by Samuel R. Insanally

Ambassador S.R. Insanally is the Permanent Representative of Guyana to the United Nations in New York and is currently Chairman of the Group of 77 in New York. He is also Chairman of the Preparatory Committee of the G77 and China for the South Summit.

The first ever South Summit will be held in Havana, Cuba from April 10-14, 2000. Coming as it does at the turn of the century and the beginning of a new millennium, it offers the developing countries, at the highest level, a singular opportunity to create a vision and a strategy for promoting the economic and social welfare of their people. To prepare for the event, a Committee of the Group of 77 and China has been established at UN Headquarters in New York to consider and advise on the agenda, format and outcome. Thus far, the Committee has held one organizational and two substantive meetings.

It has already been decided that the deliberations should revolve around four major themes: Globalization and its Challenges to developing countries; North-South Relations; South-South Co-operation; and Knowledge and Technology. These broad areas, it is felt, will allow for ample coverage of all major issues of interest and concern to developing countries.

Although no definitive format has yet been agreed upon, the aim is to have an interactive process, which can yield ideas and proposals for practical measures to enhance co-operation among countries of the South. A combination of short statements in plenary and a set of round-table discussions are believed to be a possible formula for achieving these results.

As to the outcome of the Summit, it is envisaged that two principal documents will emerge -- a political declaration and the traditional communiqué on the issues discussed both in the public statements and the panel exchanges. The first document will be a visionary expression of commitment by leaders to future co-operation while the second is intended to be an action plan that would embody specific agreements and the steps by which they may be implemented.

Needless to say, the task of preparing and holding the South Summit is a challenging one. The Group of 77 and China will work diligently and closely with the host country, Cuba, to ensure that the event is successful. As part of the preparatory programme, the Chairman of the Group proposes to organize two symposia, one on the issues pertaining to Globalization and the other on the elaboration of a Development Agenda for the countries of the South. Additionally, a number of smaller panel discussions will be held in conjunction with substantive meetings of the Preparatory Committee in search of new and dynamic ideas for advancing South-South co-operation. Various institutions concerned with issues on the Agenda such as UNCTAD, the South Centre and the Third World Network have been asked to prepare and submit papers to stimulate fresh thinking.

It is hoped that such careful preparation will create the conditions for a stimulating and successful Summit. In the end, however, success will be measured by the interest and support of member countries. It is, therefore, imperative that Governments be fully sensitized to the importance of the meeting and the opportunity it presents to concert their actions in the face of the challenges posed by the globalization process and the liberalization of the world economy. The time has come for developing countries to translate their declared solidarity and unity of purpose into a joint enterprise to raise the level of practical co-operation among themselves and, in so doing, offer renewed hope to be able to live in larger freedom.