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

2. At the outset, I would like to express our thanks and appreciation, to you, Mr. Secretary General, for your insightful briefing and all information provided.

3. We welcome the transparent and inclusive consultation process held so far, by Madam Deputy Secretary-General, and the objectives for the review to assess progress made and identify areas where further action is needed.

3. We took note of your report on the review of the functioning of the reinvigorated Resident Coordinator System, circulated this morning.

4. We welcome the solid foundation created since resolution 72/279, with independent, empowered resident coordinators leading UN country teams towards the implementation of new cooperation frameworks agreed with governments, with increased backstopping capacities through DCO and the Resident Coordinator Offices.

5. The changes have already had an impact on the quality and the scale provided – as evidenced in the response of the UN development system to the COVID-19 pandemic and its socio-economic impact.

6. Member States are satisfied with the performance of the RCs, in particular, to face the COVID-19 pandemic, however, we believe that there is room for its improvement and make it more resilient and fits for the purpose, namely helping countries to reach sustainable development with the eradication of poverty as overarching objective, under national leadership and ownership.

7. Indeed, three years after the adoption of the resolution 72/279, it is time to review the RC system, a centerpiece of the United Nations Development System of the paramount importance of our countries in their effort to implement the 2030 Agenda.

8. Also, the review comes at a time when even more is demanded of the UN development system, to provide coordinated and integrated support to the Member States needs and priorities, as they recover from COVID-19 and implement the SDGs in the Decade of Action.

9. The G77 and China believes that this is an opportunity to deliver on the ambition of the reform of the development system initiated in 2018 and to make the system more efficient.

10. In this regard, we note the recommendations from the Secretary-General, in particular:

– The need to further strengthen Resident Coordinators’ ability to provide leadership, strengthen their coordinating and convening function to bring UN country teams together in support of the achievement of SDGs;

– The need for predictable and sustainable funding to the RC system is an essential condition for the Resident Coordinator to perform its function, but that hasn’t been achieved yet. This needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency for the RC system to provide the best possible support in the Decade of Action.

11. With the release of the report, the first phase of the review process is over and the second is launched under the leadership of Mr. Sofiane Mimouni, Permanent Representative of Algeria, and Mr. Martin Bille Hermann, Permanent Representative of Denmark, who have been appointed by the President of the General Assembly as co-facilitators of the intergovernmental consultations.

12. I would like to assure the co-facilitators of our Group’s full support and our readiness to engage constructively during the process that we hope will be smooth and swift.

13. I seize this opportunity to emphasize the necessity to avoid reopening already agreed mandate and to highlight that the resolution should address the representation of the developing countries in the system, especially on the selection of RCs and recruitment of UNDCO staff, as well as the reinforcement of the reporting mechanism to allow better coordination between RCs and Host Country as well as the UN Headquarters.

14. In conclusion, the Group looks forward to the resolution on RC System Review to ensure the UN Development System continued support to our countries in their effort for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in this Decade of Action and Delivery for Sustainable Development, as well as recover from and build back better from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Thank you.