Commonwealth virtual meeting: Qureshi seeks utilisation of commonalities in legal, administrative systems

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has urged the Commonwealth countries to utilise commonalities in legal and administrative systems to overcome protectionism, and maintain free trade as well as launching dialogue for deeper and more sustained debt relief to allow for more sustained economic recovery.

Addressing the Commonwealth foreign affairs ministers virtual meeting on Wednesday, Qureshi proposed that the in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Commonwealth can contribute, by learning from success stories such as Pakistan’s, and helping mainstream best practices.

He called for utilising commonalities in legal and administrative systems to overcome protectionism and maintain free trade, besides launching dialogue for deeper and more sustained debt relief to allow for stronger and more sustained economic recovery.

Qureshi said the Commonwealth countries could also contribute by lending weight to calls by Prime Minister Imran Khan and other world leaders for a “people’s vaccine”, a regime in which all treatments and diagnoses were made, patent-free, mass-produced, and available to all countries and peoples free of cost.

He pointed out that Pakistan had been fortunate enough to escape the worst ravages, adding the country’s pandemic recovery rate had earned appreciation from major international organisations, including the World Health Organisation (WHO).

He said that it had been the government of Pakistan’s endeavour, from the outset, to save people from dying from the virus, and dying from hunger.

“Through enhanced social spending, coordinated and targeted response mechanisms, and introduction of tech-driven “Smart Lockdowns”, we have been able to mitigate the worst fall-outs,” he added.

He pointed out that an $8 billion stimulus had helped keep the economy, businesses and households afloat. “Pakistan has also been at the forefront of efforts to create fiscal space. We appreciate the positive response to Prime Minister Imran Khan’s “Global Initiative on Debt Relief” for developing countries and Small Island Developing States,” he said.

He said G-20 and international financial institutions had provided welcome relief in the shape of debt suspension. “A lot has been achieved. Clearly, more is needed,” he added.

He stated that individually and collectively, the Covid-19 pandemic had been a test of our resilience and resolve.

“We have all struggled – some with greater success than others, to cope with its impact…Global trade has been disrupted. International tensions are spiking…Vulnerabilities and inadequacies stand exposed. The worst economic downturn since the great depression is upon us,” he added.

He stated that the virus might not have discriminated between the rich and poor, adding that it had certainly affected the vulnerable, the most.

“To top it all, winter brings with it, fears of a resurgence,” he added.

The foreign minister also pointed out with a concern that the world over, the pandemic had been accompanied by a spike in intolerance, violence and racial discrimination, adding that this was manifested in various forms of hate speech, xenophobia, and Islamophobia.

“And in the ascendancy of populist and supremacist ideologies…The core principles on which the edifice of this Commonwealth, and the modern world is built; of rule of law; of fundamental freedoms; and of multilateralism, are endangered,” Qureshi said.

Referring to racial and religious discriminations in India, Qureshi added, “While the world is pre-occupied with the pandemic, a state in South Asia is targeting specific religious and ethnic groups in order to foment division and hatred among communities”.

“It has usurped the rights and freedoms of million, fanned hyper-nationalism, engineered illegal demographic change in disputed territories, and stoked regional tensions…We ignore its transgressions only at our own peril,” he said.

He said Pakistan welcomed the Commonwealth statement on racism, and felt it rightly focused world attention on a growing menace in our midst.

In the same vein, he added that Pakistan commended the Commonwealth’s “No More Campaign” against gender and sexual violence.

About the climate change, the foreign minister said that no country was immune from the impact of climate change, adding that developing countries were disproportionally affected.

Despite Pakistan’s limited contribution to global “Green House” gas emissions, he added that it was among the most climate-vulnerable countries.

“We owe it to posterity to take urgent climate action, build resilience and adapt…No action will be sustainable unless based on the principles of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities as set out by the Paris Agreement,” he said.

He asserted that an urgent and ambitious climate agenda could only be pursued if adequate, predictable as well as “new and additional” climate finance was made available.

“It is time to pledge by developed countries to mobilise $100 billion annually for climate action is fulfilled,” he added.

For Pakistan alone, he continued that the total abatement cost for the intended 20 percent Green House Gas emissions reduction till 2030 was around 40 billion dollars.

He said Pakistan highly appreciated the Commonwealth’s climate change-related initiatives including its “Climate Finance Action Hub”.

“We have already expressed our willingness to benefit from the services offered by the Hub,” he said, adding Pakistan had also joined the Commonwealth Blue Charter Action Group on “Mangrove Ecosystems and Livelihoods”.

On its part, he added that Pakistan was fully committed to play its role in addressing the issue of climate change and making a shift towards a “clean and green” Pakistan.

He said that Pakistan had launched an “Eco-System Restoration Initiative” at national level.

The initiative, among other activities, aims at planting “10 Billion Trees” throughout Pakistan in the coming three years, he said, adding Pakistan’s first electric vehicle (EV) policy aimed at replacing 30 percent of the road vehicles with electric vehicles by 2030.

“This Commonwealth, our Commonwealth, has the potential to make a difference. Let us never lose sight of our common values and core principles, which are a proud and shared heritage. Let us instead harness our great resources and resilience to create a better and more hopeful tomorrow,” he added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020