UNITED NATIONS - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday said that the Group of 77 (G-77) and China are an important force in carrying out the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a blueprint for global development efforts for year leading up to 2030.
The statement came as the secretary-general was speaking at the 40th annual meeting of the foreign ministers of the Group of 77, which was held at the UN Headquarters in New York on the sidelines of the annual high-level debate of the UN General Assembly.
"The United Nations and the G-77 have an invaluable partnership, " Ban said. "Together, we have made enormous progress for human rights and human dignity."
"The G-77 and China was also a driving force behind the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development -- our truly transformative plan for the planet and all people," he said.
"I call on the G-77 countries to live up to the New York Declaration -- and pressure the developed world to do its part," the secretary-general said, referring to an international document adopted here by UN member states to address the issue of large movement of refugees and migrations.
"It is critical to address root causes," he said.  "Poverty, human rights abuses and violence drive people from their homes." (Xinhua)