2. The Group would like to thank Mr. Christian Saunders, Assistant Secretary-General, Office of Central Support Services, and Mr. Carlos Ruiz Massieu, Chair of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions, for introducing their respective reports.

3. The Group of 77 and China expresses its gratitude to the Government of Ethiopia for the continued support to the ECA. We trust that the Secretary-General will take necessary steps to strengthen further engagements with the host country for the successful completion of the project and beyond.

4. The Group notes with satisfaction the effective conclusion of the construction project of the New Office Facilities (the Zambezi Building) in the ECA compound during the third quarter of 2017 at the approved cost of $15,333,200. This project had included improvements to the facility's access, safety as well as the construction of a generator house. We believe the standard set by the project will be exemplary to improve other facilities in the ECA compound.

5. The Group looks forward after the completion of the Zambezi building in addition to its related ancillary works, to closing this project. We'll be interested in receiving an update in this regard as well as further information including lessons learnt during informal deliberation.

Madame Chairperson,

6. Turning to the Africa Hall project, the Group reiterates the historical significance of the Africa Hall and the importance to conserve the heritage of this landmark site. It is crucial to renovate the building in a manner that respects the original design and appearance of spaces while ensuring compliance with best practices with respect to current international building standards and codes.

7. The Group attaches great importance to project accountability and takes note in this regard of the third annual audit conducted by the OIOS earlier this year. We will be interested to learn more during informal consultations about steps taken to implement these recommendations.

8. We are particularly pleased with the cooperation Collaboration between ECA and the host country Government that resulted in the signature of a project-specific agreement that between the United Nations and the Government of Ethiopia that sets out the operational arrangements for ensuring smooth and rapid processing through customs and importation of materials, while also conferring other privileges related to project implementation.

9. With respect to the visitor centre, the Group reiterates its position that admission options should be aligned with the need to ensure accessibility to students, academics, residents and tourists regardless of the capacity to pay. We will explore these options in our discussions in the ensuing informal consultations.

10. The Group of G77 and China welcomes cooperation between the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the African Union, and he host country Government for defining specific themes for the proposed permanent exhibition spaces, especially in terms preserving the historical aspects of Africa Hall.

Madam Chairperson,

11. The Group commends member states that provided voluntary contributions to the project and welcomes the establishment of the trust fund to account for Voluntary and in-kind Contributions. In this connection, the Group of G77 and China appreciates ECA's efforts of developing a comprehensive strategy and an action plan to mobilize resources from the private sector. We encourage the Secretary-General to continue his engagement with all Member States to seek voluntary contributions and other forms of support for the renovation of Africa Hall.
 
12. With respect to risk management, the Group takes note of the result of the quantitate risks analysis simulation and trusts that the Secretary-General will take the necessary mitigation measures to ensure that total cost of the project through its completion in 2021 will remain within budget.

Madam Chairperson,

13. In conclusion, the Group of 77 and China supports the appropriation of the funds proposed by the Secretary-General for project activities in 2019 and stands ready to engage constructively during the informal deliberations with all stakeholders with a view to conclude this agenda item in a timely manner.

I thank you.

2. The Group thanks Ms Jan Beagle, Under-Secretary-General for Management; Mr Nawal Vemulakonda, of the United Nations Board of Auditors; and Mr Babou Sene, Vice-Chair of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions for introducing their respective reports.

Madam Chair,

3. The Group commends the report by the Board of Auditors as well as the audit by the Office of Internal Oversight Services on the Umoja project. Oversight is crucial in a project of this magnitude and complexity. We urge the Secretary-General to ensure that the recommendations of the Board of Auditors and OIOS are implemented in full and without delay.

4. Over the past year, the General Assembly has heard much about Umoja and its role as a key pillar of the Secretary-General's reform efforts. We have been promised that Umoja will enable greater efficiency and effectiveness in the implementation of mandates. We have been told that Umoja will enable greater transparency and accountability across the system and to Member States, especially in the stewardship of resources and giving a real-time picture of resource allocation and deployment.

5. To this end, we are encouraged that the Umoja user base has been expanding steadily, reaching 46,500 users across 420 locations, while the number of Umoja-related incidents has been declining. We note that Umoja Extension 2 is in the process of being developed and deployed, and that it will facilitate, among many things, management of donor relations, resource mobilisation efforts, integration of end-to-end processes for payment to troop- and police-contributing countries, and enabling better supply chain capabilities. In the process, the Group urges the Secretary-General to ensure that lessons learned from the implementation of Umoja Foundation and Umoja Extension 1 should be proactively applied to ensure success in the deployment of UE2. The Secretariat should also continue to closely monitor implementation, to ensure usability and stability. It is imperative that business units take full and active ownership of Umoja, and work with process owners and the Umoja team to deliver solutions. It is also important to ensure that users are adequately trained to utilise Umoja, in an effective and cost-efficient way.

Madam Chair,

6. The Group is concerned however, that while we have expended a significant amount of financial resources on Umoja, we have yet to realise the full benefits from this project. The Group reiterates once again that a robust business case must be made for this project, which remains one of the largest and most expensive business transformation initiatives ever undertaken by the Organisation. The business case must also reflect actual efficiencies, rather than artificial budget reduction targets. There remains an urgent need to develop a benefits realisation plan, and to establish a clear and transparent record of the quantitative and qualitative Umoja benefits realised. Only in doing so can we ensure that post and non-post reductions attributed to or justified by "Umoja benefits" will not have an adverse impact on mandate delivery.

Madam Chair,

7. The Group also remains deeply concerned about the repeated delays in the timeline for completion, and the significant cost escalation of the Umoja project. This project was originally proposed to be implemented over four years and completed in 2012. It is now expected yet again to be delayed. If this project meets its revised completion deadline of end-2019, the entire endeavour would have taken over 11 years to complete, almost three times the original timeline.

8. Alongside repeated delays, Member States have also witnessed the ballooning of costs associated with this project. Expenditure for Umoja was originally projected at $248 million. This amount has now more than doubled to $544 million. The expected total cost of ownership from 2008 to 2030 is now expected to hit $1.4 billion.

Madam Chair,

9. There is clearly an urgent need to take corrective action. The Group of 77 and China calls on the Secretary-General to ensure that the Umoja project is completely implemented without further delay by the end of 2019. In terms of project objectives, the Group looks forward to detailed updates on plans for the deployment of UE2, including on supply chain management, and reimbursements and payments to troop- and police-contributing countries. We also look forward to an update on the forecasted risks to the project schedule and scope, and corresponding risk mitigation measures.

10. On the financial front, the Group is of the view that in a time of fiscal austerity and uncertainty across the Organisation, we should also take a hard look at Umoja, and apply a consistent standard of fiscal discipline to this project. The Group is ready to work with the Secretariat and all stakeholders to find greater efficiencies in the Umoja project.

11. In conclusion, let me assure you of the commitment of the Group of 77 and China to work constructively with all delegations towards the timely conclusion of this important agenda item.

I thank you, Madam Chair.

At the outset, I would like to thank you, Madame President, for the convening of this High-Level Meeting as requested by Resolution 72/230 on "Development cooperation with middle-income countries".

Madame President,

Poverty eradication in all its forms and dimensions is the overarching goal of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the international community needs to work tirelessly for achieving this goal, as well as the full implementation of the agenda in a balanced and integrated manner building on the achievements and lessons learned of the MDGs and seeking to address their unfinished business.

Despite notable reductions in poverty, we note with concern that middle-income countries are still home to most of the world's people living in poverty and inequalities and gaps still remain. They continue to face significant challenges to achieve sustainable development.
 
As such, there is an urgent need to identify ways and means to ensure that the diverse and specific development needs of middle-income countries are appropriately considered and addressed, in a tailored fashion, in their relevant strategies and policies, with a view to promoting a coherent and comprehensive approach towards individual countries. In this context, the UN development system must improve its support to different country contexts, including how to provide efficient, effective, more coordinated and better and focused support to middle-income countries.

Madame President,

In order to ensure that achievements made to date by middle-income countries are sustained, the efforts to address their ongoing challenges should be strengthened through the exchange of experiences, improved coordination and better and focused support from the United Nations development system, the international financial institutions, regional organizations and other stakeholders.

Official development assistance and other concessional finance are still important for a number of these countries and have a role to play for targeted results, taking into account their specific needs. In this regard, it is urgent to make all institutional arrangements necessary to support middle-income countries within the United Nations system and its respective mandates, in particular through a comprehensive UN system-wide and long-term strategy aimed at facilitating sustainable development cooperation and coordinated support towards MICs.

Madame President,

We invite the United Nations system, in consultation with the international financial institutions, to develop transparent measurements of progress on sustainable development that go beyond per capita income, building on existing initiatives as appropriate. These should recognize the multidimensional nature of poverty and the social, economic and environmental dimensions of domestic output and structural gaps at all levels. In this regard, we underscore the importance of achieving concrete progress in this issue.

I thank you.