Mr. Co-Chair,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.

1. At the outset, I would like to congratulate you on your appointment as Co-Chairpersons of the eleventh meeting of the United Nations Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP). The Group of 77 and China assures the Co-Chairpersons of its support as they lead the ICP in its work for this session. We are confident in your ability to lead us to a successful outcome.

Mr. Co-Chair,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates,

2. The Group of 77 and China has been supportive of the ICP, as a process established by the General Assembly to facilitate its annual review, in an effective and constructive manner, of developments in ocean affairs and the law of the sea. The Group also reiterates that, according to resolution 54/33, the ICP was established in accordance with the legal framework provided by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the goals of chapter 17 of Agenda 21.

3. The Group of 77 and China recalls that the General Assembly decided, in paragraph 193 of resolution 64/71, that the consultative process at its eleventh meeting would focus its discussions on the topic: "Capacity-building in ocean affairs and the law of the sea, including marine science". In this regard, the Group welcomes the opportunity to focus on this issue given its importance to developing countries.

Mr. Co-Chair,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates,

4. I would like to thank the Secretary-General for the comprehensive report on oceans and the law of the sea, contained in document A/65/69. The report contains relevant information, such as the assertion that "No comprehensive assessment has been carried out at the global level of the capacity-building needs of States in relation to ocean affairs and the law of the sea, including marine science." In this regard, the G77 and China hopes that discussions, at the current meeting, will be comprehensive and will examine the issue at length and in depth, and will reflect the perspectives of developing countries on this topic, including that of sustainable development.

5. The report also notes the disparities that "continue to exist among national experiences, ranging from those countries which are not yet in a position to take any substantial measures to develop the potential benefits provided by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to those countries which have developed some capabilities and have taken initiatives in securing jurisdiction over their extended maritime zones, adopting ocean development policies and implementing programmes and projects."

6. In that context, the G77 and China underscores the importance of transfer of technology, as provided for in Part XIV of the UNCLOS. Likewise the Group accentuates the necessity of conservation and sustainable use of the oceans and their resources on the basis of science. The most relevant tool for capacity building in the sphere of science is the transfer of technology. Notably, this is the Part of UNCLOS in which there is a greater gap in implementation. This meeting should address this issue in depth.
 
7. A specific area of particular importance in which the disparities to which the Secretary-General Report refers relates to the application of Article 76 of the UNCLOS. Among the 45 Preliminary information indicative of the outer limits of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles, submitted to the Secretary-General by May 13th 2009, many of them were notified by developing countries, some of which would require capacity building, both in the training of human resources and in access to and interpretation of data.

8. In that regard, the report of the Secretary-General states that "the acquisition of new technologies continues to elude many States, particularly in view of limited financial resources" and adds that ". The need for technical capacity within States for the delimitation and delineation of maritime spaces is still paramount."

9. The need for capacity-building and assistance to developing States was identified in most of the ICP meetings. Since this need still exists and has in some cases become even greater, it would have been desirable that mandate had been given in Resolution 64/71 for the Secretary-General to request input from States. This is a gap that we should consider bridging

Mr. Co-Chair,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates,

10. The Group of 77 and China believes that the participation in activities in the Area, including marine scientific research would greatly benefit capacity building for developing countries, in particular in view of Article 143 of the UNCLOS.

11. The continued promotion by International Seabed Authority of a series of expert workshops, seminars and meetings, some of which held in developing countries outside the Authority's headquarter, have been an important development in the field and have a multiplier effect in creating opportunities for the development of capacity-building projects including in the South-South context.

12. The Group of 77 and China also considers it relevant that the report recognized that "Lack of financial resources is one of the most common impediments to capacity-building." In this context, the Group draws the attention to the International Seabed Authority Endowment Fund for Marine Scientific Research in the Area, established by the Assembly in resolution ISBA/12/A/11 of 16 August 2006, is an important instrument to promote and encourage the conduct of marine scientific research in the Area for the benefit of mankind as a whole, by supporting the participation of qualified scientists and technical personnel from developing countries in international cooperative marine scientific research programs and capacity building through training and technical assistance.

Mr. Co-Chair,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates,

13. As we are all aware, in addition to North-South cooperation, which is still very important, South-South cooperation is a rising and dynamic phenomenon, an important process that is vital to confront the challenges faced by developing countries in all fields, including oceans and the law of the sea, and an increasingly complementary contribution to their development.

14. In this context, the G77 and China believes that the theme of the eleventh meeting of the ICP provides a valuable opportunity to explore and promote South-South cooperation, so as to highlight the initiatives of enhancement of capacities between developing countries in areas related to oceans and the law of the sea, to identify new opportunities for South-South cooperation, as well as ascertain areas where support for South-South cooperation will have the greatest impact.

Mr. Co-Chair,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates,

15. The needs in capacity building are often seen from the exclusive point of view of the implementation of international commitments. The Group of 77 and China believes that this aspect must also be balanced by the need to develop capacities for effective participation in economic activities. That is particularly true in the field of fisheries, where developing countries must not only develop capacity to implement international norms applicable to the sustainability of fisheries but also to develop their own fisheries and to sustainably participate in high seas fisheries.

16. In conclusion, it is expected that the Consultative Process shall henceforth advocate more pragmatic approaches for the enhancement of the coordination and implementation of ocean affairs-related activities in developing countries, most of whom need to enhance capacities as a condition for sustainable development.

17. Finally, I would like to reiterate our best wishes for the success of your work and I assure you of the full cooperation of the G-77 and China during the process.

Thank you.