UN Reform Watches, 10 September 2007, No. 28

by Irene Martinetti

Among the many caucuses and groupings of the United Nations none seems to be more intensively scrutinized than the Group of 77 (G77), a powerful faction representing the interests of 130 developing Member States. Since its inception in 1964, the Group has carefully guarded the interests of ‘the South’, as the developing world is colloquially referred to at the United Nations. For outsiders, the G77 has often been elusive yet the Group constitutes a powerful factor in moving opinions on important issues at the UN. Through interviews with key diplomats and UN officials, this article analyzes the current management reform discussions as seen through the eyes of the Group of 77.