By Ncaba Ntshakala
Eswatini has called for stronger commitments and responsibility from both the South and the North to achieve the goal of cooperation and inclusive development practices.
Prime Minister Russell Dlamini, representing His Majesty King Mswati III and the Kingdom of Eswatini at the 19th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and the Third South-Summit of Leaders of the G77 and China, held in Kampala, Uganda, made the clarion call.
Under the themes of “Deepening Cooperation for Shared Global Affluence” and “Leaving No One Behind,” the summits saw Eswatini advocating for stronger South-South cooperation and inclusive development practices.
Addressing the G77 Summit, Prime Minister Dlamini stressed the need for collective action and solidarity to build an inclusive future. He emphasized the importance of joint action programs and policies that address shared aspirations and ensure no one is left behind. Eswatini called for stronger commitment and responsibility from both the South and the North to achieve this goal.
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The Prime Minister highlighted the challenges that hinder Eswatini’s development, including rising income inequalities. He reiterated the need for a supportive financial architecture for all countries, particularly the least developed. Additionally, he emphasized the importance of attracting and managing investments for sustainable economic growth and poverty alleviation.
Eswatini reaffirmed the urgency for global solidarity and international cooperation in addressing development challenges. The Prime Minister pointed to the need for innovative approaches to greening economies and achieving energy sufficiency as crucial factors for sustainable development.
At the NAM Summit, Eswatini emphasized the importance of collaborating on matters of political and international security. This includes promoting international law, peaceful conflict resolution, the fight against terrorism, and UN reform, particularly the reform of the Security Council.
The NAM Summit brings together representatives from over 120 developing nations aiming to promote global peace, solidarity, and development. The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is a forum that is not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc. After the United Nations, it is the largest grouping of states worldwide.
Drawing on the principles agreed upon at the Bandung Conference in 1955, the NAM was established in 1961 in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, through the initiative of President of Yugoslavia Josip Broz Tito, President of Egypt Gamal Abdel Nasser, Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru, President of Indonesia Sukarno, and President of Ghana Kwame Nkrumah.
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After the NAM Summit in Uganda, the Prime Minister is expected to head to Italy for the Italy-Africa Summit, a crucial platform for strengthening ties between the European nation and African countries.
Last year, Italy postponed the summit due to increasing global tensions. In November 2023, Italy announced its postponement of the summit and further added that it would host the summit with African nations in late January.
The postponement came in the wake of the flare-up of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Such was shared by Italy Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
“The Italy-Africa conference is scheduled for January 28-29,” Meloni said after a cabinet meeting in Rome which approved initial steps towards an energy cooperation plan that Italy wants to offer to African countries.
Scheduled for January 28-29, in Rome, the summit will focus on topics of mutual interest, including energy cooperation, economic cooperation, security, and migration.
The summit scheme, known as the “Mattei plan” and named after Enrico Mattei, founder of state-controlled energy group Eni (ENI.MI), opens a new tab and is expected to lay the ground for cooperation beyond energy.
Italy is expected to take over the presidency of the Group of Seven (G7) nations this year and has pledged to make Africa a central theme while it is at the helm.
