STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF THE GROUP OF 77 AND CHINA BY H.E. MR. CHAYAPAN BAMRUNGPHONG, AMBASSADOR AND DEPUTY PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF THE KINGDOM OF THAILAND TO THE UNITED NATIONS, AT THE FIRST REGULAR SESSION OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD OF UNDP, UNFPA AND UNOPS - UNDP SEGMENT (New York, 25 January 2016)

Mr. President,

1. I have the honour to deliver a statement on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.

2. At the outset, please allow me to warmly congratulate you for your recent election as President of this Executive Board as well as other members of the Bureau on their elections. We count on your able leadership and support in ensuring that the views of the developing countries are taken on board in the deliberations during this session of the Board.

3. I also wish to thank the UNDP Administrator for her statement addressing areas which require special attention and the wide ranging and important work of UNDP and highlighting UNDP's engagement in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, UNDP's proposed strategy for South-South and Triangular Cooperation, as well as UNDP's efforts to explore ways to balance the core and non-core resources for the work of the agency.

Mr. President,

4. The Group of 77 and China attaches importance to the work of the United Nations Development Programme in supporting national efforts and capacity-building geared towards development and achievement of internationally agreed development goals. In this regard, UNDP's contribution, through country, regional and global programmes and on-going implementation of its current Strategic Plan, to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development will continue to be highly expected. At the same time, the new Agenda provides UNDP political guidance on development priorities and the last phase of implementation of the Quadrennial Comprehensive Policy Review (QCPR) for the period 2012-2016 which clearly identified poverty eradication and sustainable development as key issues.

5. In this regard, the Group notes that a paradigm shift has taken place with the adoption the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. A shift that places productive sectors in the heart of the global community development agenda. The UN Development System in general and UNDP in particular need to adapt to this new reality making it necessary for UNDP to pay due and careful attention to the economic dimension of the 2030 Agenda, including in terms of employment, industrialization and infrastructure.

6. The Group is of the view that among all UN funds, programmes and agencies, UNDP is unique as it enjoys a broader mandate while others remain focused on their respective specific issues. We firmly believe that UNDP should adapt to these new parameters. It is of the utmost importance for the Group to raise these issues as UNDP, like all other entities of the United Nations Development System, has been requested by the General Assembly and ECOSOC, to ensure consistency and alignment with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in the context of mid-term reviews and the elaboration of strategic plans and frameworks.

7. In light of the mid-term review, the Group of 77 and China would like to reiterate the need to conduct a review of the monitoring, aggregation and reporting systems related to the Integrated Results and Resources Framework (IRRF), as reaffirmed by the Executive Board Decision 2015/7, to enhance its credibility and accountability.

8. This year is crucial not only because of the change in the global development landscape but also for the fact that we all will engage once again in the negotiation of the next QCPR for operational activities of the UN Development System - the result of which will very much be used as a basis for alignment of the next UNDP Strategic Plan. Relevancy of the UNDP and the entire UN Development System will very much depend on how the agency and the system can use their comparative advantages in response to the new global ambitions.

Mr. President,

9. Let me turn to another very important issue with regard to the proposed UNDP South-South and Triangular Cooperation Strategy. Given the nature of South-South Cooperation as being initiated, organized and managed by developing countries, in order to ensure successful integration of this draft strategy into the work plan of UNDP, it is critical to ensure universal and inclusive consultation with all Member States, in particular developing countries who are the drivers of South-South and Triangular Cooperation, in the development of this proposed strategy, and that adequate time be devoted to this consultation process.

10. In this regard, the Group of 77 and China is of the strong view that with the recent briefing by the Executive Board on 20 January 2016, we have just arrived at the beginning of the consultation phase of this draft strategy; contrary to the timeline for "Phase 1" under the chapter "The Way Forward" as outlined in the proposed draft. Therefore, an artificial deadline for the submission of comments will be detrimental for a proper appropriation of this strategy. Furthermore, the Group of 77 and China expresses its concern about the approach that would consist of implementing a strategy without a formal adoption by this Board.The Group looks forward to engaging constructively in a transparent and inclusive consultation process with all relevant entities to ensure that the proposed strategy will be beneficial to all developing countries far and wide.

Mr. President,

11. With regard to the agenda item for discussion at this session of the Board, i.e. Evaluation of the UNDP contribution to mine action and management response, the Group would like to reiterate, in line with UNDP's decision to rebuild its global mine action programme and the UNDP Independent Evaluation Office (IEO)'s recommendations, that UNDP's long-term strategic commitment to support on-going mine action programmes should be coherently supported both at the headquarters and regional levels in order to provide both technical advice, capacity support and practical guidance to countries transitioning to national implementation and institutional building. Nonetheless, efforts should be made to mainstream its mine action programmes within its other development work through respective country programmes for development.

Mr. President,

12. The Group of 77 and China wishes to recall Decision 2013/2 on the UNDP contribution to poverty reduction adopted at the First Regular Session of this Board in 2013. In that decision, the Executive Board, I quote: "Urges UNDP to implement the recommendations of the evaluation report when planning its programmes and projects and to report to the Executive Board, at its second regular session 2016, on the steps taken in this regard". End of quote. The evaluation of the UNDP contribution to poverty reduction, contained in document DP/2013/3, mentioned, I quote again: "the limited ability of UNDP to demonstrate whether its poverty reduction activities have contributed to any significant change in the lives of the people it is trying to help". End of quote. The same report underscores that "even when UNDP undertakes activities with an explicit poverty orientation, the approach often lacks a pro-poor bias and tends to rely instead on the trickle-down process". The Group will be eager to consider the report at the Second Regular Session 2016 of the Board.

Mr. President,

13. The Group of 77 and China looks forward to constructive discussion during this session of the Executive Board and hopes that the Board will play a significant role to assist in strengthening the overall work of the UN Development System in light of the upcoming negotiations on the QCPR among other important works we have this year. It is of critical importance that we work together in an open, transparent and inclusive manner in order to bring about progress towards the achievement of sustainable development.

I thank you.