Press Release
Global South boosted by India
The Voice of the Global South Summit hosted by India on 12-13 January 2023 advanced the role of the developing nations in global discourse coinciding with India’s G20 Presidency this year. At the Summit attended by 125 countries, the President of Vietnam, H.E. Mr. Nguyen Xuan Phuc addressed the Inaugural Leaders’ session hosted by the Prime Minister of India, H.E. Mr. Narendra Modi. The Summit witnessed fruitful discussions and charted a new path through action-oriented agenda representing the voice, perspectives and priorities of the developing world.
The Summit concluded with the announcements of five key initiatives: Friendship for Health (Aarogya Maitri) to extend essential medical supplies to developing countries affected by natural disaster or humanitarian crisis; establishment by India of a Global South Centre of Excellence; launch of a Global South Science & Technology Initiative to share expertise; Global South Scholarships for higher education in India; and, Young Diplomats Forum connecting young officers of developing countries. These represented culmination of substantive and inclusive discussions among the participants on the themes of human-centric development, trade, technology, financing, resilient healthcare, climate action, energy security, education & human resources, ensuring conducive environment. The Summit agreed that quest for solutions to global challenges must include the voices of its biggest stakeholders, the Global South. India would work to ensure that the inputs generated by partner countries at the Summit receive due cognizance globally and in G20 deliberations.
Prime Minister Modi mentioned that it was the largest ever virtual gathering of the Global South and underlined that the discussions reflected the common aspirations of the Global South and similarity of perspectives of the developing countries about the common challenges facing the world. Referring to the affect of the global challenges on the developing countries, he emphasized on the need to redesign global political and financial governance that can remove inequities, enlarge opportunities, support growth and spread progress and prosperity.
During the Summit, the President of Vietnam, H.E. Mr. Nguyen Xuan Phuc referred to the recent unprecedented changes had created profound socio-economic pressure especially in developing countries and proposed: common voice of the Global South to promote multilateralism including more democratic and effective UN and strengthening WTO-centric trading system; resilient and sustainable global supply chains, financial commitments for climate change, debt relief, sustainable development, green transition; digital transformation through common standards, technology transfer and training of human resources for Global South; improving South-South cooperation and international cooperation to address energy, food and water security, climate change and cyber security and upholding the role of emerging economies.
Global South represent three-fourths of the humanity but its voice is not represented equitably in international discourse and decision-making. The Summit will advance the perspectives and priorities of the developing countries of the Global South and set their expectations for the international community as well as the G20 where for the first time, the G20 troika is led by three developing countries, viz. India, Brazil and Indonesia.
Hanoi
14 January 2023
