The outreach nations-- India, Brazil, China, South Africa and Mexico-- which form 42 per cent of the world’s population, will present a united front on the issue of climate change at Baltic resort in Heilingdam today before the G-8 leaders.
In a joint statement released after a high-level meeting of the outreach nations, Lula da Silva of Brazil, Chinese President Hu Jintao, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Mexican President Felipe Calderon, and Thabo Mobiki of South Africa reaffirmed their shared conviction that developing countries must participate more actively in the consolidation of strategies and initiatives that effectively address the challenges of a globalising and increasingly interdependent world.Further cementing the cooperation, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh sent a strong signal by stating that “developing countries must be treated as ‘partners and not petitioners’ in the changed global scenario, especially while dealing with key geopolitical issues”.
The O5, or the outreach countries, also discussed how the five countries could push South-South cooperation in various issues of global importance.
Climate change, the Doha Development Round of global trade talks and inclusive growth were among the issues discussed by the five leaders, Indian Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon told reporters after the meeting.
However, the G8 countries have reached a compromise and there is a breakthrough deal among these countries according to which they have agreed to slash greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent by 2050, compared to 1990 levels.
But the members are resolute that they cannot hinder their development at the cost of emission cuts and these countries continue to blame the developed world for the increasing pollution.
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