Jalil Abbas leaves for Uganda to attend two summits

ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani heading Pakistan’s delegation leaves tonight for Kampala, Uganda, to attend the 19th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit and the Third South Summit (G 77+China) also being held in Kampala from January 19 to 22.

“I will be leading Pakistan’s delegation which comprises senior officials from the Foreign Office. Pakistan deeply values the NAM’s fundamental ideals, especially its principled support for the right to self-determination of people living under foreign occupation. Pakistan has actively participated the deliberations of Non Alligned Movement as it firmly believes that NAM, comprising two-third of UN member states, had a critical role to play in shaping the global agenda on poverty alleviation, post-pandemic recovery and climate change. Our delegation is looking forward to participating in the NAM Summit,” Jilani told The News.

Jilani is also expected to hold bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the two summits. These summits are being held amid global challenges including terrorism and climate change.

The five-day-long NAM Summit is the largest grouping of states worldwide after the UN, with 120 member states, 18 observer nations, and 10 organisations. Uganda’s Foreign Minister Gen Abubakar Jeje Odongo opening the summit on Monday said, “Today, we are faced with many challenges globally, including terrorism, climate change, debt burden and famine among others, and it is therefore befitting that this year’s summit will be held under the theme, Deepening Cooperation For Shared Global Affluence.

“NAM continues to hold significance as an organisation, and in light of the intricate global landscape, the continued relevance of the 10-point Badung Principles remains evident in the present era,” he added.

In April, 1955, representatives from 29 governments of Asian and African nations gathered in Bandung, Indonesia, to discuss peace and the role of the Third World in the Cold War, economic development, and decolonisation.

The NAM summit is held every three years, usually in a different continent. The last meeting was held in Baku, Azerbaijan, in 2019, with the theme, ‘Upholding the Bandung Principles’ to ensure concerted and adequate response to the challenges of the contemporary world.

Meanwhile speaking to The News, the spokesperson the Foreign Office commented, “Both are Head of State Summits. Pakistan has always remained committed to working with other developing countries to find common ground in responding to global challenges. The two summits will provide an important opportunity for developing and nonaligned countries to find these common solutions.”

The summit will be addressed by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland and more than 50 heads of state and government, among others. Overall, between 1,000 and 1,500 delegates are expected to attend the event.

Meanwhile, the caretaker foreign minister will also be attending the Third South Summit which this year has a theme of ‘Leaving No One Behind’, and according to the organisers, looks to bring a new dynamic to the cooperation among its 134 member states of the group of 77 in a more competitive world.

“The summit aims at boosting South-South cooperation including in the areas of trade, investment, sustainable development, climate change, poverty eradication, and digital economy. The 134 member states will reiterate the message of solidarity, unity, and complementarity of the South and speak with a unified voice to achieve their common goals and objectives,” say reports from Kampala.

The Second South Summit was convened in Doha, Qatar, in 2005. The First South Summit took place in Havana, Cuba, in 2000. In practice with the G-77’s principle of geographic rotation, this Summit is scheduled to convene in Africa.