38th Annual Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs
Group of 77 & China
26 September 2014
New York
 

Statement by
Ms. Sujata Mehta,
Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India
 

Mr. Chairman,
 

Bolivia\'s leadership of the Group over this very active year has been exceptional.
 

Your Permanent Representative Ambassador Sacha Soliz and his team have played a pivotal role in guiding the discussions of the Group.
 

I also extend our congratulations to South Africa on its election as the Chairman of the G77 for 2015, when negotiations on important issues will continue. They can count on India\'s support.
 

May I also extend a very warm welcome to South Sudan as the newest member of our family.
 

Mr. Chairman,
 

The creation of this Group half a century ago was a remarkable development in the history of the evolution of global governance.
 

The Group provided a strong voice and collective bargaining power to developing countries, most emerging from colonial rule, with little resources and individual capacities.
 

Over the decades, the Group has demonstrated the power of unity in helping each other defend their common interests.  As a result, the membership has of the group has nearly doubled.
 

The group has displayed solidarity and worked closely to pursue our common aims in the entire range of multilateral negotiations from trade issues to climate change to sustainable development.
 

India is a founding member of the Group and greatly values its membership of the Group of 77 and its close association with all its members.
 

India has remained actively engaged with the Group. We are proud of the many achievements of the Group and remain fully committed to work together in future on issues of importance to the developing world.
 

Mr. Chairman,
 

We congratulate Bolivia for hosting the 50th anniversary Summit of the Group of 77 with such warmth and friendship. The historic Santa Cruz Declaration will guide the Group in the upcoming negotiations on various global issues.
 

Despite the several successes of the Group, there still remain various issues where a North-South divide continues. The continued solidarity of the Group will be crucial in defending and promoting our interests.
 

The Group is currently active in the negotiations on Climate Change and Post 2015 development Agenda including Sustainable Development Goals and Financing for development. All these processes will dominate global discourse for another year.
 

While there may be some occasional differences of emphasis in the positions that individual or groups of countries within the Group of 77 may take, the core interest of our fellow members remains to secure a conducive international framework to achieve rapid and inclusive economic growth for the eradication of poverty and promotion of sustainable development for our peoples.
 

Mr. Chairman,
 

These common developmental priorities of the Group of 77 must be at the heart of the new development agenda.
 

Even though the Group did not negotiate the SDGs as one voice, the members of this Group played a very important role in arriving at the final outcome of the Open Working Group.
 

The Group must now ensure that the outcome of the Open Working Group is fully preserved as the basis for integrating SDGs into the Post-2015 Development Agenda.
 

Mr. Chairman,
 

The Group\'s engagement on the Post-2015 Development Agenda must help the international community come to the realization that the pockets of prosperity amidst widespread poverty are not just immoral, but also politically and economically unsustainable.
 

An ambitious and comprehensive agenda with poverty eradication as its overarching objective and a balanced emphasis on the three dimensions of sustainable development will therefore be in everyone\'s interest.
 

Mr. Chairman,
 

2015 is also an important milestone for climate change negotiations. Sustainable development and climate change issues are closely interlinked.
 

We need to remain united in our pursuit of a comprehensive, balanced and equitable outcome to ongoing negotiations in accordance with the principles and provisions of the Convention, in particular the principles of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities.
 

Mr. Chairman,
 

The special needs of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Small Island Developing States (SIDS), Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) and African countries must continue to receive the highest priority in the Group. 
 

We thank the Government and people of Samoa for hosting the 3rd International Conference highlighting the issues of interest to SIDS.
 

With a large coastline and a number of distant islands, India is acutely aware of the unique challenges and vulnerabilities faced by Small Island Developing States.
 

India also looks forward to a successful outcome of the 2nd Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries in Austria later this year.
 

Mr. Chairman,
 

The Group of 77 is a shining and fundamental example of South-South Cooperation in its true sense.
 

India has always offered its solidarity and help in various ways to fellow developing countries. India remains committed to deepening our longstanding ties with members of this Group further.
 

Mr. Chairman,
 

2015 will be the 70th anniversary year of the founding of the United Nations. Along with the global governance institutions in financial and economic and other spheres, the United Nations of today must reflect the contemporary realities and aspirations of its current membership to remain relevant.
 

In conclusion, Mr. Chairman, I would like to reiterate India\'s strong and abiding commitment to the G77 and solidarity with all its members.
 

I thank you.
 

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