A Pahad: Ministerial Meeting of Co-ordinating Bureau of Non-Aligned
Movement

29 May 2006

Hon Prime Minister Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Prime Minister of
Malaysia
Hon Deputy Prime Minister Dato' Sri Mohd Najib Abdul Razak
Hon Syed Hamid Albar, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia
Ministers of Foreign Affairs
Distinguished guests
Excellencies

On behalf of the Group of 77 and China, allow me to express our deepest
appreciation to the Government and people of Malaysia for hosting this
important meeting at a very crucial and challenging time facing all
humanity.

At the Millennium Summit in September 2000, the Heads of State and
Government declared that central challenge we face "is to ensure that
globalisation becomes a positive force for all the world's people. For while
globalisation offers great opportunities, at present its benefits are very
unevenly shared, while its costs are unevenly distributed."

Six years later, the global situation has not changed and millions of people
are still living below the poverty line. The imbalance in the decision and
policymaking processes of the global trade, economic and financial institutions
continue to weaken the world's response to poverty and underdevelopment. Many
developing countries, especially those in sub-Saharan Africa, will not meet the
Millennium Development Goals we set ourselves just a few years ago.

Of even greater concern is that the multilateral system that allows us to
respond collectively to these challenges is itself under threat. This makes it
more important than ever, that the Group 77 and China and the Non-Aligned
Movement should work together in defending the multilateral system; fighting
poverty and underdevelopment; maintaining peace and stability; and
restructuring the global exercise of economic and political power.

We can only make progress if we strengthen the role, capacity, effectiveness
and efficiency of the United Nations and improve its performances in order for
it to realize its full potential in accordance with the purpose and principles
of the Charter.

The Group of 77 and China supports the proposals of the Secretary-General
that will help strengthen the ability of the United Nations to implement its
mandates and effectively deliver on all its programmes. We are committed to
working with the Secretary-general and the President of the General assembly to
achieve the reform of the United Nations within the inter-governmental
framework that the Organisation provides. We believe that the reform should be
meaningful, strengthen the ability of the Organisation to implement its
mandates effectively and enable it to serve the interests of the collective
membership. A stronger United Nations that responds more effectively to our
collective needs is in our common interest.

Furthermore, the Group of 77 and China remains committed to the
implementation of all the outcomes of all the major UN conferences and summits,
including the 2005 World Summit Outcome. We attach high importance to the full
implementation of commitments, in particular those in the economic, social and
related fields. It is for this reason that we remain concerned at the slow
progress in the implementation of the 2005 World Summit Outcome decisions, in
particular those regarding development and the strengthening of the Economic
and Social Council.

The biggest challenge for the United Nations has been the spending cap that
has been imposed on the Secretary-General in carrying out his duties. We regret
the exceptional and unprecedented measure of restricting the expenditures of
the Organisation by authorizing the Secretary-General only to enter into
expenditures limited to fifty per cent of the approved budget for 2006. To
avoid a crisis within the UN and in its operational activities around the
world, the Group of 77 and China expects that the spending cap will be
automatically lifted at the end of June 2006 when the Secretary-General
requests more resources to fulfil his mandate.

Developing countries have always insisted that the Secretary-General should
receive adequate, predictable and uninterrupted resources to undertake
effectively the work of the Organisation. The financial stability of the United
Nations must not be jeopardised.

On Secretariat and Management Reform, the Group of 77 and China has
supported reforms adopted so far by the General Assembly, including increasing
the investigation capacity of the Office of Internal Oversight Services; the
creation of a UN ethics office; and the development of a whistle-blower policy.
We initiated some of these reforms, including the request for a report on the
review of the procurement policies, because of our desire for a stronger United
Nations.

The Group of 77 and China remains ready to engage constructively with other
Member States in an open, transparent and inclusive manner, to achieve the
necessary reforms to the United Nations as mandated by the 2005 World Summit
Outcome.

A stronger and more efficient United Nations is the only hope for addressing
the global challenges we face. And as the Group of 77 and China declared in the
Second South Summit Doha Plan of Action "unity and solidarity among countries
of the South is an indispensable element in the defence of our right to
development and for the creation of a more just and equitable international
order and for preserving and nurturing the policy space necessary for
developing countries to pursue their development objectives."

I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to Malaysia for their
excellent chairmanship of the NAM and welcome Cuba as the incoming Chair.

In conclusion, allow me Chairperson on behalf of the Group of 77 and China
to express our condolences to the Government and the people of Indonesia for
the earthquake tragedy that claimed many lives in the Java Province.

I thank you.

Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
29 May 2006