Mr. President of the General Assembly,
Mr. Secretary-General of the United Nations,
Madam Administrator of UNDP,
Mr. Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs,
Mr. Executive Secretary of the Group of 77,
Ministers and Heads of Delegations,

1. I wish to welcome you all to the 36th Annual Meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Group of 77 and China. Your participation as well as the valuable support of our important guests, whom I thank for their presence here, will enable us together to advance the international agenda for development in accordance with the principles and goals of the actions of our Group.

2. Last January, Algeria started its mandate as Chair of the Group of 77 and China in New York in a context marked by a multidimensional crisis affecting the economic environment as well as the financial, food, climate, and humanitarian areas.

3. Algeria has articulated the positions of the Group and defended its priorities and interests especially our joint platform which translates the Ministerial Declaration adopted in September 2011. We have done so with the full support of the members of the Group in a spirit of responsibility and partnership in the different relevant international forums.

4. During that period, and based on the achievements of Argentina, our former Chair, our Group has made new progress which I would like to summarize before going into the many challenges which still remain for the 67th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations.

Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

5. Our Group's action during the last few months has focused on four main pillars: sustainable development, the fight against climate change, South-South cooperation, and strengthening the role of the United Nations in the economic and social fields.

6. After a very arduous and complex preparatory process, the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development held in June 2012 at Rio de Janeiro has enabled us to adopt a roadmap, "The future we want", a future where the elimination of poverty is the greatest challenge and a prerequisite for sustainable development.

7. The Rio+20 conference allowed us to initiate an institutional mechanism for reinforced dialogue to better respond to the old and new challenges such as the eradication of poverty, the creation of decent jobs, food security, sustainable access to energy, the preservation of biodiversity, as well as the fight against soil degradation and desertification.

8. That roadmap has supported a global and integrated approach to sustainable development founded on three inseparable pillars which are economic, social, and environmental. It has also sealed the principles of the Rio Declaration of 1992, in particular on common but differentiated responsibility and the principle of the States' sovereignty over their natural resources.

9. This progress has been made possible as a result of the cohesion our Group has shown, a cohesion which I have no doubt will continue to be reflected in the next stage in order to translate in concrete actions the commitments adopted in Rio + 20.

Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

10. Climate Change is a major challenge facing the international community which seriously affects the developing countries in particular. Our Group has maintained a united position during the meetings and consultations aimed with the preparation of the 18th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change for Doha in November. We have stressed the urgent need for an agreement to a second commitment period in the framework of the Kyoto Protocol, and on the other hand the full implementations of the commitments of Copenhagen, Cancun, and Durban in terms of financial resources, transfer of technology and capacity building for developing countries in order to help developing countries overcome the impact of climate change.

Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

11. South-South cooperation is also an indispensable priority for our Group. In that respect, the Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement held in Tehran last month has given a strong political impetus to the principles and objectives of cooperation among our countries, which encourages synergies between the Non-Aligned Movement and the Group of 77 and China in the implementation of strategies and programmes of cooperation among developing countries. The Joint Coordination Committee is a tool which we will use fully to that end.

12. I would also like to highlight the intensification of coordinating initiatives among the Chapters of the Group of 77 which has led to the adoption of a joint plan of action at the Chapters meeting which took place last February at UNESCO headquarters in Paris under Algeria's chairmanship.

13. Furthermore our Group welcomes the recent adoption by the General Assembly of the decision concerning the conversion of the Special Unit for South-South Cooperation into a United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation. We are confident that the Secretary-General will take all necessary actions to strengthen the capacities of this structure under his authority to give it the means to provide impetus in South-South dimension and operational activities throughout the United Nations system.

Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

14. Our meeting today coincides with the 45th anniversary of the Charter of Algiers, which marked the determination of developing countries to unite, to contribute, to shape global economic governance and to work to confer the universal forum of the United Nations its role in shaping the post-colonial configuration of international relations.

15. The 13th session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) held in April 2012 in Doha is an extension of that aspiration to participate and to forge a more equitable context for issues related to trade, investment, and the transfer of technology through appropriate responses to the needs of the developing countries whose growth will be beneficial to the global economy at large.

16. That commitment to UNCTAD is also reflected by a constant commitment in the service of revitalizing the role of the General Assembly and ECOSOC and our Group has supported the recent decisions with innovative and constructive proposals.

17. There is no doubt that our Group has reached important goals in terms of international cooperation for development. However, considering the challenges developing countries faced today, we cannot conceal that a lot remains to be done.

18. In the weeks and months to come, we must continue our coordinated effort and maintain our unity, which will guarantee our status as a credible partner and allow for new progress in our interest and aspirations.

19. On one hand, we must ensure the implementation of the roadmap of Rio + 20, in its spirit and its letter as well as all its components, including the establishment of the High-level Forum on Sustainable Development, providing UNEP with the means and the prerogatives necessary to empower its deliberating body, taking into account our positions in defining the sustainable development goals.

20. The Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biodiversity at Hyderabad in India in October 2012 also builds upon our capacity to act to ensure a balance in the goals of the convention. In fact, the preservation of biodiversity, the durable and sustainable use of its resources and the equitable distribution of the advantage resulting from genetic resources are of capital importance for developing countries. In that respect, we must all mobilize to ensure a positive global result in particular in terms of allocating new and additional resources as well as the transfer of technology to facilitate the implementation of the Convention and the achievement of its objectives.

21. The Group of 77 and China's permanent guideline consists in the promotion of multilateralism and advancing the role of the United Nations in favour of more equitable international economic relations. Let me assure you that it will inspire our action during the 67th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations.

22. In that context, we must focus our attention on the quadrennial review of the operational activities for development of the United Nations system as well as exercise vigilance in defending the interest and position of the Group of 77 in all of the commissions and bodies of the United Nations dealing with economic, social and humanitarian aspects of development.

Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

23. Experience has shown clearly that a coordinated and joint action based on solidarity and the unity of the Group remains the best instrument for promoting and defending the collective interest of developing countries. The diversity of a united Group leads us to defend the special needs of the most vulnerable, in particular the Least Developed Countries, the Landlocked Developing Countries, and the Small Island Developing States. The international community and the United Nations should always be attentive to the needs and vulnerabilities of these countries, taking urgent measures to honor their commitments.

24. In conclusion, I wish to express my sincere thanks to the President of the General Assembly, the Secretary-General and his colleagues, and all delegations for the valuable support given to the Algerian Chairmanship of the Group. I will not fail to also pay tribute to the team of the Executive Secretariat of the Group of the 77, headed by Mr. Mourad Ahmia, the Executive Secretary.

I thank you for your attention.