Mr. President,

1. I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the Group of 77 and China. This year's coordination segment of the Council affords us a timely and appropriate occasion to focus on the implementation of existing mandates on coordination. The Group welcomes the opportunity to consider the UN system's approach to implementation of the commitments reached at major UN conferences and summits, including the 2007 Ministerial Declaration. The range of multi-dimensional challenges confronting the international community, the competition for resources and the current discussions on systems-wide coherence in the General Assembly make this a particularly opportune time to focus on a coordinated response of the UN on a system-wide basis.

2. At the outset, the Group reiterates its view of the importance of the ECOSOC in guiding system-wide coordination of UN activities and programmes in the economic and social fields. At this juncture we would also reiterate the importance of existing, inter-governmentally agreed mandates on coordination of the UN System's development activities, including General Assembly resolutions 50/227, 57/270B and 61/16, all of which underscore the role of the ECOSOC in guiding system-wide coordination.

3. Our discussions on a coordinated response of the UN system to the development needs and priorities of developing countries should be placed in the context of  the many new and emerging challenges to development such as climate change, food security, energy crisis, financial instability in developed country markets, inter alia.  All of these will impact negatively on developing countries' ability to achieve the IADGs, including the MDGs, by 2015 and their broader development objectives. In this regard the Group welcomes the focus on food security; rural development and social welfare; and rural employment, all of which will be the subject of panel discussions and round-table dialogues during this session.

4. The Group of 77 and China also welcomes the review of the implementation of the 2007 ECOSOC Ministerial Declaration, and in particular the focus on the role of the UN System in its implementation. The 2007 Ministerial Declaration on "Strengthening efforts to eradicate poverty and hunger, including through the global partnership for development" stresses the need for a more comprehensive approach to achieving MDG#1 by 2015, and identified a number of policy areas where urgent action is needed - including investment in rural and agricultural development; transfer and diffusion of environmentally sound technologies to developing countries; education and training, especially for girls and women; enhanced international cooperation to achieve the full implementation of Agenda 21, inter alia. Developments in the last 12 months have made these recommendations more relevant and urgent.

5. We therefore thank the Secretariat for the report on the role of the UN System in implementing the 2007 Ministerial Declaration. We note, in particular, the recommendations of the report on strengthening national capacity to analyze the social impact of rural and agricultural development on employment; promotion of the integration of sustainable development and science and technology in the policies, programmes and operations of the UN system to eradicate poverty and hunger; promotion of a system-wide programme of work on science and technology for poverty eradication; and streamlining of the support of all UN agencies and programmes to national development strategies to ensure poverty and hunger are taken into account.

6. The Group of 77 and China is of the view that it is the responsibility of all countries, developed and developing, to promote policies consistent and coherent with the commitments of the major UN conferences and summits, particularly those systemic in nature, in order to achieve development goals, including eradication of poverty and hunger. In particular, developed countries need to take urgent actions to correct the distorting impact that their trade, energy, and financial policies and unsustainable consumption and production patterns have on the prospects of developing countries to achieve the MDGs.

7. The Group recognizes that the UN system has been improving its coordination through various mechanisms, in particular the Chief Executives Board (CEB). The group is of the view that the coordination work of the CEB can be enhanced through greater inter-governmental oversight and accountability. Member States, developing countries in particular, must be kept informed on a regular basis of the activities of the CEB and its three pillars (HLCP, HLCM, and the UNDG). Therefore, the CEB should enhance its interaction with the ECOSOC through the Coordination Segment in a consistent and meaningful way, and at the highest management level.

8. The role of Member States in ensuring a coordinated implementation of the outcomes of major UN Conferences and Summits at all levels, and also in ensuring a strong and direct link between coordination and development effectiveness is vital. In this regard the Group reiterates that each country has primary responsibility for its own development through the principle of national ownership and leadership, including at the country level.

9. The guidance provided to the system by GA resolution 62/208, the TCPR, is crucial. It underscores that the ownership, leadership and full participation of national authorities in the preparation and development of all planning and programming documents of the UN development system, including the common country assessment (CCA) and the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF), are key to guaranteeing that they respond to the national development plans and strategies, and requests the UN development system to use the framework and its results matrix as the common programming tool at the country-level.

10. Further, the TCPR recalls the potential of the UNDAF as the collective, coherent and integrated programming and monitoring framework for the operations of the United Nations development system at the country level and urges the United Nations development system to fully utilize such opportunities in the interest of enhancing aid efficiency and aid effectiveness. System-wide coordination activities should therefore be guided by the TCPR.

11. Mr. President, the Group of 77 and China is of the view that the ECOSOC should give clear, direct and strong guidance to its subsidiary bodies, including the funds, programmes and specialized agencies, to implement measures for promoting coordination within their respective mandates and areas of competence. In this regard the Group calls on the funds, programmes and specialized agencies to ensure that policy guidance from the council on the implementation of agreed outcomes, particularly those related to the MDGs is integrated into the programme of work and operational activities for development.

12. The Group therefore urges the Council to ensure the funds, programmes and specialized agencies give top priority to the eradication of poverty and hunger in their thematic focus areas, including the allocation of financial resources to reflect this priority, and in line with national development needs and priorities.

13. In conclusion Mr. President, the Charter of the United Nations is clear on the role of the ECOSOC on system-wide coordination. The Council must strengthen its role as the central mechanism for coordination of the activities of the UN system, including its specialized agencies, funds, programmes and subsidiary bodies, and should provide overall guidance on coordination to the UN development system.

Thank you Mr. President.