Co-Chairs of the Ad-Hoc Working Group of the Whole,
Distinguished delegates,
Distinguished Members of the Group of Experts,
Representatives of International Organizations and other observers,
Ladies and gentlemen,

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

Allow me, at the outset, to congratulate Ambassador Donatus St. Aimée and Mrs. Renée Sauvé on their appointment as Co-Chairs of the Ad Hoc Working Group. We trust on your able leadership for the work we have ahead of us

We would like to recognize the Group of Experts for having produced very comprehensive and detailed documents, containing suggestions for this Working Group.

Nevertheless, I need to express the concern of the Group about the limited time Member States were given to study the documents and the options suggested by the Group of Experts, and to carefully consider their implications.

Co-Chairs,

The Regular Process is a tool conceived for facilitating the provision of inputs to contribute to the appropriate responses by States and competent regional and international organizations. It was conceived as a platform for science-policy interface.

The Regular Process, as shaped by the framework, objectives and principles already approved by the General Assembly upon recommendation of the Working Group of the Whole to recommend a course of Action, is guided by international law, including UNCLOS, is conducted under the United Nations and is ultimately accountable to the UN General Assembly.

One of the key features is its intergovernmental nature as a multilateral and inclusive process that ensures the full participation of governments in decision making and monitoring as well as in the appointment of experts.

The major purpose of the Process is to enhance the capacity of the competent authorities at the international, national and local levels to respond to the challenges to the sustainability of the marine environment, including addressing the socio-economic aspects adequately.

The Regular Process is fundamental to national capacity building. The enhancement of each country's capacity and applying methodologies for environmental assessment and monitoring would guarantee more complete and coherent inputs and strengthen the Process' possibility of building a network of scientific activity, which is one of its fundamental building blocks. Being an integral part of the Regular Process, capacity building and the transfer of technology should be effectively addressed.

Therefore, the Regular Process should promote, and ensure capacity-building and transfer of technology, including marine technology, in accordance with international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and other applicable international instruments and initiatives, for developing and other States, taking into account the criteria and guidelines on the transfer of marine technology of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC). This is essential as the global review of the state of the marine environment and the decision making process should be based on sound science.

As a global mechanism, the effectiveness of the Regular Process largely depends on the full participation of all countries of all regions in all its activities. Bearing this in mind, Member States adopted equitable geographical distribution as a guiding principle of the Regular Process, including the appointment of experts.

That full participation includes, naturally, developing countries. Their full involvement is essential not only in the conduct of the Process, but also at the expert level. One the one hand, it would contribute to capacity-building in a more complete and concrete manner. On the other, there is a wealth of knowledge and expertise arising from many years of research in their own regions not only in developed but also in developing countries. Such knowledge and expertise must not be wasted.

Co-Chairs,

The G77 and China is concerned about certain suggestions made by the experts which would entail a distortion of the framework and guiding principles of the Regular Process, in particular its intergovernmental character and the full participation of developing countries. Although the G77 and China is aware of the scarcity of resources in the Trust Fund, it is not in a position to explore some of the experts' suggestions. The G77 and China, however, is ready to explore all options for the provision of predictable financial resources for undertaking the activities of the Regular Process.

The Group upholds the principles already adopted by the General Assembly, because we are convinced they will ensure the relevance, legitimacy and credibility of the Regular Process and that all stakeholders accept their products as authoritative.

Co-Chairs,

The G77 and China attaches great importance to the Regular Process for the assessment of the marine environment including its socioeconomic aspects. In this regard, I wish to assure the Co-Chairs and other delegations its full cooperation during this meeting.

Thank you.