Winds of Change: The BRICS Club of Nations Chipping Away at Western Dominance
The Dawn of the New South
By Len Ishmael, PhD
This era of polycrises, a global health pandemic coupled with wars in Europe and the Middle East, against the backdrop of Great Power rivalry and climate related emergencies, has profoundly affected all countries, rich and poor alike. Disproportionately affected have been those of the Global South for whom the World Bank has cautioned a ‘decade of lost development.’ As rising geopolitical tensions fuel security concerns, the nature of economic ties between countries is changing. Several countries – spearheaded by BRICS members – have started to consider alternatives to the Western financial institutional architecture in a bid to safeguard their own interests. These measures risk fragmenting the existing global financial infrastructure and derailing benefits derived from decades of economic integration in the face of new barriers to cross border investment, commerce, and trade. Recent research shows that trade restrictions have more than tripled since 2019, financial sanctions have expanded and the geopolitical risk index has also spiked, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. After decades of accepting the West’s rules, there is a sense that the era of the Global South is dawning, and that Western interests are no longer de facto those of the rest of the world. It is in this milieu that the BRICS and their initiatives take on heightened economic and political significance.
South-South Cooperation to Address Health Challenges in the Caribbean. The Role of Medical Cooperation
Side Event organized by the South Centre and the Republic of Cuba during the World Health Assembly 2025
Date and Time: 20th May 2025, 6:00 – 7:30pm
Venue: South Centre (IEV II Conference Centre, Ground Floor, room Rhin, Chemin de Balexert 7/9, 1219 Geneva)
Within the framework of the World Health Assembly 2025, this side event, organized by Cuba, will bring together distinguished Ministers of Health from the Caribbean and Latin America to exchange experiences on the current challenges facing their health systems and the solutions implemented through South-South cooperation.
The panel will focus on how to strengthen South-South collaboration in the health sector, with the aim of building more resilient, equitable, and sustainable health systems in the Caribbean region.
This session will explore how collaboration between Caribbean and Latin American countries has contributed to strengthening regional health systems. Successful initiatives in medical training, professional exchange, and technical assistance will be highlighted. Additionally, innovative medical cooperation strategies that have improved access to and quality of health services for the most vulnerable populations will be discussed, consolidating an exemplary model of solidarity and mutual support.
The event will be conducted in Spanish with simultaneous interpretation into English.
Statement of President Mbeki under the Council Agenda Item 5
8 May 2025
Pres. Thabo Mbeki, Chair of the South Centre Board, thanked the Centre for continuing to work for the adoption of frameworks, rules & policies that promote the common interest of the Global South. He also called on Member States to address structural asymmetries & support efforts to achieve SDGs, as well as to ensure the Centre’s sustainability. In commemoration of the South Centre’s 30th anniversary this year, he also expressed that the Centre is proud to have preserved the values and have worked hard to make a reality the visions and aspirations of the founders of the Centre, led by Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, one of the great leaders of the Global South.
Address by President Nelson Mandela at the opening session of the South Centre’s Council of Representatives
New York, 21 September 1998
As the premier source of research on issues affecting the South, and growing out of the work and experience of the South Commission, the Centre plays a role whose value for the developing world cannot be underestimated…
…it is indeed a great privilege for me to express our gratitude to Mwalimu Julius Nyerere and all the other pioneers of the South Centre. I hope that we in the NAM and G77 plus China will redouble our efforts to support the South Centre so that it in turn helps us achieve our objective of over coming poverty and promoting peace.
Statement of Carlos Correa, Executive Director of the South Centre, on occasion of the Council of the Global South Research Center
Beijing, March 28th, 2025
We welcome the creation of the Global South Research Center with the Secretariat of the Center for International Knowledge on Development (CIKD), and look forward to the opportunities to cooperate on themes of particular relevance for the Global South.
The First Meeting of the Council of Representatives of the Member States of the South Centre, 1995
The South Centre, an independent intergovernmental think tank of the Global South, was established by an Intergovernmental Agreement which came into force on 31 July 1995. This year, as the South Centre commemorates its 30th anniversary, we take a moment to reflect on the collective journey we have undertaken in advancing the interests of developing countries. Over the past three decades, the South Centre has had the opportunity to work alongside government officials and diplomats, academics, civil society, and development partners to champion South-South cooperation, equitable development, and a more just and inclusive global governance system. Our shared commitment to amplifying the voices of the Global South has aimed at shaping policies, strengthening capacities and fostering collaboration on critical global challenges relating to health, intellectual property, trade, finance for development, human rights, taxation, investment, and sustainable development amongst others.
Advancing International Cooperation under the Global Digital Compact
By Danish
Bridging the global digital divide in new and emerging technologies, particularly Artificial Intelligence, will require developing countries to strongly leverage international cooperation to build digital skills, knowledge and gain access to these technologies which can accelerate their digital transformation and sustainable development. This emphasis on international cooperation is also deeply embedded in the Global Digital Compact, which was adopted as part of the Pact for the Future. This paper therefore looks at how international cooperation modalities have been included in the GDC across the different issue areas, how developing countries are already engaging with the GDC through their national initiatives, and provides some useful considerations going forward.
60 years of Contribution of the Group of 77 and China to Global South Coalition in International Development and Politics
By Yuefen Li and Danish
The New York Chapter of the Group of 77 and China (G77 and China) commemorated its 60th Anniversary on 25 October 2024 in New York. This document is based on the presentation made by Prof. Yuefen Li, Senior Advisor on South-South Cooperation and Development Finance at the South Centre, as part of the panel discussion held at the commemoration on the theme of “60 years of Contribution of the Group of 77 and China to Global South Coalition in International Development and Politics”.
Summary of Carlos Correa’s intervention at the 25th Meeting of COMSATS Coordinating Council
Below is the summary of South Centre Executive Director Carlos Correa’s intervention at the 25th Meeting of the Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS) Coordinating Council.
South Centre Statement at the 60th Anniversary Celebration of the Group of 77 and China in Geneva
13 September 2024
The South Centre participated in the 60th Anniversary of the Group of 77 and China and strongly reaffirmed our commitment to supporting the Global South countries in meeting common challenges for achieving prosperity & sustainable development.
International development cooperation in a changing scenario
Summary of the presentation by Dr. Carlos Correa, South Centre Executive Director, at the Emerging Development Partners’ (EDP) Meeting in Bali on 11 June 2024
UNCTAD at 60: Reflections on six decades of promoting economic development for the Global South
By Yuefen Li and Danish
The United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD) celebrated its 60th anniversary in June 2024 in Geneva, holding a high-level Global Leaders Forum that brought together ministers, officials and experts to discuss the multidimensional challenges facing countries, and strategies for advancing the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It highlighted the need for innovative solutions to address current global crises that can promote resilience, economic growth and sustainable development.
