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President Ranil Wickremesinghe delivered a compelling tackle on the Summit of the Heads of State and Authorities of the G77 & China in Havana, Cuba yesterday (15). In his speech, President Wickremesinghe emphasised the essential position of science, know-how and innovation in overcoming the present growth challenges confronted by growing nations worldwide.
President Wickremesinghe started by commending Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez for convening the summit and acknowledging Cuba’s historic position as a champion for the issues and aspirations of growing nations inside numerous multilateral boards.
He famous the unprecedented challenges confronting the worldwide South, together with the pandemic, local weather change, meals, fertilizer and vitality crises, which threaten the achievement of Sustainable Improvement Targets (SDGs) and exacerbate the worldwide debt disaster.
President Wickremesinghe then delved into the historic perspective of technological growth, highlighting how Europe’s developments within the fifteenth century, reminiscent of gunpowder, cannons and ocean-going ships, enabled it to overcome different elements of the world, ensuing within the technological divide seen immediately. He underscored {that a} new technological divide is rising within the twenty first century, necessitating the adoption of digitalization and new applied sciences, reminiscent of Massive Information, IoT, AI, Blockchain, Biotechnology and Genome Sequencing, to bridge the hole.
He emphasised the significance of an informed manpower effectively geared up with information and technological know-how important for the sleek move of the wanted transformations which is able to lubricate the event and catching up course of in growing nations.
The President outlined his authorities’s initiatives, together with the analysis of underperforming Science and Expertise Analysis Institutes and the institution of a Expertise and Innovation Council and a Digital Transformation Company. Moreover, Sri Lanka plans to create 4 new universities specializing in new applied sciences, with one being the results of technological cooperation between India and Sri Lanka. The Worldwide Local weather College would be the 05th.
Addressing the digital divide, President Wickremesinghe cited challenges reminiscent of restricted entry to pricey know-how, inadequate digital abilities and infrastructure, cultural and institutional boundaries and financing constraints.
He known as for efficient cooperation mechanisms throughout the G77 and China, together with the revitalization of the Consortium of Science & Expertise & Innovation for the South (COSTIS) and the dedication of member international locations to earmark 1% of their GDP for R&D over a decade.
President Wickremesinghe confused the significance of collaboration between governments and the personal sector and proposed creating technological platforms in fields like digitalization, well being, treatment, AI and renewable vitality together with inexperienced hydrogen, impressed by the European Union’s Expertise & Innovation Platforms.
The mind drain from the South to the North and the ensuing lack of educated manpower is one other menace to the event of Science Expertise and Innovation of the South, President Wickremesinghe mentioned, including that China, India, Japan and South Korea have developed Science Expertise and Innovation by nurturing their manpower. “Due to this fact we should ask for compensation from the North for the lack of our manpower,” he added.
He additionally urged elevated South-South cooperation and proposed a scheme akin to the Colombo Plan to boost collaboration, change greatest practices and develop insurance policies that harness the transformational potential of science, know-how and innovation.
In conclusion, President Wickremesinghe reaffirmed Sri Lanka’s dedication to supporting the brand new Havana Declaration and known as for the collective voice of G77 and China to be heard in worldwide fora.
The President’s tackle underscored the importance of science, know-how and innovation in shaping the way forward for growing nations, making it a pivotal second on the G77 and China Summit.
(President’s Media Division)
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