STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF THE GROUP OF 77 AND CHINA BY AMBASSADOR SACHA LLORENTTY, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF THE PLURINATIONAL STATE OF BOLIVIA TO THE UNITED NATIONS, AT THE SUBSTANTIVE INFORMAL SESSION OF THE PREPARATORY PROCESS FOR THE THIRD INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON FINANCING FOR DEVELOPMENT (New York, 10 November 2014)

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

Co-facilitators,

We would first like to address some procedural matters before referring to the substantial issues for the four sessions of the First consultations of the preparatory process of the third international conference on Financing for Development.

FRAMEWORK

Regarding the framework, the Group wants to stress that the discussions that will lead to the Outcome of the Conference should be built on the Monterrey Consensus, although it is our view that the Third Conference will not only be a review of Monterrey.

In this regard, the Group views that updating of the Monterrey framework could take into consideration other inputs besides the Report of the Committee of Experts on Sustainable Development Finance, such as the results of the regional commission consultations.

We need this conference to contribute to the post-2015development agenda; the contours of the agenda have already been decided with the SDGs and its targets in a balanced manner, and constitutes the nucleus of the agenda, with that in mind, the conceptual framework should be in line with the proposed SDGs and targets
Additionally, we need to further consider some new concepts and terminology that are presented in this concept papers that have not yet been reviewed or discussed and there is no consensus on their meaning. For example the concept of global public goods.
GLOBAL CONTEXT

Regarding the First issue that is the subject of today´s session, the global context, the Group stresses the fact that the crisis is not yet over, the effects are still being felt in developing countries. The global context may have changed but it did not change enough.

The problem of poverty still remains. The Group believes that the overall objective of this process is eradicating poverty and achieving sustainable development. The difference between the North and the South still remains, and it is a fact that the income gap is more than it was 30 years ago.

In that regard, the Group believes that the focus of the conference should be in the international context and not in the national one.

DOMESTIC PUBLIC FINANCE

Regarding Domestic Public Finance, the Group believes that the efforts in the UN should be focus on the aspects of international cooperation, and that there should be a balance mobilization of national resources but with a concentration on the international resources, because there is still a significant difference and a gap between incomes of developed and developing countries.

INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC FINANCE, INCLUDING OFFICIAL DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE (ODA)

Official Development Assistance (ODA) remains a critical resource, particularly for the least developed countries, but its value has been severely undermined by failures to fulfil the commitment of 0.7% for Developing Countries and the 0.15 to 0.20% to least developed countries and that is the reason why many MDGs have not been able to be fulfilled.

There is need to take into account that carryover on ODA has not been yet disbursed, and the datelines may expire but the commitment will not expire.

On South South Cooperation, we reiterate the position of the Group that is a complement to, rather than a substitute for, North-South cooperation and reaffirm that South-South cooperation is a collective endeavor of developing countries based on the principle of solidarity and premises, conditions and objectives that are specific to the historic and political context of developing countries and to their needs and expectations.

PRIVATE AND BLENDED FINANCE

Regarding the private sector, we need to continue the exchanges of views because of the varying degrees of involvement and roles of private sector in our national contexts.

The Group would like to express again its commitment to engage in this process and to participate actively during this substantive sessions, with the understanding that the suggestions and positions of Member States will be taking fully into account in this preparatory process.

The Group will bring to the discussion, specific suggestions and concernsm trough its coordinators in the following sessions.

Thank you.