20 February 2015 – The Philippines handed over the chairmanship of the Group of 77 and China-Vienna Chapter to Chile in simple ceremonies on February 17.
“Last July, you had entrusted upon my country, the Philippines, the great honor and privilege of chairing the Group of 77 and China. It was with deep pride and humility, as well as with a great sense of responsibility, that I accepted the trust you have given us in promoting the collective interests of the Group.
Today it is equally a great honor for me to hand over the torch to its next bearer, the distinguished Permanent Representative of Chile, Ambassador Armin Andereya LaTorre,” Philippine Ambassador and Permanent Representative Lourdes O. Yparraguirre said.
In her statement, Ambassador Yparraguirre noted that the Group contributed in forging its central role as the champion of four-fifths of humanity through a strong partnership for peace, security, and development with the Vienna-based international organizations.
She cited the Group's pro-active role in the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) through its sponsorship of seven resolutions that were adopted at the 58th Session of the General Conference in 2014. She reported that the Group continued supporting the Agency in promoting the dissemination of nuclear technologies for peaceful purposes, while ensuring the necessary balance between the promotional and other statutory activities such as nuclear safety and nuclear security.
In the Preparatory Commission of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), she noted that the Group continued to stress the importance of promoting a balanced approach in its verification regime, which consists of the International Monitoring System, the International Data Center, and On-Sight Inspection.
She pointed out that the Group has also been an important actor in matters pertaining to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNDOC). In particular, she cited the 7th Session of the Conference of the Parties of the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crimes, where the Group expressed its interest in setting up a permanent, open, constructive, accountable and Member-State driven mechanism to deal effectively with the governance and financial challenges that UNODC continues to face.
In the context of United Nations International Development Organization (UNIDO), following the adoption of the "Lima Declaration towards inclusive and sustainable industrial development" and the UNIDO Guidance Document at the UNIDO 15th General Conference, which were spearheaded by the Group, she noted that the Group requested the Secretariat for further efforts in mobilizing funds for technical cooperation activities, while urging the Director General to continue promoting strong partnerships with all relevant stakeholders.
Ambassador Yparraguirre stressed that the Group of 77 and China remains all the more relevant as the United Nations celebrates the 70th anniversary of its founding and as the international community considers the post-2015 development agenda, which she described as “an ambitious, long-term agenda to improve people’s lives and protect the planet for future generations.”
She extended the full support and cooperation of the Philippine delegation to Ambassador Armin Andereya LaTorre, Permanent Representative of Chile, during his tenure as Chairman of the Group in 2015.
IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano, UNIDO Deputy to the Director General Taizo Nishikawa, UNODC Director Jean-Luc Lemahieu and CTBTO Preparatory Commission Director Genxin Li were on hand during the handover ceremony and delivered brief remarks on how their respective activities have a real impact on the lives of the peoples of the developing world.
In separate remarks, the Ambassadors of various delegations thanked Ambassador Yparraguirre and her predecessor, Ambassador Aliyar Lebbe Abdul Azeez of Sri Lank,a for their leadership and dedication in advancing the global development agenda. A number of delegations highlighted the importance of the Group’s unity in diversity in their pursuit of common goals.
The Philippines assumed the Chairmanship of the Group of 77 Vienna Chapter on July 16, 2014. Ambassador Azeez of Sri Lanka chaired the Group from January to June 2014. END