Developmental issues to dominate South Summit
Gulf Times: Monday, 13 June, 2005
By Nouredhin Abuzant
DEVELOPMENTAL issues, rather than political matters, will
dominate the Second South Summit of the Group of 77 and China
beginning in Doha on Wednesday, a top official of the organising
committee said yesterday.
Qatar’s ambassador to the UN and the summit’s deputy chairman
for political affairs, Nasser Abdul Aziz al-Nasr, said 75
presidents and prime ministers will be among leaders from 132
member states attending the conference.
He welcomed the initiative of British Prime Minister Tony Blair
that resulted in the Group of Eight (G8) nations writing off
debts of $40bn owed by poor nations.
After the first preparatory session yesterday, Nasr told
reporters that the countries benefiting from the debt deal will
try to use it to fight poverty and hunger and improve education,
in line with the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
When asked if he expected Iran to press an initiative regarding
the establishment of an Islamic Middle East, Nasr said that each
state has the right to raise proposals during the foreign
ministers’ meeting today.
The foreign ministers will take up the Palestinian issue, the
Iraqi problem, African issues, and UN reforms including the
expansion of the Security Council and reshaping of the General
Assembly.
Asked whether the Doha Declaration would lend support to Qatar’s
bid for a non-permanent seat at the UN Security Council, al-Nasr
said Qatar’s candidature for a two-year membeship of the Council
has already won enough support. He expressed confidence that
Qatar would have a majority of supporters when the issue is put
to a vote next October.
He said Doha’s decision to host the summit has nothing to do
with its UN bid.
In his inaugural address to the session, al-Nasr said though a
great deal of work has already been accomplished in New York
ahead of the summit, a host of unresolved issues need to be
tackled.
He expressed the hope that all pending issues would be
adequately addressed through collective co-operation.
Al-Nasr said the summit should send a clear message regarding
international co-operation for development, especially on the
crucial issues of trade and finance, to the Millennium Summit in
September where world leaders will evaluate the achievements of
the past five years in attaining the Millennium Development
Goals and regarding multilaterism, especially the role of the
United Nations.
Co-operation among the South states cannot be an alternative to
negotiation between the North and South, he said. He called on
the South states to cement their unity to gain increased
leverage in negotiations.
Chairman of the previous meeting, Jamaican Ambassador to the UN
Stafford Neil, said that the Doha meeting is an important
opportunity to demonstrate unity, adding that the principle of
mutual respect has always guided the summit.
Neil said the outcome of the summit will consolidate the
position of the G77 and China in the international arena. The
meeting is particularly important on the occasion of the 60th
anniversary of the United Nations, he added.
