High Commission of India
Maputo
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PRESS RELEASE
India is hosting the first ever ‘Voice of the Global South Summit’ in the virtual format on January 12-13, 2023. H.E. Mr. Narendra Modi, Hon’ble Prime Minister of the Republic of India, chaired the Inaugural Session of the virtual Summit on the theme, ‘Voice of the Global South: For Human-centric Development’ on January 12, 2023. H.E. Mr. Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, Hon’ble President of the Republic of Mozambique, participated in it along with the Heads of State/Heads of Government of 9 other countries, namely Bangladesh, Senegal, Vietnam, Cambodia, Papua New Guinea, Uzbekistan, Mongolia, Guyana and Thailand.
As India assumes the Presidency of the G-20, it endeavours to bring global intention and focus back to issues that affect the developing world, particularly when the world is experiencing several economic and geo-political challenges in an atmosphere of uncertainties, competition and conflict. The ‘Voice of the Global South Summit’ is being convened by India to assimilate the views of over 140 participating countries from the developing world with the view to further present and amplify their “voices” for collective action during India’s G-20 Presidency.
At the Inaugural Session of the Summit on January 12, 2023, Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, H.E. Mr. Narendra Modi remarked, “In the 21st century, global growth will come from countries of the South… The Voice of the Global South needs to set its own tone. Together, we need to escape the cycle of dependency on systems and circumstances which are not of our making…. Despite the challenges the developing world faces, I remain optimistic that our time is coming. The need of the hour is to identify simple, scalable and sustainable solutions that can transform our societies and economies……. We need to respond to the priorities of the global south by framing an inclusive and balanced international agenda…. Recognize that the principle of ‘Common but Differentiated Responsibilities’ applies to all global challenges……. Respect Sovereignty of all nations, Rule of law and peaceful resolution of differences and disputes……. Reform international institutions, including the United Nations, to make them more relevant”.
H.E. Mr. Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, President of Mozambique, shared his views at the Inaugural Session with other global leaders and called for promotion of inclusive development as part of the contemporary global discourse. He congratulated India for assuming the G-20 Presidency and stressed on the need for concerted international efforts to focus global attention towards promoting the interest of the developing world. He highlighted that Mozambique offers hugely attractive investment opportunities on account of its large reserves of minerals like Coal, Graphite, LNG, Gold, Ruby etc. There also exists enormous potential to harness the economic benefits in the tourism sector with Mozambique possessing enviable picturesque beaches, seas, forests etc. The country is strategically located in the Indian Ocean Rim and in the Southern African region along the Mozambican channel that draws the priorities of its international partners to address its developmental needs and aspirations, particularly through investments in human capital and development of roads, transportation etc. H.E. President Nyusi also underscored Mozambique’s priorities of combating international terrorism and securing peace and stability for the world during its tenure as a Non-permanent Member of the United Nations Security Council that it assumed from January 3, 2023 and will continue to hold till December 31, 2024.
In his concluding remarks at the Inaugural Session of the Summit, Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, H.E. Mr. Narendra Modi, thanked the HoSs/HoGs of the participating nations for their “insightful statements” that will guide the next 8 Sessions of the Summit. He opined that it was evident from their discourses that human-centric development is an important priority for developing countries to address their common challenges of lack of resources for their development and the need to enhance stability in their geo-political climate. However, despite such challenges, the developing countries are full of positive energy and confidence and will be the driver of the global economy in the 21st century. He called for collective action from the developing countries to set the global agenda to secure their common interests.
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Dated: January 12, 2023
