Madam President,

I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.

At the outset, the Group would like to thank the co-facilitators, Ambassador Jackman of Barbados and Ambassador Meli of Malta, for their hard work and dedication throughout this process, and in particular for their efforts in ensuring line-by-line negotiations on the text. This exercise has demonstrated that reform, when pursued through a Member State-driven and inclusive modality, is both possible and results in outcomes which command the support of all delegations.

Madam President,

The Group attaches great importance to the work of the Economic and Social Council as well as to the role of the High-Level Political Forum as the central platform for the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In this regard, we are largely supportive of the provisions contained in the resolution before us today.

The Group emphasizes the importance of strengthening coordination between ECOSOC and the Bretton Woods institutions, as provided for in the 1947 agreements and Article 63 of the UN Charter. We deeply regret that the Group's longstanding and consistent proposals on this issue were not accommodated in the final text. Consequently, the text does not sufficiently reflect the imperative of enhancing coordination between ECOSOC and the Bretton Woods institutions, nor does it adequately capture the Charter-based institutional relationship that underpins such cooperation. We therefore continue to believe that more robust dialogue and consultation mechanisms are necessary to enable the Council to fully exercise its Charter-mandated role.

On UN80, the Group wishes to express its disappointment that, at the very last stages of the negotiations, some delegations changed positions on flexibilities that they had previously expressed throughout the process.

We stress that the practice of tabling entirely new language on this matter for adoption, without consulting delegations in advance, should not be allowed to set a precedent for future intergovernmental processes.

With respect to the application of the UN80 mandate review provisions specifically, the Group reiterates its principled position that any review must be conducted on a case-by-case basis. Decisions on the creation, implementation and review of mandates remain the exclusive prerogative of Member States. The Group underscores that the diverse nature of mandates, and of the membership, governance structures and financial and administrative arrangements underpinning them across the United Nations system, must be given due recognition and respected accordingly. The Group further reiterates that any assessment of duplication or overlap must be based on accurate data and evidence and should not weaken mandates of particular importance to developing countries, particularly relating to the development pillar.

In conclusion, the Group reiterates its appreciation to the co-facilitators for the inclusive and transparent manner in which they conducted this process throughout. We also thank our thematic coordinators from Brazil and Pakistan.

I thank you, Madam President.