Mr. Chairman,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates,

1. I have the honour to speak on behalf of the Group of 77 and China. At the outset, allow me to extend, on behalf of the Group, our warmest felicitations to you and other members of the Bureau on your election to the 48th session of the Commission for Social Development which serves as the main United Nations forum for an intensified global dialogue on social development issues. The Group of 77 and China wishes to assure you of its full support and cooperation.

2. We would also like to thank the Secretary-General for the reports submitted under agenda item 3: "Follow-up to the World Summit for Social Development and the twenty-fourth special session of the General Assembly", which will certainly contribute to enrich our discussions.

Mr. Chairman,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates,

3. This year coincides with the fifteenth anniversary of the World Summit for Social Development held in Copenhagen in 1995. In this context, the Group of 77 and China reaffirms its commitment to implement the Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action adopted by the Summit and the further initiatives for social development adopted by the General Assembly at its twenty-fourth special session which constitute the basic framework for the promotion of social development for all at the national and international levels. The Group also recognizes that the implementation of the Copenhagen commitments and the attainment of the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals, are mutually reinforcing and that the Copenhagen commitments are crucial to a coherent, people-centered approach to development.

4. Despite the progress made since the convening of the World Summit for Social Development, much more needs to be done to achieve our mutual goals in the field of social development. In this context, the Group of 77 and China is deeply concerned about the current global crises, in particular the world financial and economic crisis, world food crises and continuing food insecurity, energy crises and the challenges posed by climate change, as well as the lack of results so far in the multilateral trade negotiations and a loss of confidence in the international economic system, which have major negative implications for social development in general and societal integration in particular and could further undermine the achievement of the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Mr. Chairman,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates,

5. Social integration is one of the three pillars of social development identified at the World Summit for Social Development which. At that Summit, Governments committed to promote social integration through fostering inclusive societies that are stable, safe, just and tolerant, respect diversity and promote equality of opportunity and participation of all people. Despite that commitment, the goal of creating "a society for all" has remained elusive.

6. We believe that addressing the main impediments to social integration is essential, namely poverty, unemployment, the lack of basic needs, inequality, conflicts, instability, and discrimination, family disintegration, and violence. We also believe that social integration must become a high priority for all, even during time of crisis, in order to achieve peace, stability and prosperity.
7. We recognize that the World Summit for Social Development provided a framework for developing, shaping and implementing of socially inclusive policies. Following the Summit, Governments adopted various policies and plans to promote social integration which cover a broad range of areas. In this context, the Group of 77 and China believes that social inclusive policies should be developed and social integration should be mainstreamed into national developing planning.

8. We are persuaded of the interrelation between the three pillars of the Copenhagen Declaration, poverty eradication, decent work and full employment and social integration, which are interrelated, mutually reinforcing and cannot be achieved in isolation. In this regard, holistic poverty reduction plans, together with comprehensive and inclusive employment strategies are indispensable tools to achieve social integration.

Mr. Chairman,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates,

9. The Group of 77 and China would like to stress once again the importance of surmounting obstacles to the realization of the right of peoples to self-determination, in particular of peoples living under colonial or other forms of alien domination or foreign occupation, which adversely affect their social and economic development.

10. It goes without saying that population ageing will be an extremely pressing issue for all countries in the twenty-first century. Therefore, the implementation of the Madrid Plan of Action is seminal. We are looking forward to discussing the most appropriate ways and means of achieving the development, well-being and full enjoyment of all human rights of older persons and the preparations for the second review and appraisal of the implementation of the Madrid Plan of Action.

11. Since the proclamation of the International Year of the Family in 1994, the international community has undertaken a range of activities and commitments in support of its objectives. The 20th anniversary of the IYF in 2014 is on the horizon, necessitating the efforts and initiatives of Governments, the United Nations system and civil society to ensure the further promotion, actual realization and continuous implementation of the mandated objectives of the International Year of the Family. In this context, the Group of 77 and China looks forward to the preparations for the observance of the 20th anniversary of the International Year of the Family during the 49th Session of the Commission.

12. The Group, furthermore, would like to reaffirm the view that while social development is a national responsibility, it cannot be successfully achieved without the collective commitment and efforts of the international community. Therefore, the international cooperation must be enhanced, including fulfillment of commitment of internationally agreed official development assistance, debt relief, market access, capacity-building and technical support.

13. In conclusion, the Group of 77 and China looks forward to having a successful session with a productive outcome that contributes to achieving the goal of social integration.

I thank you.