Mr. President,

1. I have the honour to deliver this intervention on behalf of the Group of 77 and China. At the outset, please allow me to express my appreciation on behalf of the Group for convening this very important session which will send a strong message to all Member States and relevant stakeholders that no one --- be they at individual, group, community or country --- should be left behind.

2. We must keep reminding ourselves of the overarching objective of the Agenda, is to eradicate poverty in all its forms and dimensions. And in order to achieve this, we must not forget those populations and countries which are in dire need and most vulnerable as well as those faced with particular circumstances and challenges, namely African countries, Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS), while recognizing the specific challenges of Middle-Income Countries (MICs).

3. We must also not forget the universal realization of the right of peoples to self-determination of peoples living under colonial and foreign occupation, which adversely affects their social and economic development, and respect for the independence of States, national sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity and non-interference in the internal affairs of States.

4. It is worth recalling that the international community has a commitment to support the implementation of relevant strategies and programmes of action, including the Istanbul Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2011-2020 and the recently adopted outcome document of its Comprehensive High-level Midterm Review, the Vienna Programme of Action for Landlocked Developing Countries and the S.A.M.O.A Pathway and the importance of supporting the African Union's Agenda 2063 and the programme of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), all of which are integral to the new Agenda. In that connection, international cooperation to provide assistance in term of capacity building in areas of need, such as improvement of access to education and health, productive and trade capacity, development of environmentally sound technology, climate change mitigation and adaptation, among others, would be a crucial step forward. These specific programmes of action for LDCs, LLDCs, SIDS and African countries however, must remain the most important entry points for the international community to focus its attention and resources to assist these groups of countries.

5. While not forgetting that South-South Cooperation is not a substitute for but complementary to the North-South Cooperation, the Group of 77 and China stand firm in solidarity with our LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS and African countries friends. We also stand ready to step-up our efforts, both under South-South and Triangular cooperation frameworks, to assist fellow developing countries, in complementary to the role of traditional development partners, in their endeavours to achieve the 2030 Agenda by providing technical assistance and sharing of best practices and experiences.

I thank you.