Thank you, distinguished co-facilitators,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, which represent not only two-thirds 3 of the world's population, but also two-thirds of the General Assembly.

At the outset, the Group would like to express its appreciation to the co-facilitators, Sierra Leone and Albania, for their efforts in structuring and circulating the zero draft of the Ministerial Declaration. We recognize the work undertaken to bring together a wide range of inputs into a single, coherent document.

The Group considers that the zero draft provides a useful basis for our discussions. We are pleased to note that some important issues and priorities for the Group were included in the text. At the same time, we are concerned that a number of relevant priorities for our 134 countries, which were clearly reflected in the Group's inputs, have not been adequately captured in the text as currently presented. We will elaborate on these elements during our interventions under the relevant sections and will engage constructively in the negotiation of the declaration.

We also wish to express our regret that, as it was the case in previous years, the negotiations have not been conducted on a line-by-line basis from the outset of the process. In our view, the current approach of circulating successive revisions does not facilitate a sufficiently thorough and inclusive discussion, particularly given the complexity and importance of the document under consideration.

In this regard, the Group would like to kindly request that the co-facilitators consider reverting to a line-by-line negotiation format, as was the practice in earlier processes. We believe that such an approach would better support transparency, ownership, and consensus-building among Member States.

The Group will be submitting its inputs and proposed amendments in due course. In doing so, we have made a concerted effort to ensure that our contributions remain concise, focused, action-oriented, and forward-looking across all SDGs.

We reaffirm our constructive engagement in this process and look forward to working closely with all delegations to achieve a balanced and ambitious outcome.

Thank you.

Section 1

The Group strongly supports the inclusion of language that reaffirms the 2030 Agenda as the universally agreed and comprehensive framework for sustainable development.

We will propose important refinements to better reflect the systemic and interconnected crises currently facing our world and particularly affecting developing countries, so that we can provide a balanced and inclusive articulation of these challenges.

We welcome the reaffirmation of the eradication of poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty, as the greatest global challenge facing the world today and an overarching objective of the 2030 Agenda.

It is extremely important to recognize that progress in achieving sustainable development in its economic, social and environmental dimensions is severely off track. We also stress the importance of quantifying the SDG financing gap, now estimated at $4.0 trillion annually for developing countries, and highlighting the urgent need for affordable, predictable, sustainable, and sufficient development finance long-standing priorities for our Group.

The Group also supports the inclusion of language on digital divides and their development implications. We emphasize the need to increase investment, build capacity, and ensure equitable access to digital infrastructure, so that developing countries can fully participate in the global digital economy.

Additionally, the Group supports the inclusion of language that opposes unilateral economic, financial, or trade measures not in accordance with international law and the Charter. These measures undermine national sovereignty and hamper economic and social development, especially in developing countries.

Section 2

We believe that paragraphs addressing multilateralism and global cooperation can be better addressed in Section II, which is more action-oriented. In general, we stress the need to strengthen the overall framing of the declaration by reaffirming international solidarity and cooperation as essential pillars for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

The principles of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, including the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, should be clearly reflected to ensure that equity and historical responsibilities are adequately addressed.

We also consider important to emphasize the mutually reinforcing link between peace and development and the need to build inclusive societies ensuring support for post-conflict recovery, notably through the active role of women in peacebuilding. We call for the reaffirmation of the right to self-determination for peoples living under colonial or foreign occupation, as well as the need to respect the territorial integrity and political independence of States. We believe it is necessary to include explicit reference to the Charter of the United Nations in the Declaration.

The language from the 2025 HLPF Ministerial Declaration remains broadly acceptable and can serve as a better basis.

We welcome the recognition of special challenges facing all developing countries in pursuing sustainable development. We propose a reaffirmation of the recent adopted programmes of action for LDC, LLDCs and SIDS, as well a clear reference to the development of a system-wide inter-agency response plan for middle-income countries, in line with the Secretary-General's mapping exercise and consistent with the guidance of the 2024 QCPR.

The Group recommends including elements that are central to the implementation of the SDGs in developing countries. These include capacity- building and technology transfer, addressing data gaps, bridging digital and technological divides, among others.

We also clearly stress that any reference to climate change should be based on previous agreed language in a balanced manner and avoid reopening discussions on this matter, since SDG 13 is not in-depth review this year.

Finally, we propose a more integrated approach that highlights national leadership, regional collaboration, and global partnerships as mutually reinforcing levels of action, while maintaining the importance of broad stakeholder inclusion.

SDG 6

The Group notes with concern that the zero draft does not adequately reflect the significant gap between current progress and the level of ambition required to achieve SDG 6 by 2030. Bridging this implementation gap must remain central to the declaration. In this regard, the Group underscores the need to explicitly reflect the multiple and interlinked water-related challenges, including desertification, drought, floods, and increasing water stress, which disproportionately affect developing countries.

The Group further observes the absence of any meaningful reference to financing, which constitutes a critical means of implementation. We therefore call for the inclusion of a dedicated paragraph addressing the provision of adequate, predictable, and accessible financial resources.

The Group will also seek to strengthen language related to capacity-building and technology transfer, given their essential role in enabling developing countries to enhance water management, improve service delivery, and build resilience.

In addition, we emphasize the important role of United Nations system, including relevant United Nations agencies, funds, and programmes within their mandates, and its various agencies in supporting national efforts through coordinated and effective assistance.

Finally, the Group intends to propose the addition of two paragraphs, one on the United Nations Water Conference and another on the Dushanbe Water Process, to reinforce global cooperation on water-related issues.

SDG 7

On SDG7, the Group expresses its appreciation to the co-facilitators for including broad elements from some of its inputs in the zero draft. While the draft presented provides a good basis to build our negotiations on the text requires substantive strengthening and changes that meets the ambition and urgency required to meet SDG7 targets by 2030.

In this regard, the Group emphasizes the need to use agreed language from previous HLPF Ministerial Declarations and the most recent 2C Energy Resolutions in formulating the text of the document.
The Group also notes the importance of providing necessary and relevant contextual information when outlining actions to be taken. The latest 2C Resolutions are an excellent source for such context setting language.

The Group further notes that the language on means of implementation requires further strengthening, and the Group remains ready to work on language to reflect ambitious and practical efforts to progress and achieve SDG7.

The Group will provide specific language proposals to further strengthen the text, in its written inputs.

SDG 9

Regarding SDG 9, we consider the zero draft a good basis to begin discussions and appreciate the efforts to reflect many of the Group's priorities. However, we believe the language would benefit from further refinement to better align with the agreed framework of the 2030 Agenda.

In this regard, several key elements are missing that are central to our priorities on SDG 9:

First, we note the absence of an explicit focus on technology transfer, alongside enhanced financial, technological, and technical support for developing countries.

Second, while digital infrastructure is referenced, the text would benefit from a stronger development-oriented approach, that includes digital literacy, capacity-building, and the link between digitalization and social protection systems.

Third, more robust language on MSMEs and entrepreneurship, including access to financial services and digital government.
Fourth, we believe gender commitments should be more specific, including women's participation in STEM, leadership and decision-making roles, and closing the gender wage gap.

Fifth, the text would benefit from stronger language on international cooperation and global partnerships, including multilateral cooperation and targeted support for developing countries.

Finally, we highlight the need to explicitly recognize that limited access to basic infrastructure and services remains a key barrier to development, diversification, and value addition.

We believe incorporating these elements will better reflect the ambition and balance of SDG 9 within the 2030 Agenda.

SDG 11

On SDG11, the Group reaffirms that it is vital to ensure that the section is grounded in the targets as agreed upon in the 2030 Agenda.

It should also reflect milestone events to contextualise relevant and current dialogue on the issue. It should include reference to, and as per usual practice in UN documents, welcome the outcomes of the:

- thirteenth session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13), to be held from 17 to 22 May 2026, in Baku,
- and the mid-term review of the New Urban Agenda, to be held from 16 to 17 July 2026, in New York, in the form of a High-level Meeting of the United Nations General Assembly,
- and highlight the contribution of the World Urban Forum to the review of the New Urban Agenda, and the contribution of both meetings to advance efforts to reach the goal.

The text must explicitly acknowledge the specific challenges of developing countries. The growing housing affordability crisis, and the challenges of rapid urbanization bear most heavily on developing countries. Language on the means of implementation, international cooperation, and the scaling up of finance and capacity building must be included.

While 29(d) of the zero draft is dedicated to disasters, it fails to highlight that developing countries bear the brunt of disaster-related economic losses, and impacts on critical health and education infrastructure. It is important that the text acknowledges the interlinkage between SDG11 and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.

SDG 17

The Group strongly supports the urgent call for the implementation of the Sevilla Commitment, with the aim to support developing countries in accessing and utilizing all resources for development.

This requires strengthened partnerships to advance commitments on the means of implementation, as well as strengthened international cooperation, multilateralism, and solidarity to address growing global challenges.

The Group would appreciate clarification in sub-paragraph 30(b) as to which specific structures and processes are being referred to in references to "existing structures, ongoing work, and processes."

The Group highlights the importance of official development assistance (ODA) to be expanded upon in the text in line with previous Ministerial Declarations, including the call on developed countries to scale up and fulfil their respective ODA commitments, due to the declining trend of ODA.

While appreciating the reference to debt mechanisms, the Group recommends including the latest agreed language in order to adequately reflect the impact of debt distress on developing countries.

The Group strongly supports addressing the role of North-South, South-South, and triangular cooperation in capacity-building, particularly in developing countries in science, technology, and innovation, and recommends the inclusion of digital cooperation in line with international efforts to bridge the digital divides.

The Group recommends giving North-South cooperation its rightful recognition for remaining a fundamental catalyst for sustainable development, while also recognizing that South-South and triangular cooperation are important mechanisms of international cooperation for development.

Other important fields of cooperation that require strengthened partnerships include international initiatives related to the eradication of poverty and hunger, and international commitment to prevent and combat illicit financial flows, including cooperation on assets recovery and return.

The Group supports the involvement and participation of the World Bank, IMF, and other MDBs in the HLPF, and recommends enhancing the involvement and participation of the entire UN system, including its funds, programmes, and specialized agencies.

VNRs

In the section on voluntary national reviews, the Group considers that the text provides a very solid basis and reflects the importance of the VNR process as a central pillar of the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda.

At the same time, the Group notes that several elements included in our inputs are not yet reflected in the current draft. In particular, references to the involvement of all relevant stakeholders, including different sectors within governments as well as local authorities, civil society, academia and the private sector, remain missing. Likewise, elements aimed at strengthening support for developing countries in preparing more evidence- and data-based VNRs, references to the Group of Friends of the VNRs, captured.

The Group wishes to underscore the importance of strengthening the support provided by the international community to countries furthest behind in achieving the SDGs, including through enhanced financial resources, capacity-building and technical assistance, so as to enable them to fully engage in the VNR process and respond effectively to their specific needs and challenges.

For the Group, these elements are important not only from a substantive perspective, but also to preserve and strengthen the peer-learning character of the VNR process, as well as its inclusive and participatory nature.