2.The Group appreciates the update provided by the Secretary-General, António Guterres, on the UN80 initiative, and takes note with appreciation of the latest progress report.

3.The Group wishes to reiterate its request that the relevant reports and presentations be provided to Member States in advance of these briefings in order to facilitate more substantive exchanges.

Mr. Secretary-General

4. At the outset, let me reaffirm the Group of 77 and China's strong support for you and for the UN80 initiative, as well as its overarching objective of achieving "a paradigm shift" in how the UN system organizes its work in order to deliver greater impact on the ground for the people we serve.

5. The Group recognizes that multilateralism and international cooperation face unprecedented challenges, and it remains firmly committed to the United Nations and its purposes and principles, as set out in the UN Charter.

6. The Group of 77 and China agrees with your report that the purpose of reform "is not change for the sake of change", and that, at this stage, the overall direction and scale of UN80 lie in the hands of Member States to determine. The Group remains firmly committed to engaging in all relevant deliberations actively and constructively, with the aim of ensuring that all processes are transparent and inclusive, thereby enabling a more effective, efficient, equitable, and truly representative United Nations system.

7. The Group also wishes to emphasize that any reform proposal should not lead to the dilution of development mandates, nor jeopardize long-standing country-level work carried out by UN development entities. Reform efforts should strengthen impact and delivery on the ground, be guided by a data-driven and evidence-based approach, and be supported by cost-benefit analyses, comprehensive risk assessments, and appropriate risk mitigation measures. Any structural adjustments should respond to clearly identified challenges and respect the operational realities of field presences. In this regard, the Group appreciates your report's recognition that a one-size-fits-all formula is inadequate given the diversity of national contexts.

8. Finally, the Group of 77 and China remains committed to continuing to engage constructively in the negotiations led by the Ad Hoc Working Group on mandate implementation review, in a manner that respects the diversity of mandates, governance structures, membership, as well as financial and administrative arrangements across the United Nations system.

I thank you.

At the outset, the Group wishes to express its appreciation to the Co-Facilitators from Iraq and Bulgaria for the preparation of this comprehensive Zero Draft resolution on the modalities for the intergovernmental review of the implementation of the Buenos Aires outcome document of the Second High-level United Nations Conference on South-South Cooperation. We thank you for your efforts in presenting a structured basis for our consideration and for launching this process in an open, transparent and inclusive manner.

The Group considers this Zero Draft a useful starting point for our discussions. We note positively that the text reaffirms the foundational principles of South-South cooperation, including respect for national sovereignty, national ownership and independence, equality, non-conditionality, non-interference in domestic affairs, and mutual benefit. We also welcome the reaffirmation that South-South cooperation is not a substitute for, but rather a complement to, North-South cooperation. These principles remain essential and should continue to guide both the review process and its outcomes.

As we look toward the BAPA+40 review, the Group underscores that the process must be forward-looking, inclusive, transparent and development-oriented. It should not only assess progress achieved since 2019, but also identify persistent gaps and emerging challenges affecting developing countries. In this regard, the review must remain Member State-led and ensure the full, effective and meaningful participation of developing countries, including their substantive engagement in shaping the outcomes of the process.

The Group also attaches importance to ensuring that the modalities provide adequate space for a review that is responsive to the current realities and priorities of developing countries, including financing constraints, climate impacts, widening digital divides, and the particular challenges faced by countries in special situations. In this context, the process should contribute to strengthening support for demand-driven and country-led initiatives, as well as for means of implementation, including finance, technology transfer and capacity-building.

At the same time, the Group believes that certain aspects of the text would benefit from further refinement. We see value in continuing discussions on the institutional and organizational dimensions of the review. In particular, the Group considers that logistical and procedural matters should be addressed in a timely, transparent and balanced manner. We would therefore welcome further clarification from the Secretariat regarding the practical implications of the options currently under consideration, including with respect to possible host countries, timelines, and the preparation of the report and background documentation supporting the review process. Such information would assist Member States in engaging on these matters on the basis of clarity and informed consideration.

Dear Co-Facilitators,

The Group of 77 and China remains committed to engaging constructively throughout this process. We look forward to working with all delegations to ensure that the modalities resolution provides a solid foundation for a meaningful review that further strengthens South-South cooperation as a central instrument for development, solidarity and collective action among developing countries.

I thank you.

The Group stresses that, despite the progress achieved, the imbalances in the global economy and the inequitable structures and outcomes in the trading, financial, monetary and technological systems that led to the establishment of the Group persist to this day. Commodity-dependent developing countries bear a disproportionate share of these structural asymmetries, which perpetuate cycles of economic instability and undermine development prospects.

The Group recalls that the commodity sector continues to be the mainstay of the economy of many developing countries in terms of the generation of income, savings and foreign exchange, as well as employment and livelihood, particularly for the poor and women.

In this regard, the Group reaffirms the need for securing competitive conditions in commodity markets, and addressing price instability and declining terms of trade through both governmental action and market-based instruments, as well as enhanced, equitable and predictable market access for commodities of key importance to developing countries.

The Group reaffirms that international trade is an engine for inclusive economic growth and poverty eradication and that it contributes to the promotion of sustainable development, structural transformation and industrialisation, particularly in developing countries.

The Group stresses that the issues of particular concern to developing countries should be addressed, especially as related to sectors of special interest to them, with a view to enhancing their capacities to finance development and to diversify their economies.

The Group highlights the urgent need for support to structural transformation and to enhance productive capacities for building diversified, resilient, and sustainable economies that can generate decent and productive employment, and investments in areas such as infrastructure, innovation, technology, and skills development, as well as support for small and medium-sized enterprises.

In this line, the Group wishes to highlight the crucial role of small-scale farmers and fishers in eradicating hunger, reducing rural poverty and improving global food security, especially when these farmers and fishers are assisted to achieve sustainable agricultural production and use of marine resources. National, regional and international strategies are needed to promote the inclusive participation of farmers and fishers, especially smallholder farmers, including women, in community, national, regional and international markets.

The Group expresses the determination to break away from commodity dependence by adding value to our commodities and strengthening our national productive capacities, with a view to achieving structural transformation and economic diversification. The Group reiterates that developing countries, including African countries, the least developed countries, landlocked developing countries, small island developing States and middle-income countries, with limited productive capacities and trade infrastructure, continue to face challenges in integrating into regional and global value chains.

Finally, the Group remains concerned about the persistent vulnerabilities, faced by developing countries due to commodity dependence, which hinders economic resilience, weakens fiscal stability, delays structural transformation, and exposes them to price volatility and external shocks.

The Group invites countries to increase voluntary contributions to the Common Fund for Commodities, to enable the fund to scale up support to developing countries, especially least developed countries, for projects that promote value addition, particularly in agriculture, and to expand into processing and manufacturing.

In this regard, its creation remains one of the most enduring institutional achievements of the G77, translating South-South solidarity into practical instruments for value addition, diversification, and sustainable livelihoods in commodity-dependent developing countries.

I thank you.