Distinguished Co-Facilitator,
Dear colleagues,

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

The Group wishes to reiterate its appreciation to the co-facilitators for the opportunity to engage with the members of the High-level Expert Group last week, and looks forward to receiving further information on the modalities and timeline for the written responses to the questions raised during that meeting.

The Group of 77 and China acknowledges the importance of the intergovernmental process mandated by resolution 79/1, entitled 'The Pact for the Future'. In this regard, the Group wishes to underscore the relevance of advancing the establishment of a set of measures of progress on sustainable development that complement or go beyond Gross Domestic Product (GDP), in order to inform access to concessional finance and technical cooperation for developing countries.

For the Group, it is imperative to ensure that development remains a central pillar of any framework aimed at measuring progress that go beyond GDP. Therefore, the process should be guided by the objective of advancing sustainable development in its three dimensions in a balanced and integrated manner, while fully recognizing that poverty eradication remains the greatest global challenge and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development. Therefore, the framework should contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the development challenges faced by developing countries and support ways to address them.

Furthermore, the Group takes note of the withdrawal of one of the co-facilitators and encourages the immediate appointment of a successor, in line with the established practice of the General Assembly, to ensure an inclusive and balanced intergovernmental process.

Finally, the Group reiterates its commitment to exploring measures of progress in sustainable development that complement or go beyond GDP to help us all advance the three dimensions of sustainable development.

I thank you.