Mr. President,
Dear Colleagues,
Ambassador Al-Nasser,

I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the Group of 77 and China on the informal consultations of the report of the President of the High- level Committee on South-South Cooperation, to discuss preparations for the High- level United Nations Conference on South-South Cooperation.

The Group expresses its appreciation to the President of the High-level Committee on South-South Cooperation for the report of the High-level Committee on South-South Cooperation, and welcomes with appreciation the generous offer of the government of Kenya to host the High-level United Nations Conference on South-South Cooperation, on the occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of the adoption of the Buenos Aires Plan of Action for Promoting and Implementing  Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries.

Mr. President,

As stressed by the Twelfth Session of the Intergovernmental Follow-up and Coordination Committee on Economic Cooperation among Developing Countries (IFCC-12) held last June in Yamoussoukro, Côte d'Ivoire, and as confirmed by the September Ministerial Meeting of the Group of 77 and China, South-South cooperation is a development agenda based on premises, conditions and objectives that are specific to the historic and political context of our countries and to our needs and expectations. Therefore, it is up to the developing countries to promote and build on South-South cooperation at the bilateral, sub-regional, regional and inter-regional levels, including through triangular cooperation.

Given the increasing prominence that South-South cooperation and triangular cooperation will play in international relations, it is critical for us to ensure that there is clarity in the conceptual framework underlining South-South cooperation. In this regard, the essential elements of this conceptual framework should include the following three principles:     

Firstly: South-South cooperation must be pursued as an expression of South-South solidarity for economic independence and self-reliance of the South, and its agenda must be driven by the countries of the South.

Secondly: South-South cooperation must not be seen as a replacement for North-South cooperation. Strengthening South-South cooperation must not be perceived as a measure of coping with the receding interest of the developed world in assisting developing countries. Therefore, cooperation between countries of the South must not be analyzed and evaluated using the same standards as those used for North-South relations.

Thirdly:  Financial contributions from other developing countries cannot and should not be seen as Official Development Assistance from these countries to other countries of the South. These are merely expressions of solidarity and cooperation borne out of shared experiences and sympathies.

Mr. President,

South-South cooperation is a growing and dynamic phenomenon. From promoting technical cooperation among developing countries, a few decades ago, the idea of South-South Cooperation has come a long way. It is an important process that is vital to confront the challenges faced by developing nations, and is also making an increasingly important contribution to their development. Most importantly, it is a manifestation of solidarity, a manifestation of the collective self-reliance of the developing countries. The Group of 77 and China is preparing a draft resolution on modalities of the High-level United Nations Conference on South-South Cooperation which will be held in Nairobi, Kenya from Monday 22 June to Wednesday 24 June 2009, to address certain issues in that arena.

In conclusion, we believe that strong partnership among developing countries, supported by our development partners, will help to implement South-South initiatives that will benefit the entire international community. Therefore, we call on our development partners to translate the new dynamism of the South into a force for the realization of the Millennium Development Goals. In this context, we also call on the UN system, international financial institutions and regional organizations to increase their support in order to harness the benefits of such cooperation and improve the livelihoods of the populations of the South.

I thank you.