Mr. President,

1. I have the honor to speak on behalf of the Group of 77 and China on an explanation of position after the adoption of the Resolution “Scope, Modalities, format and organization of the high-level meeting of the General Assembly to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action”.

2. At the outset, let me express the Group’s gratitude and appreciations to H.E Ms. Mathu Joyini, Permanent Representative of South Africa and H.E Mr. Francisco Duarte Lopes, Permanent Representative of Portugal, and their teams, for their able conduct of substantive and productive negotiations throughout the process. As a result, we have successfully adopted the Modalities Resolution paving the way for the important commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the Durban Declaration and its platform of Action.

3. I would like to take this opportunity to highlight the Group’s unwavering support for the Durban Declaration and its Programme of Action as a milestone document to prevent, combat and eliminate all forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerances. 20 years after its adoption, the Durban Declaration still provides a comprehensive and holistic road map to address and put an end to racism and racial discrimination throughout the world.

4. The members of the G77 and China stand in unity behind the values, the principles and the actions provided in the Durban Declaration and invite all delegations to consider the 20th anniversary of Duran Declaration as an opportunity to rise in solidarity against racism and racial discrimination, the consequences of which have been even more dramatic in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mr. President,

5. As a result of intense negotiations, consensus was reached on all but one paragraph of this Resolution, paragraph 10, on which the G77 and China had presented an alternative proposal. Paragraph 10 sets the modalities regarding the participation of non-Governmental organization without Consultative status to the ECOSOC, providing for their participation on a non-objection basis by Member States and for final decision by the General Assembly.

6. While the Group of 77 and China believes that the modalities set in this resolution reflect a balanced and adequate approach to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Durban Declaration, and supports the participation of all civil society segment to this important event, the G77 and China is, however, compelled to express its disappointment regarding the language of paragraph 10 which reflects neither the package-deals previously suggested by the co-facilitators, nor the initial amendments presented by the G77 and China to this paragraph.

7. In this regard, the Group would like to recall its position on paragraph 10. The Group had suggested to delete the later part of the current paragraph 10, namely the sentence “for final decision by the General Assembly” and the footnote associated to this paragraph, so that the participation of the NGOs without consultative status to ECOSOC will be based on previously consensual agreed language. This alternative suggestion aimed at ensuring the participation of NGOs without consultative status, on the one hand, and striking a balance between the different views on the role of the General Assembly in the decision pertaining to their participation, in the other hand. The Group still believes that this alternative, if approved by all Members States, would have offered a consensual consideration of Paragraph 10 and would have opened a new path for agreed language on the issue of the participation of NGO without Consultative Status, to which the group expresses its full support.

8. The group also recalls that the co-facilitators had attempted to find alternative suggestions to the current paragraph 10 by suggesting further amendments to other paragraphs of the Resolution, namely paragraph 7, and suggesting different language to the current OP10, reflecting the consensual agreed language adopted in the last modalities resolution for the 10th anniversary of Durban Declaration.

9. The G77 and China, despite its own proposals and positions to the curent paragraph 7 and OP 10, has shown its flexibility and was willing to support the two package-deals suggested by the Co-facilitators, and regrets that despite its support to various alternatives, the current paragraph 10 does not reflect or accommodate the concerns of the G77 and China.

10. Finally, Mr President, while joining consensus on the adoption of this important resolution and looking forward to the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Durban Declaration and its Platform of Action, the Group of 77 and China would like to register its concerns and position, expressed in this statement, on paragraph 10 and request that this statement be part of the official records of this meeting.

I thank you.