Implementation of Agenda 21

STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF THE GROUP OF 77 AND CHINA BY MR. ABDULLAH ABUSHAWESH, COUNSELLOR, MISSION OF THE STATE OF PALESTINE TO THE UN, FOLLOWING THE ADOPTION OF THE RESOLUTION ENTITLED "IMPLEMENTATION OF AGENDA 21, THE PROGRAMME FOR THE FURTHER IMPLEMENTATION OF AGENDA 21 AND THE OUTCOMES OF THE WORLD SUMMIT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND OF THE UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT" (A/C.2/74/L.36/REV.1) UNDER AGENDA ITEM 19(A) SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (New York, 27 November 2019)

Thank you Mr Chair.

1. I have the honour to deliver this general statement on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.

2. The Group would like to first thank the facilitators, Ms Olney Daly from Guyana and subsequently Ms Margot St John-Sebastian from Belize, for their effective facilitation and tireless efforts to reach consensus among all delegations. We would also like to extend our deepest gratitude to all delegations that participated and engaged constructively in the negotiations.

Mr Chair,

3. The Group believes strongly in the relevance and importance of this resolution, both in our collective efforts to achieve sustainable development and to advance a meaningful agenda in the Second Committee. While we commit to fully implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, we are of the firm view that this cannot be achieved in a vacuum. We need to recognize the sustainable development journey that all of us here at the UN have made over the last few decades, and to build on our history, experiences, best practices and lessons learnt. This is why we continue to reaffirm all the principles of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development in the 2030 Agenda. This is why we commit to the Paris Agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. This is why we have dedicated resolutions in the Second Committee agenda on the three Rio Conventions. Ultimately, Agenda 21's aim of achieving global sustainable development remains as relevant as ever.

Mr Chair,

4. It is in this context that we deeply regret that consensus could not be achieved on this resolution. The Group of 77 and China engaged constructively in the negotiations from the outset. We made significant changes to the text to ensure that it was updated and relevant. We also accommodated as best as we could, the concerns of various delegations throughout the process. We recognised the importance of new elements that could add value to the text and secure broader buy-in from the membership, such as SDG 12 on sustainable consumption and production. We made difficult concessions because we believe consensus building is the hallmark of this Committee's work.

5. While we did not manage to reach consensus this session, we believe that the positive movement shown by all delegations sends a strong and positive signal for our future engagement, both in this resolution and in the overall work of the Second Committee. The Group looks forward to build on this progress and to continue engaging constructively in future sessions.

Thank you, Mr Chair.