STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF THE GROUP OF 77 AND CHINA BY H.E. AMBASSADOR ABDULLAH M. ALSAIDI, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF THE REPUBLIC OF YEMEN TO THE UNITED NATIONS, CHAIRMAN OF THE GROUP OF 77, AT THE MULTISTAKEHOLDER DIALOGUE ON "IMPLEMENTING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT" (New York, 1 February 2010)

Mr. Chairman,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates,

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

2. Allow me once again to congratulate you on your election as the Chairman of the Eighteen Session of the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD-18). We are glad to see you presiding over this dialogue along with the Director-General, Ministry of Agriculture of the Netherlands, Mr. Hans Hoogeveen.

3. We attach great importance to the role of the Commission on Sustainable Development, which should continue to provide guidance and coordination on issues related to the integration of the three dimensions of sustainable development, and more importantly the means of their implementation. The CSD should remain at the center of our efforts and discussions to further implement Agenda 21. Overcoming the gaps and constraints in implementation on Agenda 21 and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation is critical in order to move forward. In this regard, we would like to thank you for organizing such important dialogue. The Group reiterates that, for developing countries as a whole, implementing sustainable development plans and strategies are of utmost priority. Without the means of implementation, sustainable development plans and strategies will remain merely verbal utterances. It is not enough to compile a list of policy options, without the means to implement them. Implementation is also a critical element as we look beyond the last cycle of CSD towards the future. For this reason, the G-77 and China reaffirms the importance of assessing the progresses and gaps in implementation of sustainable development in the upcoming UN Conference on Sustainable Development, to be held in 2012.

4. CSD-17 is particularly significant in view of their direct impact on our endeavors to eradicate poverty and hunger and address challenges to achieving food security, and the internationally agreed development goals, including the MDGs.

5. Agriculture, rural development, and land management are crucial sectors especially in developing countries. The Group agrees that advancing the implementation of the agricultural development agenda requires renewed commitment and a new vision for global cooperation to implement policies that simultaneously aim at increasing agricultural productivity, creating fair trade regimes, conserving natural resources, and investing in agricultural-related infrastructure.

6. We look forward, however, to actively participate with all the stakeholders invited today to make implementation of the important decisions taken during CSD-17 possible.

I thank you.