Mr. President,

1. I have the honour to take the floor on behalf of the Group of 77 and China. The Group wishes to thank the Secretary-General for his report on the implementation of GA Resolution 67/226 on the Quadrennial Comprehensive Policy Review (QCPR), which has been the basis for discussions at this Operational Activities Segment, as well as for the negotiations of the resolution to be adopted.

2. The importance of the QCPR in providing guidance for the operational activities for development for the United Nations cannot be over-emphasised. It has reaffirmed principles and fundamental characteristics of operational activities, and provides detailed policy guidance and an ambitious workload for the UN development system for the four year period which it covers.

3. The Group of 77 and China notes that the SG's report on the implementation of the QCPR for ECOSOC was drafted within months of the adoption of QCPR, and as such has limited implementation to report on. Nonetheless, the Group acknowledges that work has begun on various mandates of the QCPR by the UN development system. The Group looks forward to implementation of all aspects of the mandate of QCPR, without selectivity, and in a timely manner. This will allow substantive progress to be reviewed by ECOSOC in fulfillment of its coordination and monitoring mandate in 2014 on the basis of a focused SG's report with precise recommendations.

4. In this regard, the Group reiterates its position that the UN Development System, through the Secretariat, must provide Member States with a coherent and unified monitoring framework incorporating the inputs of programme countries and all agencies with operational activities for the review of ECOSOC and the General Assembly. The monitoring framework must be targeted at assessing improvements in effectiveness, efficiency, coherence and impact in assisting developing countries in achieving their development goals. A piece-meal approach with multiple sets of indicators and/or frameworks will not be beneficial to the developmental work of the United Nations for programme countries. The Group notes the preparation of an Action Plan by the United Nations Development Group, and regrets that this was not prepared in consultation with Member States, nor coordinated with the monitoring framework prepared by the Secretariat.

5. The Group also welcomes the establishment of an interim coordination mechanism for system-wide evaluation of operational activities for development of the UN system, and looks forward to appropriate system wide evaluations being conducted. It is unfortunate that the policy document containing proposals for pilot system-wide evaluations was made available with too little time to consider and agree on the pilot evaluations proposed. In this regard, the Group looks forward to a discussion within 2013 to allow for the pilot evaluations to be agreed on and implemented so as to be meaningful in the timeline of the QCPR.

Mr. President,

6. With regard to issues in the QCPR, the Group wishes to highlight a few key concerns that we feel need attention in this first year of implementation:

i. Firstly, the need for the quality and quantity of funding for operational activities to be addressed - the Group has steadfastly expressed its concern about the high dependency of the UN development system on non-core resources, and highlighted the need to address the imbalance between core and non-core resources for operational activities for development, and for these resources to be programmed on the basis of the needs and priorities of programme countries. It is clear that more non-core resources earmarked for specific projects increase administrative costs for the UN system and detract from a coordinated approach, and that this is not in the interest of programme countries;

ii. Secondly, the gaps highlighted in the SG's report on the UN system's contribution to building and using national capacities show that programme countries feel that the UN system needs to step up its work on national capacities. An examination of reasons for the gap in perceptions of the effectiveness of this work, and renewed focus in this regard is needed to enable programme countries to benefit from their own expertise in dealing with the challenges they face in achieving their developmental goals.

iii. Thirdly, with the progress made in defining a cost-sharing arrangement for the Resident Coordinator system, the need for functional firewalls to be clear so that RCs with dual roles are able to execute their RC functions independently of their other roles.

iv. Fourthly, that efficiencies achieved through initiatives such as the consolidation of support services are channeled to programmatic activities. Mandates aimed at improving efficiencies in the system are not goals in themselves, but aimed at allowing greater focus on the developmental challenges of eradicating poverty, improving livelihoods, including through building national capacities.

v. Fifthly and finally, the need for the heads of the UN entities for operational activities, as requested in the QCPR, to pay special attention to the implementation of South-South cooperation projects managed or supported by the UN Office for South-South cooperation, and for these entities to use the resources and knowledge of the Office of South-South Cooperation to facilitate best practices in South-South cooperation.

Mr. President

7. The Group of 77 and China looks forward to continuing its engagement on these and other issues related to operational activities for development of the United Nations in the constructive spirit that has marked our deliberations on the QCPR and on the resolution on its implementation to be adopted by ECOSOC at this operational activities segment.

I thank you Mr. President.