With Qatari Participation, Havana Summit a Multitrack Action by G-77+China to Address Contemporary Challenges

Doha, September 15 (QNA) - All eyes are on the Cuban capital, Havana, today and tomorrow, where the summit of the leaders of the Group of 77 Plus China (G-77+China) will be held this year, under the slogan "The Current Development Challenges: The Role of Science, Technology and Innovation," with a high-level Qatari participation.
Everyone is awaiting the outcome of the summit in light of a multitrack movement and joint action at both bilateral levels among the members of the group and multilateral levels of the group as a whole, in a serious attempt to unify positions and visions on the complex and thorny crises that are ravaging all parts of the globe and to get out of them with the lowest costs, as confirmed by experts, academics and researchers whose opinions were polled by the Qatar News Agency (QNA) and who see the summit as a concerted effort that rejects hegemony and unilateralism.
Economic expert Fawaz Al Hajri affirms the importance of the State of Qatar's participation in the summit, owing to its global presence and its balanced and calm diplomacy that has proven successful in resolving hot issues. This participation will give the summit more momentum, given the great efforts the country is making to enhance progress, stability and growth at the global level, he said.
The participation of the State of Qatar, he said, in such international summits and forums consolidates its ability and position at the regional and international levels, especially since the Havana Summit seeks to enhance communication, cooperation and integration among its members, strengthen coordination in various economic and political fields, ensure effective participation in reducing poverty rates, promote sustainable development, protect the sovereignty of countries over their natural resources, and promote fair international trade away from any economic system that may increase social and economic marginalization.
Al Hajri expected that the summit would come out with important recommendations to enhance the tireless efforts and endeavors towards building an integrated, more equitable economy for the entire international community. Representing about 80 percent of the world's population, member states must unite and work together to come up with a scenario that supports this, especially as the group is in dire need of modern technical sciences, which are no longer exclusive to anyone to achieve its sustainable development goals, he noted.
Regarding the timing of the annual summit, Khaled Walid Mahmoud, a doctoral researcher in political science, said that its convening comes in light of many global crises and challenges. It provides a platform for cooperation and discussion of pressing issues; and participation in it enhances Qatari diplomacy as a major player in formulating global policies and contributing to achieving international stability, and it supports finding collective solutions to international issues and challenges, most notably the Palestinian cause, he said.
He added this summit comes in the context of strengthening multipolarity and paving the way towards a multipolar global system by strengthening the bonds of cooperation between the countries and organizations participating in it, a matter which contributes to building a more balanced and just international system.

Khaled Walid Mahmoud added that the State of Qatar is one of the emerging economies, capable of influencing global economic decisions and redirecting the compass of international trade. Its regional presence also has a prominent role in settling disputes, consolidating the rules of peace and stability and strengthening the system of international cooperation across the fields of economic, investment, and sustainable development. It also plays an active role in providing humanitarian and relief aid and supporting countries affected by crises and disasters. Hence, its participation in summits contributes to coordinating global humanitarian efforts and helps member states develop solutions to the problems of their people. Its participation also enhances its role in the international arena and contributes to finding sustainable solutions to development, environmental, trade, climate change, cybersecurity, and other pressing issues, in the context of complex international relations and their repercussions on the nature of global polar balances.
Dr. Mohamed Hamshi, a researcher at the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies, considered the expected Qatari participation in Havana Summit as a continuation of Qatar's intense engagement in regional and global politics and its commitment to the concept and role of the effective state, through which it seeks on several levels to confirm its influential diplomatic presence in all global forums and strengthen its multilateral partnerships.
Dr. Hamshi noted the significance of the role played by Qatar, as an influential country from the Arab world and from the South in general and in this group in particular, as this significance lies in dispelling the prevailing myth that the major powers are central to international politics. For more than two decades and after the success of repeated mediations led by its active diplomacy in recent years, and the increasing roles it plays in international institutions as well as its engagement in addressing regional and international crises and files, Qatar has proven that it is a small Arab country, classified among the countries of the Great South, and can take the initiative and assume unconventional roles.
All of this, he added, is not only related to Qatar's good investment in its distinguished and balanced relations between the East and the West and in the soft power resources that it has developed over the past years, but it is also related to the intense presence of young people in Qatari diplomacy, and in the Qatari leadership itself, which is a decisive factor in enhancing the efficiency of the work of the diplomatic machine for this country.
Regarding the summit's contributions to addressing issues of poverty and technical empowerment and strengthening the common interests of the countries of the South, Dr. Aisha Al Basri, a researcher at the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies, stressed the importance of the summit's primary goal which is to address the urgent challenges facing developing countries in a turbulent period afflicted by crises. In addition, it serves as a platform for dialogue and cooperation, she said, calling for focusing on the Sustainable Development Goals Summit scheduled to be held on September 18 and 19 in New York and the Future Summit that will be organized by the United Nations next year. 

Dr. Al Basri said that the participation of the State of Qatar is of great importance in the field of multilateral diplomacy, as it contributes to strengthening and consolidating a unified approach among the countries of the South, transcending cultural, geographical and economic differences.
    Writer and economic expert Ahmed Akl stressed the importance of keeping pace with the knowledge economy, which has become in our present day a basic requirement, indispensable for the advancement of the gross domestic product of any country, as it represents the most important and valuable assets of the investment environment. With the accelerating pace of technological progress and modern innovations, industry, agriculture, and other economic sectors no longer depend on the huge number of workers, especially in light of what we hear about "artificial intelligence" that will constitute a new revolution at the global level, which may increase the suffering of some developing countries and other poorest nations that are isolated from it and suffer from technical marginalization, and today they are in dire need of it to ensure the smooth continuation of work like other developed countries.
Akl added that digitization has today become the core of the work of various institutions and companies and an essential factor for activating the investment cycle. Digital development and investment are two sides of the same coin, and the investor no longer needs to go to a country in order to study its investment climate and available opportunities. Cyberspace has spared him the trouble of traveling and wasting money and time, he said, adding the countries of the group are required to focus on this point, while not forgetting to keep pace with digital developments and benefit from them in order to catch up with the advanced economies.
At the Qatari level, the State of Qatar has succeeded in keeping pace with and catching up with these developments. We saw this during its successful hosting of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, in addition to its success in diversifying its economic, production and investment base, which in itself is a unique experience that other countries should emulate, he said.
    He added that the concept of "sustainable development" has become the most prominent title for countries, which requires developing advanced legislation and an integrated structure to make it an attractive environment not a repellent one, with the need to focus at the same time on the importance of keeping up with "cybersecurity" to protect the investment system. The State of Qatar is a pioneer in this field as well, he noted.
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel, whose country holds for the first time since last January the interim presidency of the Group of 77, had called for the summit to be held in Havana on September 15 and 16, 2023, while renewing his country's commitment to promoting the common interests of the countries of the South.
In his capacity as interim president of the group, he stressed, in a video clip shared on the social platform "X" and reported by global media outlets, the need to strengthen the unity of member states, and to take an effective decision on collective and practical measures to confront the challenges.
    He added that the summit could help the countries that are part of the group find possible solutions to the most serious problems facing the world, stressing that every minute is important in searching for solutions to peoples' pressing problems.
He emphasized that the reasons lie in the unjust international economic system, which has exacerbated social, economic, scientific, and technical marginalization in many countries, with dire consequences for the Global South.
    He highlighted that science, technology, and innovation were at the forefront of the response to COVID-19. However, their benefits remained out of reach for those who needed them most. He stressed that changing this scenario requires building a more just relationship and a truly comprehensive democratic system that supports international solidarity and cooperation.
    The Group of 77 and China was founded on June 15, 1964, within the Non-Aligned Movement. They face enormous challenges to the development of their countries, which together represent 80 percent of the world's population. The first ministerial meeting of the Group was held in Algiers in 1967, and its membership has now reached 134 countries from Asia, Africa, Central and South America. (QNA)