Global versus regional partnership

“#India’s #G20 presidency holds immense potential for health and humanity that @WHO will support.” World Health Organization South East Asia Regional Office, Jan 17, 2023[1] Dear Editor, Bhattacharya made a commentary on globalization emphasizing policy makers to facilitate to embrace global citizenship and provide right to migrate in his article published in the April 2024 issue of the journal.[2] The author highlights various related issues, evolving themes, upcoming challenges, and the way we have had some success stories and also includes areas we need to ponder about. Although as an insider we know the issues through the lens of a healthcare provision, the writer correlates all the relevant points about the dynamic issue and brings to fore his diverse areas of wisdom and scholarship. I am grateful to the author for covering and joining several aspects of the field while drafting such an excellent and comprehensive piece. Nevertheless, there is an area where I want to add a small bit of information. There is a header of Impact of International Institutions on issues such as income inequality, sustainable development and environment protection. Here, in the second paragraph, the authors are (P)roposing potential reforms or alternatives to institutions such as the UN (United Nations), IMF (International Monetory Fund), World Bank, and WTO (World Trade Organization) contributes significantly to a more robust examination of the global governance framework. He (correctly) states that these global institutions structured on the backdrop of World War 2 identify the then powerful groups and fail to internalize – or even recognize – changes that emerged in the global order since then to engage with new reality. Hence, to fulfil interests of countries of Global South, we need a different organization structured to incorporate new arrangement. Furthermore, I want to mention here that on this theme, our country made several treaties and joined partnerships with several allies in this century. Last year, we obtained Presidency of G 20[3] and invited several global leaders. G 20’s Health Ministers’ meeting commenced less than a year ago, leading to exchange of ideas while sharing our common concerns.[4] This time, India formally included African Union in its ambit for mutual growth and development.[5] Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is another group where regional players of Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand join us to further their interests for their economic growth and social progress in the Bay of Bengal region.[6] Quad alliance of US–India–Australia and Japan supports these member countries for making peaceful negotiations and dialogue.[7] We need to realize that the post-cold war world is fragmented and multifaceted a lot now. While US hegemony is an all-encompassing theme, China is gradually emerging to provide another axis of power replacing former USSR. As expansionist ambitions of our this neighbor is a threat to regional security, India is securing its interests through forging bonds and friendship with well-wishers and power brokers to offset the threat. The post-COVID world knows dangers of an authoritative regimen where we remain in dark about the origin of the pandemic.[8] In this brave new world, we should discover our regional allies to ensure a just, peaceful, and safe world free from pests and dangerous lab tests. Financial support and sponsorship Nil. Conflicts of interest There are no conflicts of interest.