President Wickremesinghe calls for effective cooperation mechanisms within G77 and China

• Says cooperation will help address global development challenges
• Stresses need for collaboration between governments and private sector
• Says must ask for compensation from North for loss of manpower in South
• Urges need for increased South-South cooperation and proposes a scheme akin to Colombo Plan

President Ranil Wickremesinghe called for effective cooperation mechanisms within the G77 and China, to help address the global development challenges.
He asserted the need to revitalise the Consortium on Science, Technology and Innovation for the South (COSTIS) and commitment of member countries to earmark one percent of their GDP for R&D over a decade.
Wickremesinghe made his comments while addressing the G77 and China Summit in Cuba on Friday (15).
While asserting the importance of collaboration between governments and the private sector, he proposed creating technological platforms in fields such as digitalisation, health, medication, artificial intelligence and renewable energy, including green hydrogen, inspired by the European Union’s technology and innovation platforms.
In his address, Wickremesinghe outlined Sri Lanka’s initiatives, including the evaluation of underperforming science and technology research institutes and the establishment of a Technology and Innovation Council and a Digital Transformation Agency. He also highlighted Sri Lanka’s plans to create four new universities, specialising in new technologies, with one being the result of technological cooperation between India and Sri Lanka.

Touching on the brain drain from the South to North that has resulted in the loss of educated manpower, he stressed this is another threat to the development of science, technology and innovation in the South.
“Therefore, we must ask for compensation from the North for the loss of our manpower,” he said while acknowledging that China, India, Japan and South Korea have developed science, technology and innovation by nurturing their manpower. 

Wickremesinghe also urged for increased South-South cooperation and proposed a scheme akin to the Colombo Plan to enhance collaboration, exchange best practices and develop policies that harness the transformational potential of science, technology and innovation.
In his closing remarks, Wickremesinghe reaffirmed Sri Lanka’s commitment to supporting the new Havana Declaration and called for the collective voice of the G77 and China to be heard in international fora.