A Shared Vision on Globalization.

From 10 to 14 April 2000, the 133 developing countries of the Group of 77 will hold their first Summit meeting--the largest gathering of heads of State and Government of the developing world. The historic South Summit, to be held in Havana, Cuba, aims to establish a collective agenda to promote the economic security and social welfare of developing countries in the new millennium. "Through the Summit, we are determined to launch an unrelenting struggle against the forces of poverty and marginalization", said the Ministers of the Group of 77 in a statement issued in September. To shed further light on the Summit and the issues involved, Ambassador Samuel Insanally of Guyana, Chairman of the Group of 77 for 1999, contributed this article.

Developing countries face the challenge of formulating a common vision and constructing a platform for collective action in order to achieve a comprehensive formulation and forceful articulation of their shared concerns and objectives. The Havana Summit is a unique opportunity to renew the South's commitment to cooperation and define an action plan with dear targets and a time-frame for effective implementation. Through the ongoing preparatory process and ultimately the Havana Summit in April 2000, developing countries can build a secure foundation for action, motivated by a single desire to benefit from the changing global climate while seeking to minimize its deleterious effects.

As stated in the January 1997 San Jose Declaration on South-South Cooperation, "there is a firm conviction that South-South cooperation should be actively pursued and vigorously strengthened, based on the self-reliance of developing countries". There was thus increased support in Costa Rica for the idea of a South Summit and this was reiterated at the Ministerial Meeting of the Group of 77, held at the United Nations in New York in September 1997, where the decision was made to convene the South Summit.

Throughout the preparatory process, a clear emphasis has been placed on the development of a clear and concrete plan of action and implementation. Unless backed by firm political will and the allocation of adequate resources, such sentiments will remain unfulfilled promises. The Havana Summit is aimed at restoring the commitment of the Member States of the Group of 77 to a new economic platform for the South.

The broad themes of "Globalization, Knowledge and Technology, South-South Cooperation and North-South Relations" will be the principal focus of the Summit. The agenda will thus reflect the enormous global challenges facing developing countries and, in particular, allow for high-level discussions in order to find a consensus on global development. There will also be a special emphasis on developing specific follow-up machinery to carry forward the outcomes of the Summit.

The growing trend of globalization and liberalization has proved challenging for most developing countries, many of which have found themselves marginalized from the mainstream of the world economy. A thorough review by developing countries of the current approaches to globalization is both timely and appropriate in order to maximize its potential rewards. It will thus serve to highlight the inadequacies of existing international mechanisms to effectively manage the processes of globalization and financial liberalization and indicate those areas in which developing countries can increase their participation and thus benefit from the international economy. Such a revised and integrated approach should be aimed at redressing the unequal impact that the phenomenon has had on different countries and harness the benefits of globalization, not only for the benefit of a select few but for all countries.

The issue of knowledge and technology is of crucial importance to development. It has been said, "globalization is perhaps the most profound source of international transformation since the industrial revolution.

The adjective "global" refers less to a place than to a space defined by electronic flows and a state of mind". If developing countries are to compete on such a "global" level, they must also enter the space defined by electronic flows. The intellectual wealth of the South is evidenced by the many centres of excellence that rival or even surpass those in the North. The challenge is therefore to exploit this untapped potential, through focused cooperation. Specific short-, medium- and long-term initiatives can be identified and pursued at the Summit to allow countries to anticipate the impact of technological change on their societies and make the necessary adaptations in order to participate in and benefit from the technological revolution.

The South Summit provides a historic opportunity to reaffirm the long-standing commitment of developing countries to South-South coperation. The interactive deliberations should yield concrete proposals to form a clear agenda for the future. If the rich and varied resources of developing countries are fully mobilized, their productive capacity can certainly be enhanced. Innovative strategic objectives can be defined for increased investment and trade. The resulting accelerated pace of development and economic growth in the South will also serve to strengthen its bargaining position in negotiations with the North on international economic issues.

It is expected that the Havana Summit will establish the basis for a renewal of the North-South dialogue. Based on a "mutuality of interests and benefits, shared responsibility and genuine interdependence", such a dialogue is long overdue. Developed countries have an interest to fully participate and engage in substantive negotiations with their less developed counterparts in the South in order to deal with major global economic and social issues. The exchange of views which now takes place between the Non-Aligned Movement, the Group of 77 and the G-7 on key international economic issues should be institutionalized and expanded. In this way a forum can be created to produce a collective to the challenges and opportunities of globalization, which will secure their common prosperity and allow them also to shape the emerging global order along more equitable lines.

To set the stage for the Summit, a Preparatory Committee has been working to determine the format, scope and agenda of the event. The Committee has so far completed four substantive sessions in New York at which both the physical and substantive aspects have been addressed.

An open-ended core group has been set up to draft the main final document on the basis of submissions by Member States. The draft is continuously subjected to the scrutiny and supervision of the entire membership. Several panel discussions have also been scheduled to reach out more widely for ideas and proposal. Throughout, a clear emphasis has been placed on the identification of concrete initiatives to underpin a programme for international development.

From the South Summit will emerge two final documents: the first, a forward-looking declaration, will set out a vision and broad strategy for the future; while the second action-oriented document will dearly define measures, targets and time frames, for implementation. It is also hoped that as a logical consequence of the discussions, appropriate follow-up machinery will be agreed upon to implement the objectives in Havana.

The Summit itself will be structured so as to allow for a rich exchange of views along with full participation. Consisting of plenary meetings with short statements and panel discussions, the event will provide a thorough and honest assessment of the problems facing the South, as well as an enthusiastic projection of our aims through intensive, inclusive and comprehensive negotiations and collective action. In this way, it is also hoped that the Summit can effectively allow for a full consideration of the legitimate interests and concerns of all Member States of the Group of 77.

The member countries of the Group of 77 and China recognize that no one will do for them what they are not prepared to do for themselves. In this regard, they emphasize the need to further exploit the unexplored or unutilized capacities in the South for the promotion of mutual cooperation. The South Summit is an occasion for developing countries to galvanize their numerical strength and spirited solidarity into a truly energetic force capable of conditioning the international environment in which they must operate.