Mr. Chairman,

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

2. The Group wish to reaffirm the commitment by our leaders through the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to end poverty in the next 14 years from now. Eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty, remains the greatest global challenge and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development. The implementation of this ambitious commitment lies at the heart of the Group of 77 and China.

3. In his report, the Secretary General pointed out that despite the Second UN Decade for Eradication of Poverty (2008-2017), too many countries in our Group are still challenged by poverty. In fact, the number of people in Sub-Saharan Africa living on less than 1.25 US dollar a day has increased. The growing level of inequality within and among countries adds to global challenges.

4. In the deliberation of this item, it is therefore crucial to evaluate and follow-up on the implementation of the Second Decade by strengthening coordination, coherence and synergies in relevant areas and identifying the way forward. The Group noted that the Second Decade has contributed to raising awareness of the international community and inducing implementation by relevant organisations within the UN system.

5. However, that is by far not enough. In order to realize our leaders' ambitious vision, it is imperative that efforts must not cease, instead, be exponentially multiplied, in a collective manner, in particular through a proclamation of the Third UN Decade for Eradication of Poverty (2018-2028) aiming at reinforcing the need to close the gap between policies and countries' capacity to attain this ultimate goal.

6. In this connection, the Group reiterate the importance of recognizing the diverse needs and challenges faced by developing countries, in particular African countries, least developed countries (LDCs), landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) and small-island developing States (SIDS), countries in conflict and post-conflict situations, the serious challenges within many middle-income countries and countries and peoples living under foreign occupation, in order to leave no one behind.

Mr. Chairman,

7. Tackling poverty is a matter of political priority at national and international levels. The Group stress the need to enable the Governments of developing countries to effectively formulate their own development strategies and policy tools, in line with their national priorities and circumstances. In this regard, the support of the UN system and other international partners, backed by resource commitments are crucial to help catalyze the much needed structural changes through people-centered and well-designed economic and social policies that promote inclusive growth, job creation, investment in education, health-care and infrastructure, social safety net and empowerment of women, among other aspects.

8. We must build upon important lessons learnt from the implementation of the Second Decade and the Millennium Development Goals. This includes the improvement of data and monitoring systems, harnessing partnerships, fostering the global exchange of ideas, experiences and home-grown approaches to eradicate poverty and create decent jobs. It is also important that the UN system, in consultation with the international financial institutions, develops transparent measurements of progress on sustainable development that go beyond per capita income, building on existing initiatives as appropriate.

Mr. Chairman,

9. Provision and mobilisation of adequate and predictable resources remain one of the main challenges for developing countries for their implementation of relevant policies and programmes targeting at effective eradication of poverty. The Group reaffirm the importance of the means for financing for development outlined in the Addis Ababa Action Agenda and reiterate that the fulfilment of all ODA commitments remains crucial to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs. The Group further stress that an enabling international environment can be achieved through the provision of additional financing resources, technology transfer and diffusion on concessional and preferential terms, capacity-building, pro-development trade policies, equitable and effective participation of developing countries in global economic governance.

Mr. Chairman,

10. The Group are of a firm view that inclusive and sustainable industrial development plays an essential role as part of a comprehensive strategy of structural economic transformation in eradicating poverty and supporting sustained economic growth. It is also integral to the effort to realize many of the SDGs, as it is associated with job creation, sustainable livelihoods, innovation, technology and skills development, food security and equitable growth.

11. The Group would also like to reiterate the important role of UNIDO as a provider of specialized services for the promotion of inclusive and sustainable industrial development, including but not limited to building of productive capacities. In this regard, we invite UNIDO to organize global dialogues and promote multi-stakeholder partnerships in order to actively pursue inclusive and sustainable industrial development for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda.

12. Before closing, we wish to express our deep concern by the continuing withdrawal of developed countries from UNIDO and call upon all countries that have withdrawn or have expressed their intention to withdraw, to return or maintain their membership in UNIDO.

13. Last but not least, the Group of 77 and China look forward to working closely and constructively with our development partners for the deliberations of this item. We believe that by our collective efforts and cooperating in good faith, we can create a world free of poverty.

I thank you.