Excellencies, distinguished panelists,

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

        At the outset let me express my appreciation to the President of the 71st UN General Assembly for convening this event and to Ms. Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, for stressing the need to maintain and invigorate the political momentum on climate change action and for demonstrating its linkages to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals, in particular the urgency to implement all the commitments in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and obligations adopted in the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, including in relation to mitigation, adaptation and means of implementation, and to raise the ambition level and concrete solutions in this regard.

        The Group restates that the Paris Agreement was a result of a collective effort by all Parties working constructively in a spirit of compromise, to timely and effectively address the global challenge posed by the adverse impacts of climate change, through enhancing the implementation of the Convention, including its provisions and principles, in particular equity and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, in the light of different national circumstances. During the implementation phase, the delicate balance of all the elements of the Paris Agreement as well as the principles and provisions of the Convention must be preserved. The Group also restates its expectations for developed countries to continue taking the lead in addressing climate change, particularly in the implementation of the Paris Agreement in accordance with historical responsibilities and their respective capabilities.

        We reiterate the urgent need to enhance the pre-2020 ambition, including with the ratification of the Doha amendment to the Kyoto Protocol, which will provide a strong basis for post-2020 efforts under Paris Agreement. We need to address the significant gap between the aggregate effect of Parties' mitigation pledges by 2020 and aggregate emission pathways consistent with holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2ºC above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5º C. The focus now should be on delivering major tasks to enhance pre-2020 implementation including action on adaptation, which is an urgent priority for developing countries.

        It is therefore regrettable that after more than four years, only 75 parties have deposited their instruments of acceptance to the Doha Amendment. The Group reiterates that the unfinished business of the pre-2020 actions and ambition, which are long overdue, must be urgently addressed. The Group sees the Kyoto Protocol as a fundamental building block in our post-2020 efforts. We urge all Parties that have not done so to ratify the Doha Amendment expeditiously.

        I would also like to restate the relevance and priority that the Group allocates to adaptation, as a matter of urgency for developing countries whose capacities to carry out actions to cope with the adverse impacts of climate change are limited. We therefore urge that progress in implementing the Paris Agreement must reflect balance between adaptation and mitigation.

Excellencies,

        Although recognizing that certain level of progress has been made on finance within UNFCCC, the Group remains particularly keen for clarity or assurances on the mobilization and provision of scaled up financial resources for developing countries, in particular for achieving a balance of financing for mitigation and adaptation. Predictability and adequacy of financing for adaptation remain important difficulties to be solved. Certainty for the financing of an Adaptation Fund that serves the Convention, including the Paris Agreement, also needs to be guaranteed. Timely and effective actions by the entities related to the UNFCCC financial mechanism, the Green Climate Fund and the Global Environment Facility, and from the Standing Committee on Finance are expected for developing country Parties to access adequate means of implementation to undergo actions on mitigation and adaptation both pre and post-2020. Adequate, predictable and sustained finance, technology and capacity-building must be ensured to assist developing country Parties to enhance our climate actions.

        In conclusion, the Group of 77 and China remains committed to addressing climate change, recognizing that its Member States has been the most affected by the adverse impacts of climate change which erode our development gains and undermining and delaying the achievement of the goals under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. We are already taking significant steps in this regard. Nonetheless, for our common goals to be achieved, enhanced and adequate financial and technology support as well as capacity building must be provided to allow for effective action both pre-2020 and beyond. In the context of implementation, we believe Parties should respect, promote and consider their respective obligations including the rights of people in vulnerable situations.

        Finally, we highlight as well the importance of the reaffirmation of the overarching objective of eradication of poverty which remains the greatest global challenge and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development.

I thank you.