Group of 77 and China (G-77 and China)

South Centre Report, October 2024

Group of 77 and South Centre convening on the Future of Antimicrobial Resistance Response in Developing Countries

Meeting Report

October 2024

On 25 September, the South Centre with the Group of 77 and China discussed solutions for tackling Antimicrobial Resistance and ensuring access to antibiotics and diagnostics.

(more…)

SouthViews No. 271, 31 July 2024

UNCTAD at 60: Reflections on six decades of promoting economic development for the Global South

By Yuefen Li and Danish

The United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD) celebrated its 60th anniversary in June 2024 in Geneva, holding a high-level Global Leaders Forum that brought together ministers, officials and experts to discuss the multidimensional challenges facing countries, and strategies for advancing the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It highlighted the need for innovative solutions to address current global crises that can promote resilience, economic growth and sustainable development.

(more…)

Dialogue with the G77+China Countries, 11 April 2024

A Dialogue with the G77+China Countries

Summit of the Future: risk and opportunities for developing countries

Co-organised by South Centre & Transnational Institute

11 April 2024, 13:00-15:00 (CET)

Geneva, Switzerland

Venue: International Environment House II, Chemin de Balexert 7-9, 1219 Vernier

(more…)

Documento de investigación 193, 2 de febrero de 2024

Desafíos actuales y posibles escenarios futuros de la salud mundial  

By Germán Velásquez

Hace cuatro décadas los principales actores en la salud global eran la Organización Mundial de la salud (OMS), el Fondo de las Naciones Unidas para la Infancia (UNICEF) y los Estados Unidos de América y los países de Europa del Norte (mediante cooperación bilateral). Hoy asistimos a la proliferación de actores en este campo si bien con diferentes roles , ámbito de acción y niveles de influencia: La OMS, UNICEF, el Programa Conjunto de las Naciones Unidas sobre el VIH/SIDA (ONUSIDA), UNITAID,  la Organización Mundial del Comercio (OMC), la Organización Mundial de la Propiedad Intelectual (OMPI), el Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo (PNUD),  la Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Agricultura y la Alimentación (FAO), el Fondo Monetario Internacional (FMI), el Banco Mundial, el G7 y el G20, el G77+China, el Movimiento de No Alineados, los BRICS (Brasil, Rusia, India, China y Sudáfrica), el Fondo Global, GAVI,  COVAX, la industria farmacéutica, Bill & Melinda Gates y otras fundaciones y organizaciones no gubernamentales (ONGs) sin o con ánimo de lucro.

Este documento de investigación analiza el papel de los múltiples actores (públicos, privados y filantrópicos) en la salud global y, con base a ello, procura esbozar posibles escenarios futuros. En particular, examina el papel de la OMS bajo cuyos auspicios los países miembros están, desde hace dos años, negociando una reforma del Reglamento Sanitario Internacional (RSI) del 2005 y la posible adopción de un nuevo instrumento internacional para prevenir y dar una respuesta a futuras pandemias como la del COVID-19. La aplicación de estos instrumentos, si se adoptaran, estaría en manos de la OMS, uno de los principales actores de la salud mundial.

(more…)

South Centre Statement for 3rd South Summit, 21-23 January 2024

Statement for the Third South Summit of the Group of 77 and China

Kampala, Uganda

21-23 January 2024

South Centre stressed that the theme of the G77 Summit ‘Leaving No One Behind ’ reflects the urgent needs and aspirations of the Global South towards meeting their Sustainable Development priorities.

The Centre highlighted the importance of South-South Cooperation for dealing with the most critical challenges of our time, eradicating poverty, healing and securing our planet, & shifting the world onto a sustainable and resilient path.

The South Centre stands ready to support developing countries and the G77+China to find common positions and mutual understanding in key areas of global governance and multilateral negotiations for effectively addressing the global crises that define our time.

(more…)

SC Statement to the G77 Summit, 16 September 2023

STATEMENT OF THE SOUTH CENTRE AT THE SUMMIT OF HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT OF THE G77 PLUS CHINA

Havana, Cuba, 09.16.2023

This summit can contribute to consolidate the cooperation mechanisms between G77 member countries and the Non-Aligned Movement for the reform of the United Nations system and the global financial, trade and fiscal architecture where the interests and rights of developing countries are respected. It is also necessary to make effective the financial and technology transfer obligations of developed countries in the fight against climate change, including the operationalization of the loss and damage fund agreed at COP27.

The South Centre, as an intergovernmental organization created by and for developing countries, has benefited from strong cooperation with the Group of 77+China since its inception. We remain firmly committed to such cooperation in a variety of areas where the Group focuses its efforts.

(more…)

SC/TNI Public Workshop – Multistakeholderism & UN 2.0, 7 September 2023

Public Workshop

Multistakeholderism and UN 2.0: Challenges and Alternatives for Developing Countries

 7 September 2023 | 10:00 – 11:30 EDT

 Co-organized By the South Centre and the Transnational Institute

Co-sponsored by Corporate Accountability and ESCR NET, Peoples´ Working Group on Multistakeholderism

This Public Workshop will discuss the findings of a new report commissioned jointly by South Centre and The Transnational Institute (TNI) and elaborated by Prof. Harris Gleckman on the idea of the increasing role of ‘multistakeholderism’ in making key policy and programmatic decisions in the context of the United Nations and other fora. The workshop will also serve as an opportunity to discuss the recommendations on how to deal with multistakeholderism and its risks for global governance and the participation of developing countries.

This event is designed as an open forum to foster dialogue and share views among representatives of the Group of 77 and China, particularly those based in Geneva and New York, and civil society organizations.

The public forum will be held in a hybrid format.

(more…)

SC Statement to NAM Ministerial Meeting, 5-6 July 2023

South Centre Statement to the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Ministerial Meeting

July 5-6, 2023

Baku, Azerbaijan

The South Centre supports developing countries with policy-oriented research, advice on international negotiations and capacity building. Since its inception, the South Centre has maintained a close relationship with NAM. We are strong supporters of its principles, appreciate its achievements, and believe in the central role that NAM can play in reforming the multilateral system.  

The South Centre will continue to work with NAM and its member countries to support them in their efforts to shape a fairer multilateral system that is responsive to the needs of the Global South. 

(more…)

SC and IsDB Side Event, 6 July 2023

Side Event to the Ministerial Meeting of the Coordinating Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM)

Reinvigorating the Non-Aligned Movement”

Co-organized by South Centre and Islamic Development Bank (IsDB)

6 July 2023, 15:00 – 16:15

Baku, Azerbaijan

Venue: Baku Convention Center (BCC), Rooms A3-A4

(more…)

Tax Cooperation Policy Brief 30, 25 March 2023

Enforcing Secondary Taxing Rights: Subject to Tax Rule in the UN Model Tax Convention

 By Abdul Muheet Chowdhary and Sebastien Babou Diasso

The Global Anti Base Erosion (GloBE) Rules under OECD’s Pillar Two recommendations, with a minimum effective tax rate of 15%, are expected to play a significant role to end the ‘race to the bottom’ in corporate taxation, which is one of the main drivers of profit shifting. However, the thrust of these rules is designed in a manner to give priority to the developed countries. In this light, the Subject to Tax Rule (STTR), which is a treaty-based rule that allows source jurisdictions to impose limited source taxation on certain payments that are taxed below a minimum rate in the country of residence, is of extreme significance for the developing countries. Under Pillar Two, application of STTR is restricted to base eroding payments or mobile income between related parties only, which does not address Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) concerns in an entirety. That apart, the withholding tax rate of 9% proposed by the OECD may not result in generation of significant resources for the developing countries. In this light, developing countries keenly expect that the UN Tax Committee should devise an STTR that is simple to operate, has a broad scope covering all payments in a tax treaty and imposes a higher withholding tax closer to 15% to bring meaningful revenues for them. Also, developing countries desire that STTR provisions may be introduced at the earliest so as to speedily implement them through the UN Multilateral Instrument under contemplation. This Policy Brief also examines existing average withholding tax rates on interest and royalty payments in existing tax treaties of 48 South Centre and 52 G-77+China Member States and finds that out of a total of 100 developing countries, only 25 would stand to benefit from the STTR in its restricted form in Pillar Two, further strengthening the need for an improved version formulated by the United Nations.

(more…)

Research Paper 164, 23 September 2022

Impact of a Minimum Tax Rate under the Pillar Two Solution on Small Island Developing States

By Kuldeep Sharma

The Research Paper commences with an overview of Pillar One and Pillar Two followed by detailed discussions on salient provisions of Pillar Two.

Pillar Two is envisaged to have a widespread impact on Small Island Developing States (SIDS) which are a distinct group of 38 United Nations (UN) Member States and 20 Non-UN Members/Associate Members of UN regional commissions that are exposed to unique social, economic and environmental vulnerabilities. In all, 36 SIDS that are members of the Group of Seventy-Seven (G-77) have been analysed, namely, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Belize, Cabo Verde, Comoros, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Fiji, Grenada, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Kiribati, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, São Tomé and Príncipe, Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, and Vanuatu.

(more…)