Mr. President,

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

2. We thank the Co-Facilitators, Sweden and Kenya, and their respective teams, for their efforts in the negotiation process to achieve consensus on the adoption of the resolution “Modalities for the International Meeting entitled: ‘Stockholm+50: a healthy planet for the prosperity of all – our responsibility, our opportunity'”.

3. We also take this opportunity to express our sincere appreciation to our G77 and China Coordinator, Mr. Andrés Córdova, of the Permanent Mission of Ecuador, for his hard work, able negotiation skills and for duly representing our Group throughout the intergovernmental consultations of both the enabling and modalities resolutions of this International Meeting, playing a key role to their successful and consensual adoptions.

4. As it is reflected in PP1 of the resolution, we recall that the decision of having this International Meeting is to commemorate the 50 years since the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment and its outcome documents. This meeting will take place as a contribution to the environmental dimension of sustainable development to accelerate the implementation of commitments in the context of the decade of action and delivery for sustainable development, including a sustainable recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

5. We recall the decision of having this event as an “International Meeting” and not as a “Conference”, taking as precedent resolutions A/RES/57/262 and A/RES/58/213.

6. The Group restates its understanding that there is no expectation to redefine, renegotiate, nor mandate new mechanisms or new commitments, nor go beyond the provisions of Multilateral Environmental Agreements.

7. We also recall that the international meeting will result in a summary of discussions as its outcome document, as it has been referred in OP20.

8. The Group highlights the decisions that the international meeting should be mutually reinforcing with UNEP@50, avoiding overlap and duplication, as well as the role of UNEP in support of the preparations of the event. We also recall the invitation to the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) and the Committee of Permanent Representatives to UNEP, to provide input leading up to Stockholm+50.

9. With regards to OP3, and as it has been referred in detail through the explanatory note of the Secretariat, we stress the common understanding that the International Meeting and its preparation shall provide for the effective participation of the 193 Member States, four States members of Specialized Agencies -Cook Islands, Holy See, Niue and the State of Palestine-, and one regional economic integration organization, the European Union, that will participate on equal footing -on an equal basis, and with no differentiation-.

Mr. President,

10. The G77 and China reaffirms its position throughout the negotiation process on paragraph 15 of Annex 2, namely, to make a full stop after the reference to non-objection basis, without reference to bringing the list of other relevant non-governmental organizations for a final decision by the General Assembly regarding their participation in the international meeting, as well as to replace the footnote associated to this paragraph, so that the participation of the NGOs without consultative status to ECOSOC and the GA would be based on previously consensual agreed language.

11. The language proposed by the Group 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 continues to believe that the proposal put forward during the negotiation process, if approved by all the membership, would have offered a consensual consideration of paragraph 15 of Annex 2, based on agreed language on the issue of the participation of NGO without Consultative Status, to which the group expresses its full support.

12. The Group is disappointed that our proposal on the participation of NGOs put forward during the negotiation process, which was based on the previous consensus, was not accommodated. We believe that, as has been the case in this and other processes of the GA, the language of the aforementioned paragraph does not have the full support of all the membership and is not acknowledged as agreed language. As such, the Group considers that further efforts could be made to build upon language that can be broadly accepted by all.

Mr President,

13. The G77 and China looks forward to the International Meeting on Stockholm+50 and hopes that the event will be an occasion to raise awareness on the importance of protecting our planet and achieving sustainable development for the wellbeing of this and future generations.

Thank you, Mr. President.