Statement by H.E. Ambassador Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti

Permanent Representative of Brazil to the United Nations

G-77

Handover Ceremony of the Chairmanship of the Group of 77 and China

New York, 22 January 2010

"Mr. Chairman,

Allow me to reiterate our condolences to the people and Government of Haiti, to the UN Family and to those countries whose nationals have perished in the tragic events in Haiti.

I would like to express our sincere congratulations to the Republic of Yemen for assuming the Chairmanship of the G77/China for 2010. I would also like to convey our heartfelt appreciation to the Sudan for its able coordination of the Group in 2009. We congratulate and thank Ambassador Abdalmahmood Mohamad and his team for a splendid job, under very difficult circumstances.

Mr Chairman,

In 2010, the tasks for our group remain daunting. The world economy has avoided a meltdown. Still we must strive to ensure that past mistakes are not repeated in the future. It is incumbent on the G77/China to take the lead in strengthening the role of the United Nations in economic and financial affairs.

The G-77/China has an essential role in securing renewed commitment to sustainable development. Brazil reiterates its sincere recognition to the Group for its support from the outset to our proposal to host the Conference in Brazil in 2012. The leadership shown by the G-77/China in the negotiations during the past year successful results we achieved in this regard. On climate change, Brazil is fully committed to the continuation of negotiations in 2010 on the two tracks under the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol. In this respect, the role of the G-77/China is indispensable, in particular in moving beyond Copenhagen and ensuring a meaningful outcome to the negotiations.

Mr Chairman,

In 2010, the Group should be proactive, setting priorities and forging strategic common positions so as to effectively advance the interests of developing countries. We fully support the suggestions made by Ambassador Hamidon Ali, Permanent Representative of Malaysia, for a strong and coherent G-77. The principles and ideals that unite us remain as valid today as ever. The Group needs pragmatism of purpose and realism in action to achieve the concrete results that all of us expect.

You can rest assured, Mr. Chairman, of our full cooperation and continued support.

Thank you".