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H. E the Chairperson, Excellencies, Perm Reps, Ladies and Gentleman. Good morning/Good Afternoon. It is a great honour for me to deliver this statement on behalf of the G77 and China.

Mr. Chair,

I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the Group of 77 and China and would like to highlight the following points:-

The Group of 77 and China acknowledge the role played by FAO in the fields of aquaculture, fisheries and fish value chains. 

We recognize that this work is crucial to the achievement of Agenda 2030 and the SDG14 as it contributes mainly to the achievement of SDG1 on poverty eradication and SDG2 on ending hunger.

 In this regard, we also appreciate the active participation of FAO in relevant international fora such as the UN High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development, the United Nations Oceans Conference and the fourth Our Ocean Conference in Malta. 

The group recognizes also the link between the normative work of FAO and other organizations and the implementation of many SDGs. In this regard, we particularly make reference to the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (CCRF), the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries and Aquaculture, the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSFG), the Common Vision for Sustainable Food and Agriculture.

Mr Chair, 

We stress the importance of national ownership of the SDGs. We encourage FAO, being the custodian of 21 SDG indicators, to continue to provide the necessary capacity building to enable national statistical institutions to measure the implementation of the SDGs.  Many developing countries and LDCs can benefit from FAOs knowledge to generate and disseminate national data related to the progress in the implementation. 

As shown by the report, many countries may face various challenges in the production of the indicator of target 14.4 (– by 2020 restoring fish stocks to levels that can produce maximum sustainable yield (MSY), due to data and capacity limitations. 

Mr Chair, 

We welcome FAO plans to scale-up countries experience and foster the national uptake of indicator 14.4.1 by providing, training on methodologies applicable in data-poor situations and in-stock status determination, and capacity building in data collection on catch, effort and biological data which in the medium term will contribute to improving stock assessments. We call FAO to allocate the necessary financial resources needed for this undertaking. 

Mr Chair

The G77 and China stress the importance of fighting illegal fishing. In this regard, we appreciate the work by FAO to foster adherence to the international instruments aiming to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing including by adherence to international law Agreements related to this matters.

Many of the Group Members are Small Island developing states and LDCs, which depend mainly on the fisheries sector. Investing in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors can bring huge economic and health benefits to developing countries, which go beyond SDG2. By providing access to markets, on all ways and regulations, many of the small-scale artisanal fishers can improve their living standards and health.

Mr Chair,

We call on major donors to provide the needed financing to fill capacity gaps in National Statistical Systems and enable countries to produce and use SDG indicators effectively. This can enable developing countries to design effective evidence-based national policies and strategies to meet SDG targets.

The Blue Growth initiative is a key endeavour that could lead to the acceleration of the implementation of the SDGs. It is an effective platform for developing programmes towards achieving the various goals under Agenda 2030. We look forward to the discussion of the proposed of the Blue Forum considering its importance in fostering synergies between all stakeholders. 

We recognize the importance of promoting partnerships between the public and private sectors in support of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, and support initiatives that will lead countries towards the achievement of SDG14 targets.

We request FAO to give more priority to south-south and triangle cooperation in the fields of fisheries and aquaculture. 

 And Finally, 

We recognize that the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development not only advances the goals of the UN Charter, but also embodies the aspirations of people everywhere for lives of peace, security and dignity on a healthy planet.

 Thank you