Mr. Chairman:

Since the 1990's, with a view to strengthening international cooperation for development and achieving the sustained economic growth and overall social progress of all countries, especially the developing countries, the United Nations convened a series of important international conferences in the field of development and laid down objectives and tasks. How to coordinate the implementation of the outcome of these conferences and summits and really implement the follow-up is of great importance.

The integrated and coordinated implementation of the follow-up should be based on the objectives, principles, commitments and consensus reached by the international community on international cooperation for development. Firm observance of these principles will guarantee that follow-up actions are in the right direction. Development, especially the promotion of the development of the developing countries, is a common theme connecting the major conferences and summits and their outcome documents. In the integrated and coordinated implementation and follow-up actions this common theme must be upheld. The guarantee of adequate financing, the transfer of technology on favorable terms and capacity-building are of the utmost importance to the follow-up actions. Otherwise the follow-up actions will just be so much empty talk.

At present there are still differences of view regarding how to carry out an integrated and coordinated implementation of the outcome of the major U.N. conferences. We hope that the Second Committee will discuss this issue fully at the present session of the General Assembly. The discussion should consider the necessary division of labor and cooperation among various U.N. bodies in carrying out the follow-up so that it will implement the outcomes of the conferences in a more coordinated and effective manner. We shall actively participate in the consultations and make constructive proposals.

Mr. Chairman,

The Chinese delegation has taken note of the Secretary-General's report on basic indicators. We agree that appropriate indicators are helpful tools to measure the progress in the implementation of the outcomes of the major U.N. conferences. They can assist the overall review and evaluation and reduce the burden of multiple submissions of data. How to set up the indicators and which ones to choose, on this issue I would like to stress the following points. First, resolution 2000/27 of the Economic and Social Council points out that the limited number of common indicators should be selected from those currently accepted and widely used by member states of the United Nations. It must be guaranteed that all countries fully participate in the choosing of an indicator which must also have the approval of governments concerned. This is an important principle. Second, the indicators used to monitor the implementation of the follow-up to major U.N. conferences must be confined to those already contained in the outcome documents. Third, the application of the indicators should take full account of the concrete conditions of countries, their varying stages of development and their actual statistical capabilities. There must not be any imposition. The strengthening of the statistical capabilities of developing countries through international cooperation is the key to making the basic indicators really play a role. Four, there should be a full study of the issue of indicators. Attention should not be only focused on actions at the national level. Much remains to be done in the study of indicators concerning the means of implementation of international cooperation. Five, the Statistical Commission has done a lot of work in the study of basic indicators. We are of the view that ECOSOC should also listen to the views of other functional commissions regarding indicators in their respective fields.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.