The field is wide for areas of cooperation - the continuous shifting of the global dynamic means that we may not wish to pin down those areas in which the G15 can contribute its voice, stated Secretary to the President, Lalith Weeratunga addressing the G15 High Level Task Force meeting held today (5 August) at John Exeter International Conference Hall of the Central Bank.

This developing country’s voice continues to grow in strength and reach, and the group is well-placed to contribute to its continued growth and force, he added.

New and emerging challenges in such areas as environment, health, trade and the global economy, require capacity and response, at a pace many of us may not be able to meet on our own, the Secretary further stated and emphasized that G15 countries have the common objective of achieving a better standard of life for its peoples.

Secretary to the Ministry of External Affairs, Romesh Jayasinghe attended the meeting along with representatives from Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iran, Jamaica, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria and Senegal.


Following is the speech by the Secretary to the President, Lalith Weeratunga

Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates,

At the outset, let me welcome all of you to Colombo and hope that you will enjoy your stay here in Sri Lanka, adding impetus to a successful conclusion of the work before you. I also hope that you will take back fond memories of your visit.

We are indeed honoured to host this first formal meeting of the High Level Task Force of Senior Officials and Personal Representatives of the G-15. As the Chair, Sri Lanka attaches great importance on the mandate given to us at the 14th Summit to establish this Task Force, and we are committed to facilitating this vital exercise in the advancement of the Group. We place great value on the work of the HLTF, and its role in providing to our Ministers of Foreign Affairs concrete recommendations and proposals to advance the agenda of the G15 on cooperation, cohesion and international visibility.

Without prejudging the outcome of the important preparatory discussions you have carried out, and those which will continue from today, I sincerely believe that your work will first confirm what we all know: that the Group of Fifteen is of as much relevance today, as it was at its inception over 20 years ago - which is the reason we are engaged so dedicatedly on this Task Force.

Its founding objectives of South-South cooperation and North-South dialogue have only become more critical in the current global economic environment. We are looking ahead to recovering from the series of crises that adversely affected especially the developing world, and to address new and long-standing challenges. Many, if not all of us, have faced severe setbacks to our programmes for economic & social advancement as a result of the past food, energy and economic crises. Some of us may have been derailed from our planned achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. New and emerging challenges in such areas as environment, health, trade and the global economy, require capacity and response, at a pace many of us may not be able to meet on our own. It is in this, at times adverse environment, that the Group can achieve its ultimate objectives- that of cooperation and mutual upliftment amongst its Members. While our composition represents a diverse cross-section of the developing world, we have one thing in common - achievement of a better standard of life for the peoples of our countries.

The spirit of mutual cooperation and unity embodied in the Group of 15 makes it a fitting vehicle to take these aspirations forward. However, we may acknowledge that the pace of the vehicle may have slowed down over the past years, so we must be encouraged that it has not yet come to a grinding halt. That it is still very much a roadworthy vehicle was clearly highlighted at the 14th Summit, from which this Task Force was born. The very presence of yourselves here at this meeting reinforces our collective belief this Group is absolutely capable of achieving its fullest, and yet untapped potential, and only requires a
well-considered road map to place the Group back in the right direction.

I believe that this spirit of cooperation has already permeated the work of this Task Force, and I take this opportunity to congratulate you on the substantial progress that has been achieved in the preparation of this report. I am sure that you would continue in this spirit, to fulfill the mandate given to us, to revitalize and take this Group forward.

First and foremost, 1 believe that we are all agreed and committed to the objective of revitalizing and advancing the agenda and work of this Group. It is particularly encouraging to see that the Task Force has achieved consensus on the Group's direction - that achieving the development goals of its Members, and on the avenues of achieving these broad objectives, i.e. through practical forms of economics and other means of cooperation, through policy coordination and through increased dialogue with development partners. The achievement of consensus on this broad framework will go a long way to focusing our thoughts on how best these objectives can be achieved.

It is not an easy task that we have undertaken - to step back and examine ourselves critically to identify our gaps and weaknesses. Nevertheless, I believe that this honest stocktaking allows us to identify lessons that we can learn, in order to prepare a practical and achievable blueprint for this Group based within the framework of its founding principles - in short, a happy marriage between idealism and pragmatism. Such a blueprint would ensure that this Group continues to fulfill its agenda and objectives to its maximum, and to prevent any discouragement from setting in.

It is evident from the preparatory work, that the Task Force will be fully committed to the presentation of recommendations which are workable and achievable. In particular, the area of projects is one of the most important mechanisms of cooperation in the Group. It is encouraging to note the framework emerging for clear guidelines and procedures for the identification and implementation of G15 projects, to ensure their long-term feasibility and success. This is an area in particular, where we must learn from past mistakes and failures, as well as our successes. The diversity of experiences, knowledge and development within this Group lends itself to a high level of successful cooperation amongst, and the empowerment of, all its Members, and should be exploited to the fullest.

In this regard, let me assure that Sri Lanka is also fully committed to contributing to this aspect of G15 cooperation, and is already in the process of identifying areas in which Sri Lanka has strengths which it can share with other members. A broad policy paper has been evolved, which would be made available to you today, in order to feed into the discussions on possible projects, which 1 believe would be undertaken after the consideration of the HLTF report by the Foreign Ministers of the Group.

Enhancement of policy consultations and coordination is also an important role of the Group, which can benefit from a clear plan of action. As with technical cooperation, the diverse representation present within this Group provides an ideal environment for the formulation of common positions in key International fora, and the presentation of a collective voice on developing country concerns and challenges. The field is wide for areas of cooperation - the continuous shifting of the global dynamic means that we may not wish to pin down those areas in which the G15 can contribute its voice. This developing country voice continues to grow in strength and reach, and the group is well-placed to contribute to its continued growth and force.

In that same vein, the revitalization of the dialogue with development partners and other economic groupings is also an important avenue for the achievement of the Group's objectives. Again, it is encouraging to note that the Group has achieved success in this dialogue exercise in the past. In this regard, we are extremely fortunate in that we have within our Group, a number of Members who are particularly visible on the global stage, and who have attained high levels of development. We look to them to lead the way in reinitiating this critical dialogue with our development partners.

Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates,

We are a unique group. Many such groupings have come and gone, shifted boundaries, changed agendas. The G15 as a small but representative goal of developing countries has remained for 20 years, and has weathered both political and global economic storms of the greatest order. This exercise can only assure that the Group continues from strength to strength for many years to come.

Let me conclude by wishing you a most successful meeting and outcome, and again, wish you a pleasant and memorable stay here.