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, on behalf of the Group, to extend our heartfelt congratulations to you and other members of the Bureau on your election to the 54th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. The Group of 77 and China wishes to assure you of its full cooperation during the deliberations of this very important session.

Mr. Chairman,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates,

2. There is no doubt that this session acquires special importance since it undertakes a fifteen-year review of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the outcome of the Twenty-third Special Session of the General Assembly. This review, and its conclusions, will undoubtedly enrich the relevant meetings of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and of the General Assembly that will be held later in the year. It also provides a timely opportunity to assess the progress made in implementation of the twelve critical areas of concern, to build upon the progress, to determine the obstacles and challenges encountered and to find the appropriate solutions they require.

3. Fifteen years ago the United Nations convened the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing aimed at advancing the goals of equality, development and peace for women everywhere in the interest of all humanity. Despite the progress made thus far, challenges and obstacles remain in the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the outcome of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly. Poverty still constitutes a major challenge for women especially in developing countries. Girls continue to account for the majority of children out of school and women remain a majority of those who are classified as illiterate. Women's health continues to face several challenges that could have been overcome. Violence against women and girls persists in every country in the world. Women still suffer the consequences of conflicts. Access to labour markets and to decent work remains particularly limited for women. Women are still underrepresented at senior decision-making levels in all areas. The institutional mechanisms for gender equality and empowerment of women encounter obstacles which impede full implementation of their mandates. Many women face barriers to the enjoyment of their human rights. Stereotyped portrayals of women in the media have remained a serious challenge in many countries. Environmental degradation results in negative effects on the life of population at large and on women in particular. Girls remain particularly subject to different forms of violence.

4. It goes without saying that the peace is inextricably linked to equality and development. Therefore, the international community should give priority attention to the plight of women living under foreign occupation and put an end to their suffering.

5. Beside the persistent obstacles to the implementation of Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, new threats and challenges are emerging. In this context, the Group of 77 and China reemphasizes the importance of addressing the negative impact of the global economic and financial crisis, world food crises and continuing food insecurity, energy crises and the challenges posed by climate change on women.

Mr. Chairman,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates,

6. The G77 and China stresses the importance of enhancing international cooperation and global partnership for achieving gender equality and empowerment of women, including the fulfillment of all commitments on official development assistance, debt relief, market access, financial and technical support and capacity building.

7. With regard to the process of system-wide coherence, including among others the new gender architecture, the G77 and China together with the Non-Aligned Movement in the Joint Coordinating Committee, will continue to engage actively and constructively in the process and look forward to having a successful outcome which contributes to the advancement of all women around the world. To make progress in this important endeavor, the JCC has submitted to the Co-Facilitators of the system-wide coherence process, a comprehensive, forward-looking and progressive document containing concrete and essential elements of the new Entity. We believe that this will be an important step towards the timely establishment of an efficient and effective new Entity on Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women.
 
8. The Group of G77 and China reiterates its concern that since last December, when INSTRAW's acting Director contract expired, a Director has not been designated; this seriously affects the Institute's capacity of carrying out its training and research program in a critical moment when it needs to be revitalized to allow for an adequate and efficient preparation towards its future consolidation into the new composite entity. In this regard, it is fundamental for the Group to maintain the added advantage of keeping the geographical balance and preserving the existing link between research and training carried out globally from the present facilities in the Dominican Republic. And we are confident that the issue of appointing new Director will be resolved by the Secretary General without any further delay.

9. In conclusion, the Group of G77 and China reaffirms its commitment to the full and effective implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the outcome of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly and looks forward to productive and successful session.

I thank you.