Mr. President, Distinguished Co-chairs, Excellencies,

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

I would like to thank the President of ECOSOC as well as the two Co-chairs for convening this Second Forum. Last year the Group recognized science, technology and innovation (STI) among the most transformative means of implementing sustainable development and knowledge as an engine to bring much-needed innovation to our countries.

In this regard, I would like to highlight three key issues from our two more recent Ministerial Declarations:

- First, without a breakthrough in international cooperation in the field of technology, shifting to a more sustainable path would be very difficult and burdensome for developing countries.

- Second, there is an urgent need to channel effective and sustainable technical assistance and capacity-building tailored to the specific needs and constraints of developing countries, to address technology infrastructure gaps as well as capacity constraints, particularly in African countries, least developed countries, landlocked developing countries, small island developing States, countries and people under foreign occupation, as in some countries in situations of conflict and post-conflict countries, while recognizing the serious challenges faced by many middle income countries.

- Third, we need to fully operationalize the technology bank for the LDC's, recognizing its potential to foster productive capacity, structural transformation, poverty eradication and sustainable development.

STI, especially under the Technology Facilitation Mechanism (TFM), encompass the breadth and depth of the 17 sustainable development goals, as technologies are crucial for the implementation of Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development.

Therefore, the Group reaffirms that international development cooperation, especially North-South cooperation, remains a fundamental catalyst to sustainable economic growth. We urge developed countries to fulfill their unmet Official Development Assistance commitments. In the same vein it is essential to mobilize domestic resources to support science, technology and innovation. We underscore the increasing recognition of the central role of tax systems in development and reiterate our concern over the negative impacts that illicit financial flows and related tax avoidance and evasion, corruption, and money-laundering have on the world economy, in particular for developing countries.

Technology transfer and diffusion on concessional and preferential terms from developed countries are also needed to, inter alia, effectively address and reduce vulnerability to adverse impacts of climate change, to improve ocean health, to enhance the contribution of marine biodiversity to the development of developing countries, as well as to strengthen educational institutions and research and development organizations in developing countries.

Mr. President, Distinguished Co-chairs, Excellencies,

The world's urban population has increased from 2.6 billion (45 per cent of the whole) in 1995 to 3.9 billion (54 per cent) in 2014, most of this population growth taking place in developing countries. For this reason the Group underscores that in order to fulfill the New Urban Agenda, access to science, technology, and innovation and enhanced knowledge-sharing, among other means of implementation, are required.

Finally, the Group underlines that traditional knowledge should be fully considered, respected and promoted while developing policies, strategies and programs to foster science, technology and innovation.

Mr. President, Distinguished Co-chairs, Excellencies,

This is the Second Forum on STI. The Group of 77 and China expects enriching discussions among the participants, a concrete outcome and initiatives to move forward.

I thank you.