Chakwera insists on shared prosperity for the Global South

* During the 2nd Voice of the Global South Summit, hosted virtually by Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India

* Which is aimed at fostering collaboration and dialogue among countries of the Global South

* Seeking common ground on issues ranging from economic equity to climate change

By Laison Kamkole

Malawi President Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera has underscored the imperative of unity among developing nations to address historical disparities and reshape the global economic landscape.

He said this during the 2nd Voice of the Global South Summit, hosted virtually by Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, which is aimed at fostering collaboration and dialogue among countries of the Global South, seeking common ground on issues ranging from economic equity to climate change.

President Chakwera acknowledged the historical condescension towards the Global South and the existing global structures that perpetuate its domination by the North.

“There is a need for leveraging the sheer numbers and natural resources of developing nations to advocate for more favorable terms in the global economy,” he said.

The President praised India’s recent efforts in presenting the concerns of the Global South at the G-20, leading to the African Union’s approval as a permanent member.

“It is simply not sufficient for us, as developing countries, to advocate for better terms for our participation in the global economy, which adversely affects international prices of food, fuel, fertilizers, pharmaceuticals, and other critical inputs for the productivity of economies in the Global South.

“The disparities in the terms were made painfully plain by CoVID-19 pandemic, which exposed the philosophy of segregation and western imperialism at the root of such neo-colonial policies like vaccine procurement and travel bans.”

He criticized neo-colonial policies such as vaccine procurement and travel bans, which disproportionately affected developing nations.

President Chakwera called for the permanent inclusion of the Global South in decision-making levels of multilateral institutions and fora, citing the upcoming CoP28 Summit as a crucial opportunity for collective lobbying on climate financing.

To address economic imbalances between the South and the North, Chakwera proposed two key initiatives — firstly, he urged the cancellation of debts for the most vulnerable nations, burdened by the impacts of COVID-19, climate disasters, and global conflicts.

The President argued that cancelling debts would free up resources to invest in critical sectors such as health, education, digitization, energy, trade, industry and infrastructure, fostering economic growth.

He also advocated for the revival and support of initiatives like the India-Africa Growth Partnership and the India Technical & Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme.

These initiatives, he argued, would enable shared development experiences and cooperative efforts without compromising on human rights, sovereignty, and environmental sustainability.

He stressed the importance of developing nations working together to achieve sustainable development, emphasizing the uniqueness of their developmental trajectory that eschews human rights violations, colonization, exploitation, and environmental destruction.