Iraq Hands Over the Chairmanship of the Group of 77 and China to the Oriental Republic of Uruguay

The handover ceremony of the Chairmanship of the Group of 77 and China was held at United Nations Headquarters in New York on 14 January 2026, marking the formal conclusion of the Republic of Iraq’s Chairmanship of the Group for 2025 and the transfer of the Chairmanship to Mr. Mario Lubetkin, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay. The ceremony was attended by Ms. Annalena Baerbock, President of the General Assembly at its eightieth session, Mr. António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ms. Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General, as well as representatives of the Member States of the Group of 77 and China.

On this occasion, the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Iraq to the United Nations in New York, Ambassador Lukman Al-Faily, expressed his deep appreciation to the Member States of the Group of 77 and China for the trust, cooperation, and solidarity extended to Iraq throughout its Chairmanship. He emphasized that the spirit of unity and consensus constituted the foundation guiding the Group’s work during a year marked by significant international challenges.

The Permanent Representative also underscored the importance of further developing the United Nations development system to ensure greater responsiveness, effectiveness, and capacity to address interconnected crises, including debt challenges, the impacts of climate change, widening inequalities, and technological transformations. In this context, he expressed full confidence in the ability of the incoming leadership to continue advancing the Group’s work in a spirit of inclusivity and consensus, reaffirmed Iraq’s readiness to provide full support and cooperation to the new Chair, and emphasized Iraq’s continued commitment to playing an active and constructive role as a dedicated member of the Group of 77 and China. He concluded by wishing the incoming Chair every success in the fulfillment of its responsibilities.

Both the President of the General Assembly and the Secretary-General of the United Nations delivered remarks during the ceremony, in which they commended Iraq’s role as Chair of the Group of 77 and China in 2025. They praised the responsible leadership demonstrated by Iraq and its consensus-based approach, which contributed to preserving the unity of the Group and strengthening its engagement across various negotiating tracks within the United Nations system, particularly in light of the geopolitical and economic challenges of the past year. They also expressed appreciation for Iraq’s inclusive and cooperative management of the Group’s work, in support of the interests of developing countries and the promotion of multilateralism.

During the ceremony, the Chairs of the sub-groups within the Group of 77 and China, delivered statements commending Iraq’s leadership throughout its Chairmanship. They highlighted the consensus-oriented approach adopted by the Iraqi Chair in managing negotiating processes, its role in enhancing internal coordination, bridging positions, and safeguarding the unity and effectiveness of the Group across intergovernmental processes within the United Nations.

Iraq’s Chairmanship of the Group of 77 and China took place against a highly complex international backdrop characterized by escalating geopolitical tensions and their economic and developmental repercussions, requiring sustained efforts to preserve the Group’s unity and defend the collective interests of developing countries within the United Nations system. Despite these challenges, the Group maintained its cohesion and solidarity throughout 2025, marking one of the defining features of Iraq’s tenure as Chair.

The ceremony concluded with a shared reaffirmation of the aspiration to advance a more just, balanced, and equitable international order in the economic, social, and environmental fields, in line with the aspirations of the peoples of developing countries. Iraq’s Chairmanship also marked a historic milestone, as it was the first time Iraq had assumed the Chair of the Group of 77 and China since its establishment sixty years ago.