Pakistan Urges Strong Unity of Global South to Tackle Escalating Development, Debt, and Climate Crises in 2025

Pakistan calls for Global South unity at a critical moment when developing countries face mounting challenges from debt distress, climate disasters, and widening inequalities. Speaking at the Annual Meeting of Foreign Ministers of the Group of 77 (G77) and China on September 24, 2025, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar urged collective action to defend the shared interests of developing nations.

Dar warned that the financing gap for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has ballooned from $2.5 trillion in 2019 to over $4 trillion, while the climate crisis demands trillions more in urgent adaptation and mitigation funding.

A Growing Development and Debt Crisis

At the UN meeting, Ishaq Dar described the global situation as an “escalating development crisis.” More than 100 countries are now facing debt distress, limiting their ability to invest in education, healthcare, and sustainable growth.

• Inequalities between rich and poor nations continue to rise.
• Geopolitical tensions have disrupted trade, finance, and development cooperation.
• The digital divide risks further marginalizing vulnerable economies.

According to the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the financing needs of developing countries have reached historic highs. Without urgent reforms, many Global South economies risk sliding deeper into instability.

Read more on UNCTAD’s financing reports

Pakistan’s Push for Systemic Financial Reforms

Dar emphasized that systemic reforms are critical to stabilizing developing economies. He called for the implementation of commitments adopted under the Compromiso de Sevilla at the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4).

Pakistan proposed several key reforms, including:

• Special ECOSOC meetings on financial integrity and credit rating agencies.
• Revitalizing the Development Cooperation Forum.
• Expanding multilateral development bank lending.
• Creating a Borrowers’ Forum to strengthen collective bargaining power.
• Launching a process to fix global systemic debt gaps.

These proposals reflect Pakistan’s long-standing advocacy for a fairer global financial architecture that addresses the structural disadvantages faced by developing nations.

Climate Justice and the Call for Fair Finance

Pakistan’s Vulnerability

Climate change is at the heart of Pakistan’s call for Global South unity. Dar reiterated the principle of “Common But Differentiated Responsibility (CBDR)”, demanding that developed nations deliver $300 billion annually in predictable, grant-based climate finance.

Pakistan’s reality underscores this urgency:

• In 2022, catastrophic floods caused $30 billion in losses.
• Three years later, Pakistan is again experiencing deadly floods, despite contributing less than 1% of global emissions.

“This injustice remains unaddressed,” Dar told the G77 and China, highlighting the moral and political urgency of climate justice.

Related internal resource: Pakistan’s record-breaking floods and climate impacts

Bridging the Digital Divide and AI Governance

Another central theme of Pakistan’s statement was the role of the Global South in shaping AI governance. Dar stressed that developing countries must not be excluded from UN-led processes on Artificial Intelligence and digital innovation.

Key recommendations included:

• Expanding access to digital infrastructure for developing countries.
• Ensuring that AI regulations do not deepen inequalities.
• Strengthening South-South cooperation in technology transfer.

Bridging the digital divide is not just about connectivity—it is also about protecting sovereignty, data rights, and collective interests of developing nations.

UN Reform and the Role of the Global South

Dar cautioned that UN reform under the UN80 Initiative must not undermine the UN’s sustainable development mandates. Instead, reforms should empower developing countries and strengthen multilateralism.

He reaffirmed that Pakistan will remain a steadfast partner in advancing the agenda of the Global South, both within the UN and in wider international cooperation frameworks.

Global South Unity: A Path Forward

For Pakistan, unity among Global South nations is not just desirable—it is essential for survival in the face of multiple overlapping crises. Key priorities moving forward include:

• Collective bargaining for debt restructuring.
• Demanding climate justice and financing.
• Strengthening South-South cooperation in trade, technology, and education.
• Advancing a UN Convention on International Tax Cooperation to curb illicit financial flows, particularly with African partners.

This shared agenda can transform the Global South from a divided group of vulnerable nations into a powerful collective voice shaping the future of international governance.

Conclusion

The call from Pakistan at the UN reflects the urgent crossroads facing the developing world. With trillions needed for SDGs and climate action, worsening debt burdens, and recurring disasters, the Global South must act together or risk being left behind.

By demanding systemic reforms, fair climate finance, AI governance inclusion, and stronger multilateralism, Pakistan calls for Global South unity as both a survival strategy and a pathway to sustainable progress.