Global South Think Tanks Forum eyes an inclusive, equitable, prosperous world

Global South Think Tanks Forum takes place in Beijing, China, October 16, 2024. /CGTN

The Global South, with a roughly 40 percent share of the global GDP and 85 percent of the world’s population, is experiencing rising importance in global affairs. As the BRICS countries head into their annual summit in the Russian city of Kazan, issues that are most important to the developing countries are taking the central spotlight. 

The International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the China Media Group (CMG) jointly hosted the “Peace · Development · Security: Jointly Build a Prosperous World with a Share Future” Global South Think Tanks Forum on this occasion.

Dignitaries and government representatives, think tank scholars, and media representatives from 76 countries around the world on Wednesday participated in the forum in a combination of online and offline means to discuss the future of global development in an era of great change and turbulence.

Liu Jianchao, minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, pointed out that the Global South has become a vital driving force for a new type of globalization that is universally beneficial and inclusive, has offered a strong underpinning for an equal and orderly multipolar world and has become a staunch force for greater democracy in international relations.

“Going into the future, China will stand united with other Global South countries as always to shoulder the responsibility and play a role,” he said.

Shen Haixiong, vice minister of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee and president of CMG, said that the Global South is on the rise and is becoming a major force for change in shaping the new order of global governance.

China champions the cause of the Global South, actively explores development paths for the Global South and contributes its wisdom and strength to the improvement of global governance, he noted.

Erik Solheim, former under-secretary-general of the UN and co-chair of the Europe-Asia Center, said countries in the Global South favor peace, which is a vast difference from Western aggression and militarism.

He said respect and dialogue are needed to sort out issues and promote global peace.

In his speech, Vladimir Norov, a former secretary general of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, highlighted the importance of expanding South-South cooperation in pursuing development collectively, improving well-being and ensuring that the benefits of growth are distributed equitably among all nations.

Djoomart Otorbaev, former prime minister of the Kyrgyz Republic, urged think tanks around the world, especially those from the Global South, to share ideas and proposals to make the world better. “Please be active and proactive to generate new ideas,” he said.

Chea Chanboribo, state secretary of the Ministry of Information of Cambodia, put forth a powerful statement on peace being the cornerstone of development and survival. Referencing Cambodia’s history of war and its journey towards peace, he underscored the role of peace in human rights, democracy, and national progression. He urged nations around the globe to refrain from interfering in other nations’ affairs, stressing that the path to peace is harder than it seems.

Deputy Foreign Minister of Bolivia Esteban Elmer Catarina Mamani said that the countries of the Global South have alternative ways to support each other. It is not a unilateral or singular cultural reflection but rather a mindset of solidarity and complementarity, he said.

Phosy Keomanyvong, deputy minister of the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism of Laos, said the proposal and practice of China’s solutions and wisdom, such as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind, has benefited many countries.

Speaking at the Forum, Grzegorz Kolodko, a professor of economics and former deputy prime minister of Poland, said that the countries of the Global South wanted to be understood and respected and wanted to seek equitable opportunities for development. He said the common quest for durable and sustainable development was the bond that united the countries of the Global South.

Wang Wen, a professor and executive dean of the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China, said coping with common challenges, including war and conflicts, stagnant economic development and climate change, countries of the Global South should strengthen communication, exchange, solidarity and mutual trust and promote global governance through equal cooperation.

Larissa Wachholz, a senior fellow at the Brazilian Center for International Relations, called China-Brazil cooperation in the field of energy transition and clean energy applications a good example of cooperation between countries of the Global South, saying the cooperation not only brings jobs and economic growth to Brazil but also improves the ecological environment.

Sharing his insight at the forum, Wang Dong, director of the Institute for Global Cooperation and Understanding at Peking University, said China is an important member of the Global South and is the backbone of the development and revitalization of the Global South. He added that in practice, China-proposed initiatives, such as the Belt and Road Initiative, have gained wide participation and support from countries in the Global South, and China’s ideas have won general recognition.

Yoro Diallo, executive director of the Center for Francophone Studies and director of the African Museum at Zhejiang Normal University, said that China has not only done a great job in improving people’s well-being and developing its economy but has also been sharing its experience with the rest of the world and is willing to respect each country’s unique path of development and has helped the countries of the Global South to cope with the challenges they have met.

During the forum, 40 think tanks from the Global South also jointly released an initiative, calling for the strengthening of development cooperation and the promotion of equity and justice.

They also vowed to amplify the voice of the Global South and strive to build a community with a shared future of peace, security, prosperity and progress for mankind.