Pretoria - As the chair of Group of 77 and China, South Africa on Wednesday paid a courtesy call on the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, to exchange views on the calendar of the United Nations in the year 2015.
South African Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Kingsley Mamabolo, used the visit to inform the Secretary-General that South Africa was in full support of the Secretary-General’s priorities outlined on 8 January 2015 and would, as the Chair of the Group of 77 and China, work closely with the Executive Office of the Secretary-General.
On the inter-governmental process on Financing for Development scheduled to commence from 27-29 January 2015 in New York, Ambassador Mamabolo informed the Secretary-General that there was a need for close cooperation between the G77 and China and the SG’s Office, while on the Post-2015 Development Agenda there was a lot of engagement already.
Ambassador Mamabolo mentioned that as the Chair of the Group of 77 he would invite the Secretary-General to interact with the broader membership of the Group to discuss issues of mutual concern and of global importance in the near future.
In turn, the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon affirmed his support for the chairperson.
“You can count on me and my staff during your chairmanship,” the Secretary General said, adding that the G77 was a very important organisation and its active engagement in UN processes was crucial.
He mentioned that the year 2015 would be a critical year as it marks the target date of the MDGs; the negotiations on Climate Change legal instrument; the convening of the Third Conference on Financing for Development would be held; as well as a summit to adopt the Post-2015 development Agenda.
The Secretary-General added that during South Africa’s chairship, a number of multilateral high-level meetings will be organised, such as the World Summit on Information, Disaster Conference in Japan and the Review of the Istanbul Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries, amongst others.
The Chair of the G77 and the Secretary-General agreed to work together to deepen cooperation between their two Offices.
The Group of 77 is the largest intergovernmental organization of developing countries in the UN, which provides the means for the countries of the South to articulate and promote their collective economic interests and enhance their joint negotiating capacity on all major international economic issues within the UN system, and promote South-South cooperation for development.
South Africa assumed the chairship of the group, on 8 January 2015, at a Handover Ceremony at the United Nations Headquarters in New York to which International Relations and Cooperation Deputy Minister Luwellyn Landers led the South African delegation. – SAnews.gov.za
