The Nepal Weekly 
January 23, 2024
Foreign Secretary of Nepal Sewa Lamsal has addressed the Third South Summit of the Group of 77 and China, on Sunday. The Summit took place in Kampala, the capital city of the Republic of Uganda, with the theme ‘Leaving No One Behind.’ Foreign Secretary Lamsal was leading the Nepali delegation to the Summit.
The 3rd South Summit of the Group of 77 and China was hosted on 21 and 22 January 2024, by the Republic of Uganda. The Summit has brought more than 134 countries together on a single platform to enhance South-South cooperation in the areas of sustainable development, climate change, trade, and investment, among others, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in a press release.
In the opening segment of the Summit, the President of the78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, Dennis Francis, and the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also delivered their statements.
Addressing the Summit, Foreign Secretary Lamsal reiterated Nepal’s support to the Group of 77 and China in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Paris Agreement, and other Internationally Agreed Development Goals including Doha Program of Action. She expressed Nepal’s strong commitment to garger solidarity, harmony, and cooperation among the countries of the Global South.
She underscorred the importance of deeper cooperation in addressing the myriad of global challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, inequality, debt distress, conflicts, climate change, and geopolitical rivalry.
On a positive note, she highlighted that the Global South is emerging as an economic powerhouse and contributing to more than 50 percent of the world’s growth.
With 134 member countries comprising over two-thirds of UN members and 80% of the global population, G77 and China, is a strong force to be reckoned with, remarked Foreign Secretary Lamsal.
Foreign Secretary Lamsal urged the Group to play an instrumental role in decision-making and norm-setting in global development and financial architecture. She also asked the Members to collaborate in making multilateralism more inclusive, innovative, and responsive to the needs of developing countries.
While calling for the fulfillment of the promises and commitments made by developed countries in terms of Official Development Assistance (ODA), climate financing, and technology transfer, she underscored the importance of strengthening North-South, South-South, and Triangular Cooperation by focusing on the needs of LDCs in trade, infrastructure, and productive capacity.
In the afternoon, Foreign Secretary Lamsal attended the Luncheon hosted by the President of the Republic of Uganda in honor of the heads of delegations to the Third Summit of G77 and China.
The Summit meeting will conclude today with the adoption of the ‘Outcome Document.’
