South Summit calls for elevated collaboration

Delegates emphasize unity and growth, and advocate global financial reforms

Leaders from developing countries and the United Nations have called for intensified cooperation to achieve common development for the Global South and build a more just global governance system.

Speaking at the opening of the Third South Summit, organized under the framework of the Group of 77 and China, in Uganda's capital Kampala on Sunday, Chinese Vice-Premier Liu Guozhong said countries of the Global South have great potential for high-quality cooperation.

"Countries of the South are at various stages of development and with diverse endowments of resources, and enjoy considerable complementarity," Liu said. "We need to seek strength through unity, enhance the synergy of development strategies and continue to unlock the potential for cooperation to make South countries more competitive as a whole."

China stands ready to focus on practical cooperation and capacity-building with other developing countries, and to conduct cooperation in a broader way and in more areas to help them unleash the potential for growth, address challenges holding back their development, and improve people's well-being, he said.

Dennis Francis, president of the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly, said that as multilateralism faces severe challenges globally, with purpose dialogue, solidarity and cooperation in retreat, the summit provides a good opportunity for countries to recommit to core principles such as multilateralism and cooperation.

"We must harness the full power and opportunities for South-South cooperation, not to supplant our relations with the North but rather, to rebalance it and thereby magnify the global resonance of the stubborn unity and solidarity of the South," he said.

He called on the G77 and China to work harder to rebuild trust, reignite global solidarity and harness the power and potential of multilateralism to secure and deliver peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability for the world.

Yoweri Museveni, president of Uganda, which took over chairmanship of the G77 and China from Cuba on Sunday, said South-South cooperation has played a critical role in supporting developing countries in their efforts to achieve self-reliance, adding they need to uphold this solidarity to safeguard their collective interests.

"Leaving no one behind cannot be realized without adequately addressing the challenges and needs by countries in special situations. In particular, African countries, landlocked developing countries and smaller island developing states, as well as specific challenges faced by many middle-income countries.

Targeted support

"In this regard, we support the call for the international community to provide targeted support to enable these countries to address their challenges. We also support the idea to reform the international financial architecture to ensure that it is fit for purpose to respond to the financial needs of the developing countries."

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the G77, the world's biggest organization of developing countries with more than 130 members.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said while South-South cooperation is strong and deepening, it does not replace the commitments of the Global North to sustained engagement to reduce poverty and inequality, support growth and build resilience in developing countries.

The existing international financial architecture also needs to be reformed to ensure it suits the reality today and meets the needs of developing countries, he said.

Li said more efforts are needed to build an equal and orderly multipolar world, and to reform the international financial system so international development agencies can be more efficient in supporting South countries.

"China will continue to take South-South cooperation as a priority in its cooperation with other countries, stand together with G77 members and contribute to the common development of South countries."