Madame Chair,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates,

1. I have the honour to speak on behalf of the Group of 77 and China on agenda item 27: Advancement of women. We would also like to thank the Secretary-General for his various reports.

2. The Group of 77 and China would like to reaffirm its support for the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the outcome document of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly as the guiding policy framework for the achievement of women's development and gender equality, the full realization of their rights and the socio-economic empowerment of women and girls.

3. There has certainly been progress in advancing gender equality and the empowerment of women. However the fact remains that there are still severe problems affecting women, such as the high incidences of poverty, violence, extremism and discrimination. There is also a marked disparity in the advancement of women among the regions, and there exists an urgent need to expedite actions at all levels to address these problems, but more importantly the root causes which include disparities between men and women as well as armed conflicts and socio-economic constraints.

4. Despite continued progress over the last few decades in advancing gender equality, many women and girls around the world are still falling victim to numerous forms of discrimination and do not have equal opportunities to fulfill their potential. We are still facing with a myriad of challenges and obstacles that need to be thoroughly addressed and effectively overcome in order to achieve the full and effective implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. Those obstacles include high incidences of poverty and gender based violence, in every single stage of our lives.

5. The Group of 77 calls for improve and intensified efforts at all levels in addressing the alarming statistics concerning the increased incidents of trafficking in women and girls, the violation of fundamental women's rights, violence against women and girls, the wide spread of HIV and AIDs, unemployment and the lack of access to social services. Women are also the most vulnerable in terms of health. The Group wishes to highlight the importance of addressing the effects of both communicable and non-communicable diseases which affect even further the ability of women to realize their rights and achieve their fullest potential.

6. The Group of 77 is deeply concerned about the suffering of women and girls living under foreign occupation and underlines the urgency for collective actions to remove the obstacles to the full realization of their rights.

Madame Chair,

7. In addition to those persistent obstacles, new threats and challenges are emerging. In this context, the Group of 77 and China would like to stress the importance of adopting appropriate measures to identify and address the ongoing negative impacts of the global economic and financial crisis, the food crisis and continuing food insecurity, energy access, the distortions and impediments to international trade and the challenges posed by climate change on women and girls, including women and girls with disabilities, and the need to design stimulus packages taking into account the needs, priorities and contributions of women. The Group also underscores the importance of gender-responsive budgeting initiatives to address gender gaps in policies, plans and budgets in order to contribute to gender equality and the fulfillment of women's rights.

Madame Chair,

8. Despite the progress thus far, challenges and obstacles remain to achieve the full and effective implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. As we deliberate on the post-2015 development agenda, it is even more imperative that national efforts allow for the inclusive and effective participation of women and girls, including the creation of an enabling environment to foster increasing political participation of women at all levels of decision-making.

9. In this sense, we emphasize the importance of continuing to share national experiences with a view to expanding efforts to coordinate at the national and international levels to support national programs for women, including women and girls with disabilities, as well as migrants, rural and indigenous women and girls. In this respect, the role of UN Women is of utmost importance in promoting better coordination within the UN System in order to address all these multiple barriers that impede the advancement and empowerment of women.

Madame Chair,

10. It is also important to enhance international cooperation and global partnership for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women, including the fulfillment of commitments on official development assistance, debt relief, market access, financial and technical support and capacity building, in particular in areas such as women's education, health and job creation in order to contribute to the elimination of gender disparities.

11. Finally, the Group of 77 and China reaffirms its commitment to the full implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, and looks forward to working together towards the further empowerment and advancement of women.

Thank you.