Thank you, Madame President,

1. I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the Group of 77 and China in relation to the alignment process, which are reflected in OPs 11, 12, 13, 27 and 28.

2. At the outset, the Group would like to express its deep appreciation to the co-facilitators, the Permanent Representatives of the Czech Republic and Timor Leste, and their teams, for their tireless efforts in facilitating the consultation process aimed at enhancing synergies and coherence between the work of the General Assembly and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in an open and transparent manner. In this connection, the Group would like to stress on the importance of maintaining and ensuring the transparency, openness and intergovernmental character of this process in the future work.

3. The Group fully recognizes the relevance of the alignment process to the revitalization of the General Assembly as well as to making our work more effective and relevant for all, particularly as it regards full and effective implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in its entirety, with the developing countries at the center. We also recognize that overcoming gaps, reducing duplication and creating necessary and productive synergies, which are core objectives of the alignment process, would contribute to both revitalization and the full and effective implementation we all seek.

4. The Group has engaged constructively and actively throughout all stages of the alignment process. We have conveyed our inputs in this regard to the co-facilitators to the proposed mapping assessment. We have thus accepted to take note of this year's updated mapping assessment as an evolving reference for discussion by the 74th session of the GA.

5. However, we continue to stress the need for further elaboration and analysis of the SDGs in relation to the agenda items and sub-items to ensure their alignment with the 2030 Agenda. Such analysis must go deeper than if the title of an item or resolution corresponds or not with certain SDGs. It must be a substantive and content-based analysis.

6. The Group would also like to stress that the alignment process cannot be understood only in relation to the Sustainable Development Goals, but first and foremost to the 2030 Agenda as a whole, of which the SDGs are a part. Otherwise, relevant issues covered by the Agenda, which are not necessarily reflected in any of the SDGs or targets, would be left out of the alignment process.

7. As to the co-facilitators proposed possible criteria for identifying overlaps and duplication, where they are found to exist, the Group continues to believe that it is premature to discuss such criteria at this stage. Before doing so, we need to have a detailed, thorough and comprehensive analysis of the SDGs and the agenda items.

8. At the appropriate time, the set of criteria must be further elaborated until consensus is reached among member states on a basis on which to take any decision in this regard. Moreover, we consider that the process has been developed in an unbalanced manner, since so far all efforts have been made to identify criteria for identifying possible duplication and/or overlaps, but no criteria have been pursued to identify possible gaps in relation to the Agenda 2030.

9. Nevertheless, in the spirit of flexibility and cooperation, the Group has accepted to take note of the initial efforts this session to develop possible criteria to identify overlaps and duplication where they are found to exist.

10. The Group would like to underscore the ownership and leadership of Member States to this exercise. The Group stresses that the process cannot prejudge the sovereign right of countries and groups to present issues and/or resolutions on the agenda of the General Assembly, its Commissions and other relevant organs of the United Nations, especially if it is in line with the purposes and principles set out in the UN Charter and in connection with the implementation of Agenda 2030.

11. While we recognize, and support the need to advance the mandate regarding alignment with Agenda 2030, we understand that this process must advance on solid foundations, based on evidence, after a broad, in-depth and comprehensive analysis.

12. Finally, the Group restates its support and commitment to engage constructively in the consultation process during the coming session with a view of building on the discussions that took place during this session and to continue working together in order to reach consensus among all States.

I thank you.