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. 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.

3. 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.
Co-Chairs,

4. 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.

5. While some of these crises and challenges might not be new, the extent to which they have affected developing countries has in some cases intensified significantly, thereby compromising the ability of these countries to respond effectively. In this regard, the G77 is of the view that the preparatory process could be used to raise new and emerging issues on sustainable development for consideration at the Conference on Sustainable Development, particularly since the Conference will take place in 2012 and there might be, in the interim, global crises that significantly affect sustainable development which needs to be addressed.

Co-Chairs,

6. The discussions on new and emerging challenges should focus on preventing new crises, achieving sustainable development, eradicating poverty and addressing inequalities. It should also be based on the principles enshrined in paragraphs 2 and 7 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, including the sovereign right of countries to exploit their own resources pursuant to their own environmental and developmental policies and that States have common but differentiated responsibilities

7. At the same time, these issues should be examined in the context of the other objectives of the Conference, which are to secure renewed political commitment for sustainable development and to assess the progress to date and the remaining gaps in the implementation of the outcomes of the major summits on sustainable development.

I thank you.