Madam. Chair,

1. At the outset, my delegation wishes to congratulate you and other members of the Bureau on your election to the Second Committee and assure you of our full support and cooperation.
2. My delegation aligns itself with the statements made by the distinguished representatives of Pakistan, Cambodia, Malawi and Botswana on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, ASEAN, LDCs and LLDCs respectively.

Madam Chair,

3. We are at a critical juncture when the international community is facing multi-faceted challenges ranging from armed conflicts to environmental crises and economic downturns that setback global development. These challenges have hindered and reversed the development gains during past decades. The implementation of the SDGs has never been so tarnished. It is disheartening that the most vulnerable groups of people and countries are now suffering the most. Countries in special situations namely the LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS which have endured the most difficult period coping with Covid-19 impacts, are additionally confronting climate, food, and energy crises. It is more vital than ever for the international community to find solutions, not only transformative, but also more practical, effective, action-oriented, sustainable, and tailored to the most pressing needs, so the most vulnerable are not left behind.
4. For the Lao PDR, the pandemic has imposed severe direct impacts on socio-economic development. The progress made prior to the global health crisis in the implementation of our national development and international commitments, like SDGs and others, has been severely undermined, affecting the livelihood of the people in all dimensions.
5. To support sustainable development, we are of the view that revitalized and resilient multilateralism as well as enhancement of regional and international cooperation is needed. As such, the reforms of the United Nations and other international organizations, including the international financial institutions should be carried out in an inclusive, open, transparent, predictable and democratic manner with a view to addressing rising inequalities within and among countries and other global challenges. Against this backdrop, we welcome the repositioning of the UN Development System and hope it can respond effectively to the development needs and priorities of member states with particular attention given to the countries in special situations, which are facing lingering vulnerabilities and external shocks.
6. While emphasizing the importance of enhancing the capacity of the UN system to fulfill its mandate, we are concerned about the continuing decline of the contribution to the core funding to the UN agencies. If this trend continues, it will affect the performance of the UN development agencies and development programs on the ground. In this context, we reiterate our view that development must remain at the core, and be an integral part and a top priority for the United Nations and all member states while promoting international peace, security, and human rights. My delegation deeply appreciates countries that have already provided a significant amount of official development assistance to developing countries and call on other countries to fulfill their ODA commitment of at least 0.7% of their GNI.

Madam. Chair,

7. It is my firm belief that during this Session, the Second Committee will come up with valuable insights and recommendations as well as exchanges of knowledge and best practices among all member states. I wish to conclude by reaffirming our strong commitment to continue working closely with development partners, UN agencies and other stakeholders to implement the internationally agreed development goals and other development cooperation frameworks. Thank you.