Co-Chairs,
Distinguished delegates and representatives,

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

2. The Group welcomes the election of the members of the Bureau of the PrepCom and to the designation of Amb. John Ashe of Antigua and Barbuda and Amb. Park Im-kook of the Republic of Korea as Co-Chairs of this process. The Group pledges its full support to the Co-Chairs and to the Bureau that we now have in place to guide the work from here to the conference in Brazil in 2012.

3. An overview of the results achieved since the landmark Conference of 1972, the Earth Summit in 1992 and the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002, show that a persistent implementation gap, and many commitments by the international community have not been fully met at the time when the world is still suffering from the repercussion of the combined global food crisis, energy crisis and global economic and financial crisis and climate change.

4. The Group believes that there is a need for a more holistic approach towards sustainable development. Consequently, a refinement of strategies and sharper policy perspectives aimed at effective implementation of the outcomes of the major summits on sustainable development, especially at the regional and national level complemented by stronger and effective international mechanisms in terms of global and regional support as well as significantly greater financial commitments, is essential.

Co-Chairs,

5. There is not, at this moment, a clear and consensual definition of what a "green economy" approach entails. Reports, declarations and discussions assume that a "green economy" can be equated with a cluster of economic policies, under the sustainable development paradigm, so as to bridge the gap between the economy and the environment. However, this assumption is far from settled.

6. An understanding of the scope and possible benefits of a "green economy" approach, as well as its risks and costs, is necessary to avoid replicating a discussion on the interrelationship between environment, economy and society, or on the distinctions between the development challenges facing the developing world and the situation of developed countries, that was conceptually concluded 18 years ago in UNCED. Moreover, in the Nusa Dua Declaration, environment ministers set the context of the concept of the green economy in relation to the environment pillar of sustainable development and acknowledged the need to further define it. We must also explore its relationship to the economic and social pillars of sustainable development.
Co-Chairs,

7. The G77 believes that an effective institutional framework for sustainable development at all levels is key to the full implementation of Agenda 21, the follow-up to the outcomes of the World Summit on Sustainable Development and meeting emerging sustainable development challenges.

8. In that context, we understand that there is an international consensus on the need for enhanced coordination and cooperation among international organizations and environmental agreements. However, diverging views remain on how to enhance the efficiency of the current United Nations system in the area of sustainable development
Co-Chairs,

9. Sustainable development is a key element of the overarching framework for United Nations activities, in particular for achieving the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals, and those contained in the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation. The Conference on Sustainable Development, including its preparatory process, should therefore ensure the balanced integration of economic growth, social development and environmental protection, as these are interdependent and mutually reinforcing components of sustainable development.

10. The Group is deeply concerned that severe challenges still remain in achieving the goals of the three pillars of sustainable development, particularly in the context of the current global crises. At the same time, there is a need to address new and emerging sustainable development issues that arise, including from current and future global crises and challenges. These include the financial and economic, food and energy crises and the challenges, including those relating to climate change, biodiversity, desertification, water scarcity, frequency of disasters and the need to prepare and recover from disasters. All of these crises and challenges have significant and, in some cases, unforeseen impacts on the standards of living, the achievement of the MDGs and the health of those in developing countries, particularly the most vulnerable.

Co-Chairs,

11. Moving beyond PrepCom-1, additional work will be needed to prepare for a successful PrepCom-2. To this end, the Group invites the Co-Chairs to establish a transparent and inclusive intersessional process (i.e. open-ended working groups) that would provide the opportunity for further exchange of views among governments on "crunch issues" identified at PrepCom-1. Also, during this time, discussions could continue to be held with stakeholders and the UN system that would keep the momentum and inform the process of the intergovernmental discussions.

I thank you.