Establishment:
The Group of 77 (G-77) was established on 15 June 1964 by
seventy-seven developing countries signatories of the "Joint
Declaration of the Seventy-Seven Countries" issued at the end of
the first session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and
Development (UNCTAD) in Geneva. Beginning with the first
Ministerial Meeting of the Group of 77 in Algiers in 1967 which
adopted the Charter of Algiers, a permanent institutional
structure gradually developed which led to the creation of
Chapters of the Group of 77 in Rome (FAO), Vienna (UNIDO), Paris
(UNESCO), Nairobi (UNEP) and the Group of 24 in Washington, D.C.
(IMF and World Bank). Although the membership of the G-77 has
increased to 132 countries, the original name was retained
because of its historic significance.
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Aims
As the largest Third World coalition in the United Nations, the
Group of 77 provides the means for the developing world to
articulate and promote its collective economic interests and
enhance its joint negotiating capacity on all major
international economic issues in the United Nations system, and
promote economic and technical cooperation among developing
countries (ECDC/TCDC).
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Structure
The organization and modalities of work of the G-77 in the
various Chapters have certain minimal features in common such as
a similarity in membership, decision-making and certain
operating methods. The Group's work in each Chapter is
coordinated by a chairman who acts as its spokesman. The
chairmanship rotates on a regional basis (between Africa, Asia,
and Latin America and the Caribbean) and is held for one year in
all the Chapters. Currently Jamaica holds the Chairmanship of
the Group of 77 in New York for the year 2005.
The Ministerial Meeting is the supreme decision-making body of
the Group of 77. They are convened annually at the beginning of
the regular sessions of the General Assembly of the United
Nations in New York and periodically in preparation for UNCTAD
sessions and the General Conferences of UNIDO and UNESCO.
Special Ministerial Meetings are also called as needed such as
on the occasion of the Group's 25th anniversary (Caracas, June
1989) and 30th anniversary (New York, June 1994). In April 2000
the Group of 77 met for the first time at the level of heads of
state or government which therefore elevated decision-making
within the Group of 77 to the highest political level. The
Chairmanship is the highest political institution within the
organizational structure of the Group of 77.
The Intergovernmental Follow-up and Coordination Committee on
Economic Cooperation among Developing Countries (IFCC) is a
plenary body consisting of senior officials which meets once
every two years to review the state of implementation of the
Caracas Programme of Action (CPA) adopted by the Group of 77 in
1981. The IFCC was last convened in Tehran, Islamic Republic of
Iran, in August 2001. Subsidiary structures created to support
the CPA include, among others, the Core of Assistants to the
Chairman of the Group of 77, the Committee of Experts of the
Perez-Guerrero Trust Fund (PGTF) for ECDC/TCDC, the General
Conference and Steering Committee of Chambers of Commerce and
Industry of the Group of 77, Action Committees, and National
Focal Points for ECDC.
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Finance
The activities of the Group of 77 are financed through
contributions by Member States and other developing countries.
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Activities
Produces joint declarations, action programmes and
agreements on specific topic such as Algiers Charter in1967;
Lima Declaration in 1971; Manila Declaration in 1976; Arusha
Programme for Self-Reliance and Framework for Negotiations in
1979; Caracas Programme of Action on ECDC in 1981; Cairo
Declaration on ECDC in 1986; Havana Declaration in 1987;
Agreement on a Global System of Trade Preferences among
Developing Countries (GSTP) in 1988; Caracas Declaration in
1989; Tehran Declaration in 1991; 30th Anniversary Ministerial
Declaration in 1994; Ministerial Statement on "An Agenda for
Development" in1994; San Jose Declaration and Plan of Action on
South-South Trade, Investment and Finance in 1997; Bali
Declaration and Plan of Action on Regional and Subregional
Economic Cooperation of the Developing Countries in 1998; Havana
Programme of Action adopted by the South Summit in 2000; and
Tehran Consensus adopted by IFCC-X in 2001.
Makes statements, sponsors and negotiates resolutions and
decisions at global conferences and other meetings held under
the aegis of the United Nations dealing with international
economic cooperation and development.
Sponsors projects on ECDC/TCDC in developing countries through
funding from the Perez-Guerrero Trust Fund.
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Publications
Journal of the Group of 77, periodical newsletter published in
English.
The Third World without Superpowers: The Collected Works of the
Group of 77 (20 volumes), 1983-. Oceana Publications, Dobbs
Ferry, New York.
Guide to ECDC: Supplement to the ECDC Handbook, 1983.
Economic and Technical Cooperation among Developing
Countries: the Group of 77 in Action, 2 vols., 1984.
Raul Prebisch: Obras, 1919-1949, vols. III and IV, 1994.
Published in cooperation with the Raul Prebisch Foundation
(Argentina) with financial support from the Perez- Guerrero
Trust Fund.
30 Years of the Group of 77 (1964-1994), 1994. South Centre
publications, Geneva.
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