New York [US], September 26 (ANI): India called for greater voice and representation for developing countries and stressed the need for urgent UN Security Council reform as Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri delivered India's national statement at the 50th Annual Meeting of Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the Group of 77 during the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

The meeting was held on the theme "The Global South and the Future of Multilateralism" on Saturday (local time).

According to a post on X by the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations, New York, Misri highlighted the continued relevance of the G77 in advancing "people-centric and development-oriented multilateralism" and underscored the urgency of UNSC reform to ensure greater voice and representation for developing countries.

https://x.com/IndiaUNNewYork/status/2103614132935114769

Misri also called for collective efforts to enable the Global South to move "from being rule-takers to rule-shapers".

The Group of 77, according to its official website, is the largest intergovernmental organisation of developing countries in the United Nations. It provides a platform for countries of the Global South to articulate and promote their collective economic interests, enhance their joint negotiating capacity on major international economic issues within the UN system and promote South-South cooperation for development.

The G77 was established on June 15, 1964, by 77 developing countries that signed the Joint Declaration of the Seventy-Seven Developing Countries at the end of the first session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development in Geneva.

Although the grouping initially consisted of 77 countries, its membership has since expanded to 134 countries. The original name, however, has been retained because of its historical significance.

The group's institutional structure developed gradually following its first Ministerial Meeting, held in Algiers from October 10 to 25, 1967, which adopted the Charter of Algiers. The G77 subsequently developed chapters with liaison offices in Geneva, Nairobi, Paris, Rome and Vienna, while the Group of 24 operates in Washington, D.C., in connection with the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.

The G77 functions through chapters with broadly similar arrangements concerning membership, decision-making and working methods. A chairman acts as the spokesperson and coordinates the group's actions in each chapter.

The chairmanship rotates on a regional basis among Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean and is held for one year in the different chapters. For 2026, the Oriental Republic of Uruguay holds the chairmanship of the G77 in New York.

The Annual Meeting of the Ministers for Foreign Affairs is convened at the beginning of the regular session of the UN General Assembly in New York. The grouping also convenes sectoral ministerial meetings in areas of cooperation and development and special ministerial meetings when required.

The South Summit is the supreme decision-making body of the G77. The first South Summit was held in Havana, Cuba, from April 10 to 14, 2000, while the second was held in Doha, Qatar, from June 12 to 16, 2005. 

Against this institutional backdrop, India's call for greater representation and a stronger role for developing countries came as the G77 marked its 50th annual ministerial meeting, with the focus on the future of multilateralism and the role of the Global South in shaping the international system. (ANI)