Phnom Penh: Foreign Minister, Mr. Prak Sokhonn has addressed a virtual mid-term ministerial meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement. The two-day meeting is being held under the theme, “Non-Aligned Movement at the center of multilateral efforts in responding to global challenges".

In his address, Mr. Sokhonn zeroed in on the Covid-19 crisis, saying it had been “rocking our world for the past two years, and along with the superpowers geopolitical rivalries, the outbreak is probably the worst in terms of health, socio-economic and humanitarian crises.”

He told his counterparts that intensifying recurrences of natural and climate-related disasters and the transition towards a digital economy would certainly follow next.

He says Cambodia strongly believes that, in responding to these global challenges, “cooperative multilateral efforts should be rooted in rules-based systems, in line with the Bandung Principles, the 2019 Baku Declaration and the UN Charter.”

He says as the international community seeks to overcome the negative effects of the pandemic, “we must strengthen the values of multilateralism and international cooperation with a view to securing unhindered and equitable access of all countries to vaccines and medical equipment. This imperative is paramount to getting all of NAM countries back on track in their respective economic recoveries”. 

With regards to natural and climate-related disasters, Mr. Sokhonn says “the challenges we are currently facing necessitate a unified approach rooted in solidarity, selfless commitment and humanistic spirit. In this context, the work of the Non-Aligned Movement is of utmost importance in the attainment of sustainable development and prosperity for all. In this specific instance, the implementation of climate and sustainable development actions, incentivized by the adoption of renewable sources of energy that helps curb carbon footprint, will be beneficial to all.”

The Minister then addressed the so-called Fourth Industrial Revolution, saying it would mean NAM members would have to collaborate when it comes to technology transfer and technology sharing, not just between developed and developing countries. He says “Provision of such technological support plays an important part in the sustainability of NAM’s respective economies during their transition towards a global digital economy and that attracting technological investments in infrastructure, education and health systems will help promote economic growth.”

He concluded by saying that for Cambodia, “it is only within the framework of genuine multilateralism that the international community will be able to meet these major challenges. Merely invoking multilateralism for its own sake, without recognizing the plurality of our world is just lip-service. True multiculturalism means accepting differences and turning rivalries into peaceful and honest competition. Without this, we will not overcome present and future pandemics, we will not slow down climatic and ecological upheavals and we will not master new technologies in the context of the rivalries we are experiencing today.”

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