Mr. Chairman,

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

I would like to express the Group's appreciation for the revised Roadmap which incorporates the Group's comments made during the last informal consultation. We support your appointment of the four able facilitators to lead the informal informal meetings to discuss the methods of work and organization of the agenda of the Second Committee.

Like a number of delegations, the Group would like to also request the Secretariat to undertake a mapping exercise so that we can have a better picture of the existing agendas and consider the issue of Revitalization based on "informed decisions". Once again, the Group would like to reaffirm its constructive engagement in this exercise with the aim to strengthen the work of the Second Committee in the context of the broader United Nations system.

Mr. Chairman,

The Group of 77 and China would like to highlight the following four points on the "Relevance and impact of the work of the Second Committee":

First, the Second Committee is a universal and norm-setting body of the United Nations, which gives political guidance to the United Nations system and the international community as a whole. All member states can discuss the issues of development that are of relevance to them in the Second Committee and have the sovereign right to submit proposals in accordance with the rules of procedure of the General Assembly.

Second, the relevance and impact of the work of the Second Committee has been increasingly expanding and becoming inclusive and cross-cutting more than ever after the adoption of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the outcome of the COP21 in Paris last year. More importantly, the follow-up and review process is a multi-layered process in which the General Assembly will be engaged to give policy guidance, and thus the Second Committee will have a central role to play.

Third, the scope of the 2030 Agenda is broad and far-reaching beyond the remit of the Second Committee, while at the same time the agenda of the Second Committee is broader in its relations to other major development issues. Therefore, this discussion must not only consider how the work of the Second Committee should be aligned with the new sustainable development framework, but also how it will address the coherence and coordination with the work of the other Committees, ECOSOC and the HLPF, in the implementation of the all the major development outcomes.

Fourth, the Group of 77 and China highly values consensus. Almost all of the agenda items in the Second Committee are adopted or agreed by consensus which reflects the entire membership's agenda as well as their spirit of compromise and constructive engagement. The consensus-driven nature of the Second Committee is unique and delicate-delegates are careful to include everyone in the committee's process and ensure a respectful tone. Every delegate of the Second Committee knows that at the end of the day, we will have to work together. This is the spirit which the Group of 77 and China deems important for the work of the Committee in the years to come.

Mr. Chairman,

On the topic on the Methods of Work, the Group is of the view that it is closely linked with the organization of the agenda of the Second Committee. The discussions of the two topics complement one another.

The Group of 77 and China will participate in this exercise in good faith. We reflected on how we worked in the past years, including the last United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session which might have influenced many delegations to consider the way the Committee functions in a more serious and urgent manner. In last year's case, there was a challenge-- while our leaders and the entire world viewed 2015 as a triumph of multilateralism and highlighted the four major conferences outcomes which are all, directly or indirectly, originated and related to the work of the Second Committee, the Committee experienced a delayed UNGA and questioned the ambitions of the outcomes of the negotiations. We considered further what could have been planned ahead or undertaken to avoid such situations. What is certain is that 2015 UNGA began two weeks later than usual, including the Second Committee. These are valid points that should be factored in before making any conclusion that it is imperative to revitalize the work of the Second Committee because of the new Agenda.

Having said that, the Group of 77 reviewed the General Assembly decision 65/530 and is of the view that the decisions are still relevant. The question is how to implement the decisions collectively and effectively. We all have a responsibility in making our work more efficient and structured, and the Group is ready to engage on how we can enhance the way in which we are implementing those decisions. The Group is open to discuss and exchange views with the aim to ensure that the development pillar of the United Nations continues to be strengthened to have a higher impact, that the General Assembly continues to give concrete and overarching political guidance to progress in our common endeavor of achieving sustainable development, and that the work of the Second Committee is contributing and adding value to that purpose.

Mr. Chairman,

The Second Committee has come very far in institutionalizing development as one of the three main pillars of the United Nations and in this regard, The Group of 77 and China wishes to reaffirms its readiness to engage in the exercise constructively.

I thank you.