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Opinion | Anxiety, not ambition, behind rise of the Global South against US-led world order
- Historical and postcolonial grievances play a part but a greater driver is the worry caused by US behaviour – from the weaponisation of sanctions to the undermining of the WTO
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The world is at a pivotal moment as the unipolar international order under US hegemony shows signs of giving way to an evolving multilateralism.
This groundbreaking change was evident at the recently concluded 15th Brics summit, as Global South countries thronged Johannesburg to show their determination to support what Chinese President Xi Jinping described as a “true multilateralism”, as he called for a “democratisation” of international relations.
Around 40 countries were in the queue for Brics membership before the summit, and six were officially endorsed. There has been a remarkable display of solidarity, with countries uniting around goals and concerns about the economic, geopolitical and financial world order dominated by the West.
This has sparked debate over the reasons behind this shift. Many experts point to the long history of colonial exploitation by the West and accumulated grievances over the decades as adhesive forces behind the rise in the unity of the Global South.
While postcolonial grievances have had an influential role in hardening shared perspectives and encouraging Global South nations to flock around common causes, when one considers the contemporary behaviour of Western powers, specifically the United States, it becomes clear that anxiety is a bigger reason behind the pursuit of a fairer global governance system.
Over the past few decades, countries across the Global South have seen an escalation of the US tendency to weaponise its financial and institutional positions of strength against the national interests of others, and in violation of international rules.
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