Leaders urge unity, action
Speakers at the BFA underscore need for multilateralism to address global health, climate, economic challenges
Upon delivering his welcoming speech at the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2021, BFA Chairman Ban Ki-moon found his calls for common thinking, planning and action to live up to global crises well echoed.
Ban said at the opening ceremony on April 20 that the global journey to overcome the climate crisis “is a marathon, not a sprint”, and climate action and carbon-neutral initiatives “are no longer an option but a must” for the world to ensure sustainable living as we enjoy today.
About 20 leaders of state and heads of international organizations addressed the forum, many virtually, including Chinese President Xi Jinping by video and Vice-President Wang Qishan at Boao.
The opening-ceremony speakers also included Association of Southeast Asian Nations chair Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei, Chilean President Sebastian Pinera, Republic of Korea President Moon Jae-in, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Laotian President Thongloun Sisoulith, Singaporean President Halimah Yacob, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, and Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc.
Indonesian President Widodo said the global pandemic is a test for whether countries would be able to work together to fulfill proclamations made during multilateral platforms and global summits, especially in areas like equal access to vaccines.
“Can we walk the talk?” he said, noting the world is in fact a giant village lacking cohesiveness.
Laotian leader Thongloun said cooperation is needed for tackling the crisis and resuming normal life and production even after some countries realize goals of vaccination. Inclusiveness and mutual support as demonstrated by the Belt and Road Initiative and infrastructure links in the region could lead to mutual benefits and a better future for mankind, he said.
Kazakhstan’s first president Nursultan Nazarbayev said politicians in all countries should acknowledge that national interests are intertwined today. International coordination and healthy globalization should be the core elements in the world economy and human development, he said, and new principles of coordination and consultation should be based on mutual respect.
Also addressing the forum, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said “if we join together, we can grow faster. Nations and economies will have to look out for each other, as no single country in this world can sustain on its own.”
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said the world does need global governance that upholds multilateralism and respects international laws and the sovereignty of each individual nation, regardless of its size or wealth, with the United Nations as the core.
At the time of this economic downturn, the BRI remains a driving force to continue expanding cooperation among countries in the region and the world for the cause of peace, security, prosperity and sustainable development, he said.
Mongolian Prime Minister Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene emphasized that more than ever, the world needs mutual interdependency and common cooperation in the face of the pandemic.
Malta Prime Minister Robert Abela said the current pandemic illustrates the necessity of closer economic integration of Asia and Europe.
Multilateralism is an unchangeable feature of Malta foreign policy. “We cannot roll back the clock in multilateralism and international cooperation,” he said.
Volkan Bozkir, president of the UN General Assembly said the challenges for multilateralism have never been so severe, but luckily, a solid foundation has been laid centering on the UN with institutions and forums at multiple levels.
World Trade Organization Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala noted that low-income nations are encountering vaccine shortages while enhanced multilateralism will help achieve more effective global governance for economic recovery, and that China’s growth portends well for anti-pandemic efforts in developing economies as well as for global development and poverty relief.
Kristalina Georgieva, head of the International Monetary Fund said in a world of change, the one thing that remains constant is “the importance of solidarity between countries”.
“By further strengthening this kind of global cooperation, we can turn a world of change into a world of opportunity for all,” she said.
Former Slovenian president Danilo Turk said international cooperation in today’s world is a responsibility, not an option, and that more practical measures and arrangements in meeting challenges such as the pandemic and climate change all demand multilateral coordination.
He said people have reasons to believe that progress in the BRI, including health, green and digital “Silk Roads”, can lead to a future world that is more interconnected and more prosperous.
Mary Robinson, chair of The Elders and former Irish president, said the pandemic demonstrates the significance of multilateral cooperation in meeting not only the pandemic but also the climate change, in which China plays its due role.
Others who delivered on-site or video addresses at Boao on April 20 were Vladimir Norov, secretarygeneral of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization; Daren Tang, directorgeneral of the World Intellectual Property Organization; Liu Zhenmin, UN under-secretary-general for economic and social affairs; Jin Liqun, president of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank; and Marcos Troyjo, president of the New Development Bank.