Mr. President,

The Chinese delegation supports the statement made by the representative of Jamaica on behalf of the Group of 77 and China. I now wish to present the following points on items 41, 46 and 44.

We are glad to note that the current ECOSOC has carried out effective work in the economic and social fields, and held full discussions on a number of related major issues, laying a solid foundation for the success of this year's summit. During this year's substantive meeting, the ECOSOC held many round-table meeting on the MDGs, and invited experts for panel discussions on working methods within the UN system and on experience and lessons of the Indian Ocean earthquake/tsunami. ECOSOC discussions have thus become more substantive and realistic. Earlier, the ECOSOC also conducted preparatory meeting for the high-level segment and the spring dialogue between the ECOSOC and the Bretton Woods Institutes, the WTO and the UNCTAD. These meetings and discussions have served to vigorously mobilize the attention and political will of all parties on development issues, and bring about consensus on international development cooperation. All these have contributed to the UN summit. We wish to express our appreciation to Ambassador Akram, President of the ECOSOC, and other members of the Bureau for their pioneering spirit and leadership.

Mr. President,

The outcomes of the major UN conferences and summits in the economic, social and related fields have constituted UN development agenda. The just-concluded UN Summit 2005 has reaffirmed relevant international agreements and national commitments. This has sparked enthusiasms of all parties in realizing internationally agreed development goals. The development section of the summit has shown once again that development is a unified and comprehensive concept with various factors interrelated and mutually reinforcing. It requires considerations and actions in an all-round and balanced manner. The purpose of integrated and coordinated implementation of outcomes of major UN conferences aims at focusing on interlinks among conferences, mobilize various forces, and promote implementation more effectively. It has been proved over the past few years that the biggest problem in follow-up actions is the "huge gap" between words and actions. The summit has provided us with an important opportunity by setting forth the "road map" for the international community. It is essential for all countries and walks of life to act jointly, plan comprehensively, advance steadily, and contribute their due share.

1. To achieve development involves a multi-level and complex process, and the outcomes of major UN conferences and summits cannot be materialized overnight. It is necessary to define key areas and set the order of priorities, so as to mobilize maximum resources, achieve optimum distribution of forces, and get the most desirable result. Thanks to the joint efforts of all countries, the MDGs have received worldwide recognition and extensive support, and their significance has been officially affirmed by the UN summits. The focus of our attention should now be turned to implementation of MDGs as the first chapter for the realization of all relevant development goals.

2. Action at the national level is a pivotal link in integrated and coordinated implementation of the outcomes of the major UN conferences and summits. There exists a wide spectrum of national conditions. Only by combining the consensus of international conferences with their specific national conditions, can countries truly claim their "ownership", can actions be made realistically and effectively. National governments have the responsibility to embody various international consensuses into their national development strategies, and make them an organic part of their own development programs. At the regional and international levels, constructive dialogues should be encouraged. These will both help exchange experience and stimulate new thoughts, and also better mobilize resources and technical means to support the national efforts of coordinated implementation of their development strategies.

3. The United Nations, as the promoter for integrated and coordinated follow-up to the outcomes of major UN conferences, should vigorously mobilize all social sectors and encourage them to offer ideas and resources. In order to maintain its due leadership, the relevant UN meetings need to be pragmatic and effective in their agenda, and find innovative ways. The related policy discussions should genuinely specify policies, expand consensus, and find shortcomings and weaknesses, so as to better mobilize and coordinate international actions. There should be better communication and coordination among organizations and agencies to ensure policy coherence and avoid contradictions and overlapping. In actual practice, countries can define the themes for exchanges and dialogues according to major issues at different period of time. In order to encourage worldwide attention and extensive involvement by all social sectors, meeting arrangements could be more flexible and diversified. The good momentum formed during the preparation for the UN Summit 2005 could be maintained. The UN Millennium Project Reports have evoked strong global response. Its working mechanism, research and recommendations should be fully used.

4. Effective global action needs corresponding organizational guarantee. The ECOSOC, as the main organ within the UN system to promote economic and social development, has its special advantages in pushing for the implementation of the internationally agreed development goals. The outcome document of the 2005 summit has requested the ECOSOC to hold annual ministerial meeting, review progress in implementing related internationally agreed development goals, strengthen inter-agency coordination, and respond to the new development challenges. To fulfill these important missions, ECOSOC needs to make necessary adjustments, improve its allocation of resources and manpower, and reform its working methods. We hope that the ECOSOC will make good use of this opportunity to reinforce its coordinating functions, and form an integrated review mechanism on the basis of the reviews undertaken by functional commissions and other agencies on the progress of various conferences and summits.

5. Integrated and coordinated implementation calls for integrated and coordinated supervision. Currently, many agencies, both within and outside the UN system, have conducted progress evaluation on the related development goals in their own specific field, with limited influence. We call for the establishment of a unified and comprehensive framework led by the UN for progress evaluation of internationally agreed development goals. This will both appraise national progress, and also supervise and evaluate international cooperation and development aid. Though such a framework, countries can be urged to fulfill their pledges and joint efforts can be made towards internationally agreed development goals.

Mr. President,

As regards the special session on children, we welcome achievements made in recent years by national governments, agencies and NGOs in implementing the program of action. The advancement of children's cause is an important mark of social and economic development and human progress. The Chinese Government has made its consistent policy to adhere to the principle of children first and fully guarantee the children's right to live and grow up under protection and their right of participation. The Chinese Government, based on the fundamental principles of China's Constitution, formed a legal system of protecting the rights and interests of children as early as in the 1980s. To fulfill its commitments to the special session on children, the Chinese Government has, in recent years, vigorously implemented the "Chinese Children Development Program (2001-2010)", and offered necessary human, financial, and material resources to promote the development of children's cause. At present, on Mainland China, all provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities), 97.7% of prefectures (cities and districts), and 99.5% of counties (towns and districts) have formulated local development programs for children. In addition, China has also formulated a number of policies, rules and regulations, offering powerful legal guarantee for protection of poor and vulnerable children and removal of development and gender inequalities. Naturally, as the biggest developing country, China still faces many challenges in its children's cause. The Chinese Government will continue to make tireless efforts to seek solutions to children-related issues, and is ready to actively participate in the international cooperation in this field, so as to further advance the children's cause and enable children in the world to enjoy a bright and promising future.

Mr. President,

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the 4th World Conference on Women. The 49th session of the Commission on the Status of Women comprehensively evaluated the implementation of Beijing Declaration and Program of Action and outcome document of the 23rd special GA session on women and adopted a commemorative declaration. As the host of the 4th World Conference on Women, the Chinese Government has also held a commemorative meeting and the declaration adopted at this meeting has been circulated as a document for this session. We hope that through the joint efforts of all countries, the endeavor for gender equality and protection of the rights and interests of women and children will be further advanced.

Thank you, Mr. President.