Mr. President,

1. The Group of 77 and China would like to thank the Secretary-General for his comprehensive reports for the Quadrennial Comprehensive Policy Review (QCPR). The analyses contained in the reports of the Secretary-General underline the latest trends in the United Nations Operational Activities for Development and we hope this will be helpful for our upcoming deliberations before the General Assembly.

2. We would also like to convey our appreciation for the numerous briefings consultations, seminars and retreats organized by the President of the General Assembly that enhanced our knowledge of the UN development system and, more importantly, enabled frank exchange on the issues that are likely to be at the centre of the upcoming QCPR.

3. The Group of 77 and China is of the view that the QCPR should lead to an ambitious outcome. It should make discernable difference in the way results are delivered for programme countries. We would like to see a strengthened role of the UN operational activities for development and its capacity to assist developing countries in achieving their development goals which requires continued improvement in effectiveness, efficiency, coherence and impact, along with a significant increase in resources.

4. The principles and fundamental characteristics of operational activities should be reaffirmed. The important and balanced outcomes achieved in the last TCPR and in the System-wide Coherence resolution, should constitute the basis for our deliberations.
  
The Group would like to share with you some thoughts on how to better serve the varied demand of programme countries

5. First, quality and quantity of funding should be improved. Despite repeated calls from the General Assembly, the imbalance between core and non-core funding has worsened. This needs to be properly addressed. The increasing shift from core to non-core funding leads to fragmentation and can impair the effectiveness and efficiency of operational activities, as non-core resources are unpredictable, increase transaction costs, inefficiency, incoherence and fragmentation of the UN system, including at the country level, causing competition among organizations, as well as inviting them to divert from their respective mandates. Efforts should be made for improving the quality of non-core.

6. Second, the resident coordinator should carry out his duties in fair and transparent manner, in accordance with its mandate and in full coordination with the national authorities.

7. Third, the programming instruments at country level could be further streamlined. The United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF), where they exist, should serve as an overarching strategic framework for agency programming. The UNDAFs shall not be converted into a rigid instrument that prevents both the flexibility and the case-by-case approach needed in the field.

8. Fourth, innovative solutions should be explored to reduce excessive transaction costs for the UN development system. We encourage every UN entity to rationalize its business practices. We also invite all UN agencies to use lead agencies or common service to provide administrative services wherever is feasible and becomes cost-effective.

9. Regarding the Delivery as One initiative, we reaffirm the "no one size fits all" approach, and reiterate that this initiative can only be implemented upon request of the interested Member States. In addition, the QCPR outcome should ensure the necessary flexibility for those countries that choose to remain or decide, after a period of trial, to go back to other modalities of cooperation. The independent evaluation of Delivering as One, while indicating that in pilot countries the cost of coordination has increased by 3 times, is providing some insights on the modality and those should be discussed for better understanding and clarity.

10. The Group of 77 reiterates the call to the UN funds and programmes as well as the specialized agencies to continue taking concrete measures to mainstream support for South-South cooperation and triangular cooperation, to help developing countries to develop capacities to maximize the benefits and impact of South-South and triangular cooperation.

11. The Group looks forward to a constructive and productive discussion during this segment.

12. We hope that the Secretary-General in his next reports will provide us with precise recommendations for our discussion on the upcoming QCPR and call on the heads of agencies, funds and programmes, to continue to provide their valuable contributions and clarifications to Members States, in this important process, in a transparent manner and in a constructive ambience, taking into account first and foremost the specific needs of the beneficiary countries and the priorities set out by their national authorities.

13. The Group is committed to lead this process in an inclusive and substantive manner. We would like the QCPR resolution to be a path breaking legislation for guiding the UN system operational activities for sustainable development.

I thank you.