Statement by H.E. Mr. Manpreet Vohra, Ambassador of India to Peru and Bolivia at the 50th Anniversary Summit of the Group of 77 & China

Santa Cruz, Bolivia

June 14-15, 2014

H.E. Mr. Manpreet Vohra, Ambassador of India to Peru & Bolivia at the 50th Anniversary Summit of the G-77 & China

Mr. President,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates,                                            

At the outset, allow me to begin by expressing our sincere gratitude to the Government and people of the Plurinational State of Bolivia for their warm hospitality and excellent arrangements for this Summit.

I would also like to thank the Government of Bolivia for its esteemed leadership of the Group of 77 this year and for hosting this landmark 50th Anniversary Summit of the Group.

The theme of the Summit has been particularly well chosen for its contemporary value and forward-looking intent.

Mr. President,

I am honoured to bring to you and to all other delegations the greetings of the newly elected Government in India, which has taken office as a result of the largest democratic elections in the history of mankind.

The Government of India remains fully committed to eradicating poverty and bringing rapid economic growth and development to the people of India. We look forward to working closely with all the members of the G77 in the years ahead to realize these objectives, which we believe, India shares with all members of the Group of 77.

Mr. President,

The 50th Anniversary of the Group of 77 is a time for celebration as well as for consolidating the way forward.

The founding principles of the Group of 77 of equity, solidarity and unity are timeless and rooted in our collective aspiration to help our people achieve a life of dignity.

As we celebrate half-a-century of the Group of 77, these principles and ideals of the Group of 77 are more relevant than ever.

As the collective voice of over 130 countries, the Group has played a central and pivotal role in articulating the common voice of the global South.

The unity of the Group has enabled us to project our strong voice for the creation of a just and pro-development international order that supports developing countries in achieving their objectives of poverty eradication, food and energy security, sustained economic growth, full employment, social inclusion, provision of basic goods and services to their people and protection of the environment.

Mr. President,

This is also a time to look ahead.

It is a remarkable coincidence that the Group s 50th Anniversary comes at a time when the international community is about to launch its most ambitious multilateral developmental project in decades ‘ the Post-2015 Development Agenda.

Indeed, it is perhaps a reflection of contemporary global history that it has taken the international community more than half a century at the UN to think about negotiating and agreeing a comprehensive development agenda.

The Sustainable Development Goals and the wider Post-2015 Development Agenda will likely guide the international development priorities and serve as an overall template for global cooperation for many years to come.

It is imperative therefore that the Group of 77 takes a lead in negotiating this agenda.

Mr. President,

The Post-2015 Development Agenda and all associated processes must have a strong imprint of the core priorities of developing countries.

Adherence to the mandate of Rio+20 and respect for Rio principles, in particular the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, must underpin this agenda and its goals.

Mr. President,

The new development agenda should begin where the MDGs left off, building on them and strengthening them in the process.

It is unacceptable that 15 years into the 21st century, more than 1.3 billion people still live in extreme poverty.

The elimination of poverty through a process of rapid development must therefore remain the central and overarching objective of this agenda.

At the same time, it is important to synergize the social, economic and environmental dimensions of development and optimize solutions.

Development and environment do not necessarily have to be in conflict but can reinforce each other.

Achieving sustainable development would require avoiding choices that were made by the global North in its race for material prosperity.

This would require additional resources and unhindered access to the latest technologies available.

A supportive international environment to mobilize and provide enhanced financial and technological support to developing countries must therefore be a key component of the Post-2015 Development Agenda.

An ambitious Post-2015 Development Agenda must be matched by an equally ambitious and strengthened global partnership for development.

Mr. President,

The Post-2015 Development Agenda must also fully preserve the developmental policy space of developing countries. Development models and goals should not become over-prescriptive. What is important is that developing countries are assisted in building their capacity to be able to make sustainable choices for rapidly forging ahead.    

It is equally important for developing countries to preserve their rich and age-old base of traditional practices and intellectual capital, especially in agriculture, rural crafts and livelihood. We need to build on these and evolve appropriate development models for ourselves.

Addressing issues of inequity in consumption of global resources and correcting the unsustainable consumption patterns in developed countries will remain critical if we are to meaningfully address issues of sustainability of our planet.

Mr. President,

The Post-2015 Development Agenda will fall short of success without carrying out a comprehensive reform of institutions of global governance to give real voice and participation to developing countries. This is a collective and urgent priority of the Group and we must bring to bear our collective strength to achieve this objective.

Mr. President,

The Group of 77 has been a valuable asset for developing countries. As its founding member, India is proud of the achievements of the Group.

If we can together achieve some of the development priorities that I have outlined, then we will indeed be on the path to creating a New World Order for Living Well.

Before concluding Mr. Chairman, allow me to reiterate India s strong and abiding commitment to the Group of 77 and solidarity with all its members.

I thank you.

 

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