Why in the news?

  • Indian External Affairs Minister urged Global South nations to reduce their dependency on single-source supply chains and advocate for fairer global governance, during a high-level meeting on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly.

Global South

  • What is it?
    • The Global South refers to developing, less developed, or underdeveloped countries.
    • These are primarily located in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
    • Common characteristics of these countries are higher levels of poverty, income inequality, and challenging living conditions
  • History of Global South
    • The term was first coined by Carl Oglesby in 1969.
    • It gained momentum after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991,
    • which marked the end of the “Second World.”
    • The term “Global South” emerged as a more neutral alternative.
  • Commonality of Global South Countries
    • The Global South was mostly at the receiving end of imperialism and colonial rule.
  • India’s Leadership Role
    • Advocacy for Justice: India promotes climate equity, economic reforms, and inclusive growth.
    • Economic Power: As the fifth-largest global economy, India acts as a bridge between developed and developing nations.
  • Major Initiatives
    • Climate Justice: Launched the International Solar Alliance (ISA) to expand renewable energy in the Global South.
    • South-South Cooperation:
      • India-Africa Forum Summit to bolster trade, technology, and development ties.
      • The Vaccine Maitri initiative delivered vaccines to over 90 countries during the COVID-19 pandemic.
    • Debt Relief: Extended financial aid and infrastructure loans to struggling nations.
    • Multilateral Engagements: G20 Presidency: Prioritized food security, climate finance, and global equity.
    • BRICS: Advocated for alternative financial systems to reduce dependency on the West.
    • UN: Pushes for reforms in global governance and equitable representation.
  • Significance of Global South Countries
    • Economic Side: The ‘Global South’ is significant because of its large population (which provides manpower to the world economy), rich cultures, and abundant natural resources (which provide raw material to the world economy for the production of goods). By 2030, major economic players from the Global South will be China, India, the U.S., and Indonesia.
    • Political Side: The major role played by Global South countries in solving political issues
      • China’s brokering of Iran and Saudi Arabia’s peace deal
      •  Brazil’s attempt to push a peace plan to end the war in
      • The African Union attempts to solve the Russia-Ukraine Conflict.
  • Issues in Global South Countries
    • Political Instability: African countries like Niger (a previous colony of France) are subject to coups.
    • Economic Issues: Spread of economic inequality among people that further trigger conflicts and spread of neo-colonialism. For example- Western Companies exploit African resources.
    • Climate Change: Spread of desertification in adjacent Saharan countries that further drags them to poverty.
    • Limited effective human power and infrastructure facilities in Ukraine.

 

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