India hosted the two-day Voice of Global South Summit from 12-13 January 2023 – it took place virtually and featured 10 sessions attended by Leaders and Ministers from 125 countries of the Global South.
While addressing the summit, Prime Minister Modi stated, “In the last century, we supported each other in our fight against foreign rule. We can do it again in this century, to create a new World Order that will ensure the welfare of our citizens.”
PM Modi stated that “As India begins its G20 presidency this year, it is natural that our aim is to amplify the Voice of the Global South.”
With this, India has unveiled its plan for G-20’s 2023 annual summit to be hosted in New Delhi on September 20, 2023. This summit will address global south issues such as climate justice, economic recovery and accessing COVID-19 vaccines as well as terrorism.
India organised this unique summit to bring international attention to the issues that concern the global South. The primary purpose was ensuring global governance works effectively for developing nations which often do not receive enough consideration in international forums. Furthermore, this Summit enabled India to consult developing nations as it prepared to host this year’s G20 Summit in Delhi.
India’s Renewed Attention On Global South
India has taken an aggressive stance in global affairs. India asserted its right to economic progress while seeking exemption from intellectual-property protections when it comes to vaccines – positions which garner considerable support among developing countries.
India recently expressed concern about unsustainable debt that threatens the financial viability of many developing nations.
What Is Global South
Global South and Global North represent another simple way to classify international political systems. Other categorisations include the East/West split, the first/second/third world countries etc.
Brandt Report, published in 1980, introduced the idea of Global South. This concept was determined by technological advancement, GDP and standards of living of each nation. North-South global disparities are marked by significant disparities when it comes to accessing resources essential to meaningful growth outcomes.
The Global North/South discourse centres around what countries in the South share in common due to being colonised primarily by European powers. They all tend to share similar levels of wealth, healthcare access, education and other metrics among themselves.
As a meta term, ‘Global South’ has taken on various meanings. It doesn’t only refer to those areas south of an equator or that exist within a defined south hemispherical zone. Rather, this term has been applied to decolonised nations roughly south of their former centres of colonial power.
At present, several countries are being excluded intentionally from major international organisations which make major economic and political decisions that impact all parts of society; these organisations include P5 on the UN Security Council or International Monetary Fund.
As a countermeasure to deliberate isolation by Western nations, countries in the Global South have come together in order to pursue common interests and address common problems. South-South Cooperation or Partnership refers to collaboration among developing and least developed nations in various international forums including UN and CoP.
Global South has as its purpose to challenge North’s supremacy, and positions within various international organisations. North’s supremacy perpetuates the cycle that allows a select few countries to accumulate vital resources.
These are three distinct definitions of ‘Global South”:
- The “Global South” comprises those regions in which poverty and underdevelopment prevail the most.
- Second, the term “Global South” has come to represent cross-regional, multilateral alliances such as those represented by the Bandung Conference in 1955, Non-Aligned Movement and Group of 77 at the United Nations.
- Thirdly, the “Global South” has often been presented as a space of resistance against neoliberal capitalism.
The Global South is home to three-fourths of humanity; however, it has come to symbolise underdevelopment. This term refers to centuries of colonialism and neo imperialism along with uneven economic and socio-economic transformation that have left behind substantial inequalities regarding living standards, life span and resource access.
The Global South has been especially hard hit by modern challenges. It is stunning how a few countries in the north have dominated the entire south. Climate change, terrorism and wars were not caused by the Global South, but they have affected it the most. Unfortunately, we see how most solutions to such issues neglect this key demographic of people living there.
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Criticism
India and China have relatively prosperous economies, yet are considered part of the Global South concept.
Global South has come to be seen as a term that encompasses countries left out of industrialisation and living in poverty, but when including some of the fastest-growing economies it muddies its meaning and relevance.
India And The Global South
India’s policy of foreign affairs, guided by its civilisational ideology of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the world is one family), has treated the world as an extended family. The same philosophy is applied to our relationships with countries in the global south.
India is a strong advocate for Global South countries, with its actions reflecting its commitment to amplifying the voice of developing countries in global affairs. India has long pushed for UN reform, including the expansion of permanent membership in the Security Council and a democratisation of international relations.
India stands firmly against the imposition of democracy from above, and instead places emphasis on the socio-economic-cultural context when examining democratic functioning.
India can be a powerful ally to countries in the Global South, helping to counterbalance China’s rising influence and promoting a more secure environment through anti-terrorism efforts.
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Challenges
Championing the cause of the Global South poses a number of challenges for India:
- The region is composed of disparate countries with varying interests, making it difficult to form a cohesive group.
- It is difficult to represent the needs of all countries in the Global South now. This is because these countries have different types of economies and different kinds of governments.
- Additionally, as many of the countries are developing nations, there is often a lack of resources and infrastructure needed to support such an effort.
- Past experience of the NAM illustrates how challenging it is to unite countries in the Global South to work together towards shared objectives.
- India still faces significant developmental challenges, despite having a strong overall economy and increasing technological advancements.
- Given the size of its population, some critics insist that lifting India towards greater prosperity and sustainable development would automatically improve the condition of the Global South.
- Therefore, some critics believe that India should prioritise its economic and social development before focusing on the global south. These critics argue that it would be more beneficial for India to focus on its own development goals before turning its attention to global issues. This would ensure that the country has a better foundation from which to work towards making a positive contribution in the world.
- Pursuing multilateralism, India should be careful not to spread its political energy too thin. However, as an emerging power, India cannot afford to be only focused on itself.
- India is the fifth largest economy in the world and it will soon be third. India has seen an unprecedented rise in its global stature, allowing it to occupy a premier position of influence on the international stage. It has become an integral player in tackling global issues.
- India should continue its efforts to make the international system more democratic and favourable for the Global South, as it has been doing for a long time.
- India’s objective should be not to challenge or oppose the North; rather, its focus should be to bridge the gap between North and South.