INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
President Ranil Wickremesinghe delivered a compelling address at the Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the G77 - China in
Wickremesinghe began by commending Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez for convening the Group of 77 plus China (G77+China) Summit in
multilateral forums.He noted the unprecedented challenges confronting the global South, including the pandemic, climate change, food,
fertilizer and energy crises, which threaten the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and exacerbate the global debt
advancements in the 15th century, such as gunpowder, cannons and ocean-going ships, enabled it to conquer other parts of the world,
necessitating the adoption of digitalization and new technologies, such as Big Data, IoT, AI, Blockchain, Biotechnology and Genome
Sequencing, to bridge the gap.He emphasised the importance of an educated manpower well equipped with knowledge and technological know-how
essential for the smooth flow of the needed transformations which will lubricate the development and catching up process in developing
to create four new universities specializing in new technologies, with one being the result of technological cooperation between India and
The International Climate University will be the 05th.Addressing the digital divide, President Wickremesinghe cited challenges such as
limited access to costly technology, insufficient digital skills and infrastructure, cultural and institutional barriers and financing
constraints.He called for effective cooperation mechanisms within the G77 and China, including the revitalization of the Consortium of
Science - Technology - Innovation for the South (COSTIS) and the commitment of member countries to earmark 1% of their GDP for R-D over a
decade.President Wickremesinghe stressed the importance of collaboration between governments and the private sector and proposed creating
technological platforms in fields like digitalization, health, medication, AI and renewable energy including green hydrogen, inspired by the
is another threat to the development of Science Technology and Innovation of the South, President Wickremesinghe said, adding that China,
akin to the Colombo Plan to enhance collaboration, exchange best practices and develop policies that harness the transformational potential
significance of science, technology and innovation in shaping the future of developing nations, making it a pivotal moment at the G77 and
