India will host a virtual summit on January 12 and 13 to bring together countries of the Global South and share their common concerns, interests and perspectives on various global challenges including food and energy security arising out of the Ukraine conflict. Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra said that over 120 countries are being invited for the ‘Voice of Global South’ summit, which will have the theme ‘Unity of Voice, Unity of Purpose’.
Kwatra told a media briefing that the concerns and apprehensions of developing countries often do not receive due attention in the global forum and the summit would aim to address these elements of “our concerns and priorities”. Asked whether Pakistan, China and Ukraine have been invited, Kwatra did not give a direct answer and said the names of the participating countries would be made public at the appropriate time. Kwatra cited food security, climate finance, fertilizer shortages, mounting debt and inflationary pressures as some of the burdens on developing countries.
“You are all aware of recent global developments, which have severely affected the developing world in many areas. Some of the elements of this impact include the COVID pandemic, the impact of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, issues of access and affordability of food, fertiliser, The mounting difficulties include. and fuel,” he said. However, often these concerns of the developing world do not get due attention and space on the global stage, Kwatra said.
“Often relevant existing platforms have proved insufficient in addressing these challenges and concerns of developing countries. Such a consultative and result-oriented dialogue focused on the most pressing concerns, interests and priorities of developing countries is needed.” Hour,” he said. The ‘Global South’ broadly refers to countries in Asia, Africa and South America.
Foreign Secretary said that the Voice of the Global South summit is India’s effort to provide a common platform to deliberate on these concerns, interests and priorities affecting developing countries. “To exchange ideas and solutions, and most importantly to be united in voice and purpose to address these elements of our concerns and priorities,” he said. The Foreign Secretary said that India will work to ensure that the valuable inputs received from the participating countries in the deliberations of the Summit receive due recognition at the global level.
He said that India’s current Presidency of the G20 provides it with a unique and powerful opportunity to disseminate these inputs in the group’s deliberations and dialogues. He said this is in line with the Prime Minister’s statement that India’s G20 Presidency will be shaped in consultation with not only our G20 partners, but also our fellow-travellers in the Global South, whose voices are often unheard. Kwatra said the initiative to host the summit is inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas and is based on India’s philosophy of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ (the world is one family).
The summit envisages 10 sessions. Four sessions will be held on January 12 and six sessions will be held on January 13. Leaders/ministers of 10-20 countries are expected to participate in each session. The opening and closing sessions will be at the head of state/government level, which will be hosted by Modi. theme of the inaugural leaders; The session is ‘Voice of Global South – for Human-Centric Development’. In addition, there will be eight ministerial sessions, one of which will be the Finance Ministers’ session on “Financing People-Centric Development”.
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