Context:

• This article is based on the news “At Voice of Global South Summit, PM Modi expresses concern for civilians caught in Israel-Hamas conflict, calls for restraint” Which was published in the Hindu. The 2nd Voice of Global South Summit took place in virtual mode on November 17, 2023. This is the second time that India hosted the summit since January this year.

Voice of Global South Summit (VOGSS)

• Initiative Origin: Indian-led initiative designed as a common platform for Global South countries.
• Purpose: Facilitates sharing perspectives and priorities to address common challenges through diplomatic dialogue.
• First VOGSS:
  • India hosted it in virtual format in January 2023.
  • The theme of the first VOGSS was ‘Unity of Voice, Unity of Purpose.’
  • Held virtually with the participation of leaders and ministers from 125 Global South countries.
• Second VOGSS:
  • The theme of the inaugural leaders’ session is ‘Together, for Everyone’s Growth, with Everyone’s Trust’ and that of the concluding leaders’ session is ‘Global South: Together for One Future’.
  • Key Focus Areas for Discussion
    • Sharing beneficial outcomes and progress achieved during India’s G20 Presidency.
    • Deliberation on concerns and priorities of the Global South.

India announced a series of initiatives to strengthen India’s engagement with the Global South in First VOGSS:

• Aarogya Maitri” Project: India will provide essential medical supplies to developing countries affected by natural disasters or humanitarian crises.
• Global South Young Diplomats Forum: To connect youthful officers of India’s foreign ministries.
• Global South Centre of Excellence: This institution will research scalable development solutions for global south countries
• Global South Science and Technology Initiative: To share expertise with other developing nations.
• Global South Scholarships: For students from developing economies to pursue studies in Indian educational institutions.

What is the Global South?

• Brandt line: It is an imaginary boundary running from the Rio Grande into the Gulf of Mexico, across the Atlantic Ocean, through the Mediterranean Sea, and over the vast expanses of Central Asia to the Pacific Ocean.
  • It separated countries with comparatively higher GDP per capita concentrated in the Northern Hemisphere and most poor countries concentrated in the south of the line. 
• Global South: The term “Global South” refers to nations characterized by a relatively low level of economic and industrial development, typically situated south of more industrialized nations.
  • They’re primarily considered developing countries, including China and several wealthy Gulf states.

Voice of Global South Summit (VOGSS) Highlights:

• Prime Minister’s Condemnation of Hamas Attacks: 
  • India’s PM condemned the Hamas attacks on October 7. He advocated for restraint, dialogue, and diplomacy in the Israel-Hamas conflict.
• Global Centre for Excellence – DAKSHIN:
  • PM inaugurated DAKSHIN, a global center for excellence for Global South countries.Emphasized that the Global South now has a voice on the global stage.
• Five ‘Cs’ for the Global South:
  • PM proposed five principles: consultation, cooperation, communication, creativity, and capacity building.
• India’s Global Biofuels Alliance Invitation: 
  • India invites Global South nations to join the Alliance.
  • India is willing to share biofuels expertise with developing and less developed countries.

India’s approach to the Global South

• India’s Global Leadership:
  • Historical Role and G-20 Presidency: India, rooted in its history as a leader of the Non-Aligned Movement, assumes a pivotal role in global geopolitics. 
  • The G-20 Presidency in 2022-23 underscores India’s economic and geopolitical influence.
  • India actively champions Global South causes, addressing issues such as climate change, energy transition, and normative concerns on international platforms.
• Energy Transition and Climate Change:
  • India stands at the forefront of global and sustainable energy transitions. Initiatives like the International Solar Alliance and advocacy for hydrogen-based fuel showcase India’s commitment to equitable climate action.
  • India advocates the principle of CBDRRC and intends to balance the responsibilities and commitments of the parties following their quantum of historical contribution, economic structures and resources, available technology, and capacity to take mitigating measures.
• Multilateral Reform and Normative Approach:
  • Advocacy for Multilateral Reform: India consistently pushes for reforming international institutions, as outlined in the Norms policy paper published by the Ministry of External Affairs in 2022. 
  • The five pillars of India’s approach, including respect, dialogue, cooperation, peace, and prosperity, align with the Global South Movement’s ethos.
• Democratic Values and Opposition to R2P: 
  • India strongly opposes the concept of R2P. It has been argued that over the years, R2P has been a tool the Euro-Atlantic powers employ to ensure their hegemonic control over the Global South.
• Global Terrorism and Security: India advocates that terrorism cannot and should not be seen in our versus their framework and fought through a strategy fragmented in lines with international borders. Rather, it should be universally defined as a ‘criminal and unjustifiable act’.
• Non-Intervention Stance: 
  • From the Syrian to the Ukrainian crisis, India advocates for non-intervention in a country’s domestic affairs. It believes in dialogue between conflicting parties, rejecting third-party interference.

What challenges are faced by Global South?

• Historical Developmental Gaps:
  • Resource Disparities: Persistent gaps in access to resources crucial for developmental outcomes.
  • Industrialization Divide: Skewed industrialization favoring advanced economies, hindering Global South progress.
• Social Security Inequities:
  • Government Programs: Disparities in the effectiveness of social security programs between developed and developing nations.
    • For example, adult citizens in the US received stimulus checks and other benefits worth a combined total of US$ 2.2 trillion. On the other hand, government efforts in developing countries were found to be largely insufficient.
  • Economic Stimulus: Developed countries provide substantial economic stimulus while developing counterparts face insufficiencies.
• Unequal Collaborations Between the North and South:
  • Partnership Disparities: Unequal distribution of SDG partnerships, favoring developed economies.
    • The implementation of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals requires collaboration between all stakeholders across countries. 
    • The SDG 17 (Partnership for the Goals) aims to “strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development.
    • A study of the nature of SDG partnerships across developed and developing countries found that involvement is unequally distributed in favor of developed economies. 
  • Fig: SDG Partnership across the world
• Supply Chain Vulnerabilities: 
  • The Ukraine War and the COVID-19 pandemic have exposed vulnerabilities in the supply chain, affecting the availability of essential goods like food, vaccines, and energy in the Global South.
  • A November 2022 FAO stated: “If the conflict persists, the global number of undernourished people could increase by 8 to 13 million people in 2022/23, with the most pronounced increases taking place in Asia-Pacific, followed sub-Saharan Africa, and the Near East and North Africa.”  
• Energy Insecurity:
  • Rising energy costs and disruptions in the energy supply chain, exacerbated by geopolitical events like the Ukraine War, pose significant challenges to Global South countries, impacting economic stability and development.
  • In 2022, the price of a barrel of oil crossed over $100, resulting in the hardest-hit countries being from the Global South. 
• Climate Change Impact:
  • The countries of the Global South are facing the adversarial consequences of climate change largely due to the historical polluters of the Global North.
• Multilateral Governance Deficit:
  • There is a need to reform the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) along with other multilateral bodies to ensure equitable representation from the Global South. 
  • A classic case is a need to reform the UNSC by giving representation to rising powers like India, Japan, South Africa, and Brazil. 
  • The crisis of multilateralism came to the fore when the COVID-19 pandemic struck the global community. 
• Digitalization in the Global Economy:
  • The Global South faces new challenges with the digitalization of the global economy.
  • The Global North’s adoption of protectionist measures raises concerns despite the World Trade Organization (WTO) presence. 

Also Read: UNSC Reforms For A New Era; What The World Thinks

Way Forward

• Enhancing Energy Security: 
  • There is a need to reframe a new energy security agreement globally where energy flow can be ensured uninterruptedly. 
  • Global South countries should collaborate on securing a stable and affordable energy supply. This may involve developing alternative energy sources, promoting energy efficiency, and negotiating fair international energy agreements.
• Climate Resilience and Sustainable Development:
  • The need of the hour is to ensure a sustainable energy transition that can bring overall socio-economic development to the countries of the Global South. 
  • At the same time, mitigating the adversarial effect of climate change and limiting the rise in temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius as envisaged by the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) requires adopting urgent measures. 
• Strengthening Multilateral Institutions:
  • The need to reform multilateral bodies arises because of new challenges emerging from different parts of the world. 
  • Example: Covid-19 pandemic and Russia-Ukraine war
  • The impetus that the Global South movement got from the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and its policy of “positive neutrality” needs to be recrafted to ensure a better bargaining strategy with the Global North in the conduct of international negotiation.
• Reforming Normative Order:
  • The Global South faces challenges in dealing with normative issues like democracy, human rights, and the Responsibility to Protect (R2P).
  • Global North employs “democracy promotion” as a geopolitical tool, as seen in events like the Colour Revolution and the Arab Spring in West Asia and North Africa.
  • R2P is often used as a pretext for Global North intervention, evident in crises like Libya and Ukraine.
  • Reinterpreting R2P beyond narrow Western perspectives is crucial to address skepticism in the Global South.

Conclusion:

India’s Prime Minister’s vision, shared at the Voice of Global South Summit 2023, emphasizes inclusive development and a redesigned global governance structure. India’s commitment to sharing developmental experiences and fostering cooperation can provide leadership to the Global South.