External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has proposed a multi-pronged approach for countries of the Global South to harness their strengths and address emerging challenges.

At what was billed as the high-level meeting of “Like-Minded Global South Countries,” which he convened on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session on Tuesday, he said that they should join together to find solutions to matters ranging from politics and diplomacy to development and technology.

Eighteen countries from across the globe, with a variety of political and economic systems and levels of development, participated in the meeting. They included Singapore, Indonesia, Nigeria, Cuba, Chad, Jamaica, Vietnam, Mauritius, and Morocco. The forum was part of India’s efforts to leverage its strengths as the voice of the Global South.

The Maldives’ Foreign Minister said, “The strength of the Global South lies in its unity and collective action.”

He listed climate action, Security Council reform, and development financing as areas the Global South should pursue jointly.

Reflecting the sentiments of the participants, he said, “Maldives will continue to work with like-minded countries to promote inclusive growth and resilient development pathways.”

Jaishankar said that they could use their specific strengths, experiences, and achievements to benefit fellow Global South nations.

He cited vaccines, digital capabilities, education capacities, agricultural practices, and small- and medium-sized enterprise culture as areas they could collaborate on.

Looking to the future, he said they should discuss the promise of emerging technologies, especially artificial intelligence. On the diplomatic and political front, he proposed working together for the reform of the UN and multilateralism.

He added that they should also use existing forums to build solidarity.