Co-facilitators,

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

2. At the outset, please allow me to express, on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, our congratulations to both of you on your appointments as Co-facilitators of this very important process.

3. With 47 out of 48 countries officially listed as LDCs being members of the Group of 77, we cannot overemphasize how important the midterm review of the Istanbul Programme of Action (IPoA) for the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) for the Decade 2011-2020 is for the Group. We look forward to constructively and substantively engaging with you and all Member and Observer States in the deliberation of this draft modalities resolution as well as the outcome document during the upcoming months.

Co-facilitators,

4. In this regard, please allow me to state three general but important views of the Group of 77 and China on this draft modalities resolution and the overall process ahead.

5. First, the Group is of a strong view that this mid-term review of the IPoA comes at a crucial moment in time. With the adoptions of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Decision under the UNFCCC COP21 in 2015 as the backdrop, it is important that the midterm review encapsulates these commitments we made to provide meaningful outcome that will yield key enablers for LDCs' successful implementation of those commitments to reach the stage of their timely and meaningful graduation.

6. Second, the Group of 77 and China is of a strong view that inclusive and universal participation of all Members and Observers States to the processes leading up to the midterm review and the actual high-level midterm review itself must be ensured so as not to leave anyone behind.

7. This draft modalities resolution must clearly spell out this inclusivity and universality to strengthen a concerted effort of the international community to address the critical need to realize a renewed and strengthened global partnership for the least developed countries in order to overcome their structural challenges, eradicate poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty, achieve internationally agreed development goals and enable at least half of the number of least developed countries to meet the criteria for graduation from this category by 2020.

8. Lastly, we would like to reiterate that it is significant to attach importance to deliberate on this draft modalities resolution in order to make proper and necessary provisions for the timely and well-organised midterm review of the IPoA. We are of the view that we should not spend too much time on this organizational matter and overemphasize the process.

9. The Group, however, is of a firm view that more time and attention must be given to the deliberation of a substantive outcome document in the form of a political declaration as specified in OP3 of this draft modalities resolution. More time must be dedicated to meaningful discussions and negotiations of the future path towards 2020 when this programme of action is up for an overall review.

10. This is why we must provide ourselves and the least developed countries a strengthened vision and strategy for sustainable development of the least developed countries based on the lessons learnt during the first half of this decade, at the end of which we all must be able to say with pride that we have done our very best for our fellow member countries of the international community. Failing to do so would make us all accountable to the least developed countries at the end of this decade-long journey.

Co-facilitators,

11. The Group of 77 and China looks forward to engaging constructively with all relevant stakeholders in all the processes leading up to the midterm review scheduled for this May in Antalya, Turkey.

I thank you.