2. The Group congratulates you and the new members of the Bureau on your election and assure you of the Group's support and commitment to the work of the committee. Also, through you the group expresses appreciation to, H.E. Mr. Muhammad Usman Iqbal Jadoon of Pakistan, and the former members of the Bureau for their dedication, collaboration and the leadership they provided during their term in office.

3. The Group also thanks USG Ms. Melissa Fleming and her team at the Department of Global Communication, for the comprehensive and informative presentation on the department's activities and strategies.

Mr. Chair,

4. The close cooperation and partnership between the Department of Global Communications and the Committee on Information has always been the cornerstone of strategic communications at the United Nations. Therefore, the Group stresses the importance of strengthening this partnership and calls for its continued improvement as the United Nations strategic communications play its vital role as a voice to promote the purposes, image, and importance of the United Nations.

5. The Group has taken note of the three reports of the Secretary-General on the activities of the Department of Global Communication in different areas: Campaigns and Country Operations Services, News Services, and Outreach and Knowledge Services.

6. The Group recognizes the critical and essential role that the Department of Global Communication continues playing in the global arena and in conveying the international messages and information pertaining to the work of the United Nations and its impact around the world on issues related to peace and security, development and human rights. It is also vital in spotlighting efforts to address the distress and turmoil caused by multiple crises such as the continued and emerging conflicts, the threat of climate change, and the lack of progress in implementing the SDGS. Many countries still face serious challenges in water scarcity, food, energy, and supply chain disruption.

7. Moreover, the world continues to face severe stress due to the continued and emerging challenges including the new arms race, rising xenophobia, labelling of racial and religious groups, hate speech, violence, fake news, d misinformation and disinformation.

8. The Group emphasizes the importance of the DGC's crisis communication cell on the situation of Palestine in raising the international community's awareness of the Question of Palestine and in supporting the efforts to achieve a just lasting and comprehensive peace in the Middle East, in accordance with international law and United Nations resolutions. We, therefore, reiterate our call to DGC to continue its work and to enhance and reinforce its efforts.

Mr. Chair,

9. We gather at a crucial juncture, where the flow of information can shape perceptions, influence actions, and ultimately impact the course of global events. The Committee on Information holds a vital mandate, to promote the dissemination of accurate, factual, impartial, targeted, accessible and timely information about the work of the United Nations to the broadest possible audience, in an era marked by rapid technological advancements, the proliferation of information sources, and the persistent challenges of misinformation and disinformation, our work is more critical than ever. As we embark on our discussions, the following principles should guide us:

10. Upholding Information Integrity by committing to delivering factual, accurate and reliable information, ensuring that the public has access to a clear understanding of the complex issues facing our world.

11. Bridging the information divide to ensure that all people, regardless of their location or circumstances, have access to necessary information.

12. Fostering multilingualism as the cornerstone of our work, recognizing that information must be accessible in the six official languages of the United Nations and more when possible and applicable.

13. Exploring innovative financing options including voluntary contributions to supplement available resources in order to support the work of the DGC and promote multilingualism to maximize its outreach at the grassroots level.

14. Lastly, we look forward to working together through open and inclusive dialogue, in a spirit of cooperation, openness, and determination, to strengthen the role of the Committee on Information and to ensure that the United Nations remains a trusted source of information for all and to resolve peacefully and effectively the evolving and interconnected challenges we face and share.

Mr. Chair,

15. The Group reaffirms our commitment to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, including freedom of expression and access to information, as well as the principles of independence, pluralism, and diversity of the media, and urges the Department of Global Communications to further strengthen partnerships with new and traditional media in this regard.

16. The Group also reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the protection of journalists and media professionals, including in armed conflicts and wars, and strongly condemns the deliberate targeting and killing of journalists and media professionals, which represents a grave violation of international law and a direct assault on the fundamental principles of freedom of expression and the right to information.

17. In conclusion, allow me, Mr. Chair, to assure you of our full support and our constructive and active engagement during this session. We are confident that under your able stewardship, the Committee on Information will once again reach a successful outcome.

 I thank you.

The Group thanks your Excellencies for the initiative in preparing the Food for Thought paper which contains some relevant elements that can be fruitful for negotiations on the Political Declaration on the prevention and control of NCDs and the promotion of mental health and well-being.

The Group wishes to highlight the following for the section General Principles:

1. Reiterate the Political declaration of the Third High-Level Meeting of the General Assembly on the Prevention and Control of NCDs.
2. Recognize that poverty is the greatest global challenge and that its eradication, in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme and multidimensional poverty, is an indispensable requirement for sustainable development. Underscore the need to end hunger and malnutrition as a primary priority for preventing and controlling NCDs, while acknowledging that the burden of NCDs deepens poverty, drives inequities, and hinders the development of countries.
3. Prioritize a health approach that takes into account national priorities and circumstances, while allowing flexibility for Member States in the design and implementation of their public policies.
4. Emphasize the role of health promotion as a preventive and cost-effective approach to address determinants of health which will help to reduce risk factors of NCDs and burdens on health systems.
5. Underscore the important role of Universal Health Coverage in addressing NCDs.
6. On your proposal on integrated health systems, particular attention must be given to developing countries.
7. Mobilize and allocate adequate, predictable and sustained resources for the prevention and control of NCDs, foster global solidarity and collective effort, and urge Member States to strengthen international cooperation, including by supporting efforts to build and strengthen capacity in developing countries, notably through enhanced ODA and financial and technical support, and by facilitating access to high-cost medical products.
8. Reaffirm that frequent data availability and surveillance are essential to chart progress, advocate for resources, and ensure proper monitoring and accountability

On thematic considerations, the Group wishes to add the following:

1. The Group believes that the focus must remain on health, and that any recognition of interrelated factors must be based on a balanced approach and must be non-exhaustive; hence must not leave out key elements such as poverty.

2. While the Group can be flexible in referencing the linkages between the impact of climate change and NCDs, which is disproportionately affecting developing countries, we must uphold the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities. However, this reference is not intended for an in-depth negotiation on climate change within this context.

3. Ensure timely, equitable and unhindered access to safe, affordable, effective and quality medicines, vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics and other health products and technologies as one of the fundamental elements for the full realization of the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health.

4. The Group underscores the critical importance of facilitating the transfer of technology, particularly to developing countries, as an essential component of capacity-building and sustainable development.

5. Regarding financing, international technical cooperation and public-private partnerships, the group is of the view that those elements should be prioritized, avoiding overburdening state public funding.

6. Removing all unilateral barriers and mitigation measures that may affect, among other factors, the access to food and nutrition-related goods.

7. Capacity building through which developing countries can access ongoing training for health professionals, including community-level health workers and volunteers, to deliver effective NCDs interventions

Guiding questions:

1. The Political Declaration must be concise, practical, and action-oriented. In regards to the format, the group thinks that the political declaration should not be segmented by issue-specific subheadings; instead, it should adopt a broader structure that integrates cross-cutting issues and general means of implementation.

2. In terms of the follow up, the group recommends the next deliberation of NCDs take place within 3-5 years. However, the group underscores the need to take into consideration the other upcoming health-related High-Level Meetings and to avoid overlapping.

3. The Group also welcomes the possibility of having a briefing from WHO on the implementation of this Political Declaration prior to the next deliberation.

4. Finally, we would like to use this opportunity to address several concerns on the timeline:

a. First, the group expresses its concerns regarding the limited time between the circulation of the compilation of inputs on 2 June and the first reading scheduled for 5 June. This short timeframe does not allow sufficient opportunity for the group to consult and to prepare for a productive discussion. The Group would be forced to request extensions of deadlines, which will ultimately delay the entire process and may also hinder our ability to attain a consensus document.

b. Second, the group would greatly appreciate the provision of a detailed timeline of the negotiations to help guide its coordination and engagement moving forward.

Excellencies, please be assured of our constructive and meaningful engagement in this process.

I thank you.

Firstly, the Group indicated that there is a need for a development-center focus to the programme, especiallly in light of the immense challenges currently facing the international development agenda, the Group expressed its concern that the programme's emphasis on themes such as peacebuilding, humanitarian issues, and other aspects, which extend beyond the core development mandate of the Segment. We therefore, respectfully urge that the programme be adjusted, particularly by revisiting the inclusion of agenda items 9 and 10 in their entirety.

Mr. Vice President,

Secondly, the Group requested clarification on the intended focus of Agenda Item 2 entitled "Supporting the front-lines of operational activities for development: Messages from the field" as it remains insufficiently defined. The Group suggested that sustainable development be clearly the focus of this segment and that the experiences of developing countries - Africa, MICS, LDCs, LLDCs, and SIDS - be featured.

Thirdly, the Group underlined the importance of a substantive dialogue with the Executive Heads of UN development system entities, and proposed a full three hours be allocated for the session under Agenda Item 5.

Fourthly, the Group recommened that Agenda Item 6 should address not only SDG financing at the country level but also the broader challenge of mobilizing adequate resources for the UN Development System. It should also provide an opportunity to discuss the implementation of the funding compact 2.0.

On the other hand, while the topic of Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and Sexual Harassment remains of critical importance, the broader accountability challenges within the RC system-as identified in paragraph 124 of the 2024 QCPR-require higher-level attention. The Group therefore recommends that the Secretary-General's report under Agenda Item 3 also address these systemic concerns.

Finally,the group also highlighted the need for a standalone segment on the Means of Implementation, particularly digital. We recall that last year's programme contained two such segments.

Mr Vice President,

The Group's letter also addressed the matter of the outcome for the segment, and in particular your recommendation for an ECOSOC decision to be adopted at the conclusion of the Segment, the Group reaffirmed its well-established position that it serves as the penholder for all OAS and QCPR-related outcomes.

Nevertheless, recognizing the procedural need for a formal outcome to take note of the reports presented, the Group is open to the adoption of a concise and procedural intergovernmental decision that only takes note of the Reports of the Secretary-General, the Report of the Deputy Secretary-General in her capacity as Chair of the UNSDG, and the report of the System-wide Evaluation Office. The Group will submit a draft text for this purpose and wishes to reiterate its view that the scope of the decision should remain limited to these elements, without the inclusion of additional substantive elements.

The Group trusts that this balanced approach will meet procedural requirements while upholding the integrity of the intergovernmental process.

Finally, Mr. Vice President, the Group looks forward to a revised Programme, which will ensure that in this challenging times for development that our focus in this OAS centers around frank dialogue and addressing possible durable solutions for the development challenges programme countries face.

Please be assured of our constructive and meaningful engagement to ensure this Segment is successful.

I thank you.