PA President Mahmoud Abbas arrived in New York on Monday, and is set to formally assume the chair for the Group of 77 and China. A ceremony will be held on Tuesday, at the United Nations General Assembly. The PA President is also scheduled to meet with the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, the UN Security Council president and other world leaders.
The Group of 77 is the largest intergovernmental organization of developing countries in the United Nations, which provides the means for the countries of the South to articulate and promote their collective economic interests and enhance their joint negotiating capacity on all major international economic issues within the United Nations system, and promote South-South cooperation for development. G-77 was established on 15 June, 1964, by 77 developing countries, and its membership increased to 134 countries, later. The organization recognized Palestine as a member state in 1976, PNN reports.
On 27 September, 2018, the Group of 77 and China met in New York and unanimously named Mahmoud Abbas to take over its presidency in 2019, replacing Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the chairman for the year of 2018. In October, the UN General Assembly passed a draft resolution submitted by Egypt to appoint Palestine as the head of G-77 and China.
