The 3rd South Summit, held in Kampala from January 22 to 23, brought together high-level representatives from nearly 100 countries as well as heads of United Nations agencies. Under the theme “Leave no one behind”, this meeting aimed to strengthen cooperation between the 134 member states of the G77 in the context of growing global competition.
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has stressed the importance of promoting the interests of the Global South and upholding the priorities of the G77 in United Nations intergovernmental processes. The statement echoes UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ call for reform of international institutions to give greater importance to the Global South.
China, since the 1990s, has coordinated and cooperated with the G77 through the “G77 and China” mechanism. This collaboration allows developing countries to strengthen their unity and coordination to address common challenges. China’s contribution to South-South cooperation was praised at the summit.
The Global South thus found a strong voice through the South Summit, and Antonio Guterres underlined its importance for defending the interests of developing countries. This meeting, which was held for the first time in Africa, highlighted the issues of trade, investment, sustainable development, climate change, the elimination of poverty and the digital economy in the actual context.
The G77 and China remain united in their pursuit of collective interests within the United Nations. This summit therefore strengthened South-South cooperation and marked a step towards greater representation of the global South in international institutions.
It is essential to keep an eye on the news concerning the Global South and understand the importance of South-South cooperation in solving global challenges. The blog already has several articles on this topic, which could be consulted to gain a deeper understanding of this issue.