{"id":126370,"date":"2019-01-21T12:00:28","date_gmt":"2019-01-21T12:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/?p=126370"},"modified":"2019-01-28T10:15:24","modified_gmt":"2019-01-28T10:15:24","slug":"historic-moment-palestine-takes-reins-of-un-coalition-of-developing-countries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2019\/01\/historic-moment-palestine-takes-reins-of-un-coalition-of-developing-countries\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Historic\u2019 Moment: Palestine Takes Reins of UN Coalition of Developing Countries"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>15 Jan 2019 – Acknowledging \u201ca long road ahead\u201d on the United Nations ambitious agenda, Secretary-General Ant\u00f3nio Guterres<\/a> welcomed today \u201cthe historic leadership of the state of Palestine\u201d as the new Chair of the Group of 77\u2019s (G77).<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u00a0<\/em>\u201cPalestine and its citizens have first-hand experience of some of the most challenging and dramatic global issues we face\u201d said<\/a> Mr. Guterres in his remarks at the annual ceremony for handover of the rotating Chairmanship of the G77.<\/p>\n

Egypt was the previous Chair of the bloc, a coalition of 134 developing countries, along with China.<\/p>\n

The decision to elect Palestine as 2019 Chair of the G77 was taken in September 2018 by the foreign ministers of the Groups\u2019 member States.<\/p>\n

A month later, the UN General Assembly approved a resolution<\/a> that enabled Palestine \u2013 a non-member Observer State<\/a> at the world body \u2013 additional privileges and rights<\/a>, such participating in international conferences held under its auspices, for the duration of its role as G77 Chair.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou are well-placed to take up the chairmanship of this important group of countries,\u201d Mr. Guterres said today.<\/p>\n

As multilateralism continues to come under \u201cintense pressure from many sides\u201d, the UN chief underscored the importance of the G77 and China\u2019s continued support.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Handover Ceremony of the Chairmanship of the Group of 77, from the Arab Republic of Egypt to the State of Palestine. UN Photo\/Manuel Elias<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cThe Group of 77 and China has demonstrated strong leadership throughout 2018 and proved once again to be a central force in demonstrating that multilateralism is the only way to address our shared challenges,\u201d said Mr. Guterres.<\/p>\n

Learn more about the Group of 77 and how it works with the UN.<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

He credited the Group and the prior Egyptian presidency as having been \u201cat the heart\u201d of the progress made in challenges that ranged from climate change to rising inequality and fast changing and new technologies.<\/p>\n

He singled out Egypt\u2019s \u201chighly effective\u201d leadership and advocacy on finance for developing countries to meet their climate action commitments.<\/p>\n

He called the group \u201cinstrumental\u201d in achieving both: a comprehensive agreement that deals with migration in all its dimensions, the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration; and a Development System to eradicate poverty, implement programmes on a national level and to position development \u201cat the centre of UN activities\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou help to keep the United Nations focused on the issues that count for the most vulnerable, and we owe you a debt of gratitude for your extremely constructive role\u201d, the Secretary-General said.<\/p>\n

“Palestine and its citizens have first-hand experience of some of the most challenging and dramatic global issues we face” \u2013<\/em><\/strong>UN chief<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

With climate action at the forefront, Mr. Guterres laid out how critical a year 2019 will be for ending poverty, reducing inequalities, and transiting to more inclusive and sustainable economies.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we do not put policies and commitments in place to launch a decade of climate action by 2020, it will be too late to avoid catastrophic climate change with unforeseeable consequences\u201d he argued. \u201cMany of the Group of 77 countries would be among the first and worst to suffer.\u201d<\/p>\n

He urged the G77 to bring \u201csolutions and commitments\u201d to, among others, the Climate Summit<\/a> in September and enumerated other upcoming events in need of the bloc\u2019s support, including the General Assembly\u2019s High-Level Political Forum<\/a>; the high-level meeting to review progress<\/a> made on the SAMOA pathway<\/a> for small island developing States to help lay foundations for progress on the Sustainable Development Goals<\/a> (SDGs); and the Second High-level UN Conference on South-South Cooperation<\/a> in Buenos Aires, Argentina, this coming March.<\/p>\n

\u201cI anticipate that the G77 and China will have a central role in all these negotiations and processes, and I urge you to consider them in an integrated, coherent and unified way\u201d urged the UN chief.<\/p>\n