Hamid joins 2-day G77 Summit in Bolivia

The ‘Commemorative Summit of G77 and China’ began in Bolivia on Saturday evening (June 14) with the attendance of leaders of developing nations including Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid to draft a global anti-poverty agenda. In presence of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Bolivian President Juan Evo Morales Ayma inaugurated the G77 summit at 8pm (Bolivia local time), which marks the 50th anniversary of the group’s founding, with the theme ‘For a New World Order for Living Well.’ On his arrival at Fexpocruz, the summit venue, President Abdul Hamid was received by his Bolivian counterpart Juan Evo Morales Ayma. Apart from Bangladesh President, other Presidents, Vice Presidents and Prime ministers of more than 30 countries under Group 77 including Ecuador, El Salvador, Paraguay, Peru, Venezuela, Uruguay, Cuba, Haiti Chad, Costa Rica, Iran, Tanzania, Zambia, Guinea, Equatorial, Gabon, Sri Lanka, Fiji, Dominica, Namibia and Swaziland are attending the two-day summit to discuss various agenda including food security, poverty reduction and creating sustainable ways to protect the earth. This year’s G77 summit comes amidst the 1,000 days of accelerated actions to reach the anti-poverty targets of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and as the international community is working on a post-2015 sustainable development agenda to replace them. In his address, UN Secretary General Ban-ki Moon stressed that a new development agenda must be based on human-rights and the rule of law, and in line with the UN Charter. The Bolivian President said that the G77 Summit will re-launch the vision of 133 members of Group 77 to serve the people of the countries of the world. ‘We have a great responsibility. This Summit will be a way to re-launch the 133 countries and China for us to be at the service of the people; how to share the work and experience of many presidents, thinking that politics is not business, it is sacrifice, engagement with the people, and no benefit to the authorities,’ he said. President Abdul Hamid is due to address the summit today (June 15) and also expected to hold bilateral talks with his Bolivian counterpart, according to a message received today in Dhaka from Bolivia.