Uganda postpones G77 April talks due to coronavirus

March 6, 2020 in Foreign News, Policy, Travel & Tourism by Editor

After breaking out in China towards the end of 2019, the virus has now been reported in nearly 80 countries. Coronavirus causes coughs, fever and breathing difficulties. In severe cases there is organ failure and ultimately death.

The spread of the coronavirus across the world, has forced the Uganda government to postpone the G77 Third South Summit scheduled for next month in Kampala. Uganda would be the first African country to host the talks  involving several thousand participants.

After breaking out in China towards the end of 2019, the virus has now been reported in nearly 80 countries. Coronavirus causes coughs, fever and breathing difficulties. In severe cases there is organ failure and ultimately death. The Uganda government decisions comes after close consultation with other G77 member countries.

Using tweeter, Adonia Ayebare, Uganda’s permanent representative to the United Nations said, “The Third South Summit that was to take place April 16-19, 2020 has been postponed to a later date this year. Pre-summit preparations will continue.”

Earlier this year, the World Health Organisation has identified 13 countries in Africa as being at risk of the coronavirus infection on 31st January. These countries include Algeria, Angola, Cote d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. They either have direct links to China or handle a large volume of travel to China. Algeria, Egypt, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia have already reported cases.

The South Summit is the supreme decision-making body of the Group of 77. The First and the Second South summits were held in Havana, Cuba during 2000 and Doha, Qatar in 2005. In accordance with the principle of geographical rotation, the Third South Summit was destined for Africa and Uganda was selected.

The Group of 77 (G-77) was set up on 15 June 1964 by seventy-seven developing countries signatories of the ‘Joint Declaration of the Seventy-Seven Developing Countries’ issued at the end of the first session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development in Geneva.

It is the largest intergovernmental organization of developing countries in the UN, providing the means for the countries of the South to articulate and promote their collective economic interests and enhance their joint negotiating capacity on all major international economic issues within the UN system, and promote South-South cooperation for development.