Eritrean Foreign Minister Osman Saleh said this at the conclave which, in his view, provides a new opportunity for in-depth reflection and sharing of perspectives on how to enhance genuine cooperation and partnership within the Global South.

Saleh also considered that it has greater importance due to the interconnected challenges faced by Member States, undermining the achievement of their development goals.

The interconnected global crises that include unprovoked wars and geopolitical tensions, climate calamities, public health pandemics, among others, pose serious threats to the global village, and its immediate victims are the disadvantaged and marginalized societies of the Global South, he stressed.

He made it clear that, at halfway point of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, it appears that meeting the planned development targets and commitments remains arduous and the countries of the South are visibly lagging behind despite the declared motto of “leaving no one behind.”

Nevertheless, the enormous potential and continued promises, a considerable number of people, particularly in Africa, remain at a level of poverty with stalled socio-economic conditions, he emphasized.

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