G-77 + China Meeting in Havana, Cuba

Written by Jose Aguilar | September 24, 2023

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On September 15 and 16, the historic city of Havana, Cuba hosted the annual meeting of the G-77 countries. The G-77 was established in 1964 by 77 developing countries; now, there are 134 member states of the largest organization of developing countries. It is important to highlight that these 134 countries account for 80% of the world’s population.  Multiple state leaders and representatives discussed how a framework that prioritizes cooperation between countries in the Global South is needed to address the challenges the Global South faces, especially challenges such as climate change and poverty. Some state leaders were more direct and called for a new world order, specifically one that does not have the United States as a world leader.  

According to the Rwandan president, the meetings aim to discuss opportunities for economic cooperation and explore opportunities for bilateral cooperation. The United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, called for the world to be more representative and responsive to the needs of developing economies. This comes after countries in the Global South have faced growing challenges since the COVID-19 pandemic, which highlighted how inequality manifests during a global health crisis. This was one of the arguments state leaders used to highlight how Western-led world policies keep countries in the Global South underdeveloped. Multiple state leaders also called for an end to the embargo against Cuba.

It is also important to note the disagreements between countries within the G-77; there are different opinions regarding the war on Ukraine. And there are also tensions between the presidents of Nicaragua and Venezuela, who have called each other a dictator and which both are dealing with low approval ratings in their home countries. Another remark is that China is not an official member of this organization, but China states that it supports the South-South growing cooperation.