Mr. Chairman,

1. I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the Group of 77 and China. At the outset, let me thank you for your leadership of this session. I also extend my Group's appreciation for the statement made by the Under-Secretary-General of DESA Mr. Sha Zukang. The Group wishes to thank also the distinguished panelists for their useful presentations on the theme under discussion.

2. Sustainable waste management is crucial for eradicating poverty and promoting sustained economic growth and sustainable development. The rapid increase in volumes and types of both solid and hazardous waste as a result of economic growth, urbanization and industrialization is becoming a major issue for national and local governments, particularly in developing countries, which are constrained in terms of both resources and capacity.

3. Despite the success stories and progress made by developing countries towards the implementation of Johannesburg Programme of Implementation (JPOI) targets on waste management, the ineffective and inefficient waste management become a major and growing public health and environmental issues, particularly in urban areas, and threaten the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

4. The three over arching objectives of sustainable development i.e. protecting natural resources, eradicating poverty, and changing unsustainable production and consumption patterns are equally relevant to waste management.

5. During the CSD-18, we had undertaken a comprehensive review and appraisal of progress achieved in implementation of Agenda 21 and the JPOI on waste management. We also recognize the importance of the means of implementation for the effective implementation of development strategies and policies. We expect that CSD-19 would agree to a set of action-oriented policy options with a view to overcoming the constraints and obstacles hindering sustainable waste management in developing countries.

Mr. Chairman,

6. To address the challenges of waste management, we need to take actions at all levels. In this regard, Group of 77 and China suggest the following policy options for consideration by CSD-19:
Firstly, at the national level, taking into account their respective national priorities and circumstances, Governments should be encouraged to consider:

- Comprehensive national and local policies on waste management covering all types of waste and all aspects of waste management need to be formulated and rigorously enforced. Policy frameworks to support resource recovery from waste need to be strengthened as well.
- There is need to promote the use of biotechnologies, with emphasis on bio-remediation of land and water, waste treatment, soil conservation, reforestation, afforestation and land rehabilitation.
- The economic, environmental and social benefits, as well as the local applicability, of an integrated solid waste management approach with a focus on the 3 Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle) have been demonstrated, but need to be more widely disseminated.
- In this context, intensive efforts are needed in capacity-building financing 3Rs and transfer of technology in the municipalities of developing countries.
- Education and public awareness campaigns are vital for changing behavioral attitudes and promoting waste minimization and safe, environmentally-sound disposal, and should therefore be enhanced
- Solid waste management activities have been serving as means of income generation for people. The income generated is not only from wage payments but also from sales of items recovered from solid waste.
- Support for the improvement of regulatory frameworks and infrastructures, monitoring and data-collection capabilities for the effective monitoring of waste generation, treatment and disposal, and the establishment of criteria for waste treatment and disposal quality. This should be supported by effective national institutions with the necessary backstopping from the international community.
Secondly, we call for enhanced international cooperation that should enable developing countries to implement national plans and strategies through:
- Support transfer of knowledge and technology and foster investments in best practices for environmentally sound management of various waste streams in developing countries. The scale of investments needed for proper sanitation and environmentally sound management of wastes is beyond the capacity of developing countries.
- Capacity-building, research, education and training for efficient waste management.
- The international community should implement the relevant international agreements/conventions on waste management (particularly the Bamako, Basel and Cotonou Conventions) and provide assistance to developing countries to strengthen their national, human and institutional capacities for implementation and enforcement (especially for control of imports and exports of wastes and waste containing products).
- The international community should conclude, as a matter of urgency, the negotiations and ratification of a protocol on liability and compensation for damages under the Basel Convention.
- The availability of financial resources for developing, implementing and operating management systems in developing countries needs to be enhanced.
- Specific assistance is needed to establish proper inventories of hazardous, radio-active wastes and sites potentially affected by poor management of such wastes, as a basis for developing and implementing facilities for managing them and cleaning up contaminated sites.
- Assistance is also required for awareness and cultural exchange programmes for integrated waste management.
- There is a need to increase efforts to collect and responsibly treat e-waste and to increase safe recycling of e-products, including by electronic companies, as well as to put an end to growing e-waste dumps, in particular across the developing world.

I thank you.