NEW DELHI: On Wednesday, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar addressed the High-Level Meeting of Like-Minded Global South Countries in New York, emphasizing the necessity for enhanced collaboration among developing nations and reforms within multilateral institutions.
Jaishankar stated, “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 that have heightened in the first half of this decade.” This meeting coincided with the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA80) in New York.
The minister identified various challenges facing the Global South, including the repercussions of the Covid pandemic, ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, extreme climate events, trade volatility, fluctuations in investment flows and interest rates, and a significant deceleration in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) agenda. He remarked, “The rights and expectations of developing countries, which have been meticulously developed over many decades, are today under challenge.”
Jaishankar expressed that the proliferation of concerns and risks has naturally led the Global South to seek solutions through multilateralism. However, he pointed out the disappointing prospects for international cooperation: “Unfortunately, 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 costs of delaying much-needed reforms are starkly visible.”
To address the challenges, he proposed several principles for cooperation among Global South nations, including:
- Establishing fair and transparent economic practices that democratize production and enhance economic security.
- Creating a stable environment for balanced and sustainable economic interactions, fostering more South-South trade, investment, and technology collaborations.
- Developing resilient, reliable, and shorter supply chains to minimize dependence on any single supplier or market.
- Achieving an urgent resolution of conflicts impacting food, fertilizer, and energy security, while protecting global commons, including maritime shipping and disaster relief.
- Collaborating on leveraging technology for development, particularly digital public infrastructure, to ensure a fair playing field for the Global South.
Jaishankar also introduced specific proposals to strengthen cooperation. He suggested that participants:
- Utilize existing forums to bolster consultations among Global South nations, enhancing solidarity and collaboration.
- Share specific strengths, experiences, and achievements that can benefit fellow members, such as advancements in vaccine production, digital capabilities, education, agricultural practices, and small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) culture.
- Initiate climate actions and justice measures that focus on the Global South’s interests rather than merely validating the Global North’s perspective.
- Discuss emerging technologies, particularly in artificial intelligence (AI).
- Advocate for reforms in the United Nations and multilateralism as a whole.
