(Pakistan calls for coherent response to challenges faced by G77 countries)

ISLAMABAD:Pakistan has called for coherent and concerted response to the daunting challenges faced by the Group of 77 countries in order to ensure that none of them is left behind.

The call was made by Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Munir Akram, in his capacity as a Chair of Group of 77+ China, at the First Ambassadorial meeting of the Group of 77 and China, says a press release received here on Wednesday from New York.

“Our responsibility today to address the multiple challenges facing our countries is daunting”. “We can only do so if our response is coherent and concerted and if our Group remains united,” Ambassador Munir Akram, insisted. While discussing the confronted challenges to the world community, he said since 2007, when Pakistan last chaired the Group, the global economic and social conditions have changed radically.

He recalled Foreign Minister of Pakistan, Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s statement in the G77 handover ceremony saying: “we are confronted with a triple challenge: recovery from the Covid-19 Pandemic; achievement of the SDGs – during the remaining decade of action; and the existential threat of climate change”.

While deliberating on the responsibilities of the Group of 77 in the past, he recalled that in the past, the Group of G77 has shaped the discourse and outcomes of multilateral processes on a range of issues of collective importance to its members ‘As a Chair of the Group’.

He also elaborated on some of the actions Pakistan had proposed like G77 to develop a declaration on vaccine equity, that is hampering recovery of the developing countries from Covid-19 pandemic, G77 to ensure its voice is heard at the G20 (industrialized countries), G7 (rich countries), IMF (International Monetary Fund) and other decision-making platforms on the rising and unsustainable debt burden, as a major concern among many developing countries.

G77 to ensure that the new general allocation of $650 billion special Drawing Rights (SDRs) by the IMF are utilized for the recovery, and press for their reallocation to the developing countries who need the liquidity. Ambassador Munir Akram expressed his gratitude for the confidence reposed in Pakistan to Chair the Group in these challenging times. He also thanked Guinea for so skillfully guiding the Group last year. Pakistan is Chairing the Group of G77 and China fourth time.