Excellencies, Co-Chairs,

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

2. At the outset, the Group wishes to express its appreciation to the Co-Chairs for convening this important discussion and for the informative briefing held on 30 October, which provided valuable insights into this important topic. The Group further extends its gratitude to the panelists for their insightful presentations and valuable contributions.

3. The Group emphasizes that mandates achieve impact only through effective implementation, often requiring concerted efforts across multiple entities and areas of work, reflecting the Organization's multidimensional and cross-cutting nature.

4. The Group reaffirms that the overarching goal of the UN80 initiative is to make the United Nations more agile, resilient, and capable of delivering high quality and efficient services, while eliminating redundancy and overlap in mandate implementation.

5. The Group notes proposals for a Common Administrative Platform and merging several of ongoing entities (departments, offices) under the UN80 Initiative, emphasizing that any such process should enhance mandates implementation and service delivery, while remaining fully guided by intergovernmental oversight and the authority of Member States.

6. The Group believes that the successful implementation of mandates requires translating general aspirations into specific, measurable outcomes with clearly defined objectives. It is therefore essential to engage closely with the Secretariat, whose role should remain supportive in nature, on the modalities of implementation, while reaffirming the prerogative of Member States to define objectives and expected outcomes.

Co-Chairs,

7. The Group recognizes that artificial intelligence tools may offer advantages in identifying potential duplicative mandates and overlapping implementation across mandating bodies. However, their use must be approached with caution, given risks related to privacy, security, and the sensitive nature of intergovernmental work, as well as concerns about accuracy and transparency. Any consideration of such tools should therefore ensure adequate safeguards and that budgetary implications remain manageable in the current challenging financial context.

8. The Group considers it important to receive comprehensive information on the intergovernmental bodies that have established and overseen the implementation of specific mandates, including updates on the status of implementation and the underlying reasons for any non- or partial implementation. Such information would contribute to a clearer understanding of challenges and facilitate more informed discussions among Member States.

9. The Group also underscores the importance of ensuring that the Secretariat maintains a neutral and balanced role in mandate implementation. It is essential that all entities act strictly in accordance with mandates approved by Member States.

10. The Group further calls for mandate implementation to be measurable and supported by a system-wide evaluation mechanism. A key component of this effort is the need to link mandate decisions with projected costs, and to identify opportunities to enhance efficiency, coherence, and accountability throughout the implementation process.

Co-Chairs,

11. To conclude, the Group of 77 and China reiterates its strong commitment to engage constructively in this process. We emphasize that discussions on mandate implementation must remain inclusive, transparent, and efficient, ensuring full oversight and participation by all Member States.

I thank you.