Mr. President,
Excellencies,

1. My delegation aligns itself with the statements delivered on behalf of the Groups of 77 and China, LDCs, and the Group of Friends of GDI.

2. We commend the convening of this timely forum as we seek to reinvigorate momentum for implementing the Sevilla Commitment. With only four years to work on the 2030 Agenda, progress so far remains uneven.

3. In this context, we view the Sevilla Commitment as a key framework for closing the financing gap and achieving the SDGs. Its effective implementation requires strengthened multilateral cooperation and partnerships, sustained political will, and concrete actions by development partners, multilateral development banks, and international financial institutions.

4. At the national level, the Lao PDR is advancing its Smooth Transition Strategy toward sustainable graduation from LDC status this year. Through an Integrated National Financing Framework, we are aligning financing policies with our National Socio-Economic Development Plan and strengthening domestic resource mobilization.

5. Despite these efforts, various challenges continue to persist, including public debt and high servicing costs, persistent financial vulnerability, external shocks and declining official development assistance which have widened our financing gap and hindered the implementation of the SDGs and broader development agendas.

6. While we continue to strengthen domestic resource mobilization, international support remains indispensable. The Lao PDR underscores the importance of continued access to concessional finance, investment, technological transfer, connectivity, and a fair, open, and rules-based multilateral trading system to support our integration into regional and global markets.

7. We further emphasize the urgent need to reform the global financial system to make it more inclusive and responsive. This includes enhancing the representation of developing countries, expanding access to concessional resources, and advancing reforms to the international debt system to ensure transparency, fair restructuring, and access to affordable, and long-term solutions.

8. In closing, the Lao PDR remains committed to the 2030 Agenda and calls for strengthened global solidarity and the full implementation of commitments for tangible and impactful outcomes.

Thank you!