Madame Co-Chair,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.

Allow me to first express appreciation for convening this five-day Open-ended Informal Consultative Meetings in preparation for the HABITAT III, mandated by Resolution A/70/210. We believe that the Open-ended consultative meetings will provide an opportunity for feedback on the conclusions of the Policy Units and the Regional and Thematic meetings of the HABITAT III.

We appreciate the updates and information on the overview of the main key recommendations and information on the development of the zero draft which is expected to be released during the first week of May, next week.

We would like to share our preliminary views as follows:

- The Group is of a firm belief that sustainable urbanization and human settlements can be a key driver of sustainable development in national and subnational development plans. We therefore highlight the need to advance towards an inclusive agenda to be founded in relevant international agreements including the 2030 Development Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, the Paris Agreements, the UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, among others. A stand alone SDG Goal 11 on making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable shall contribute to our efforts towards the effective management of the challenges or rapid urbanization, and provide an opportunity to promote a positive mutually reinforcing relationship between cities and their surroundings across the human settlements continuum.

- In our view, it is important to reduce the disparity along the rural-urban continuum in order to achieve a more balanced integration of the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development.

- In this regards, the outcome document should address the developmental challenges that accompany the management of sustainable cities and human settlements and explore new innovative methods of coping with recent demographic trends and rapid rates of urbanization that are constantly placing tremendous pressures on cities, especially in developing countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean.

- It is also necessary for the outcome document to lay the foundation for an inclusive and ambitious urban development agenda that would entail a framework for making cities and human settlements inclusive safe, resilient and sustainable, providing provisions of basic infrastructure and services in all human settlements, as well as international guidelines on territorial planning that are customized to national scenarios, among others.

- The most critical constraint remains the provision of adequate financing. We therefore reiterate the need for developed countries to fulfill their commitments to support developing countries efforts through the provision of the necessary means of implementation, including resources capacity building, and technology transfer, as well as the creation of an international enabling environment for sustainable development.

- The Group would like to take this opportunity to reiterate its support to the Government of Ecuador as the host of HABITAT III conference as well as to the Government of Indonesia as the host of the third session of the HABITAT III PrepComm. We are confident that both countries shall spare no efforts in ensuring a good preparation and organization for a successful conference.

- The Group is willing and ready as always to participate constructively in the process, ensuring a meaningful New Urban Agenda.

I thank you, Madame Co-Chair.