FAO.org

Joint Statement of the Group of 77 and China 
177th Session of the FAO Council 

Item 4 

Mr. Chair, 

It is an honor to speak on behalf of the Group of 77 and China in the context of the discussion on the 2026-2027 Program of Work and Budget (PWB), as well as the 2026-2029 Medium-Term Plan (MTP). 

Hunger and poverty remain two of the greatest challenges facing humanity in the 21st century, with indicators showing persistent hunger and poverty. Current financing mechanisms often suffer from fragmentation, small-scale focus, high transaction costs, and risk aversion, which limits their effectiveness. Recent announcements of cuts to development budgets have caused deep concern within the international community.  

Challenges continue to grow, but the means to address them are diminishing. Efficiency improvement measures are important, but they will not be sufficient to overcome financial challenges.  

We reiterate that the Program of Work and Budget must ensure the strengthening of the normative and standard-setting functions of the Organization and its statutory bodies, including the Codex Alimentarius and the International Plant Protection Convention, ensuring that the proposed increases for these programs in the 2026-2027 budget are maintained. 

We note the estimate in the PWB for extrabudgetary resources, and would like to request that information on this estimate be disaggregated by resources from vertical funds and IFIs and resources from bilateral donors to headquarters and to the field.  

We express our concern that the COFI and COAG subcommittees are solely financed by extrabudgetary contributions, which risks the continuity of their work, especially in such an adverse financing scenario.   

Our Group expresses its deep concern regarding the reduction of the budget for the 2026-2027 biennium, particularly concerning the Technical Cooperation Program (TCP). This program is a cornerstone for FAO, as it enables the Organization to fulfill its mandate of providing on-the-ground assistance to Member States, offering rapid responses and essential technical support. Therefore, we request that the budget allocated to the TCP be reviewed to ensure that it, at a minimum, maintains the same level of resources as in the 2024-2025 biennium. 

We understand the financial challenges that require budgetary adjustments. However, we reiterate the need to comply with Resolution 9/89, which urges the Director-General to make every effort to increase the level of TCP resources to 17% of the total Regular Program budget. 

This increase is justified by several structural factors: 

• The increasing number of Member States are eligible for assistance under the program. 

• The growing complexity of TCP projects, which require more contributions from specialized technical experts. 

• The rising demand for assistance in new sectors. 

Considering this, we request that the Secretariat present a detailed explanatory note on the allocation of resources to the TCP, including proposals to increase the level of resources, ensuring that it at least remains at the same level as in the 2024-2025 biennium, for consideration at the 44th Conference. 

Mr. President, the Group of 77 and China reaffirms its commitment to the principles of solidarity and multilateral cooperation for achieving food security and sustainable development. In this regard, we call for our organization to prioritize its on-the-ground technical assistancecapacities at the national, subregional, and regional levels. 

We trust that these considerations will be taken into account in the final formulation of the FAO's budget and strategic plans.