Jaishankar calls for stronger Global South solidarity at UN

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar called for stronger Global South solidarity at the UN, urging closer economic cooperation and action on supply chains, food security, technology, artificial intelligence and climate change to help developing nations navigate overlapping global crises.

United Nations: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has called for strengthening Global South solidarity to meet the challenges of the crises hitting it hard.

Chairing the High-Level Meeting of Like-Minded Global South Countries and Friends convened by India on Tuesday, he said, “For the Global South, there has never been a moment as critical as right now for solidarity”.

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Solidarity is essential to bring about change and empowerment because “the Global South today may be in the front row of the global crisis, but is in the back row of decision-making”, he said.

“The Global South needs to be part of decision-making structures that deliberate on issues that directly pertain to our future”, he said.

He emphasised that “closer economic cooperation among Global South is necessary to buffer us against the fallout of overlapping global crises.”

He listed several priority areas where the nations of the Global South need to act due to the fallouts from crises or the exercise of power by the North.

“Choke points” in supply chains, finance, or connectivity should not be legitimised while the seas must be secured for all with guarantees for the safety of commercial shipping and seafarers under international law.

The Global South must “must swiftly address challenges” to food security, particularly the supply of grains and fertilisers, he said.

The Global South should work for “fair economic and trade practices, which enhance our production capabilities and do not reduce us to be mere consumers” and “our right to industrialise must not be denied”.

He suggested reducing dependence on the North for technology and frameworks for international cooperation.

Artificial Intelligence must remain “human-centric” and “we should share indigenous-developed tools and frameworks for the benefit of Global South members”, he said.

Instead of relying solely on the Global North, alternative “frameworks such as the International Solar Alliance and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure and others could bring about much-needed progress on climate action”, he said.