Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud yesterday urged the countries in the global South to stand in solidarity and unity to achieve the ultimate goals of sustainable development.

He made the call while addressing the General Debate of the Third South Summit of the Group of 77 (G-77) and China in Kampala, Uganda.

Underlining the ongoing global crisis due to climate change, wars and sanction-counter sanction, debt crisis, and escalating protectionism, he also said that the Member States of G-77 and China must leverage South-South cooperation to overcome these challenges.

He recalled the historic address of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman delivered at the 29th UN General Assembly in 1974 and said that Bangabandhu's message is still very much relevant in the present global context.

The foreign minister emphasized five pressing issues for a fairer and more equitable world:

- more effective actions for SDGs implementation;

- reforming the current international financial architecture;

- addressing the technological divides;

- ensuring gender equality everywhere; and

- empowering the youth people through skill development and job creation.

In his address, he further highlighted the pragmatic and pro-development policies of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina that have resulted in sustained economic growth in Bangladesh in the last one and a half decade.

He also reaffirmed Bangladesh's commitment to supporting the struggles of the Palestinian people for achieving their right to freedom and justice.

Earlier in the day, he attended the opening ceremony of the Summit.

The opening ceremony was inaugurated by the President of Uganda Yoweri Museveni, as chair of the third South Summit and the new chair of the group.

The session was also addressed by Dennis Francis, president of the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly; António Guterres, UN Secretary-General; Liu Guozhong, special representative of the president of China; and Soltan bin Saad Al-Muraikhi, state minister for Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar, the host country of the Second South Summit.