Oman takes part in Voice of the Global South Summit
Delegated by His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik Al Said, His Highness Sayyid Asaad bin Tariq Al Said, Deputy Prime Minister for International Relations and Cooperation Affairs and Personal Representative of His Majesty, took part in the 3rd Virtual Leaders' Summit of the Voice of the Global South.
The summit was held under the chairmanship of Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, with the participation of a number of heads of state and government.
His Highness Sayyid Asaad delivered a speech in which he conveyed the greetings of His Majesty and his good wishes to the Indian government and the friendly Indian people for hosting the summit under the theme: “An Empowered Global South for a Sustainable Future.”
He also extended special congratulations to the Republic of India on the occasion of its Independence Day.
His Highness said: “Cooperation between us is now more urgent than ever as the world faces various serious challenges that affect its security and stability.
“Recent years have witnessed political and economic turmoil and armed conflicts with regional tensions increasing. 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.”
His Highness added: “We cannot fail to point out one of the most important and dangerous issues in the region, which is the Palestinian issue, which requires a stand of justice and fairness by this group and the rest of the international community, affirming the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and the establishment of their independent state on their land in order to achieve peace and stability.
“The region has suffered from the repercussions of this issue and the continued illegal Israeli occupation of Palestinian and Arab lands since 1967, Israel's violation of all relevant UN resolutions, its disregard for international law and human rights standards and its violation of international humanitarian law.”
His Highness said that through “Oman Vision 2040” the Sultanate has drawn a roadmap to achieve a diversified and sustainable economy based on innovation and knowledge.
He added that Oman believes the future requires not only the development of the economy, but also the protection of the environment and the well-being of the whole of society. At the forefront of these efforts is investment in sectors such as the blue economy, renewable energy and modern technology.
His Highness said Oman has set ambitious goals to achieve zero carbon neutrality by 2050 through integrated strategies for renewable energy and improving energy efficiency.
Sayyid Asaad said the Sultanate believes that achieving sustainable development goals for all requires collective cooperation at regional and international levels which contributes side by side to serving the national strategies of countries in building prosperous and sustainable economies in the Global South.
His Highness also affirmed Oman's support for the principles of the summit and emphasised the importance of constructive work with friends in the Global South to achieve common goals and the aspirations of their peoples for development, prosperity, security and stability.
The summit discussed a wide range of issues, most notably climate change, addressing its disproportionate impact on developing countries and exploring cooperative solutions to achieve sustainable development by promoting economic growth that is both inclusive and environmentally sustainable with a focus on achieving Sustainable Development Goals.
It also called for a more just global governance structure that gives greater voice and representation to developing countries in addition to international cooperation by strengthening diplomatic relations and cooperation between countries of the Global South to address common challenges such as health crises, economic instability and food security.
The summit was attended by Sheikh Khalifa Alharthy, Foreign Ministry Undersecretary for Political Affairs; Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad bin Salem Al Badi, Secretary General of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for International Relations and Cooperation Affairs and Special Representative of His Majesty; and Ambassador Sheikh Ahmed bin Hashel Al-Maskari, Head of the Foreign Ministry's GCC Department.
This is an unofficial English version of an Arabic report. To view the official Arabic text, click here.