Cuban President Raul Castro said in a speech at the opening session of the Non-Aligned Movement summit that the financial crisis had hit developing nations the hardest. “Every country in the world must seek just solutions to the global economic crisis,” Castro told the 118-member body at the gathering here.
“We call for a new monetary and economic world order… we must restructure the world financial system to take into consideration the needs of developing countries.” Representing His Majesty Sultan Qaboos, Dr Yahya bin Mahfoud al Mantheri, Chairman of the Majlis Addawla is taking part in the summit. Global power dynamics also need to be addressed, Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi said, demanding a restructuring of the UN Security Council which he branded a form of terrorism “monopolised by a few countries that are permanent members.”
“This represents a danger towards international peace. We have suffered all sorts of harm from the Security Council, it has become a sword over our necks,” he said. “The Security Council is terrorism.” Kadhafi said he wanted to correct the imbalance at the Security Council, demanding a permanent seat for the 53-member African Union, which he chairs. India said members should play a bigger role on the world stage. “Decision-making processes, whether in the United Nations or the international financial institutions continue to be based on charters written more than 60 years ago, though the world has changed greatly since then,” Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh said.
“Developing countries must be fully represented in the decision-making levels of international institutions,” Singh said. Meanwhile, Hamas yesterday called on NAM to take “all necessary measures” to end the blockade of the Gaza Strip. Hamas called on the leaders gathered here to “take clear decisions towards ending the siege on the Gaza Strip.” Delegates should “take all necessary measures to (end the blockade), instead of just issuing statements, full of political rhetoric,” Hamas said in a statement from Gaza.
In his keynote address to the summit, which has been billed as the largest assembly of nations outside the UN General Assembly, Raul Castro reaffirmed the movement’s support for the Palestinian people and “all occupied Arab countries.” “The movement has not hesitated to condemn Israeli attacks and crimes, and will continue its efforts to regain the rights of the Palestinian people,” Castro said.
