“The spirit of South-South cooperation and global solidarity”, is alive and well across the hemisphere as the word grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic, said the UN chief in a message relayed to countries of the Global South.
His message ahead of the UN Day for South-South Cooperation refers to the practical collaboration efforts among developing countries in the Global South.
At a Virtual High-level Commemoration and Panel Discussion on the theme “Pathways toward the Sustainable Development Goals through South-South solidarity beyond COVID-19”, Secretary-General António Guterres said in his message that developing countries are “delivering medical supplies, providing financial resources…and sharing best practices on how to fight the pandemic”.
In marking the day, “we are highlighting the power of the Global South to support and advance sustainable development, even during these challenging times”, he explained.
The UN chief maintained that the Organization is playing its part in supporting South-South and triangular cooperation throughout the pandemic, including by fast-tracking financial allocations to support developing countries’ COVID-19 response and recovery efforts.
As a successful example of the practical benefits of the UN Fund for South-South Cooperation, he recalled the rehabilitation of Barbuda’s only hospital, which was damaged after Hurricane Irma devastated the Caribbean island in 2017, saying that it is now “equipped to support the community’s needs during the pandemic”.
Looking beyond the immediate response, towards recovering better, the Secretary-General upheld that “South-South and triangular cooperation will be more important than ever”.
He urged everyone to coordinate efforts “to scale up Southern development successes, build a strong recovery and achieve the SDGs [Sustainable Development Goals] by 2030”.
Original source: UN News
