Excellencies,
Since 1964, the G77 has spoken with a common voice.
Together, you have championed development…
Driven South-South cooperation…
Strengthened multilateralism, including through your support for the Pact for the Future…
And provided vital leadership for key UN reforms.
Excellencies,
The G77 and China’s quest for justice must continue.
Conflicts are raging.
Ceasefires are broken.
Human rights and international law are flouted with impunity.
Climate chaos is worsening, with another year of record-breaking heat.
Inequality is deepening.
And progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals is lagging.
Development is the ultimate driver of equality, human dignity, prosperity and peace.
But declining official development assistance and falling trust and solidarity demand that we urgently find ways to protect the vision and goals of the 2030 Agenda.
We must also recognize the clear need for peace.
From the Middle East, to Gaza, Sudan, Yemen and elsewhere, we need an end to the conflicts that are pushing development further out of reach.
Excellencies,
These converging challenges demand solutions grounded in justice.
First — financial justice.
Developing countries are drowning in debt.
They need an additional $4 trillion per year to achieve the SDGs.
Through the Sevilla Commitment, Member States pledged to work to raise more domestic resources and to better channel them to areas of greatest need.
But Multilateral Development Banks must aggressively scale up investment.
Bank shareholders must accelerate reforms, provide fresh capital, expand concessional finance, and unlock private investment.
And we must increase the participation and weight of developing countries across the international financial architecture, bringing it in line with today’s global economy and reforming adequately the international financial institutions.
More than 100 G77 countries are supporting or spearheading initiatives under the Sevilla Platform for Action.
And we need your leadership across our initiatives to make global economic governance more effective and inclusive — including the Borrowers Platform and negotiations on the UN Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation.
Second — climate justice.
The climate crisis is hitting developing countries hardest.
Extreme heat, floods, droughts, storms and rising seas are destroying lives, livelihoods and eroding hard won development gains.
Climate justice means protecting people before disasters strike — and standing with them as they recover and adapt.
That requires a tripling of adaptation finance.
Far greater resources for loss and damage – accessible, predictable and at the scale required.
And every person on earth being protected by an effective early warning system.
Climate justice also means ensuring that developing countries benefit from the renewables revolution.
Clean energy now attracts twice as much investment as fossil fuels.
But the benefits are not being shared equally.
The countries with some of the greatest renewable energy potential are receiving the least investment.
Africa has 60 per cent of the planet’s best solar potential, but receives just two per cent of global clean energy investments.
Developing countries must be leaders and beneficiaries of the clean energy revolution — not spectators.
That means affordable finance for renewables, grids and storage.
And it means justice in the responsible management of critical minerals — benefitting and adding value in producing countries first and more foremost.
As I usually say, no more plundering, no more exploitation.
The clean energy transition must reduce global inequalities — not reproduce them.
Third — technological justice.
Artificial intelligence should benefit all countries, not just those that can afford it.
We cannot let it perpetuate the inequalities and injustices that plague our world.
I am grateful for the G77’s support for the UN in establishing an Independent International Scientific Panel and a Global Dialogue on AI Governance to give all countries an equal voice.
And your support will be critical in establishing a Global Fund for AI Capacity Development.
And fourth – justice through reform.
From the start, the G77 and China have been strong and vocal supporters of our efforts to reform global institutions.
For example, the United Nations Security Council and the Bretton Woods institutions were created before many of your countries became independent.
These systems don’t reflect the voice, the influence and the economic and political power that developing countries, in particular, now wield.
They must be reformed.
And you have been a wellspring of ideas and support as we move forward also with our UN80 Initiative.
This includes reforms to advance gender parity, ensure justice in geographic representation, focus on country-level results, and improve the effectiveness of our work…
To expand countries’ access to UN assets and knowledge across the system to deal with complex challenges and make progress on Agenda 2030…
And to revitalize key UN bodies — including the committees of the General Assembly and ECOSOC.
Every step of the way, we are working to respect the leadership of Member States and the principle of national ownership.
All while maintaining a laser focus on the three core pillars of our organization — peace and security, development and human rights.
I urge you to continue working with us as we finalize these reforms, and ensure effective and impactful support of your priorities for decades to come.
Excellencies,
From the start, the G77 has shown that narrow self-interest is no match for countries acting in solidarity.
While this is my last meeting with your ministerial group as Secretary-General, I will always stand with you in your quest for justice, development and peace.
Thank you
