Stricter border controls limit participation in summits for impoverished countries - Summits excluding nations with financial struggles
In a world where the majority of global diseases occur in poorer countries, it's alarming that only 4% of health summits were held in these regions. This disparity is not limited to health forums; climate conferences and economic development meetings also tend to favour the Global North, leaving countries that are most vulnerable to climate impacts, least polluting, and underrepresented at global talks.
Recent cases highlight the impact of stricter border and visa rules on Global South nationals. Saida, a Sudanese medical student, was refused a visa to attend a medical workshop in Italy this month. Roaa, a Sudanese climate activist, and Linda, a Ugandan HIV/AIDS youth advocate, were also denied visas to attend United Nations climate and health conferences respectively.
These refusals are not isolated incidents. Between 1997 to 2019, only 39% of health conferences analysed had attendees from developing countries, according to a 2021 paper by Harvard Medical School researchers. Africans paid 60 million euros for rejected Schengen visa applications in 2024, up from nearly 54 million euros in 2023.
The story of these individuals is not unique. Far-right and populist parties have made gains in several Western countries, fueling anti-immigrant policies that further limit the participation of Global South nationals in high-level talks.
However, not all is lost. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has taken steps to diversify participation at its events by boosting the quota for Global South delegates. The Geneva-based group International AIDS Society (IAS), which runs the International AIDS Conference, has also taken steps to address visa issues faced by its delegates.
The IAS, recognising the importance of inclusivity, stated that large conferences should prioritize finding safe and welcoming spaces for the most marginalized among us. Since 2023, the International AIDS Conference has been switching its host city due to visa issues experienced by delegates.
These developments underscore the need for more inclusive and streamlined visa policies for conference participation. As global issues demand global solutions, it is crucial that all voices, especially those from the most affected regions, are heard in international dialogues on climate, health, and economic development.
This article was published with permission from Thomson Reuters Foundation, a charitable organization that covers humanitarian news, climate change, resilience, women's rights, trafficking, and property rights.
References:
- LLDC3 Conference in Turkmenistan (2025)
- South Africa’s New Digital Visa System (2025)
- US Visa Policies Affecting Latin America
- The refusal of visas for Saida, Roaa, and Linda underscores the need for more inclusive visa policies, especially in light of the rising number of Global South nationals facing similar obstacles in attending international conferences, as shown by the analysis of health conferences from 1997 to 2019.
- In the fight against climate change and the advancement of sustainable development goals (SDG) such as education-and-self-development, sports, and health, it's crucial that global forums, like the upcoming LLDC3 Conference in Turkmenistan (2025), prioritize inclusivity, ensuring that voices from the most affected regions, such as those from Sudan and Uganda, are heard and actively engaged in shaping the world's future.
