UN urges rich nations to join hands in tackling world crises

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UNITED NATIONS, Dec 20 (Xinhua): UN Secretary-general Ban Ki-moon yesterday called upon developing countries to strengthen cooperation and do their collective utmost in dealing with the current global crises in finance, food and climate change.
In his message marking the United Nations Day for South-South cooperation, which falls Friday, Ban said, "Today, the worldwide crises in finance, food and climate change call for even greater cooperation among developing countries. As never before, developing countries are collectively facing multiple global economic challenges that threaten to reverse development progress. The policy response must be bold."
"That response can build on experiences gained through earlier financial crises in Asia and Latin America, and through numerous natural disasters and pandemics," he said.
"Since the 1990s, many developing countries have devised public programmes to improve access by the poor to food, credit, health, education and a host of other essential services in times of crisis," he said. "South-South cooperation should draw lessons from these programmes to protect vulnerable people today."
"Previous economic downturns led to a rise in debt burdens, the sale of productive assets and the sorry sight of children being pulled out of schools," he said. "We must do our collective utmost to avoid such consequences this time around."
South-South cooperation can also play a significant role in the fight against climate change, he said. "Many developing countries are adopting low-carbon development paths, backed by renewable energy and energy efficiency. Countries can share these experiences, policies and adaptation technologies."