Ban urges greater cooperation among developing nations to tackle current crises

Developing nations are facing multiple global challenges that threaten to reverse development progress as never before, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned today, urging them to share their experiences, policies and technologies to ensure that hard-won gains are not lost.

“Today, the worldwide crises in finance, food and climate change call for even greater cooperation among developing countries,” Mr. Ban said in a message to mark the fifth observance of the UN Day for South-South Cooperation.

He noted that while in previous years countries of the global South had considerable development gains to celebrate on the occasion of the Day, that is not the case now in the wake of the current crises gripping the world, particularly the economic slowdown.

“The policy response must be bold,” he urged, stressing the need to build on experiences gained through earlier financial crises in Asia and Latin America, and through numerous natural disasters and pandemics.

Since the 1990s, many developing countries have devised public programmes to improve access by the poor to food, credit, health, education and a host of other essential services in times of crisis, he stated.

“South-South cooperation should draw lessons from these programmes to protect vulnerable people today,” said Mr. Ban.

The Secretary-General also pointed out that South-South cooperation can play a significant role in the fight against climate change, which he has called “the quintessential global threat.”

He noted that many developing countries are adopting low-carbon development paths, backed by renewable energy and energy efficiency, and encouraged countries to share these experiences, policies and adaptation technologies.

At a special event in New York to mark the Day, the Deputy Secretary-General highlighted the crucial role that horizontal cooperation can play in helping attenuate the impact of current challenges.

“This celebration of South-South cooperation comes at a propitious time as the world struggles to find a way out of the financial, food and fuel crises,” Asha-Rose Migiro noted.