Global South Power: How Collective Action Can Challenge Dominance in International Rules
- As the Global South knows well, the alternative to international rules is not freedom, but rather the undisguised power of the strongest.
- The Global South has transitioned through three stages of development: decolonization (1945–1989), globalization (1990–2008), and the rise of emerging economies as a group (since 2009).
- Middle powers, including key regional actors from both the Global South and North, are playing an increasingly important role in reviving international cooperation amid a crisis in multilateralism.
As the Global South knows well, the alternative to international rules is not freedom, but rather the undisguised power of the strongest. But these economies are far from powerless: they have significant leverage, although wielding it requires collective positions, shared frameworks, and coordinated strategies.
The Global South has transitioned through three stages of development: decolonization (1945–1989), globalization (1990–2008), and the rise of emerging economies as a group (since 2009). Countries in the South acted first as “rebels”, then “responsive participants” and now as “active agents” within the international system. This evolution has enabled them to influence global power structures, modes of interaction, and international rules and systems.
Middle powers, including key regional actors from both the Global South and North, are playing an increasingly important role in reviving international cooperation amid a crisis in multilateralism. With the United States adopting disruptive policies and China unprepared to assume global leadership, a network of middle-ranking powers offers potential for reforming the rules-based international order.