On Thursday at a UN General Assembly briefing, China's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Fu Cong, delivered a statement on behalf of the newly established Group of Friends of Global Governance.
He reminded delegates that with developing countries making up two-thirds of UN membership, any reform under the UN80 Initiative must reflect their needs and priorities.
“In order to make the UN better fit for today's challenges, it needs adaptation, revitalization, and strengthening,” he said, calling for reduced duplication, improved efficiency, and enhanced responsiveness.
The group outlined three priorities: boosting the effectiveness and efficiency of UN operations, addressing the concerns of developing nations, and ensuring a transparent, inclusive process.
Highlighting that two-thirds of the Sustainable Development Goals are lagging, the statement emphasized that development should remain the top priority. It urged mechanisms and resources to focus on capacity building and the 2030 Agenda, with equitable geographical representation and a stronger voice for developing countries.
Fu Cong underscored that the UN is an intergovernmental organization and that all member states should participate on an equal footing across the UN80 process and its workstreams.
The Group of Friends of Global Governance, officially established earlier this week at UN headquarters in New York, “stands ready to work with all parties in advancing the UN80 Initiative in a direction that supports a more just and equitable global governance system, strengthens the UN for the long term, and serves the common interests of all member states.”
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UN80 Initiative urged to address concerns of developing countries
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