Statement made by the Permanent Representative of India

17th  Meeting of the Council of Representatives of the South Centre

[17 May 2016]

Distinguished Chairman, H.E. President Benjamin Mkapa,Convener of the Council of representatives Ambassador Dr. Abdul Minty,Executive Director Mr. Martin Khor,

1. Thank you, Executive Director Mr. Martin Khor for giving us a comprehensive overview of the activities of the South Centre. At the outset, India would like to place on record its satisfaction and appreciation for the quality and quantity of the work done by the South Centre in support of developing countries in various areas of multilateral policy discussions and meticulously managing the organization.

2. We also thank the Convener Ambassador Dr. Abdul Minty for successfully steering the work of the Council of Representative during the last year, and also providing necessary guidance and support in the effective functioning of the South Centre.

3. I’d like to specially acknowledge the presence of Dr. Y.V. Reddy, who is one of the members of the South Centre Board. I have no doubt that as an astute economic thinker and with his vast experience as an administrator, he will enrich this institution, tremendously. At a personal level, it is a matter of great joy for me to interact with him on various Global economic issues, concerning all of us.

4. The cornerstone of the South-South Unity is to widen developmental options for the Global South. A cooperation matrix in which each country can gain from the experience of others, by benefiting from their successes and learn from their mistakes. The Global South has a shared identity and a reason to work together for common objectives. The economic diversity that exists within this group offers multifarious opportunities of co-operation that can benefit all of us.

5. The North is facing with own internal challenges, particularly Europe. These new challenges faced by the developed countries have a spillover effect on multilateral institutions, particularly the United Nations, and other international financial and trade organizations. The North has not to met its commitments as far as support to developing countries is concerned, and there is a risk that these commitments may get diluted further.

6. South Centre, as an intergovernmental organisation of developing countries, has consistently and scrupulously helped unifying efforts and expertise of the south to promote their common interests in the international arena.The support provided by the South Centre at an intellectual and policy level has helped developing countries to act and negotiate at the global stage to safeguard their collective as well as individual interests.

7. The South Centre’s varied activities during the year 2015, as contained in the report presented today, as well as during the presentation of the Executive Director, gives us a clear picture of the work carried out by the South Centre and the direction towards which it is heading. The South Centre’s consistent support to Permanent Missions based in Geneva and even other places in the context of the multilateral negotiations has been extremely valuable.

8. We are happy to note that South Centre has made the remarkable contribution in the successful conclusion of important agreements in 2015 such as the Paris Agreement, Addis Ababa Action Agenda, WSIS+10 Review and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. We also commend South Centre for the range of work it accomplishes covering subjects such as sustainable development, climate change, intellectual property, South-South cooperation, technology transfer, access to knowledge, internet governance, health, trade agreements and food security.

9. Like any organisation, South Centre needs to introspect regularly and engage in stock taking exercise. It needs to reinvent itself so as to remain contemporary and adapt to face emerging challenges in the newer areas of negotiations such as establishment of cyber norms, IP rights in the digital environment, new frontiers such as Internet of Things, Big Data, Data Privacy, e-Commerce, digital divide and their corresponding developmental challenges.

10. India increased its annual financial contribution last year to US Dollars 300,000. Also, India has provided an additional financial contribution of USD 270,000 for assisting the Like-Minded Developing Countries (LMDCs) for supporting South Centre for its role in negotiations at the Conference of Parties (COP)-21 on Climate Change held in Paris in December 2015.

11. How do we strengthen South Centre and enhance its relevance is the question which we all need to answer. There is no denying the fact that South Centre requires more financial assistance to be able to function more effectively in the years to come. In addition to funding, South Centre needs to innovate and optimise its management and governance systems, embrace novel and innovative ways to carry out routine processes, hence economising its precious financial and human resource.

12. South Centre can play a utilitarian role for researchers, academicians and the public at large by providing scholarly material on subjects which are not covered by mainstream media and other popular source of information. This will not only making developmental issues more attractive among youth but may generate additional funding for the organisation. Using social media, generating audio-visual content, infographics, providing simplified explanation on complex subjects, in conjunction with the traditional research methods will contribute significantly in building the capacity of this centre.

13. Before concluding let me emphasise that India is confident that the South Centre will continue to provide the necessary “thought software” to the developing countries in their efforts to deal with multi-dimensional nature of issues covered under various UN and International Fora. Let me assure you that India will continue to provide all possible help in the noble endeavor of this unique institution with which some of the finest minds of India have been associated.

14. With these words, I once again thank the Executive Director and his team for their worthy contribution.

Thank you Mr. Chairman.