MUSCAT: Assigned by His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, HH Sayyid Asaad bin Tarik al Said, Deputy Prime Minister for International Relations and Cooperation Affairs, Personal Representative of His Majesty the Sultan, on Saturday participated in the 3rd Voice of Global South Summit (VOGSS).
The virtual summit was held under the chairmanship of Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, with the participation of heads of states and governments.
HH Sayyid Asaad delivered a speech in which he conveyed the greetings and best wishes of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik to the Indian government and people for hosting the summit, themed “An Empowered Global South for a Sustainable Future”. He expressed special greetings to the Republic of India on the occasion of its Independence Day.
During the speech, HH Sayyid Asaad said, “Cooperation has now become more urgent than ever, with the world facing serious challenges that affect its security and stability. Recent years saw political and economic turmoil and armed conflicts that escalated the existing regional tensions. We believe that sustainable solutions to these challenges can only come through dialogue, cooperation and joint action to consolidate the pillars of international peace and security.”
In the speech, HH Sayyid Asaad laid emphasis on the Palestinian cause, which he described as “one of the region’s most serious issues that requires a just stance by this Group and the rest of the international community.
“It should be a stance in support for the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and their right to establish their independent state on their land, and a stance for the realisation of peace and stability in the (Middle East) region that has suffered the impacts of this unresolved issue, notably under the Israeli persistent, illegal occupation of Palestinian and Arab lands since 1967, in addition to Israel’s violation of all relevant UN resolutions, its disregard for international law and standards of international human rights and its violation of international humanitarian law.”
Speaking about the global sustainable development goals (SDGs) and other issues, HH Sayyid Asaad said that, through Oman Vision 2040, the Sultanate of Oman has drawn out a roadmap to achieve a diversified and sustainable economy based on innovation and knowledge. “We believe that the future requires us not only to develop the economy, but also to protect the environment and ensure the welfare of the whole society. This is envisaged through investment in sectors of blue economy, renewable energy and modern technology,” he added.
ZERO CARBON
HH Sayyid Asaad pointed out that Oman has set ambitious goals to achieve zero carbon neutrality by 2050 through integrated strategies for renewable energy and by improving energy efficiency. He affirmed that Oman believes that realisation of the SDGs requires collective the cooperation of all at the regional and international levels in a manner that serves national strategies in building prosperous and sustainable economies in the Global South.
HH Sayyid Asaad also affirmed the Sultanate of Oman’s support for the principles of this summit. He voiced Oman’s support for constructive action among friends in the Global South to achieve the common objectives and the aspirations of their peoples for development, prosperity, security and stability.
The summit dealt with a wide range of issues of significance to developing countries, most notably climate change. It underscored the need to address the disproportionate impact of climate change on developing countries and explore solutions to achieve sustainable development by promoting an inclusive and environmentally sustainable economic growth, with special emphasis on achieving the global SDGs.
GLOBAL GOVERNANCE
The summit also elaborated on global governance aimed to achieve a fair governance structure that gives greater voice and representation to developing countries. It stressed the need for better international cooperation through diplomatic relations and cooperation between countries of the Global South, to address common challenges like health crises, economic instability and food security.
The virtual summit was attended by Shaikh Khalifa bin Ali al Harthy, Under-Secretary of the Foreign Ministry for Diplomatic Affairs, Shaikh Khalifa bin Hamad al Badi, Secretary-General of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for International Relations and Cooperation Affairs and Special Representative of His Majesty the Sultan, and Ahmed bin Hashel al Maskari, Head of the GCC and Regional Neighbourhood Department at the Foreign Ministry. - ONA
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