STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF THE GROUP OF 77 AND CHINA BY MR. JULIO MOLLINEDO CLAROS, MINISTER COUNSELLOR OF THE PLURINATIONAL STATE OF BOLIVIA TO THE UNITED NATIONS, AT THE HIGH-LEVEL STOCKTAKING EVENT ON THE POST-2015 DEVELOPMENT AGENDA - DISCUSSION 2: OPEN WORKING GROUP OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON SUSTAINABLE DELOPMENT GOALS (New York, 11 September 2014)

Mr. President,

I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.

At the outset, the Group of 77 and China highlight that the decision to develop a set of Sustainable Development Goals was one of the landmark decisions taken by our leaders at Rio+20. The event Rio+20 also mandated that the SDGs should be coherent with and integrated into United Nations Development Agenda beyond 2015.

The members of the Group of 77 and China attach a high degree of importance to the outcome document of the OWG containing a proposal for SDGs. This outcome was arrived-at through painstaking and intensive work stretching for a period of almost 18 months, during which time, the Members States of the G77 participated constructively and in good faith.

The Group regrets that the issue of "ending all forms of foreign occupation and colonial domination" is not included under "Peaceful societies". In the same context we regret that our request the reduction of inequalities "including and all kinds of unilateral economic measures against developing countries" has not been taken into account under goal 10.

The Group of 77 and China firmly believes that the outcome of this inter-governmental process needs to be fully preserved and should not be re-opened or re-negotiated. We are pleased therefore that the resolution that we have adopted yesterday clearly recognizes that this proposal will be the main basis for integrating SDGs into the Post-2015 Development Agenda.

The report remains, however, as the main input to integrate sustainable development goals into the Post 2015 Development Agenda, to be adopted in a Summit at the level of Heads of State and Government in September 2015.

We do recognize that there will be other inputs that will be considered in the discussion on the Post-2015 Development Agenda. From our perspective, the Santa Cruz Declaration adopted at the 50th Anniversary of the G77 and China which contains the consensus of the Group on the SDGs and the wider development agenda is an important input which must be taken into full consdieration.

The G77 and China underscores the importance of linking international factors to an enhanced and expanded global partnership for development, the critical role of effective means of implementation, together with national actions and efforts to be taken by countries at the national level. The three-component approach is essential because the formulation of meaningful goals at the national level will not be attainable unless structural factors, including international factors, are addressed. Similarly, developing countries require continued and strengthened international cooperation in finance including the fulfillment of the commitments related to ODA, debt relief, technology transfer and capacity-building if they are expected to achieve the SDGs.

For the Group of 77 and China, the definition of the means of implementation for each and every sustainable development goal, as well as the strengthening of the global partnership for development, are essential requirements and without them, the entire SDGs agenda may become empty and with no possibilities for its implementation.

We have reiterated throughout the whole process the need for a just, transparent and inclusive intergovernmental negotiation process that should be focused on its modalities and substantive aspects to arrive at a negotiated and agreed outcome document, taking fully into account the outcomes of the various follow-up processes mandated at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, as well as of the major summits and conferences related to the social, economic and environmental fields.

The Group of 77 and China remains fully committed to participating actively and constructively in the forthcoming intergovernmental negotiations on the Post-2015 Development Agenda to reflect the common voice and interests of the developing countries.

Thank you.