Pathfinder Foundation represents civil forum in Beijing

Thursday, 22 June 2017 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Representatives of BRICS political parties, think tanks and non-governmental organisations gathered in Fuzhou, capital of southeast China’s Fujian Province, and agreed to increase BRICS cooperation and enhance dialogues with other developing countries.

The target of this forum is to focus on three broad themes including Stronger Peoples to Peoples Bond for Better Cooperation and exploring ways to overcome. During a two-day forum, discussions centred on ways to cement cooperation and share governance experience, and suggestions were offered for the ninth BRICS Summit, which is scheduled for September. Former Minister of Samurdhi and Senior Fellow Pathfinder Foundation R.A.D. Sirisena, briefed in his presentation, any effort to promote better cooperation between the countries must be understood by the people’s interaction under the new circumstances.

This forum covered two major sectors; its included public support for BRICS cooperation: Status quo and the way forward and Role of civil society organisations in facilitating BRICS cooperation: Areas of strength and options. Zhu Rui, Secretary General for China NGO Network moderated the first session and Corlett Letlojane, Executive Director of Human Rights Institute for South Asia. The key presentations of the participants commented with their views and experience how to do handle the issues better than in history.

Addressing the closing ceremony, Song Tao, Head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said BRICS political parties, think tanks and non-governmental organisations should facilitate cooperation that will elevate BRICS members to their role as practitioners of new globalisation, advocators for new global governance and forerunners of new South-South cooperation. “BRICS should promote the Belt and Road Initiative, to inject new vitality to BRICS cooperation,” he said.

In the Fuzhou Initiative, released at the closing ceremony, attendees vowed to intensify policy communication, expand cooperation, and work more with other emerging markets and developing countries.