Former Prime Minister PJ Patterson has called for the abandonment of “separatism and division” by the Global South, urging its nations to unite in defence of a fairer global order.

The former prime minister made the call in a message submitted to the first international colloquium, 'Fidel: Legacy and Future', convened in Havana, Cuba, to mark the centenary of the birth of Castro, the deceased former president of that nation.

The colloquium, organised by the Fidel Castro Ruz Centre together with Cuban academic and cultural institutions, opened at the Havana Convention Centre on Monday and will conclude tomorrow — 100 years to the day since Castro’s birth. It has drawn more than 1,500 delegates from some 60 countries.