Mr. Co-facilitator,

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

At the outset, the Group wishes to congratulate you and your co-facilitator on your appointment to conduct these deliberations and prepare the draft conclusions and recommendations of the 2017 Forum on Financing for Development follow-up (FfD Forum). The G77 and China anticipates a successful Forum, which we believe must be oriented towards the implementation of the SDGs and unlocking the resources for their delivery.

In this context, the Group reiterates its commitment to work constructively towards a substantive outcome for this second staging of the Forum. We expect that negotiations will take place in a timely manner, so that there will be no overlap between the negotiations and the proceedings of the Forum.

We would like to inform you that the G77 and China has appointed Ms. Nicola Barker-Murphy, Counsellor in the Permanent Mission of Jamaica, as coordinator for the Group of 77 & China on FfD related matters. Ms. Barker-Murphy will speak on the Group's behalf during the negotiation process.

Mr. Co-facilitator,

The Group believes that the IATF report is an important element for the drafting of the Zero Draft of the conclusions and recommendations of the Forum. In this respect, the Group welcomes the briefings that have been scheduled on the IATF Report as these will assist in engaging on its content. Given that the IATF report was just issued on Friday however, it does not allow States sufficient time to have substantive consideration of the Report. This limits the possibility to have an extensive discussion in this informal consultation.

To ensure the optimum outcome for States and for the comprehensive work of the Co-facilitators, we are of the view that future discussions must be substantive in order to achieve a focused and strong document. The outcome of the FfD forum should take into account the implementation of all the action areas of Addis Ababa Action Agenda, and reflect them in a balanced manner. In the same line, means of implementation is a fundamental part of the 2030 Agenda and FfD is a key element.

In this sense, the Group reiterates the importance of having clarity on the modalities and the way forward of the process, which must take into account sufficient time for internal consultations by groups. Finally, we anticipate an inclusive process that will be driven by States.

Mr. Co-facilitator,

These are our preliminary views on the FfD process, and we expect to offer more substantive views at the next informal consultations. We look forward to a successful and meaningful process.

Thank you.