Madam Chair,

1. I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the Group of 77 and China. The Group thanks the Secretariat for the reports on Agenda Item 53 (a) and (b), as they provide useful analysis and a sound basis for our deliberations.

2. In 2007 the General Assembly proclaimed the Second Decade for the Eradication of Poverty 2008-2017 in recognition of a continuing need for a long-term sustained response at all levels to successfully tackle the scourge of poverty. The evaluation of the first decade yielded mixed results, as the international community registered some progress at the global level, while many parts of the world remained trapped in poverty. Clearly, much work remains to be done.

Madam Chair,

3. During several years of robust global economic growth leading to unprecedented wealth, over half of the world's population, nearly three billion people, remained trapped in poverty, including hundreds of millions in absolute poverty existing on less than US$1 per day. Progress during the first decade was severely uneven and slow, and efforts failed to reach millions in the most vulnerable countries, in particular the LDCs and Sub-Saharan Africa, as well as the most vulnerable groups within countries, in particular women and children.

4. Now we are faced with the strong possibility of a global recession which would pose additional challenges to advancing the modest gains achieved in the first decade.

5. Further, significant pockets of poverty exist in middle-income developing countries and the global economic situation poses severe risks of reversals of economic growth and increase in the levels of poverty in these countries.

6. Indeed at current trends most countries will not achieve MDG 1 - eradication of extreme poverty and hunger by 2015. Yet, still, the world has the resources and the know-how to make poverty history.

Madam Chair,

7. The Secretary-General's report (A/63/190) states that "by the end of the first decade poverty eradication had been adopted as an overarching theme of all global summits and conferences and had been firmly anchored at the core of the United Nations development agenda." Indeed we should build upon this to ensure that the international community at large scales-up and coalesces efforts aimed at eradicating poverty.

8. In particular we should build on the lessons learned from the first decade by specifically targeting the following as part of an integrated and holistic approach:

- Gender equality and the empowerment and participation of women and all disadvantaged groups, including the poor, in the development process through educational and training opportunities, inter alia;

- Investing in science and technology for social and economic development and enhancing access of the poor to technology;

- Investing in agriculture for development - agricultural productivity remains low in many countries even though it is a crucial sector in national, regional and international efforts to reduce hunger and poverty.

- Human resources development through education and training - this is central to any development process;

- Employment, job creation and decent work - productive employment and decent work for all is vital for poverty reduction.

- Aligning Official Development Assistance with the goal of poverty eradication and the corresponding targets, in accordance with national plans and priorities.

9. Additionally, the UN Development system, in its work programmes, including the analytical, normative and operational, should ensure that poverty eradication is accorded highest priority. This includes the funds, programmes and specialized agencies, which, through their mandates and in accordance with the principle of national ownership, should ensure their focal areas are in line with the goal of poverty eradication.

10. Moreover, the UN System should harness the potential for existing coherence and cooperation mechanisms to improve holistic and integrated approaches to implementing the Second Decade. As the Secretary-General's report indicates, this can be done through existing inter-agency coordination mechanisms such as the Chief Executives Board, by making the Second Decade a rallying point for inter-agency cooperation.

11. In this regard, Madam Chair, we welcome the recommendation in the Secretary-General's report for a pragmatic plan of action in support of the Second Decade, in full consultation with Member States so as to ensure successful implementation. Such a plan of action should include the points outlined above, among others.

Madam Chair,

12. In conclusion, for the G77 and China industrialization remains an important factor in sustained economic growth, sustainable development and eradication of poverty in developing countries, as well as in wealth creation, the development and strengthening of productive capacities, and the facilitation of social integration, including the integration of women into the development process.

13. We therefore wish to underline the essential role of sustainable industrial development as well as industrial development cooperation for the achievement of the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals, and call upon the wider international community to lend its full support towards attaining this objective.

Thank you.