I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf Group of 77 and China

The Group of 77 and China welcome the High-level Multi-stakeholder Informal Meeting to launch the Global Dialogue on Artificial Intelligence Governance under the auspices of the General Assembly. We consider this meeting a key milestone in advancing common understanding on how to harness artificial intelligence for sustainable development and inclusive growth, through a platform for collaboration bringing together governments, academia, the private sector and civil society.

In this context, we cannot overlook the growing digital divide within and between countries. While AI holds immense potential to drive development, access and benefits remain highly uneven, particularly in developing and least developed countries, due to stark disparities in infrastructure, technical capacities and human skills. Addressing these gaps is essential to ensure that AI contributes to fair, inclusive, and equitable development.

The Group also welcomes the report of the Secretary-General on "Innovative Financing Options for AI Capacity Building" (A/79/966), transmitted by the Office of the President of the General Assembly. We view this report as an important contribution to discussions on enhancing financing modalities that can enable developing countries to strengthen national capacities, including regulatory frameworks, and fully benefit from the digital transformation.

When used responsibly and in balance, AI can unlock wide opportunities to advance the three dimensions of sustainable development, fostering economic growth, social progress and environmental protection. Our shared responsibility is to ensure that AI remains development-oriented, trustworthy, interpretable, ethical, inclusive, and consistent with international law.

In this regard, the Group emphasizes the importance of making the Global Dialogue meaningful, with practical, actionable and implementable outcomes that respond to the needs and priorities of developing countries.

We also encourage constructive engagement with the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI, as a key mechanism to provide impartial and evidence-based advice towards fair, equitable, enabling, and inclusive access to AI.

In particular, developing countries must be empowered to benefit from such impartial scientific guidance in order to foster technological autonomy, seize opportunities, manage risks, bridge capacity gaps, and design national policies that are knowledge-driven and equitable.

To ensure that no country is left behind, cooperation must prioritize capacity-building, affordable and sustainable financing, technology transfer, fair, inclusive and equitable data access and governance, and the strengthening of South-South and triangular cooperation. These efforts should both accelerate innovation and help narrow digital and developmental divides.

In conclusion, the Group reaffirms its commitment to engage constructively in this Global Dialogue, with the aim of achieving tangible, just and development-oriented outcomes, ensuring that AI becomes a force for the common good of all peoples.

I thank you.