INTERVENTION ON BEHALF OF THE GROUP OF 77 AND CHINA BY H.E. MRS. CHULAMANEE CHARTSUWAN, AMBASSADOR AND DEPUTY PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF THE KINGDOM OF THAILAND TO THE UNITED NATIONS, AT THE INFORMAL BRIEFING ON THE STRATEGICAL ALIGNMENT OF FUTURE SESSIONS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY WITH THE 2030 AGENDA FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (New York, 25 July 2016)

Madam Chair,
Excellencies,

1. I have the honour to make this intervention on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.

2. At the outset, please allow me to express, on behalf of the Group, our appreciation to you and all the members of this group for your tireless and relentless efforts to strategically align the 17 goals and 169 targets of the 2030 Agenda with the work of the United Nations in particular the work of the General Assembly.

Madam Chair,
Excellencies,

3. As we embark on our common journey towards sustainable development, the principles of universality and inclusiveness must not be forgotten lest we would all fail as a team to deliver the 2030 Agenda in its entirety. It is, therefore, imperative that our work in the General Assembly as well as the Main Committees and ECOSOC and its functional commissions as well as the funds and programmes and specialized agencies are coherently aligned with the SDGs.

4. In this connection, the Group of 77 and China would like to reiterate three significant points with regard to the process.

5. First, as highlighted in your report, SDG 6 and 12 are uncovered by neither the General Assembly nor the ECOSOC while SDG 9, 10 and 16 are partly covered and SDG 13 and 15 are covered elsewhere in the United Nations system. In this regard, the Group is of the view that the alignment of all the sustainable development goals and targets should cut across, where they are relevant, the work of the General Assembly, the Main Committees and ECOSOC and its functional commissions, if not also the funds and programmes and the specialized agencies. Member States must not be afraid to create new agenda items where deem appropriate and necessary to give those goals and targets a placement to be followed-up and reviewed.

6. Second, on the consideration of overlaps, the Group is of the view that this exercise should be very careful not to eliminate important substance from the existing agenda items nor call for joint reports. Building on the 2030 Agenda, emerging and relevant issues could give rise to new agenda items for the work of the General Assembly if not ECOSOC and other relevant bodies. Instead, this exercise should be carried out to considere where synergies can be made and enhanced to ensure coherence, in a substantive and result-oriented manner, in the United Nations system, while preserving and strengthening the specific mandate of the General Assembly, its Main Committees, the ECOSOC and other relevant bodies.

7. Lastly, as we have just only begin the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, it is important that this alignment and mapping exercise should not be done in haste but careful consideration and elaboration by the universal membership of the United Nations should be taken on board. In this regard, the Group would like to request the President of the General Assembly to submit the report of your group to the next session so that the work will be continued in a systematic and coherent manner keeping in mind the mandate to "strategically aligning the agenda of future sessions of the General Assembly with the 2030 Agenda, including the SDGs".

Madam Chair,
Excellencies,

8. The Group of 77 and China look forward to constructively engaging with all stakeholders to further discuss this important issue to make meaningful and strategic alignment of the 2030 Agenda into our work in the future.

I thank you.