The Group of 77 (G77) at the United Nations (UN) is a coalition of developing countries, designed to promote its members' collective economic interests and create an enhanced joint negotiating capacity in the United Nations. The group consists of a diverse set of states with a common South-South ideology. There were 77 founding members of the organization headquartered in Geneva, but it has since expanded to 134 member countries. Uruguay holds its chairmanship for 2026, succeeding Iraq. The group was founded on 15 June 1964, by 77 non-aligned nations in the "Joint Declaration of the Seventy-Seven Countries" issued at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The first major meeting was in Algiers in 1967, where the Charter of Algiers was adopted and the basis for permanent institutional structures was begun under the leadership of Raúl Prebisch who had previously worked at ECLA. There are Chapters of the Group of 77 in Geneva (UN), Rome (FAO), Vienna (UNIDO), Paris (UNESCO), Nairobi (UNEP) and the Group of 24 in Washington, D.C. (International Monetary Fund and World Bank).
Policies The group was credited with a common stance against apartheid and for supporting global disarmament. It has been supportive of the New International Economic Order. Regarding environmental matters, the G77's position is that the developed countries bear historical responsibility for greenhouse gas emissions, pointing also to the disparity in per capita emissions between the developing and developed countries. As a result, the G77 often resists binding commitments to reduce its emissions. The G77 has been subject to criticism for its lacklustre support, or outright opposition, to pro-environmental initiatives, which the group considers secondary to economic development and poverty eradication initiatives. In turn, the G77 has criticized the wealthier nations for their insufficient attention to poverty eradication, including at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Members
As of 2023, the group comprises all of the UN member states (along with the UN observer State of Palestine), excluding the following countries:
Members of the Council of Europe, except for Azerbaijan. Members of the Commonwealth of Independent States Free Trade Area, except for Tajikistan. Members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), except for all its (four) Latin American members. Two microstates in Oceania: Palau and Tuvalu.
Current founding members Source:
Other current members
Former members Mexico was a founding member but left the Group after joining the OECD in 1994. New Zealand signed the original "Joint Declaration of the Developing Countries" in October 1963 but pulled out of the group before the formation of the G77 in 1964 (it joined the OECD in 1973). South Korea was a founding member but left the Group after joining the OECD in 1996. Yugoslavia was a founding member; by the late 1990s, it was still listed on the membership list, but it was noted that it "cannot participate in the activities of G77." It was removed from the list in late 2003. It had presided over the group from 1985 to 1986. Bosnia and Herzegovina was the only former Yugoslavian state to be listed as a member on the G77 official website in 2007; it was removed from the member list in February 2020. Cyprus was a founding member but was no longer listed on the official membership list after it acceded to the European Union in 2004. A document from 1975 states that Cyprus is not a member. South Vietnam was a founding member, while North Vietnam never joined separately. South Yemen joined separately from founding member North Yemen sometime between 1967 and 1975. Malta was admitted to the Group in 1976 but was no longer listed on the official membership list after it acceded to the European Union in 2004. Palau joined the Group in 2002 but withdrew in 2004, having decided that it could best pursue its environmental interests through the Alliance of Small Island States. Romania was classed as a Latin American country for the purposes of the G77, having joined in 1976. The G77 was divided into geographical regions, and because there was technically no European area, Romania was placed under the umbrella of Latin America. Romania left the G77 following its accession to the European Union.
China The Group of 77 lists China as one of its members. The Chinese government provides consistent political support to the G77 and has made financial contributions to the Group since 1994, but it does not consider itself to be a member. As a result, official statements of the G77 are delivered in the name of The Group of 77 and China or G77+China.
Presiding countries The following is the chain of succession of the chairmanship of the G77:
Group of 24
The Group of 24 (G-24) is a chapter of the G-77 that was established in 1971 to coordinate the positions of developing countries on international monetary and development finance issues and to ensure that their interests were adequately represented in negotiations on international monetary matters. Every member of the G-24 is also a member of the G77.
See also
Non-Aligned Movement Third World Global South North–South divide South–South cooperation G20 developing nations Politics of climate change List of country groupings List of multilateral free-trade agreements Nozipho Mxakato-Diseko United Nations Development Programme UN Trade and Development III Global majority
Notes
References
External links
Official website Official website of the Group of 24
