New York - Top United Nations officials stressed the importance of the participation of the bloc of developing countries known as the Group of 77 (G-77) and China in shaping the global development agenda beyond 2015.

“The G-77 can make or break negotiations on contentious issues. This is especially critical now as we make a final push to reach the Millennium Development Goals – and shape a vision for the post-2015 agenda,”
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in his remarks to the annual meeting of G-77 foreign ministers, held during the 68th session of the General Assembly in New York.

“The G-77 has pushed poverty eradication up on the global agenda. You have shown the power of South-South cooperation to drive economic growth. You are a strong voice for billions of people who are poor, hungry and vulnerable,” Mr. Ban said.

He emphasized that multilateralism will be the key to unlock the challenges of the 21st century and appealed to G-77 countries to stay engaged and help create a universal development agenda organized around a new global partnership for development, based on equity, cooperation and accountability with firm roots in
human rights. 

General Assembly President John Ashe commended the G-77 for helping to boost South-South cooperation, and added that this cooperation will continue to be vital in the post-2015 development agenda.

“It is crucial that South-South cooperation receives adequate and structured financial and institutional support, given that it continues to represent one of the best forms of solidarity and interdependence among developing countries,” Mr. Ashe said.

“As requested in many General Assembly resolutions, I am committed to working closely with the Secretary-General and Member States to move this agenda forward.”
The Group, established in 1964 by 77 States, now includes more than 130 countries, some two thirds of the UN membership, and over 60 per cent of the world’s population.

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