The Havana gathering of the G77 plus China wrapped up with a shared resolve to strengthen multilateral cooperation and close the gaps between the global North and South. The daylong summit attracted heads of state, foreign ministers, and representatives from international bodies from nearly 100 nations. The main aim was to present a united stance on how advanced economies and developing nations can push technology, science, and innovation forward while addressing environmental challenges that will shape a shared future.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva emphasized the need for a louder G77 voice in the era of the fourth industrial revolution. He highlighted progress in artificial intelligence and biotechnology, but warned against rifts within the bloc. Lula called for a common vision that serves low and middle income countries and other vulnerable communities. He urged coordinated efforts on energy transformation and digital modernization, drawing attention to the ongoing disparity between a handful of wealthy economies and the rest. His message resonated with others, including South Africa’s Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor, who spoke about a dependency dynamic between the center and the periphery.
At the outset, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged a fair international order and underscored the vulnerabilities faced by developing nations. Lula linked this call to evolving global challenges and pointed to opportunities in climate action. He laid out a program that includes sustainable industrialization, investment in renewable energy, socio-bio economy initiatives, and low carbon farming practices. He reminded attendees that historical debts accumulated by wealthier nations carry moral weight in climate finance, urging aid to align with each country’s needs and priorities. European leaders who joined the Brussels discussions with CELAC echoed these sentiments, reinforcing a pledge to climate finance for the developing world and urging timely fulfillment of promises made during COP processes in Dubai and Belém over the next five years.
Since Lula took office, Brazil has worked to reassert its leadership on the global stage, a standing it held during his earlier terms from 2003 to 2010. The G77, formed in the 1960s, represents about 134 member states, underscoring its enduring belief in collective action. China positioned itself as a facilitator capable of advancing its global ambitions, calling for deeper reforms to the Bretton Woods system and the World Trade Organization as part of a broader push for more balanced governance. The session also pressed for lifting restrictions such as U.S. sanctions on Cuba, aligning with positions advanced by several allied states.
Global Marshall Plan for Climate Action
Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro urged a modern, universal approach, comparing the needed response to a global Marshall Plan aimed at addressing climate risk. He warned that inaction could fuel conflicts and mass displacement, potentially forcing billions to flee environmental shocks. He wondered what governance, society, and democracy would look like if rising urban areas in the developing world became less livable. Petro called for universal negotiations to reform the global financial system to back ambitious decarbonization efforts. The proposal suggested a shift away from debt-centered models that burden vulnerable economies, especially if debt relief is not part of the solution. He argued that current proposals from the United States and Europe often shift debt burdens onto developing countries, while many G77 members seem to accept this path. Financing a globally decarbonized economy fairly requires debt relief and new funding mechanisms rather than simply more borrowing. He also floated the creation of Universal Special Drawing Rights to ease financial pressures on debtor nations, a concept discussed in regional talks and potentially revisited by the G77 as needs evolve. The idea would help the most vulnerable countries stabilize their balance sheets while pursuing climate resilience.
José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs, secretary general of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, reinforced these themes, stressing that humanity must act decisively against climate change. He urged leveraging the benefits of emerging technologies to strengthen resilience and reduce negative impacts on economies, emphasizing that proactive adaptation and smart modernization should advance together.
Notes from delegates highlighted the central tension between the urgency of climate action and the political and financial structures shaping development. Analysts observe that energy transition, digital inclusion, and fair climate finance remain key touchpoints for a more balanced global order. Attribution is drawn from UN summaries and regional briefings, with a 2025 update in mind.