Former German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) will head a new commission to promote development in countries of the Global South. The newspaper Der Tagesspiegel reported this, citing sources in the German cabinet.
The creation of the so-called “North-South Commission“ is provided for in the coalition agreement between the Christian Democratic Union (CDU/CSU) and the Social Democratic Party (SPD). “We will strengthen bilateral relations with countries of the Global South and expand them into a global network. In order to focus on these relations, we will create a new North-South Commission“, says the agreement.
The mandate of the commission is currently under discussion. It is expected to include approximately 20 members, including representatives of countries from the Global South. World Trade Organization Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is expected to replace Scholz. The members of the commission are expected to be formally announced at the end of June at the Hamburg Conference on Sustainable Development.