also thank the Executive Director of UNFPA, Dr. Nafis Sadiq, for her ever-available and most enlightening comments such as we have just heard following the Report for 1999.

The role of UNFPA in implementing the ICPD and ICPD+5 further measures is one that cannot be ignored in every capital city and villages in developing countries. Indeed, the good work of the Fund can be easily located. What, perhaps, is not as easily recalled as source of drawbacks is the dwindling resources at the reach of the UNFPA to carry out its multi-faceted life saving programmes and projects. This is not because the Executive Director has failed to remind all countries - programme and donor alike - of the need to keep up the core resources supplied. Never once has Dr. Nafis Sadiq lost each and every opportunity to mountain an advocacy call for donations.

Mr. President,

It is against this background that the Group of 77 and China welcomes the UNFPA's own Multi-year Fund Framework (MYFF), newly launched. We urge all countries to donate generously towards the MYFF in order to strengthen, on a predictable basis, the budget for the Fund to carry out functions of its mandate which contribute immensely to the survival and better living standards of all mankind.

I thank you.