United Nations, September 24 (RHC)-- UN General Assembly (UNGA) President Dennis Francis has praised the Group of 77 (G77) plus China for supporting multilateralism.  At the annual ministerial meeting of the G77 plus China, held during the high-level week of the General Assembly in New York, Francis said that "at a time when multilateralism is being tested at every turn, the G77 countries plus China stand firmly behind the multilateral system." 

The UNGA president noted that during "this week we saw evidence of this with record participation by (UN) member states, especially from this group, and the adoption of four important political declarations."   According to the UN official, the world faces immense challenges, but retains the capacity to act. What is lacking is the will to act and the humility to listen and engage.

Dennis Francis expressed the hope that the group will continue to be the standard bearer for multilateralism.  The group's voice is needed for the pressing implementation of the 2030 Agenda and for the reform of the international financial architecture, Francis said. 

The official said that the fact that the world is off course in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) affects developing countries more than any other group of nations and as such, the G77 members plus China have the most to lose.

Losing the battle to implement the SDGs would have immense socio-economic repercussions that would cut across all sectors, from health and education to maritime systems and the rule of law. Therefore, the G77 plus China has a responsibility to maintain high commitments and ambitions in terms of SDG implementation, Francis added. 

Joining Efforts to Reform the International Financial Architecture
"As a matter of principle, we can no longer tolerate unjust financial systems that are hampering progress and keeping developing countries trapped in a vicious cycle of debt and deprivation," he said.

The G77 plus China has been instrumental in elevating the discussion around the reform of international financial institutions and has always had the leading voice on the need to fully implement the sustainable development agenda, he said.

The G77 is a coalition of developing countries at the UN. Its name derives from the 77 founding members, but membership has grown significantly to more than 130.