Islamabad, September 11, 2021 (PPI-OT):‘Undeniably today, we are at the inflection point in history’ said Ambassador Aamir Khan, Deputy Permanent Representative of Pakistan at the United Nations while speaking at the United Nations Day on South-South Cooperation “South-South cooperation: solidarity in support of a more inclusive, resilient and sustainable future” today. While mentioning that around 170 million people have been pushed into extreme poverty; millions of jobs have been lost; fear of famine and food shortage has posed an existential threat from climate change.

He therefore urged that “we are to build back better South-South and Triangular Cooperation must focus on first, building resilient economies and societies, improving health sector, regional value chains in health-related products and services, food security, social safety nets, and water access and quality. Second, facilitating connectivity, as COVID-19 led to almost an entire lockdown of transportation. Third, prioritizing sustainable and resilient recovery, providing policy solutions for green and digital recovery through investments in sustainable infrastructure. Scaled-up investment in sustainable infrastructure – $ 1 trillion per year – is essential for the transition to a dynamic “green” global economy.

Fourth, is the area of science and technology. We need to align the intellectual property regime of the world with the SDGs”. Ambassador Aamir Khan, also insisted on bridging the digital divide, calling it as ‘the pathway to a transition to modern economies’ that ‘can provide developing countries chances to leapfrog into development domain”. He further expressed his concern over the impact of COVID-19 pandemic that have ‘exacerbated the profound economic and existing social inequalities and revealed the weakness of the current economic development models’. He insisted that “without sustained collective action, the pandemic could leave a legacy of widening inequalities within and between countries, with the most vulnerable left further behind”.

“I believe the vaccine is the first step in this direction that we must make it a global public good. We would not be able to meet the global demand unless vaccine production is enhanced through facilities in developing countries” he said further. Comparing the progress of the developed countries that are recovering back owing to the strong stimulus measures of around 17 trillion, he expressed his concern that the “developing countries are sinking deeper into a cycle of poverty, unsustainable debt, and austerity due to their inability to borrow on favourable conditions and stimulate their economies”.

He remarked that “the pandemic can only be defeated through global and cross-border coordination and collaboration He however, expressed his hope over the welcome fact that “in its 43 years South-South trade has expanded exponentially” and many countries in the Global South have built thriving economies and societies, and in recent times, are driving much of the global economic dynamism”.

Ambassador Aamir Khan concluded with the sign of hope that “the greatest potential for production and manufacturing still resides with the developing countries, projects are more profitable, in developing countries. We have the largest segment of the world’s population in terms of both consumption and production, and therefore the greatest potential”. “We have constructed institutions of cooperation across the world, and we should take pride in the fact of the institutions such as the ASEAN, AIIB that has promoted South-South cooperation to an unprecedented level and provides an example for many of us in the various regions to work” he informed.

“In my region China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a shining example of South-South Cooperation. Its benefits transcend borders. The Special Economic Zones (SEZs) along the corridor provide immense potential for economic growth, job creation, and poverty eradication” he said. The United Nations Office for South- South Cooperation for organized this high-level commemoration of United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation. Pakistan aligned its statement with the statement delivered by the Permanent Representative of Guinea on behalf of G77 and China.

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