Oman working to intensify south-south cooperation: Sayyid Badr

“After all this time that the north has organized the world according to its interests, it is now up to the south to change the rules of the game,” Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said at the opening of the summit. He described the developing countries as the main victims of a “multidimensional crisis” in the world today, from “abusive unequal trade” to global warming.

UN chief Antonio Guterres is among some 30 heads of state and government from Africa, Asia, and Latin America at the two-day summit in Havana.

Speaking at the event, H E Sayyid Badr al Busaidi, Foreign Minister, welcomed “the high-level engagement of China” in the summit. “China’s relations with the G77 countries, and its role in supporting development in many regions of the world, are both highly appreciated by the Sultanate of Oman,” he said.

H E Sayyid Badr noted that several developing countries still face major challenges in their ability to deal with issues such as climate change, energy security, food security, health, and education, which prevent them from achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2030.

“We see the importance of addressing the concerns of nations of the global south and working to intensify south-south cooperation. Meetings such as today’s shed light and contribute to addressing the multiple crises faced by developing countries in supply chain disruptions, debt constraints, political issues, as well as challenges related to climate change.”

He added that sustainable development is a common goal for all parties, including civil society organizations and the private sector. “We would like to stress the importance of multilateral international cooperation and the need to exert concerted efforts for the development of strategies and executive mechanisms to achieve sustainable development. This is the way to enable our world to close the economic gap between developed and developing countries, and achieve sustainable development for all.”

He said it is vital to facilitate the transfer of knowledge and technology, create funding mechanisms, and stimulate scientific research and innovation so that societies can develop solutions to address contemporary development issues and their pressing challenges.