The came following a tirade by US President Donald Trump against Iran and the deal at the UN.
In a statement issued at the end of its ministerial meeting in New York on Friday, the G-77 “reaffirmed the importance of supporting and strengthening multilateralism, and in this regard recognized that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) between the Islamic Republic of Iran and (P) 5+1 is a concrete case of a successful multilateral action for resolving outstanding global issues.”
Addressing the UN General Assembly (UNGA)’s 72nd session on Tuesday, Trump branded the agreement as “an embarrassment” for the US. He said the deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was “one of the worst and most one-sided transactions the United States has ever entered into.”
The G-77 “stressed that such model sets a real example for further accelerating the achievement of sustainable development, including by strengthening international cooperation, through enhanced means of implementation.”
The group was formed in 1964 within the UN. Initially featuring 77 developing countries, it came about to promote its members’ collective economic interests and to create an enhanced joint negotiating capacity in the world body.
Even though its membership has grown to 134, it has kept its original name.
Iran and the P5+1 group of countries, comprising the five permanent members of the UN Security Council — namely the United States, France, Britain, Russia and China — and Germany, reached the JCPOA on July 14, 2015 and started implementing it on January 16, 2016. Under the agreement, Iran undertook to put limitations on its nuclear program in exchange for the removal of nuclear-related sanctions imposed against Tehran.
All the signatories to the nuclear deal, except the United States under Trump, have hailed the agreement as a victory for diplomacy, and urged its continued implementation. So have the UN and the European Union (EU).