Mr. Chairman,
Deputy Secretary General,
Excellencies,  
Distinguished Representatives,

I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the G77 and China.

1. Allow me at the outset to congratulate you on your election, Mr. Chairman to lead this committee at this challenging session, and members of your bureau, and to reiterate our assurance of the Group's cooperation and support.

2. The Second Committee is faced this year with issues of profound global importance and urgency, especially to developing countries. The Group of 77 and China is confident that through your wise leadership, our deliberations and negotiations will be fruitful.

Mr. Chairman,

3. The effects of the global financial and economic crisis continues to unfold in developing countries, revealing serious multidimensional challenges, adversely affecting our economies and people, eroding hard won gains and sending millions of our people into poverty.

4 Unemployment is now a serious global challenge, with more devastating effects in developing countries, wage rates are still falling. Recent reports indicate that global unemployment is expected to remain at a record high of more than 6% in 2009 and 2010 and in the worst case scenario 6 million more may become unemployed.  The figure is generally expected to be higher for developing countries as a whole.

5. Most significantly millions of people are thrown into poverty. UNCTAD estimates that 53 million people will fall below the poverty line this year, and according to FAO, the number of hungry is expected to increase by more than 105 million this year. This represents a serious challenge and set back to achieving the internationally agreed development goals, including the MDGs.  

6.. In view of the foregoing situation, more focused attention must be given in all areas of development cooperation to the special needs of LDCs, LLDCS, SIDS, and African countries, middle income countries, low income countries and countries emerging from conflict

7. Developing countries are bearing the brunt of the impacts of the crisis, for which they were not responsible. The conference on the "World Financial and Economic Crisis and its Impact on Development" held this year was an important step, but much more needs to be done.

8. The outcome document expresses the deep concern shared by all Member States with the adverse impact of the crisis on development.  It also highlights the acute human costs imposed on the world population, threatening the livelihoods of millions of people, especially in developing countries. It called for a more coordinated and comprehensive response to mitigate the impact of the crisis and to ensure the timely adoption of the necessary long term structural reforms needed to promote a robust and sustained recovery and prevent future economic turmoil.

9. In this context, the Group of 77 and China reiterates its call for substantial new and additional financial resources to be made available, as a matter of priority, to developing countries, as mentioned in the Conference Outcome Document.
10. In addition, all efforts should be made by the developed countries to deliver new and additional financial resources as well as  to fulfill their commitments in the areas of debt relief, increasing ODA, capacity building as well as technology transfer as part of the package that will assist in addressing the effects of the financial and economic crisis and ensure sustained long-term growth and development.
11. Within this Committee we must ensure that the outcome document is vigorously followed up on, in the short and long terms, here at the United Nations as well as in all the relevant international financial institutions. In that line, we look forward to begin the substantive work of the Open ended Ad-hoc Working Group of the General Assembly.

12.  The Group stresses the high priority that it attaches to the Financing for Development process as a valuable opportunity to secure support for their common vision to address major development finance constraints faced by all developing countries. In this regard, the Group calls for the speedy implementation of all commitments contained in the Monterrey Consensus and in the Doha Declaration on Financing for Development. The Group also emphasizes the need for continued strengthening of the FfD follow-up process and therefore is committed to actively participate in the High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development scheduled to be held in New York on 23 and 24 November 2009.  

13. The current economic and financial crisis has further highlighted the urgent need for a substantive and comprehensive reform of the international economic and financial system and architecture, including the mandates, scope and governance of the International Financial Institutions, to better enable them to prevent and respond to financial and economic emergencies, and effectively promote development. The International Financial Institutions in particular must have a clear development orientation.

14. In this context, G-77 and China, through its engagement at the Second Committee will continue its call for an open, inclusive and transparent process regarding the reform of the international economic and financial system and architecture.

Mr. Chairman,

15. Food security continues to pose a critical global challenge. The G77 and China reiterates that any successful strategy to defeat hunger should involve stronger institutions with better accountability, stability of the global markets, enhanced market access for agricultural products from developing countries, elimination of subsidies by developed countries, sustainable investments in agricultural production and research, and targeted support to the advancement of the agricultural sector in developing countries. We should all strive to stabilize commodity markets, which should not continue to be subject to speculation and volatility.   

16. Investment in agriculture and food production should be given priority. In this respect we welcome the addition of an item on our agenda this session on agriculture and food security, and commit to making it a success by working to find consensus on this global common challenge. The Group welcomes the convening of the World Summit on Food Security to be held in Rome this November.
17.  The Group of 77 and china supports the offer of Brazil to host a summit on sustainable development in 2012, to review the progress and challenges in the implementation of the outcomes of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Sustainable Development, including the World Summit on Sustainable Development held in Johannesburg, South Africa.
18. The G77 and China greatly values South-South Cooperation.  The Group looks forward to a successful outcome of the upcoming High-level United Nations Conference on South-South Cooperation, to be held from 1-3 December 2009 in Nairobi, Kenya.
 
Mr. Chairman,

19. The status of international trade negotiations remains an issue that this committee needs to address. We reiterate the call to the developed countries to demonstrate the flexibility and the political will necessary for breaking the current impasse in the negotiations with a view to concluding the Doha Round by 2010 and achieving an early, successful and development oriented outcome that places the needs of developing countries at its highest priority.

20. We further call upon developed countries to fulfill their commitment expressed in Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration to address the development interests and concerns of developing countries, especially LDCs, in the multilateral trading system. We look forward to working with our partners in the context of the work of this committee to enable us to achieve this objective.

Mr. Chairman,

21. As we approach Copenhagen Climate Change Summit in December, and acknowledging the link between sustainable development and climate change , the G77 and China reiterates the urgent call addressed to developed countries to undertake ambitious commitments under the Kyoto Protocol for subsequent commitment periods, beyond 2012.  Further  we urge the international community to assist developing countries to address the consequences of climate change and meet their adaptation needs, particularly through new, additional and predictable financial resources, capacity building, and access to and transfer of technology, under the provisions of the UNFCCC and its Kyoto Protocol.   

22. We, here in the Second Committee, must show that we are driven by this sense of urgency in our work on Sustainable Development. We remain of the view that solving the climate crisis is an integral part of achieving our overall sustainable development objectives.

23. Our heavy agenda this year can constitute a major opportunity to address the critical need to strengthen international cooperation as an effective tool to combat the global challenges we face. In this regard, we look forward for a demonstration of a strong spirit of global partnership for development.

24. Finally, Mr. Chairman,  the G77 and China is committed to working closely with you and our partners in this 64th General Assembly to devise action-oriented resolutions and decisions which can address the challenges with the urgency, certainty and resources required for implementation.

I thank you.