Baku: "Azerbaijan considers itself part of the Global South. We are part of the Global South geographically, historically, culturally, and also in terms of our destiny," Assistant to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration, Hikmat Hajiyev, stated during his address at the first General Assembly of the Global South NGO Platform (GSNP), APA reports.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, Hajiyev emphasized Azerbaijan's understanding of the challenges faced by Global South countries, drawing from its own historical experiences. He highlighted the lingering effects of colonialism and neocolonialism, noting that many Global South countries have suffered greatly throughout history and continue to face these issues in new forms.

During Azerbaijan's chairmanship of the Non-Aligned Movement from 2019 to 2022, the fight against neocolonialism was a main priority. Hajiyev noted that the UN Special Committee on Decolonization has struggled to fulfill its mandate due to resistance from some countries to the decolonization process.

Hajiyev pointed out the limited influence of the Global South in shaping the global order. Despite many Global South countries gaining independence post-World War II, elements of neocolonialism persist. As chair of the Non-Aligned Movement and president of COP29, Azerbaijan has contributed significantly to the development and cooperation of Global South countries, engaging comprehensively with them on various fronts. However, Hajiyev stressed that the Global South continues to lack representation during the formation of new global orders.

He deemed it unacceptable for the current situation to persist, emphasizing that with 80 percent of the world's population residing in Global South countries, these nations must engage actively in forming a new world order. Hajiyev critiqued the existing structure of international institutions like the UN Security Council for not reflecting modern realities and insufficiently hearing the voice of the Global South. He advocated for reforming the UN Security Council to ensure fair representation and voiced Azerbaijan's strong support for multilateralism.