BRICS Summit: South African Foreign Minister Calls on Wealthy Countries to Contribute to Poverty Eradication Worldwide.
As the five foreign ministers of the BRICS countries gather in Cape Town to prepare for the BRICS Summit scheduled for August, the South African Foreign Minister has called on wealthy countries to prioritize the eradication of poverty worldwide.
On the second day of discussions between the foreign ministers of South Africa, China, India, Brazil, and Russia, diplomats from around ten other countries were also invited. This group of states, known as « Friends of BRICS, » includes Saudi Arabia, Iran, Gabon, and the Comoros.
The heads of diplomacy from the BRICS countries were meeting to make progress on the accession process for future members of their bloc.
In a speech in Cape Town on Friday 2 June, South Africa’s head of diplomacy criticised the attitude of the world’s most industrialised countries. « As countries gathered in this room today, together we represent a significant majority of the world’s territory, population, and economy», declared the South African Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has led to a sharp rise in food and energy prices in much of the world, exacerbating food insecurity in poor countries. (…) «We are witnessing a world that has failed in its cooperation», stated Naledi Pandor.
«We are aware that industrialized countries have not fulfilled their commitments to the developing world. They have continuously attempted to shift their responsibilities onto countries in the Global South».(…) «The fate of the poor is forgotten, and the major powers are engaged in a global conflict. We cannot allow a localized conflict to replace the ambition of eradicating poverty worldwide, the greatest global challenge», (…) «Therefore, we must find a way to refocus global attention and resources on this troubling issue, » she emphasized.
Naledi Pandor did not respond to any questions regarding a possible visit by the Russian President to the BRICS Summit in August.
The official invitation issued by Pretoria inviting President Vladimir Putin to come to South Africa for the summit was made before an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court (ICC) was ordered against Mr. Putin.
As a member of the ICC, South Africa is theoretically obligated to arrest the Russian President if he enters its territory.
The organization, currently comprising five states, advocates for a « rebalancing » of the global order
Neil Camara
