At the third session of the Voice of Global South Summit, held virtually on Saturday, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar highlighted crucial themes essential for achieving Sustainable Development Goals and advancing global progress for the Global South nations.
His opening remarks focused on the need to bolster economic resilience, address climate change, promote energy transitions, and revitalise multilateralism while democratising digital transformations.
Jaishankar emphasised that the pandemic, ongoing conflicts, and climate events have underscored the critical need for reliable and resilient supply chains. He argued that the experience gained from these challenges reveals the necessity of diversifying production across various sectors to reduce risks to the international economy. This need for predictability and socio-economic justice, which was previously an internal concern, has now become a global imperative.
The Foreign Minister also addressed the risks posed by climate change and called for collaborative efforts among Global South nations to secure low-cost financing and access to essential technologies.
He pointed out that during India's G20 Presidency, efforts were made to emphasise Just Energy Transitions. Jaishankar stressed that it is crucial for countries to work together to facilitate the flow of financing and technologies to the Global South, which is vital for addressing the climate crisis.
Jaishankar also highlighted the need to revitalise multilateralism and reform Multilateral Development Banks through the G20. He criticised the current global order's failure to address critical challenges effectively due to the obsolescence and polarisation of multilateral organisations.
India, he said, has been advocating for a reformed approach to multilateralism and pushing for necessary changes within Multilateral Development Banks through the G20.
Digital transformation was another key theme in Jaishankar’s speech. He underscored the importance of democratising digital advancements and sharing India’s experience in Digital Public Infrastructure with Global South partners.
Jaishankar noted that India’s progress in digital infrastructure could serve as a valuable model for other countries and enhance intra-South digital exchanges and cooperation.
Looking ahead, Jaishankar mentioned the upcoming UN Summit of the Future as a crucial platform for Global South nations to voice their issues and concerns. He encouraged participants to articulate their interests and engage actively in discussions at this summit.
Jaishankar concluded by reaffirming the importance of collective efforts among Global South countries to ensure a better future and address the pressing challenges of the present.
This session of the Voice of Global South Summit highlighted the need for unified action on economic resilience, climate change, energy transitions, and multilateral reforms while embracing digital advancements to foster greater cooperation and progress among Global South nations.
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