The Commemorative Summit of Group 77 ended on Sunday adopting a 242-point declaration that addresses more than 100 issues of concern to 133 member countries, including Bangladesh, from food security to credit rating mechanisms of multilateral financial organizations. The declaration confirmed the willingness to position the fight against poverty as the pillar of development policies and proposes a new goal in 2030 to eradicate extreme poverty in member countries.
President Abdul Hamid joined the two-day summit along with presidents, vice-presidents and prime ministers of more than 30 countries under Group 77, including Ecuador, El Salvador, Paraguay, Peru, Venezuela, Uruguay, Cuba, Haiti, Chad, Costa Rica, Iran, Tanzania, Zambia, Guinea, Gabon, Sri Lanka, Fiji, Dominica, Namibia and Swaziland, to discuss various agenda, including food security, poverty reduction and creating sustainable ways to protect the earth. In presence of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Bolivian President Juan Evo Morales Ayma inaugurated the G77 summit on Saturday night under the theme “For a New World Order for Living Well.”
While addressing the plenary session of the summit on Sunday, President Hamid called upon leaders of developing countries to broaden and deepen the scope of “South-South” and “Triangular Cooperation” through involving all stakeholders, especially private sectors to benefit millions at the grassroots. Noting that South-South Cooperation holds much promise, President Hamid said there is sizable experience-knowledge-innovation in the South that would be much more relevant in social and economic contexts of developing nations.
“While assistance and support through South-South Cooperation would be complementary to North- South Cooperation, South-South Cooperation can be scaled up beneficially. All stakeholders, especially private sectors, would need to be involved to roll out practical South-South initiatives,” he said.
President Hamid said as the world grows and the South emerges economically, a large number of developing countries would find it mutually beneficial to engage in the development of low-income developing countries. “It was one of the key and original aspirations of the Group,” he observed.
President Hamid said the ongoing global discourses on climate change, trade, financing, and Post-2015 Development Agenda would test the strength of multilateralism.
‘We should materialize solidarity and cooperation practically within our Group, based on mutual trust and confidence, mutuality of benefits and equitable sharing of benefits,’ he added.
As the world adopted ‘The Future We Want’ in 2012, we all pledged to pursue path towards sustainable development. We recognized the need for a balanced and equitable dialogue among all countries,’ he said.
Mentioning that Bangladesh has always been contributing to the cause of G-77, President Hamid expressed his confidence that with unity, the Group 77 would be able to contribute towards securing an inclusive, pro- development, pro-planet agenda for all.
Earlier in the inauguration ceremony of the summit, Ban Ki-moon urged the world leaders to work together to reduce poverty and inequality, while balancing the needs of the environment and addressing climate change.
The UN secretary-general stressed that the new development agenda must be based on human-rights and the rule of law, and in line with the UN Charter.
The G77, established in 1964, is the largest inter-governmental organization of developing countries within the UN system with a membership of 133.
President Hamid left Bolivia for New York at 2.30 am (Monday) for a four-day visit to the United States.
The President is schedule to hold a meeting with UN
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at the UN Secretariat in New York on June 19. He is also scheduled to attend a couple of receptions to be accorded by Bangladeshi expatriates living in the US. President Hamid is expected to leave New York on June 21 and arrive in Dhaka on June 22.
