3G STATEMENT AT THE BRIEFING BY G20 CO-SHERPA OF INDONESIA, 1 APRIL 2022

Mr. President,

I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the Global Governance Group, or 3G, which comprises the following 30 Member States of the UN: The Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Botswana, Brunei, Chile, Costa Rica, Finland, Guatemala, Jamaica, Kuwait, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Monaco, Montenegro, New Zealand, Panama, Peru, the Philippines, Qatar, Rwanda, San Marino, Senegal, Slovenia, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, Viet Nam, and my own country, Singapore. The 3G is an informal grouping of small and medium-sized countries established in 2009, to facilitate greater engagement between the G20 and non-G20 members, and to build inclusive global governance. Our goal is to support multilateralism and the UN, by enhancing the coordination and cooperation between the G20 and the UN.

2        We would like to thank Indonesia and His Excellency Ambassador Dian Triansyah Djani, the G20 Co-Sherpa of Indonesia, for his briefing to the General Assembly on the priorities of Indonesia’s G20 Presidency. There is no doubt that the work of the G20 is important in maintaining macroeconomic stability and strengthening global governance.  The 3G will continue to support this important work.  We also welcome and appreciate Indonesia’s commitment to transparency and outreach, and its efforts to consult and brief the wider UN membership about its G20 priorities.

Mr. President,

3        The 3G welcomes Indonesia’s G20 Presidency and its theme of “Recover Together, Recover Stronger”. As Indonesian President Joko Widodo had eloquently stated at the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting earlier this year, “no single country could recover alone.  All countries are interconnected, no one is isolated.” We strongly support his view that now is not the time for new tensions that could affect global recovery, and that we should focus on synergy and collaboration to address global challenges.

4        We are also encouraged that Indonesia will build on the excellent efforts of previous G20 Presidencies in supporting the work of the UN. In particular, we support the three main pillars of Indonesia’s G20 Presidency, namely: Global Health Architecture, Sustainable Energy Transition, and Digital Transformation. 

These priorities are aligned with our ongoing discussions at the UN to accelerate progress on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. As we work towards a sustainable and inclusive recovery, the 3G believes that there is scope for synergies and coherence between Indonesia’s G20 priorities and the 2030 Agenda.

5        First, on global health, the 3G fully agrees that the existing global health architecture needs to be strengthened to address COVID-19 and future pandemics. In addition, we must address the pressing challenge of ensuring equitable access to and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, treatments, and diagnostics. Second, on digital transformation, the COVID-19 pandemic has clearly demonstrated the need to accelerate the digital transformation of our businesses and societies, and to enhance their resilience against future shocks.  We should strengthen the synergies between the G20’s work on digitalisation and the SDGs, particularly in the areas of job creation, industries, innovation and infrastructure.  Third, on sustainable energy transition, the 3G is of the view that international climate finance is critical for supporting developing countries’ climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts.  In this regard, we need to advance a common understanding on the comprehensive strategies needed to support the transition to low-greenhouse gas emission economies and societies.  The 3G further calls on the G20 to show leadership by heeding the call issued at COP26 in Glasgow to revisit and strengthen the 2030 targets in their nationally determined contributions, as necessary, to align with the Paris Agreement temperature goal by the end of 2022.

6        To conclude, the 3G looks forward to continuing our partnership with the G20 under Indonesia’s Presidency in 2022. We welcome Indonesia’s early efforts to strengthen the relationship between the G20 and the UN. We thank Indonesia for reaching out to a broad range of stakeholders, including non-G20 members. We look forward to working closely with Indonesia and the Indonesian Mission in New York, including by exchanging views on global issues, and to explore ways in which the G20 can collaborate with the UN to “recover together, recover stronger”. We reaffirm our commitment to support Indonesia in achieving a successful Bali Summit this year.

7        Thank you Mr. President.  

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