Mr. President,

1. I have the honour to speak on behalf of the Group of 77 and China on agenda item 13, (a), "Sustainable Development".

2. The G-77 and China has consistently called for simultaneous action to address the challenges related to all the three pillars of sustainable development in a coordinated, integrated and comprehensive manner. At the national and international levels, the economic, social and environmental goals should be promoted in complementary and consistent ways. Therefore, progress in the environmental pillar of sustainable development should be matched by simultaneous progress on the economic and social pillars as well.

3. The fact that poverty is rampant globally and on the rise in some countries and regions only lends greater urgency for seeking sustainable and development oriented solutions to the challenges we face. In our endeavours to promote solutions to the challenges of sustainable development, we must ensure that the priority problems of poverty, hunger and under development remain the center of our attention.

4. It is, therefore, very important to enable the Commission on Sustainable Development, consistent with its mandate, to serve as an effective forum for ensuring full and effective implementation of commitments and to promote the integration of the three pillars of sustainable development i.e. economic development, social development and the environmental protection.

Mr. President,

5. The challenge of environmental degradation and climate change is huge and clearly beyond the capacity of the developing countries to address it on their own. Working together with our Partners, premised on the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, is, therefore, the only way forward. Full implementation of commitments in the context of sustainable development is critical to the advancement of the international development agenda.

6. In that sense, we support that means of implementation will be on the line of the principles of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, Agenda 21, the Programme for the Further Implementation of the Agenda 21, the Johannesburg Declaration on Sustainable Development and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, that continue to be the relevant reference for our Sustainable Development Agenda.

7. We believe that the ECOSOC should serve as a catalyst for greater support by the international community for the continuing efforts of developing countries to integrate sustainable development into economic policy and planning, as well as highlighting the impeding effect that external factors can have on such efforts.

8. As a functional commission of ECOSOC, the CSD is mandated to promote further implementation of Agenda 21, and to identify constraints in implementation and make recommendations to overcome these constraints. It is also mandated to review issues related to financial assistance and transfer of technology for sustainable development and capacity-building. It is therefore the role of the ECOSOC to ensure that the Commission fulfills this mandate with regard to action-oriented policy recommendations to address the shortfall of financial assistance and transfer of technology. It is important for the ECOSOC to send a strong and positive message in this regard.

9. Closing the implementation gap must be accorded the highest priority if we are serious about sustainable development. The Group of 77 and China takes this opportunity to urge our development partners to take the steps necessary to ensure that longstanding commitments are fulfilled, and to make greater use of the potential of the ECOSOC to advance greater action in implementing the Agenda 21 in an integrated and coordinated manner.

Thank you Mr. President.