New York [US], September 24 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Tuesday, while speaking at the High-Level Meeting of Like-Minded Global South Countries, said that the Global South is facing challenges to the rights and expectations it has carefully developed over decades.
Jaishankar noted that these challenges have emerged as aftershocks of the COVID-19 pandemic, the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, and other global crises.
“We meet in increasingly uncertain times when the state of the world is a cause for mounting concern for member states. The Global South in particular is confronted with a set of challenges which have heightened in the first half of this decade. They include the shocks of the COVID pandemic, two major conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, extreme climate events, volatility in trade, uncertainty in investment flows and interest rates, and the catastrophic slowing down of the SDG agenda,” he said.
“Most of all, the rights and expectations of developing countries in the international system, which have been so assiduously developed over many decades, are today under challenge. In the face of such proliferation of concerns and multiplicity of risks, it is natural that the Global South would turn to multilateralism for solutions,” he added.
Jaishankar highlighted the lack of effective solutions in multilateral forums, saying international organizations are starved of resources and rendered ineffective.
“Unfortunately, there too we are presented with a very disappointing prospect. The very concept of multilateralism is under attack. International organizations are being rendered ineffective or starved of resources. The building blocks of the contemporary order are starting to come apart, and the cost of delaying much-needed reforms is today starkly visible,” he said.
EAM Jaishankar emphasized that the Global South must now approach these issues in a united manner, including through transparent economic practices.
“So as like-minded Global South countries, we today approach world affairs united and through a broad set of principles and concepts. And these include fair and transparent economic practices that democratize production and enhance economic security,” he said.
He proposed measures to enhance economic interactions among Global South nations.
“A stable environment for balanced and sustainable inter-economic interactions, including more South-South trade, investment and technology collaborations. Resilient, reliable and shorter supply chains that would reduce dependence on any single supplier or on any single market,” he said.
Jaishankar also called for the resolution of conflicts that are hampering food, fertilizer, and energy security. He stressed the importance of leveraging technology for development.
“An urgent resolution of conflicts that are impacting food, fertilizer and energy security. The protection of global commons including addressing maritime shipping concerns, HADR situations, environmental challenges, etc. A collaborative leveraging of technology for development, especially the creation of a digital public infrastructure and a fair and level playing field in different domains that do justice to the development concerns of the Global South,” he said.
He then outlined India’s proposals to strengthen consultations among Global South countries.
“To get there, India would propose the following points for your collective consideration. One, we utilize existing forums to strengthen consultations among the Global South with a view to enhance solidarity and encourage collaboration. Two, bring to the table specific strengths, experiences and achievements that we may have individually developed, but which can actually benefit fellow Global South members. Some good examples of these are vaccine production, digital capabilities, education capacities, agro practices, and culture,” Jaishankar said.
He also suggested ways to combat climate change and address the challenges of artificial intelligence.
“Three, in areas like climate action and climate justice, come up with initiatives that serve the Global South rather than justify the Global North. Discuss the promise of technologies on the horizon, especially AI. And five, reform the United Nations and multilateralism as a whole,” he said. (ANI)
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