UN to work with ‘G-77 and its leadership’ after Palestine’s election as chairman: spokesman

UNITED NATIONS, July 31 (APP):The United Nations looks forward to working with the bloc of developing countries known as the Group of 77 and its leadership after the election of Palestine as its next chairman, a UN spokesman has said.

Created in June 1964, the 54-year-old Group comprises over 80 per cent of the world’s population and with 132 members it represents approximately two-thirds of the United Nations membership.

Traditionally, the G-77 speaks with a single voice on development issues before the 193-member General Assembly, the highest policy making body at the UN, and also at all UN committee meetings and at international conferences.

Palestine’s recent election to G-77’s chairmanship has irked Israel and the United States, the Jewish state’s closest ally, mainly on the ground that Palestine is a non-member observer state of the UN.

“Obviously these elections are in the hands of the member states,” Farhan Haq, the deputy spokesman of the UN Secretary-General told reporters in response to a question at the regular noon briefing at UN Headquarters in New York.

The group is “a very important venue for dealing with the concerns of the developing world,” he said, adding that “we look forward to working with the G-77 and its leadership as we face the challenges of the coming year.”

Under a system of geographical rotation, it was Asia’s turn to name a chairman for 2019. The Asian Group has unanimously endorsed Palestine, which will be formally elected chair at the annual G77 ministerial meeting, scheduled to take place in mid-September.

Palestine will take over from the current chair, Egypt, which is representing the African Group of countries.