Jaishankar chairs Global South meet at UNGA, calls for stronger multilateralism
New York, Sep 23. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar chaired a high-level ministerial meeting of like-minded Global South countries and partners in New York, with participants calling for stronger South-South cooperation and comprehensive reforms of multilateral institutions, particularly the United Nations.
The meeting, held on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly on September 22, was convened under the theme ‘Navigating Together Towards a Brighter Future – the Compelling Case for an Empowered Global South’.
The discussions focused on the range of economic, security and developmental challenges confronting countries of the Global South amid a rapidly changing international environment.
Participants highlighted the impact of ongoing conflicts on food and energy security, increasing volatility in global trade and investment flows, and concerns affecting seafarers caught up in conflict situations. They also discussed the growing frequency of extreme climate events and delays in meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
A key focus of the meeting was the perceived weakening of multilateral institutions and the need for comprehensive reforms to make global governance structures more representative and responsive to contemporary challenges.
The participants particularly stressed the urgency of reforming the United Nations, arguing that the shortcomings of the existing multilateral system have a disproportionate impact on developing countries.
The ministers also exchanged views on major global and regional developments and underlined the importance of closer coordination among Global South countries in multilateral forums.
They agreed on the need to expand South-South cooperation by leveraging the respective strengths and capabilities of developing countries. The discussions also explored the role of artificial intelligence, with participants emphasising the need to harness the technology in a human-centric manner.
The meeting concluded with a reaffirmation of the participants’ commitment to consolidating their collective positions and working towards a balanced, participatory and just global governance architecture.
The ministerial gathering comes as India continues to promote greater coordination among developing countries and seek stronger representation for the Global South in international decision-making institutions.
