Madame President,

1. I have the honor to deliver this intervention on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.

2. The Group appreciates the overview provided by USG Guy Ryder, as well as the briefings on work packages 18, 21 and 22 by ASG Elizabeth Spehar and Special Adviser Jens Wandel.

3. The Group welcomes the circulation of the pre-briefing materials and reiterates the importance of receiving documentation sufficiently in advance to enable substantive and informed engagement.

4. The Group reaffirms its support for the objective of the UN80 Initiative: strengthening the ability of the United Nations to deliver effectively and achieve greater impact on the ground. The process must remain transparent, inclusive and intergovernmental, and fully respect mandates approved by Member States. Reform efforts should neither dilute mandates nor weaken the Organization's presence in programme countries. The Group emphasizes that reforms identified as requiring intergovernmental consideration must not be implemented before such consideration has substantively taken place. The Secretariat must apply this principle consistently.

5. Regarding work package 18, the Group takes note of proposals aimed at improving the coherence and sustainability of the voluntary funding architecture. We recognize the complementary roles of core, pooled and earmarked resources. Nevertheless, predictable and sustainable voluntary funding, particularly core funding, remains indispensable. Any review of the UN funding architecture must not come at the expense of developing countries.

The Group would welcome additional clarification on "positioning pooled funding strategically", the proposed "repositioning of the Joint SDG Fund", the "development of system-wide results standards", and how these initiatives will take into account the diversity of mandates and operational contexts across the United Nations system.

6. Concerning work package 21, the Group acknowledges the value of strengthening the connection between mandates, resources and results across the United Nations system. Any system-wide "Management for Results (MfR) mechanism" should, build on existing reporting, avoid duplication and the creation of additional administrative layers, and respect the mandates and governance arrangements of individual entities.

Regarding the proposed mechanism of dialogue between UN System Principals and Member States, the Group underscores the importance of ensuring that this engagement is meaningful, transparent and inclusive, with the Secretariat playing a neutral role throughout the process.

7. On actions 49, 55 and 58 in work package 22, the Group takes note of the efforts to enhance coherence in prevention, peacebuilding and peace support, particularly in response to nationally identified priorities.

Nonetheless, the Group stresses that this exercise and the broader discussions on the regional reset and expertise-on-demand initiatives constitute two distinct conversations. We reaffirm that operational activities for development must remain firmly focused on poverty eradication in all its forms and dimensions as the overarching objective of the United Nations development system. Moreover, the Group further underscores that the primary purpose of the Resident Coordinator system is to support sustainable development in programme countries. The system should therefore avoid mandate overlap, duplication and unnecessary reporting burdens, while ensuring that development functions are not diverted from their core objectives, and that an effective and robust country presence is maintained.

8. More broadly, the Group underscores the need for greater clarity regarding the way forward, including the sequencing, timelines and intergovernmental consideration of proposals requiring Member State decisions. The Group looks forward to receiving the outstanding information and reports sufficiently in advance, and to continued engagement aimed at identifying realistic priorities, safeguarding the prerogatives of relevant governing bodies, and ensuring transparent, inclusive and well-informed consultations.

The Group remains committed to engaging constructively in the UN80 process to advance a more effective, efficient, equitable and representative United Nations that strengthens mandate delivery.

Thank you.