PM Anwar calls for concrete G20 action on global trade inequities affecting Global South, criticising continued unfair practices and exploitation.
JOHANNESBURG: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has urged G20 member states to move beyond rhetoric and take concrete steps to address longstanding global trade inequities.
He emphasised that these issues particularly affect countries in the Global South.
Anwar noted that while recent G20 discussions show ambitious pushes for broader consensus, tangible progress remains limited.
“We have seen this very ambitious plan to get this sort of consensus but in term of the focus on multilateral trade, increasing mechanisms, investment and ensuring that there are no glaring gaps between countries, it is still lacking,” he said in a podcast interview.
The Prime Minister stressed that Europe and Global North countries should use G20 mechanisms to address gross inequities.
“For too long, unfair trading practices and the exploitation of poorer countries’ resources have gone unaddressed,” he said.
Anwar declared that developing nations no longer want lectures or pious platitudes but concrete action.
“We are not in the colonial or post-colonial period. These countries are much more advanced, much more astute, and are capable of articulating their vision,” he added.
He stressed the importance of expressing these concerns firmly at global forums despite the long road ahead.
On Malaysia’s potential BRICS membership, Anwar confirmed major players support Malaysia’s bid.
“With major players such as South Africa, China, India, and Russia all supporting our membership, we will just go with the process,” he said.
He emphasised that BRICS must focus on new areas, technology, and increasing intra-regional trade while maintaining engagement with the United States and Europe.
This year’s G20 summit marks the first held on African soil. – Bernama
