Excellencies, Distinguished representatives, Ladies and gentlemen,

1. I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the Group of 77 and China in this opening Plenary of the 42nd Session of this Subsidiary Body. First of all, we wish to congratulate you, Madam Chair, on your election as the Chair of SBSTA. The Group wishes to express its full support towards a successful outcome to these negotiations.

2. The importance of SBSTA as the subsidiary body that provides scientific and technical advice to the COP cannot be emphasised enough. The work of SBSTA plays an important role in our understanding of the science of climate change, is aimed at strengthening the implementation of the Convention and therefore has a direct bearing on the negotiations under the ADP.

Madam Chair,

3. The Group regards all issues on the SBSTA agenda with the same priority and not only those items that have been prioritised in your information note. All these issues need to be concluded as soon as possible.

4. In this regard, the Group would like to reiterate the importance of the achievement reached at COP19 with the Warsaw Framework for REDD+, which has concluded most of the negotiations under this agenda item. We look forward to concluding the consideration of pending matters in this session. The G77 and China is ready and willing to move REDD+ further into implementation, provided that adequate and predictable support is made available from developed countries.

5. The Group would also like to recognize that alternative policy approaches, such as joint mitigation and adaptation approaches, need differentiated methodological guidance, in accordance to national circumstances and national policies, in the context of sustainable development supported by financial, technical and capacity building within the context of the Convention.

6. The Group looks forward to engaging on the mandated workshops on issues related to agriculture and will provide inputs to the reports of these workshops. On the issues related to the agriculture, the group attaches great importance to the SBSTA discussions. The group will therefore engage actively in the two in session workshops on early warning systems, risks assessments and vulnerability of agricultural systems affected by Climate change. Agriculture is considered to be the backbone of developing countries, economic systems and has a special role for the livelihood of millions, food security and poverty eradication.

7. Since COP18, the SBSTA and SBI supported by the Structured Expert Dialogue (SED) considered under the 2013 - 2015 review the adequacy of the long term global goal and the overall progress toward achieving it. The Group appreciates the work of the SED and welcomes its final report. The Group expects that a thorough consideration will be made of the report in order for COP21 to take forward the work of the SED, as well as on linkages with work under the ADP.

8. The G77 and China considers that the research dialogue is a fundamental part of our common efforts to communicate emerging scientific findings; research planning activities; research priorities and gaps; research capacity building activities particularly in developing countries, as well as regional climate change research networks. The G77 and China therefore sees the seventh research dialogue taking place on Thursday as an important forum to facilitate discussions with the scientific community on scientific issues related to meeting the needs of the Convention. The Group seeks to help address the data and information gaps, including from the Fifth Assessment Report, and to advancing the discussions on lessons learned.

9. On Response Measures, the G77 and China reaffirms the importance of giving full consideration to what actions are necessary to meet the specific needs and concerns of developing country Parties arising from the impact of the implementation of response measures, in accordance with the principles and provisions of the Convention. In this regard, we look forward to engage constructively on the text of the draft decision forwarded from Lima in order to adopt a decision in COP21 for the establishment of a mechanism on enhanced action on the impact of the implementation of response measures. The G77 and China position remains firm that the negative economic and social consequences of response measures taken by developed country Parties on developing country Parties must be avoided and minimized. Policy issues, such as unilateral measures, must be addressed.

10. As for agenda item 8(a) on methodologies for reporting of financial information by Parties included in Annex 1 to the Convention. The actions taken to comply with obligations on the provision of financial resources, access and transfer of technology - and more especially on meeting costs of adaptation - have to be reported by developed country Parties in a manner that is comparable and verifiable. This has not been the case in the twenty years since the entry into force of the Convention. Such lack of reporting is one of the most serious gaps in our implementation of the Convention. It is of utmost importance that progress be made on this item to ensure that the SBSTA fulfils its mandate set out in decision 2/CP17 and that COP21 takes a decision in this regard.

11. In Lima, the Group worked very hard to bring the item on methodological issues under the Kyoto Protocol to a conclusion. Any further obstacles to finalising the Kyoto Protocol's second commitment period must be dealt with during this session. If progress is not made on this agenda item, it would not bode well for the 2015 Agreement in Paris.

12. The Group of G77 and China looks forward to continuing to engage constructively at this session in the discussions related to the framework for various approaches, new market mechanism and non-market-based approaches in a balanced manner thereafter, noting the importance of this discussion for the 2015 agreement. Also, the Group recognizes that non-market-based approaches are important to ensure the implementation of the objective of the Convention, according to its principles and provisions.

13. In conclusion, Madam Chair, we are looking forward to participating meaningfully in all mandated workshops that have been organized at this session and to a constructive engagement on all issues here in Bonn.