Saturday Sep 21, 2024
Saturday Sep 21, 2024
Wednesday, 29 April 2015 01:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Special Envoy of the President and Minister of Higher Education and Research Dr. Sarath Amunugama
Distinguished co-chairs, majesties, distinguished delegates, may I begin by thanking on behalf of my President, Maithripala Sirisena, President, Government and people of Indonesia for organising this landmark meeting and their gracious hospitality.
Sri Lanka is proud that it was host to the Colombo Powers Conference in April 1954. In Colombo, the Prime Ministers of Myanmar, Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia and Pakistan met and decided to convene the Asian-African Conference in Bandung in 1955. These leaders worked hard to make that meeting a success.
The leaders who spearheaded the Bandung Conference were bold and visionary. As newly independent countries with underdeveloped economies and insufficient political clout, there was nevertheless an abundance of moral courage, intellectual and political zest to mobilise the nascent spirit of Asian-African solidarity to articulate an alternative vision for international peace and prosperity.
The Asian-African Bandung Conference of 1955 amplified our collective voice and visibility in the global arena. The ‘Spirit of Bandung’ and the ten principles enunciated at the 1955 Conference, evolved later into the Non-Aligned Movement, of which Sri Lanka was one of the 25 founder members.
Many of the challenges and crises we confront today are complex and in many ways, interlinked. Whether it is climate change, global economic uncertainty induced by the financial crisis, terrorism and transnational organised crime, internal armed conflicts, epidemics or pandemics, their consequences are far-reaching.
Given the increasingly challenging environment we navigate today, our responses to such challenges require concerted and innovative action. In meeting such challenges, we need to ensure that our place at the multilateral and international negotiating table is secure and strong. We must also work together to ensure that the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations are upheld and multilateral mechanisms that have been established are utilised for the good of all. Therefore, the theme of this Summit, “Strengthening South-South Cooperation to promote world peace and prosperity” is very appropriate and timely.
The Declaration on the New Asian-African Strategic Partnership of2005 provides a blueprint for Asian-African collaboration to address poverty and underdevelopment. Our two continents are home to 75% of the world’s population and account for 30% of global GDP. We need to redouble our efforts individually to ensure the further socio-economic advancement of our people.
In order to achieve this objective, we may need to ask honest, but difficult questions, and engage in introspection to address policy and governance gaps. It is only when our people reach a sustainable and tangible threshold of socio-economic wellbeing and have a political voice, including those of our women and youth, that our countries become truly empowered.
Ensuring good governance through strengthening the rule of law is the essential basis for securing long term stability and progress. As countries and regions, our political voice in the global arena will acquire staying power and greater credibility when our people are free from fear and hunger.
Some of our fellow countries have already attained economic indicators comparable to economies of the North. However, the vast potential for inter and intra-regional trade remains underutilised. It is necessary that we address through South-South cooperation, asymmetries and bottlenecks, including poor connectivity and infrastructure, which impede investment and trade flows between our two continents.
It is commendable that we support the role the private sectors in the two regions as well as a network of Asian-African think-tanks which could play a role in advancing cross-regional trade and investment. We have also given timely recognition to the vast potential for advancing Asian-African cooperation and partnership in the maritime sector, the creation of a blue economy between the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Excellency, with Indonesia taking over the Chairmanship of the Indian Ocean Rim Association later this year, there is scope for utilising and leveraging the synergies of activities under IORA’s six priority areas with new activities that we envision under Asian-African maritime cooperation.
All our countries are in need of more resources to improve the lives of our people. It has been estimated that many trillions of dollars are necessary for infrastructure development in Asian-African countries. We must cooperate to ensure that we receive our entitlements of funds and voice from international financial institutions. In that context we welcome the establishment of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.
All the leaders represented here have pledged to lift our people out of poverty. Poverty is a curse on mankind and it is our responsibility to ensure that our marginalised poor are given a new deal so that their lives are made more comfortable and meaningful. The best way to do so is to improve livelihood chances for the underprivileged. For this our economies must be modernised and made more productive. We must be ready to embrace science and technology.
At the multilateral level, our two regions must cooperate to ensure that the process of inter- governmental negotiations on the Post 2015 Development Agenda remains transparent and inclusive. For this process to be effective, we need to recognise and provide the policy, space and ownership to the countries to identify their development priorities based on their respective felt needs. Clearly defined means of implementation, including the accessibility to resources and transfer of technology are integral to the successful implementation of the SDGs and other outcomes of inter-governmental processes on Post 2015 Development Agenda.
Excellencies, delegates, I recall the title of President Sukarno’s opening speech at the Bandung Conference in 1955, “Let a New Asia and a New Africa be born.” There is no doubt that Indonesia’s leadership in setting up the Asian-African Centre in Bandung, declaring 24 April each year as the Asian-African Day and Bandung, as the historic capital of Asian-African solidarity, will be a significant contribution towards such a new awakening.
As our world becomes more interconnected and we collectively navigate through our shared challenges, the “Bandung Spirit” will continue to strengthen and inspire us.
I thank you.
