The Voice of Global South | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly - UPSC PDF Download

Introduction

• The Prime Minister presented a four-point agenda of Respond, Recognise, Respect, and Reform at the Voice of Global South Summit organized by India, aiming to revitalize the world. He advocated for a human-centric approach to globalization and emphasized that India has always supported greater participation of developing countries in shaping the future of the world.
• The Prime Minister called for a form of globalization that benefits humanity as a whole, rather than one that results in unequal distribution of vaccines or concentrated global supply chains. The virtual summit attracted 125 countries, including 29 from Latin America and the Caribbean, 47 from Africa, 7 from Europe, 31 from Asia, and 11 from Oceania.
• The summit provided a platform for countries from the Global South to voice their concerns, ideas, and recommendations. India also announced its willingness to collaborate and share its experiences and expertise to support the well-being of people in this region of the world.

Aspects which India should look for

• The Global South generally refers to countries located in the southern part of the world that have lower levels of economic and industrial development than the more developed, industrialized nations. One approach to fostering the self-reliance of developing countries is to enhance their creative capacity to find solutions to their development problems in keeping with their own aspirations, values, and specific needs.
• India has the capacity to take care of its national interests and play a central role in promoting peace, prosperity, and security globally. Through its diplomatic efforts, India has shifted from non-alignment to bilateral strategic partnerships and memberships in multilateral groups such as SCO, BRICS, QUAD, and I2U2 to achieve its national economic and strategic objectives.
• India's Neighbourhood First Policy includes supplying power to Bangladesh and Nepal and championing a South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation electricity grid. India has also been generous in providing aid to its neighbors when needed.
• To achieve its rightful place in the emerging world order, India needs a well-planned strategy. India can make a collective call for reforms in the UNSC or, alternatively, efforts can be made to make the UNGA the ultimate authority to decide on international security.
• India's presence in the Indian Ocean and its role as a net security provider in the region is already recognized by littoral states, and India should leverage this to counter Chinese dominance. India can also work towards achieving bilateral tie-ups with Japan in the Asia-Africa Growth Corridor and use the Quad to counter China's narrative in the South China Sea. India's close relationship with Russia could be used to negotiate a peace deal with Ukraine.

Inequalities and Challenges

• The Global South has been disadvantaged by the euro-centric character of international law doctrines and principles, which has led to structural imbalances that favor the developed nations.
• The Global South needs to strengthen the international organizations it has created to better serve its interests.
• A movement for a New International Economic Order (NIEO 2.0) should be launched by the Global South to protest the increasing protectionism in the West, especially in the US, and the rising unilateralism that undermines their ability to benefit from international trade.

Way forward

• India needs to actively engage in the regional politics of the developing world to champion the Global South.
• India must recognize that the Global South is not a unified group with a shared agenda, but has significant differentiation in terms of wealth, power, needs, and capabilities.
• India aims to act as a bridge between the North and South, focusing on practical outcomes rather than ideological battles. If this ambition is translated into effective policies, there will be no contradiction between pursuing universal and particular goals.

Conclusion

India has a long and established history of investment in Africa that surpasses both China and the U.S., however, this should not lead to a sense of satisfaction or contentment. In the last twenty years, India has made concerted efforts to bolster its political and economic ties with Africa at the continental, regional, and individual nation levels. During the 2015-2019 term, the Modi administration was instrumental in increasing high-level exchanges and collaboration initiatives, creating significant momentum in this partnership.