By Spy Uganda Correspondent
Havana, Cuba: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday praised efforts to support the Global South in the international arena as he opened a summit of the G77 group of developing nations and China with host Cuba.
The focus is the scientific and technological divide between rich and poor countries and its impact on development.
Guterres said greater international equality was essential to building the consensus needed to tackle climate change and inequality.
“The world is failing developing nations,” he said, expressing the hope that the meeting would strengthen participants’ clout on a wide range of issues. He echoed climate advocates who have long urged developed nations, including top greenhouse gas polluters such as the United States, to pay to mitigate climate change and lessen the weight of foreign debt.
Battered by extreme weather, the pandemic, international tensions and economic difficulties, developing countries are pressing for fair treatment from developed nations regarding international finance to sharing technology.
The G77, which was initially launched in 1964 with 77 nations, now has 134 members.
China maintains that it is not a G77 member, despite being listed as one by the bloc, but Beijing says it has supported the group’s legitimate claims and maintained cooperative relations.
The Heads of several countries that attended the summit, drafted a declaration dubbed the ‘Havana Declaration on current dev’t challenges; the role of science, technology and innovation”.
”We, the Heads of State and Government of the member countries of the Group of 77 and China, we are convinced of the urgent need to act together, reaffirm our full adherence to the spirit, principles and objectives of the Group of 77 and China,” partially reads the declaration.
The heads of state add, ”We stress the urgent need for a comprehensive reform of the international financial architecture and a more inclusive and coordinated approach to global financial governance, with greater emphasis on cooperation among countries, including through increasing the representation of developing countries in global decision and policy-making bodies which will contribute to enhance the capacities of developing countries to access and develop science, technology and innovation.”
The heads of state also rejected technological monopolies and other unfair practices that hinder the technological development of developing countries.
”States which have monopoly and dominance in the Information and Communication Technologies environment, including Internet, should not use Information and Communication Technologies advances as tools for containment and suppression of the legitimate economic and technological development of other States. We call upon the international community to foster an open, fair, inclusive and non-discriminatory environment for scientific and technological development,” adds the declaration.
