Mr. Chair,

1. I have the honour to speak on behalf of the Group of 77 and China and express our thanks to the Secretary-General for his reports on the financing of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), as contained in documents A/72/630, A /72/776 and to the Chair of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions for the related report contained in document A/72/789/Add.5.

Mr. Chair,

2. In response to General Assembly resolution 71/307, the Secretary-General states in his report that Israel has not paid the amount of $1,117,005 due as accounts receivable for UNIFIL resulting from the tragic incident in Qana on 18 April 1996. The Secretary-General further explains that he has received no response to his subsequent letters addressed to the Permanent Mission of Israel in this regard, the latest dated 16 January 2018.

Mr. Chair,

3. The Group of 77 and China stresses once again that the amount due from the incident in Qana on 18 April 1996 should be paid by Israel, and requests the Secretary-General to report on this matter to the General Assembly at its seventy-third session.

4. In this regard, the Group of 77 and China is the sponsor of preambular paragraph (4) and operative paragraphs (4), (5) and (13) of draft resolution A/C.5/72/L.31, and of the draft resolution as a whole, entitled "Financing of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon".

Mr. Chair,

5. I would like to reiterate the appreciation of the Group of 77 and China to the Secretary-General for his efforts in this regard and to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon for their sacrifices and positive contribution to restoring peace and security in the region.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.