PH Calls for Countries of Developing South to Work Together for Development
Ambassador Evan P. Garcia delivers the PH statement calling for countries of developing south to work together to promote development at the 18th Meeting of the Council of Representatives of the South Centre.
20 April 2017 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – “The global economic development system is facing numerous challenges. There are moves to more inward-looking protectionism that threaten the development of countries from the developing South. Countries of the South need to band together now more than ever to tackle these challenges,” Philippine Permanent Representative to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva Ambassador Evan P. Garcia emphasized during the 18th Meeting of the Council of Representatives of the South Centre at the Palais des Nations on April 10.
Ambassador Garcia added that the platform for this already exists, composed of the Group of 77 and China, UNCTAD, and the South Centre.
Given that the Philippines is currently chairing ASEAN during its 50th anniversary, Ambassador Garcia proposed that the South Centre could help ASEAN by looking at issues of regional integration and the ASEAN Economic Community.
In addition, addressing Philippine priorities, he said that the South Centre should look at migration, micro-small and medium enterprises, disaster risk reduction, and climate change given that these all affect the country’s ability to meet our development goals.”
The 18th meeting of the Council of Representatives was an opportunity for countries to hear from its board about the work of the South Centre as well as share views on what the Centre can be doing to help the developing countries move forward in terms of achieving their development objectives. The South Centre is an intergovernmental organization made up of 54 developing countries from what is known as the developing South. Its aim is to assist countries from the South achieve their development goals by providing policy advice and recommendations.
The South Centre has contributed to Philippine development through the knowledge it has provided Philippine negotiators in terms of technical expertise and policy advice in various UN negotiations including the negotiations on the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the 14th United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, and Climate Change negotiations. The South Centre is based in Geneva and was established in 1995 as an intergovernmental organization by the South for the South. END
Philippine Permanent Representative to the United Nations and Other International Organizations Evan Garcia (2nd from left) with (from left) South Centre Head of Administration and Coordinator for Global Governance for Development Programme Mr. Vincent Yu, candidate for the new chairperson of the South Centre Mr. Deepak Nayyar, and current Chair of the South Center and former President of Tanzania Mr. Benjamin Mkapa,.