Dennis Francis (General Assembly President) at the Opening of G77 and China Summit | COP28, UN Climate Change Conference

His Excellency, Miguel Díaz-Canel, President of Cuba,His Excellency, Antonio Gutterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations,His Excellency, Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, President of COP28,Excellencies,Other distinguished delegates,Ladies and Gentlemen,Thank you for the opportunity to join you today.Allow me to recognize with deep appreciation the Government of Cuba as Chair of the G77 and China, for its exceptional leadership in successfully navigating a tumultuous year.As our world continues to be challenged by multiple, interconnected, and cross-cutting crises, strategic leadership of the Global South is needed more than ever, particularly on climate change.Multifaceted crises permeate every corner of our planet – severely affecting every country and community.Yet, these crises affect us all, though with varying impacts and on differing scales.The severe economic, social, and environmental devastation from climate change create more debilitating consequences for developing countries – despite having made only a miniscule contribution to this crisis.Naturally, this is most worrisome in Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries, and Small Island Developing States. That is, among the most vulnerable.It is therefore essential that COP28 delivers an ambitious series of climate action outcomes; outcomes that reaffirm and strengthen the path to the 1.5 degree target; that accelerate adaptation to assist and support those most vulnerable, struggling on the frontlines; and that produces a bold outcome on the promise made in Sharm El Sheikh to put in place a fund and funding arrangements for Loss and Damage.In the context of Loss and Damage, it is therefore refreshing and hopeful that the Fund has now been capitalized through pledges made by our host, the United Arab Emirates, and Germany, and several others.This constitutes a special achievement for the G77 and China, whose insistence on the creation of this mechanism is well known. Now that the Fund is established, it is hoped that other countries will follow the strategic leadership of the UAE and Germany, and ensure the sufficiency of resources in the Fund to underwrite the financial requirements for the adoption of adequate adaptation mechanisms.Excellencies,On each of these fronts, I must commend the work of the G77 and China.Members of this diverse group have undoubtedly been leading the charge to shift to renewable energy.As indeed they have been leading the calls for building resilience.They have spearheaded debates on climate finance – including pushing for the reform of the international financial architecture, that would afford developing countries better access to development funding without the overhang of unsustainable debt levels. A crucial priority of the G77 and China has also been to secure the actual implementation of the long-promised $100 billion to support climate action.And they have been instrumental in both prioritizing Loss and Damage, as well as in maintaining support for the Global Goal on Adaptation.As the President of the General Assembly, I am here to tell you that all the foregoing priorities are consistent with and underscore many of the fundamental values and principles of the United Nations. Such as, solidarity, cooperation, inclusion, and assisting and supporting the weaker to ensure that no one gets left behind.As mentioned during my address to world leaders yesterday, it is my intention to convene a Sustainability Week in April 2024, to address the dynamics of sustainability in relation to infrastructure, transportation, tourism, and, of course, energy.We must continue to push the needle on these sectors that are so essential to modern economies, that yet constitute some of the greatest contributors to atmospheric emissions.As I conclude, I invite the G77 and China to join me in making that Week a success, and to further build on, what I hope, will be a significant and impactful result from this COP28.Once again, I very much appreciate the privilege to participate in this G77 and China Leaders’ Summit, and I look forward, with anticipation, to working constructively with you, here at COP28 and back in New York, to secure ambitious, credible, transformative climate action that justly places sustainability at the very apex of our endeavours to stabilize atmospheric temperatures. I thank you.