At France's invitation, around 80 heads of state and government are meeting in Paris currently. Their aim is to address the needs of developing countries in their fight against poverty and their adaptation to global warming. The summit is co-organized by France, Barbados and India. A "polycrisis" borne of Covid-19, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, spiking inflation and the spiralling cost of climate-enhanced weather disasters has thrown many nations deep into debt. The hope is to lay the groundwork for a long-term overhaul of the international financial architecture put in place by the West in the aftermath of the Second World War. Bretton-Woods is outdated and urgent reform is needed, in the face of the climate emergency and slowing progress around the globe. Amongst the attendees are the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, Chinese premier Li Qiang, Janet Yellen, the U.S. Treasury secretary. UNESCO are present along with the IMF managing director, the UN Secretary-General, The World Bank chief and the EU president. Of course Cuban President Diaz-Canel is attending alongside many other presidents and world leaders. UN Secretary-General António Guterres says: “the global financial system, which manages around 300 trillion dollars in financial assets, is simply not fit for purpose. Today’s poly-crises are compounding shocks on developing countries – in large part because of an unfair global financial system that is short-term, crisis-prone, and that further exacerbates inequalities. More than 50 nations are now in or near debt default, while many African countries are spending more on debt repayments than on healthcare". https://today.rtl.lu/news/world/a/2078046.html Unfortunately, the UK's leader, Rishi "Richie" Sunak, was far too busy to attend. He had a prior engagement at an Ikea warehouse in Dartford, where he answered questions from the hi-vis jacketed employees and the press about Boris Johnson and why he resigned from his government. He also reassured anyone who has a mortgage not to worry about the interest rates because he was "totally on it guys". Instead the UK was represented at the summit by Andrew 'Thrasher' Mitchell (Rugby and Cambridge). He was the one who got into the 'don't you know who I am' pleb argument with the cops at downing street. A man who brags that he was "a stern disciplinarian" at school. A man who's neighbours say about him: "It has been a nightmare. He is a very rude and arrogant man. When we've had disputes, he doesn't speak to us any more, but sends us letters on parliamentary headed notepaper". Another says: "I remember him knocking on door and asking my mum, 'Is there a husband I can speak to?" A man described by Tory colleagues as "a nasty piece of work", "cantankerous and aggressive", "a bruiser who sometimes winds people up the wrong way" and "pretty brutal". Also unfortunately, there has been no space on the BBC "news" programs or websites to report anything about this summit. Instead their website leads with no less than 10 (ten) articles and stories about the little submarine and the billionaires, followed by an item about the return of the 90s Furby toys.
It's a shame that Rishi missed the opportunity to make friends with a few developing countries as we'll probably have to tap them up for a few quid before the end of the year
Not flying 80 heads of state and their associated assistants & security to meet up for a back slapping jolly would be a decent start to saving money and the environment. Zoom is perfectly adequate.
Hmmm. I’m not sure what it is you want today? Global Britain or Little England? Maybe some of those Countries are very poor indeed and it’s the duty of their leaders to forge beneficial alliances.
