7.3 The purpose of G-77 and China

The G-77 and China aims at articulating and promoting collective economic interests and enhancing the joint negotiating capacity on all major issues in the UN. This year the G-77 and China expounded on its key concerns for the first time in its history at the Havana Summit in April 2000 (Group of 77 South Summit 2000). It reiterated its full commitment to the spirit of the G-77 and China and decided to "map out a better future for our countries and peoples and to work towards the establishment of an international economic system which will be just and democratic." The Summit asked for support for the development agenda of the South. It argues: "while recognizing the value of environmental protection, labour standards, intellectual property protection, indigenous innovation and local community, sound macroeconomic management and promotion and protection of all universally recognized human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the right to development, and the treatment of each issue in its competent international organization, we reject all attempts to use these issues as conditionalities for restricting market access or aid and technology flows to developing countries." It goes on to state that "we believe that the prevailing modes of production and consumption in the industrialized world are unsustainable and should be changed for they threaten the very survival of the planet." Finally, "we advocate a solution for the serious global, regional, and local environmental problems facing humanity, based on the recognition of the North's ecological debt and the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities of the developed and developing countries."