Mr. President,
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 thank you and other members of the Bureau for organizing this very important segment.

2. The Group of 77 and China would like to thank Mr. John Holmes, Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, for his introductory statement. And we would like also to seize this opportunity to express our appreciation to the work that has been done by Mr Holmes during the past years and we wish him all the best in the future.

Mr. President,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates,

3. The Group of 77 and China welcomes the theme of Humanitarian Affairs Segment of the Economic and Social Council at its substantive session of 2010 entitled "Strengthening of the coordination of humanitarian assistance". It goes without saying that this segment offers a valuable opportunity to discuss the challenges, obstacles and lessons learned related to the strengthening of the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance of the United Nations.

4. There is no doubt that the humanitarian challenges resulting from complex emergencies and natural disasters continue to increase especially in developing countries. Moreover, these challenges have been compounded by 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. Therefore, it's crucial to redouble our efforts to address these challenges.

Mr. President,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates,

5. The Group of 77 and China reiterates its commitment to the guiding principles contained in the annex of the resolution 46/182 of 16 December 1991 as the framework for the provision of UN humanitarian assistance. Those principles, including, neutrality, humanity, impartiality and independence, should remain the basis of all responses to humanitarian emergencies and guide the efficiency and coordination of humanitarian assistance by the UN and other relevant organizations.

6. In this regard, we also emphasize the primary role of the concerned State in the initiation, organization, coordination, and implementation of humanitarian assistance.

7. The Group of 77 and China express its appreciation to the role of UN in the coordination of the humanitarian assistance and emphasizes the importance of enhancing the coordination, effectiveness in this regard.

8. The Group of 77 and China urges the international community to support the efforts of the developing countries in building humanitarian capacities, inter alia, through the transfer of technology and expertise and extending multi-sectoral cooperation.

9. We reaffirm that Member States must comply fully with their obligations under international humanitarian law, in particular the Fourth Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 to protect and assist civilians in occupied territories and call the UN System and the international community to strengthen their efforts to provide the humanitarian assistance to those civilians.

Mr. President,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates,

10. Funding remains a big challenge in the context of the humanitarian emergencies. In this regard it's vital to strengthening financial mechanisms for humanitarian assistance and ensure timely predictable and adequate funding for both complex emergencies and natural disasters in order to allow for an effective response to emergencies.
11. In conclusion, the Group of 77 and China has engaged actively and constructively during the negotiations on the resolution entitled "Strengthening of the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistant of the United Nations" and looks forward to its adoption by censuses.

I thank you.