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

The Group thanks your Excellencies for the initiative in preparing the Food for Thought paper which contains some relevant elements that can be fruitful for negotiations on the Political Declaration on the prevention and control of NCDs and the promotion of mental health and well-being.

The Group wishes to highlight the following for the section General Principles:

1. Reiterate the Political declaration of the Third High-Level Meeting of the General Assembly on the Prevention and Control of NCDs.
2. Recognize that poverty is the greatest global challenge and that its eradication, in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme and multidimensional poverty, is an indispensable requirement for sustainable development. Underscore the need to end hunger and malnutrition as a primary priority for preventing and controlling NCDs, while acknowledging that the burden of NCDs deepens poverty, drives inequities, and hinders the development of countries.
3. Prioritize a health approach that takes into account national priorities and circumstances, while allowing flexibility for Member States in the design and implementation of their public policies.
4. Emphasize the role of health promotion as a preventive and cost-effective approach to address determinants of health which will help to reduce risk factors of NCDs and burdens on health systems.
5. Underscore the important role of Universal Health Coverage in addressing NCDs.
6. On your proposal on integrated health systems, particular attention must be given to developing countries.
7. Mobilize and allocate adequate, predictable and sustained resources for the prevention and control of NCDs, foster global solidarity and collective effort, and urge Member States to strengthen international cooperation, including by supporting efforts to build and strengthen capacity in developing countries, notably through enhanced ODA and financial and technical support, and by facilitating access to high-cost medical products.
8. Reaffirm that frequent data availability and surveillance are essential to chart progress, advocate for resources, and ensure proper monitoring and accountability

On thematic considerations, the Group wishes to add the following:

1. The Group believes that the focus must remain on health, and that any recognition of interrelated factors must be based on a balanced approach and must be non-exhaustive; hence must not leave out key elements such as poverty.

2. While the Group can be flexible in referencing the linkages between the impact of climate change and NCDs, which is disproportionately affecting developing countries, we must uphold the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities. However, this reference is not intended for an in-depth negotiation on climate change within this context.

3. Ensure timely, equitable and unhindered access to safe, affordable, effective and quality medicines, vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics and other health products and technologies as one of the fundamental elements for the full realization of the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health.

4. The Group underscores the critical importance of facilitating the transfer of technology, particularly to developing countries, as an essential component of capacity-building and sustainable development.

5. Regarding financing, international technical cooperation and public-private partnerships, the group is of the view that those elements should be prioritized, avoiding overburdening state public funding.

6. Removing all unilateral barriers and mitigation measures that may affect, among other factors, the access to food and nutrition-related goods.

7. Capacity building through which developing countries can access ongoing training for health professionals, including community-level health workers and volunteers, to deliver effective NCDs interventions

Guiding questions:

1. The Political Declaration must be concise, practical, and action-oriented. In regards to the format, the group thinks that the political declaration should not be segmented by issue-specific subheadings; instead, it should adopt a broader structure that integrates cross-cutting issues and general means of implementation.

2. In terms of the follow up, the group recommends the next deliberation of NCDs take place within 3-5 years. However, the group underscores the need to take into consideration the other upcoming health-related High-Level Meetings and to avoid overlapping.

3. The Group also welcomes the possibility of having a briefing from WHO on the implementation of this Political Declaration prior to the next deliberation.

4. Finally, we would like to use this opportunity to address several concerns on the timeline:

a. First, the group expresses its concerns regarding the limited time between the circulation of the compilation of inputs on 2 June and the first reading scheduled for 5 June. This short timeframe does not allow sufficient opportunity for the group to consult and to prepare for a productive discussion. The Group would be forced to request extensions of deadlines, which will ultimately delay the entire process and may also hinder our ability to attain a consensus document.

b. Second, the group would greatly appreciate the provision of a detailed timeline of the negotiations to help guide its coordination and engagement moving forward.

Excellencies, please be assured of our constructive and meaningful engagement in this process.

I thank you.