Stressing on the global conflict arising due to terrorism and conflicts, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that the world is “in a state of crisis”, and nobody knows how long this state of instability is going to last.
Addressing "The Voice of Global South Summit” in a virtual format, the Indian leader flagged concerns about rising prices of food, fuel and fertilisers, the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and natural disasters driven by climate change.
Without taking the name of western countries, Modi said: "We, the Global South, have the largest stakes in the future. Most of the global challenges have not been created by the Global South. But they affect us more.”
The Global South refers to developing countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America — basically those comprising the largest part of the world.
"To re-energise the world, we should call for a global agenda of Respond, Recognise, Respect, Reform,” Modi said.
"We supported each other in the fight against foreign rule, and we can do it again in this century to create a new world order that will ensure the welfare of our citizens. Your voice is India's voice, and your priorities are India's priorities”, Modi added.
Raising Voice of Developing Nations
The summit will have 10 sessions — four of them on Thursday and six on Friday, with a wide range of global issues on the agenda. The main focus, however, is placed on the rising risks for developing countries and the implications of western policies for them.
PM Modi is hosting both the inaugural and concluding sessions.
The outcomes of the summit, which India plans to release in the form of a summary of priorities, perspectives, inputs and ideas from the participating leaders, will be channelled into the country's G20 presidency.
"We would like to hear from countries that are not members of the G20 to share with us what they think in their scheme of things could be included in the discourse within the framework of the G20," Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra told during a media briefing on Thursday.