Theme: "The future we want, the United Nations we need: reaffirming our collective commitment to multilateralism"

Mr. President,

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

2. We are at an important juncture of our Organization's existence and it is appropriate for us to reflect on the distance we have traveled and the common aspirations that keep us together. Moreover, it is imperative that we recommit to those ideals to ensure that the dignity and worth of every person is respected, and to foster the attainment of social progress and better standards of living for all. We must send a strong and positive signal to the peoples of the world of our commitment to multilateralism and our resolve to strive for peace, justice and development.

3. Our fragile Earth must be preserved for the benefit of present and future generations.

4. As we reflect on the state of our world, seventy-five years after the bold step to establish the United Nations, it is disheartening to note that millions of the world's people are still mired in poverty. Eradicating this scourge remains the greatest global challenge and the first priority for our Group.

5. We must remind ourselves that poverty entails more than a lack of income or productive resources for sustainable livelihoods. It affects many aspects of life and it impedes the achievement of many of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Mr. President,

6. Just five years ago, we adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals as a blueprint and compass to address these challenges. We cannot fail in this aspiration.

7. The 2030 Agenda reflects the major poverty-environment challenges facing the world's population: depleted natural capital, climate vulnerability, gender inequality, rural-urban migration and growing resource demands - all of which disproportionately harm the livelihoods and well-being of the poor

8. Sadly, the COVID-19 pandemic has undermined many of our development gains of the past decades. This pandemic has brought to the forefront the development bottlenecks faced by developing countries, ranging from insufficient financing and high debt levels, inadequate market access for goods and services, the expanding digital divide, restrictions in accessing needed pharmaceuticals and medical supplies and reductions in revenue from tourism and exports, among others. We value and welcome the support provided by the United Nations system in our response to the pandemic and in our efforts to pursue the 2030 Agenda.

9. We must seek to strengthen solidarity to address the pandemic, commit to take forward the 2030 Agenda and intensify global and multistkeholder partnerships. We also reaffirm that the imposition of unilateral coercive economic measures against developing countries is an impediment to economic and social development and to dialogue and understanding among countries. We must do everything we can to fulfill our obligations to the peoples of this world, in this Decade of Action and Delivery for Sustainable Development.

10. To this end, the Group of 77 and China calls for more resources and actions to be mobilized in a timely manner to accelerate implementation of the 2030 Agenda. We are committed to taking the actions needed for coordinated and comprehensive multilateral response to the development challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, including through initiatives on Financing for Development in the Era of COVID-19 and beyond, aimed at producing a menu of policy options necessary to resolve the crisis and to ensure resilience.

Mr. President,

11. These and other realities should motivate us to greater action on behalf of the peoples of our planet. The United Nations is a platform where every Member State has an equal stake in the decision-making process influencing the direction that the Organization takes on the variety of issues on which we engage. It is a platform where every member has a seat at the table and a voice in the search for solutions to the many problems we face. It is critical for us to preserve this great Organization and guard jealously the multilateral ideal as the vehicle on which we will arrive at solutions to the world's problems. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is our roadmap; its implementation is a necessity for our survival.