Mr. Chair,
Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates,

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

At the outset, I wish to reaffirm our collective commitment to advancing South-South and triangular cooperation as essential tools to enhance North-South cooperation and accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Guided by the principles of solidarity, mutual respect, and non-conditionality, South-South cooperation embodies our shared experiences and aspirations, and it must continue to be owned and driven by developing countries.

The G77 and China welcome the adoption of Decision 22/1 by the High-level Committee, which highlights the centrality of South-South cooperation in addressing the multiple, interlinked challenges our countries face from poverty and food insecurity to climate change, digital divides, and structural inequalities.

We particularly commend the reaffirmation of landmark frameworks, including the Buenos Aires Plan of Action, the Nairobi outcome document, and the 2019 Buenos Aires outcome document. These pillars remain essential to shaping our strategies for capacity building, knowledge exchange, and horizontal cooperation.

This session comes at a time of compounded global crises. Conflicts, climate disasters, rising living costs, and widening inequalities continue to disproportionately impact developing countries. In this context, South-South and triangular cooperation offer agile, context-specific solutions rooted in local knowledge, solidarity, and shared development goals.

The Group of 77 and China welcomes the growing attention to the development needs of middle-income countries, small island developing states, and landlocked developing countries. We support the call for a comprehensive inter-agency response plan for middle-income countries and appreciate the recognition of the unique challenges they face. We also welcome the references to recent global commitments, including the Doha Programme of Action and the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS, all of which underscore the urgent need for increased cooperation and targeted support.

We appreciate the renewed call to strengthen the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC), including through increased resourcing and institutional capacity. The Office plays a central role in promoting coordination, facilitating partnerships, and supporting the integration of South-South cooperation across the UN development system.

The Group urges all Member States, in particular developed partners, to scale up voluntary contributions to the United Nations Fund for South-South Cooperation and the Pérez-Guerrero Trust Fund. We highlight the importance of unlocking new sources of finance, including blended finance, impact investment, and regional platforms, as well as exploring innovative approaches such as debt swaps for development.

We also welcome the growing engagement in triangular cooperation, especially in areas such as renewable energy, digital transformation, public health, education, and artificial intelligence. These partnerships must remain demand-driven, nationally owned, and aligned with developing countries' priorities.

Furthermore, we support the development of robust monitoring and evaluation tools, such as the framework being elaborated by UNCTAD to measure South-South cooperation. This will be essential in capturing impact and enhancing the effectiveness and visibility of our initiatives.

Finally, the Group reiterates its call to refrain from the application of unilateral economic, financial or trade measures inconsistent with international law and the UN Charter, which continue to hinder the sustainable development of many of our countries.

Mr. Chair,

As we move forward, the Group of 77 and China reiterates its unwavering commitment to strengthening South-South and triangular cooperation as cornerstones of multilateralism and enablers of transformation for the Global South.
 

Thank you.