The establishment of the Group of 77 in June 1964 has been described by many academics and practitioners as one of the significant political phenomena of the post-Second World War era, when developing countries and emerging nations of the South found a common voice and rallied around a common platform, thus establishing the Group system as the most enduring instrument of multilateral international cooperation and negotiation.

It is a testimony to the vision of the founding fathers that the Group of 77 found strength in the common perception of the inequality of the international economic order and the need for greater justice and equity in international relations in order to achieve lasting world peace, security and prosperity. The Group of 77, representing the greatest coalition of humanity, remains today a vital negotiating instrument to represent the interest of the South in economic multilateral diplomacy and for ensuring international peace and justice through international cooperation for development within the framework of the United Nations.

The founding fathers of the Group of 77 in their first declaration in June 1964 stated that "the developing countries have a strong conviction that there is a vital need to maintain, and further strengthen, this unity in the years ahead." That unity and solidarity has withstood the test of time, despite momentous challenges and changing political and economic circumstances. The Group of 77 has risen to the challenge of change and responded without losing sight of its mission and clear vision of the need to create a more fair and equitable international economic order. Indeed, it is remarkable that with a diverse membership comprising 132 Member States and without a formal constitution or rules of procedure it has managed to endure through the world's political and economic turbulences and remain true to its original mission.

The history of the Group of 77 is identified by landmark achievements in every aspect of the United Nations system. The last two summits of the Group of 77 have redefined the mission of the Group and revitalized its commitment to meet the latest challenges from globalization and liberalization. It is, therefore, a commendable undertaking to document the path the Group of 77 has taken through action, determination and intellectual activity throughout four decades of action. The unique experience of the Group of 77 can only be shared if the relevant documentation, reflecting its achievements in various reports, declarations, agreements, resolutions and decisions are shared with the public at large. This valuable publication is particularly timely, following the Group's fortieth anniversary in June 2004 and its Second South Summit in June 2005.

The present series entitled “The Group of 77 at the United Nations” is being published in continuation of the earlier series, the first being “The Third World without Superpowers: The Collected Documents of the Non-Aligned Countries”, co-edited by Odette Jankowitsch and Karl P. Sauvant, which was published in 1978, while the second series entitled “The Third World without Superpowers: The Collected Documents of the Group of 77”, was co-edited by Karl P. Sauvant and Joachim W. Muller beginning in 1981, comprised of twenty volumes. The last volume was published in 1994 on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the Group of 77.

This first volume is launched to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Group of 77 with the objective of carrying forward the documentary process of the Group’s actions at the United Nations. I hope this volume will serve as a useful reference source for policy makers, academia and the public at large.

The present volume in this new series is the result of a compilation effort that provides a chronological record of events and documents of the Group of 77 since its creation in 1964, with a special focus on the two South Summits and other high-level follow-up conferences that took place during the period 1994-2005.

The volume opens with an introduction by the South Centre entitled "The Group of Seventy-seven at Forty". Eight chapters follow the introduction:

• Chapter I presents the main founding documents of the Group of 77.
• Chapter II lists the main documents adopted by various ministerial meetings of the Group of 77 in preparation of United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) sessions since 1967.
• Chapter III lists the Ministerial Declarations and Statements adopted by the Annual Meetings of the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the Group of 77.
• Chapter IV presents major documents adopted by the Special Ministerial Meetings of the Group of 77 convened on different occasions including on the commemoration of the anniversaries of the establishment of the Group of 77.
• Chapter V presents the relevant outcomes of a number of South-South Conferences that led to the holding of the first South Summit of the Group of 77 in 2000. As follow-up to the first South Summit, the Group of 77 also held a series of High-level Sectoral Conferences. This chapter lists their outcome documents.
• Chapter VI presents the relevant outcomes of the South Summits of the Group of 77, namely the Havana Declaration and the Havana Programme of Action (2000) and the Doha Declaration and the Doha Plan of Action (2005).
• Chapter VII presents the Final Communiqués adopted by the Meetings of the Chairmen/Coordinators of the Group of 77 Chapters since 1994.
• Chapter VIII includes major documents adopted by the Group of 77 in preparation for the World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conferences. It includes also the conclusions and recommendations adopted by various High-level Advisory Groups of Eminent Personalities and Intellectuals dealing with globalization issues and North-South relations.

Two annexes are included in the volume: Annex I pertains to the chronology of relevant meetings of the Group of 77 that are under review in this volume while Annex II lists the Member States of the Group of 77 as of 31 December 2005.

In compiling this documentary record, I am most indebted to Karl P. Sauvant, co-editor of the Second Series, for his encouragement and guidance. The valuable support and advice provided by Yiping Zhou, Director of the Special Unit for South-South Cooperation in the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), is gratefully acknowledged. Words of appreciation are also due to the staff members of the Office of the Chairman of the Group of 77 in New York for their continued contribution to the publication of the series.

Finally, the views expressed in this Series do not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations.

UN Library UN Headquarters, New York Call No.: Ref 382(049) C698

US Congress Library Washington D.C. Call No.: HF1413 .G714b

New York Public Library New York City Call No.: JFF 08-781 v. 1

Oxford University Press

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