Independent Panel on Evidence for Action against Antimicrobial Resistance (IPEA): Reflections on the Foundational Documents
By Dr. Viviana Munoz Tellez
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) invited the Quadripartite Organizations to establish an Independent Panel on Evidence for Action against Antimicrobial Resistance (IPEA) in 2025. The launch of the IPEA is planned for 10 December 2025 during the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA). The Quadripartite organizations (the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH)) released in November 2025 updated draft documents for the IPEA for additional consultation with Member States and stakeholders. The IPEA will constitute a welcome addition to global Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) governance, and should be established, starting small and building gradually. Several concerns on the proposed model remain concerning the governance structure, equity in participation, and the independence of the panel. This policy brief provides analysis and recommendations on key issues concerning the draft foundational documents for the IPEA requiring attention.
WTO Reform: Reflections on Reform Week and Suggested Approaches for Breakout Groups
A Note Reviewing the Process and Reform Tracks in Advance of WTO Reform Week, 5 December 2025
By Vahini Naidu, Trade for Development Programme, South Centre
This note provides an assessment of the papers circulated by the WTO Reform Facilitator for Reform Week and highlights the structural gaps that limit their balance and practical value to move forward these discussions in a manner that takes the demands and interests of developing and least developed country Members into account. The current drafts reflect a narrow interpretation of the consultations, introduce elements that were not examined collectively and overlook mandated issues that continue to shape the functioning of the system. This note sets out the adjustments that Members may wish to propose to restore a development centred framing, make a clear distinction between descriptive reflections and new reform ideas, and ensure that any work proceeds in line with Ministerial instructions for a member driven, transparent and inclusive process. The aim is to place the discussion on a footing that reflects the full range of Member views and respects the mandates already agreed.
Africa Region + Egypt, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Group for Equity Lead 80-Country Push for Fair Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing System
At the start of IGWG4, in a remarkable show of unity by developing countries, the Africa Group (AG) and Group for Equity jointly made a statement representing 80 developing countries. This extraordinary demonstration of unity represents a powerful and inspiring moment in global health governance, as this unified bloc is championing equal footing for rapid access to pandemic materials and digital sequence information (DSI) on the one hand, and on the other hand, the ability to rapidly access vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics (VTDs), along with accelerated research, knowledge and technology sharing, needed to prevent and respond to pandemics.
Global South Development Achievements and Challenges
Global South Research Center Thematic Report (15 September 2025)
By Wang Jinzhao, Carlos Correa (South Centre), Zhang Youyi, Liu Chen, Liang Weitang, Carlos Oya, Len Ishmael, Li Yuefen (South Centre)
The rise of the Global South is a defining feature of the profound transformation reshaping the world. In recent years, Global South countries have achieved significant progress in their economic and social development. Compared with the beginning of the 21st century, the total economic output of the Global South has grown by approximately 5.4 times, an annual growth of 5.1%, significantly higher than the global average of 3.5%. Industrial development has accelerated, industrialization has kept advancing, and some competitive industries have been fostered. Trade and investment have substantially expanded. Goods exports and imports as well as outward investment have all increased about fivefold. Many emerging economies have increased their investment in research and development, resulting in continuous enhancement of innovation capabilities. Historic achievements have been made in poverty reduction, with over one billion people in the Global South lifted out of extreme poverty. Significant progress has been made in health. The average life expectancy has risen from around 62 years to approximately 70 years. Access to education has been increasingly expanding. The higher education enrollment rate increased from 13% to 38%.
The overall development advances made by the Global South have enabled it to have become a crucial force driving common development and improving global governance. It has increasingly played a significant role in the cause of human progress. The Global South, a key engine of global economic growth, accounts for 85% of the world’s population, around 40% of the global economy, 46% of global goods exports, 57% of global foreign direct investment inflows, 45% of global manufacturing output, and approximately 50% of intermediate goods exports. The Global South is also actively engaged in addressing global challenges. Its involvement in the reform of the global governance system enhances the representation and voice of developing countries. In the meantime, it keeps strengthening platforms for solidarity and cooperation among emerging economies and developing countries, such as BRICS. It pushes forward establishing new multilateral development banks and deepening regional cooperation.
The achievements of the Global South are due to an overall peaceful and stable international environment, ongoing economic globalization, and accelerated and diffusing technological innovation on a global scale, and, within Global South countries, a heightened sense of autonomy and commitment to market-based approaches combined with active government macro-regulation.
It should be recognized, however, that the Global South faces new challenges. External shocks have had negative impacts on Global South countries, including a sluggish global economy, broken multilateral trading rules, intensifying global climate risks, and increasing occurrences of regional conflict and instability. Within Global South countries, some face significant gaps in infrastructure, great difficulties in development financing including limited resources and high costs, and inadequate resources in education and healthcare.
Looking ahead, the Global South should continue to actively integrate into global industrial and supply chains, and strengthen dialogue and cooperation with the Global North, promoting the North and the South working together in the same direction. At the same time, the Global South should seize the opportunities, embrace the fundamental trends, and advance solidarity and cooperation among themselves with the vision of a community with a shared future for humanity. The Global South needs to deepen economic and trade cooperation based on the principles of mutual support and complementarity of advantages, expand trade and investment collaboration prospects, step up technology transfer and knowledge sharing, enhance autonomous development capabilities, and advance new developments in the Global South.
Balancing the Global Copyright System in the Public Interest: An Analysis of the African Group’s Proposed Instrument on Limitations and Exceptions
South Centre and Centre on Knowledge Governance Working Paper, 1 December 2025
By Faith O. Majekolagbe
The establishment of an international instrument on copyright limitations and exceptions (L&Es) is essential to achieve an appropriate balance between exclusive rights and the overarching public interest in access to copyrighted works and related subject matter. Current international copyright instruments, including the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons who are Blind, Visually Impaired or Otherwise Print Disabled, fail to adequately address L&Es for education, research, equitable access for persons with disabilities, and the operations of educational, research, and cultural heritage institutions such as libraries, archives, and museums. The proposed instrument on L&Es by the African Group seeks to establish mandatory minimum L&Es to support education, research, and access to information within the international copyright system, thereby promoting global harmonization and ensuring that copyright law supports, not impedes, development objectives and compliance with human rights obligations. This working paper offers a thorough analysis of the proposed instrument, examining its substantive provisions and potential benefits.
Input to the Expert Mechanism on the Right to Development
Study on Artificial Intelligence, Cultural Rights, and the Right to Development
South Centre
November 2025
The South Centre submitted an input to the Expert Mechanism on the Right to Development regarding the study on “Artificial Intelligence, Cultural Rights, and the Right to Development.”
As Artificial Intelligence (AI) rapidly evolves, it presents a complex challenge for the international community. While AI holds the potential to advance human progress, unregulated deployment threatens to exacerbate existing global disparities and endanger the realisation of the Right to Development (RtD).
Key Policy Highlights from the Submission:
Addressing the AI Divide: Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) face significant gaps in digital infrastructure and access to quality local datasets. To prevent the widening of global inequalities, governance frameworks must mandate technology transfer and capacity building without imposing restrictive intellectual property barriers.
Protecting Cultural Sovereignty: The mass accumulation of data by Generative AI models risks replicating historical patterns of “digital extractivism”. There is a need to increase transparency in training data protocols to prevent the misappropriation of traditional knowledge and cultural heritage.
Beyond Self-Regulation: Voluntary measures by the private sector lack essential mechanisms for external accountability and redress. A pragmatic regulatory approach is necessary: a legally binding global baseline for human rights accountability, complemented by flexible domestic regulations that preserve national policy space for local innovation.
To ensure AI serves humanity, the international community must move toward a governance model that guarantees global fairness, upholds human rights, and prevents market monopolisation by a few corporations.
Analysis of the European Union Proposal on the Pandemic Agreement Annex dated 17 October 2025
South Centre
This note is prepared to provide South Centre Member States and other developing country delegations with analytical comments on the proposal of the European Union (EU) on the Annex to the Pandemic Agreement, implementing the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) System as established in Article 12. The note begins with general commentary on the proposal, followed by detailed analysis of the EU proposal text, which is marked in red below the transcribed text.
Promoting a Symbiotic Relationship Between Trade Policy and Climate Action
By Vahini Naidu
This paper is based on remarks delivered in the lead up to COP30. It outlines how African countries are working to align trade, climate action, and development priorities through early transparency on climate-related trade measures, technology transfer, and the protection of policy space for green industrialisation. It also highlights the growing focus on critical minerals, the rise of unilateral climate-related trade measures, and the need to bring scattered initiatives into a coherent multilateral framework that supports fair and sustainable outcomes.
Participation of South Centre Member Countries in the WHO GLASS: Progress and Gaps in AMR Surveillance and Stewardship Efforts
By Dr. Rasha Abdelsalam Elshenawy
This study highlights antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance challenges in LMICs, focusing on the 55 South Centre Member States’ enrolment in the WHO Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS). Despite progress since its 2016 launch, significant gaps persist: only 60 percent of South Centre Member States report AMR surveillance to GLASS, and just 38 percent report antimicrobial use (AMU) data to GLASS. The COVID-19 pandemic substantially disrupted surveillance activities, with rates declining from 2020-2021 compared to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels. Digital infrastructure, such as mobile reporting tools, cloud-based systems, and interactive dashboards, offers significant opportunities to strengthen AMR surveillance in resource-limited settings. The study recommends a holistic and phased approach for South Centre Member States, including developing integrated national AMR action plans with realistic implementation timelines, investing in laboratory and workforce development, establishing interoperable digital infrastructure, and strengthening regional collaboration mechanisms. By systematically addressing core surveillance challenges while strategically incorporating digital innovations where appropriate, countries can develop resilient monitoring systems that support effective stewardship, protect national populations, and contribute to global health security by preserving antimicrobial effectiveness for future generations.
The Role of Advisory Opinions in Shaping International Climate Change Law
By Daniel Uribe Terán
This policy brief analyses how advisory opinions (AOs) from the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR) are fundamentally reshaping international climate law. These AOs are crystallising States’ climate commitments, transforming them from voluntary political pledges into binding legal obligations grounded in customary international law and human rights. This judicial shift establishes stringent, science-based due diligence standards, confirms State responsibility for harm, and provides a powerful legal foundation for accountability and reparation.
From Fragmentation to Impact: Strengthening Southern Agency in Global AI Governance
By Vahini Naidu and Danish
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming production, trade and governance systems, yet global regulatory efforts remain fragmented and uneven. The multiplicity of forums, frameworks and initiatives, from UN processes to plurilateral and trade-centred mechanisms, has produced overlapping agendas and resulted in diminished participation from global South stakeholders. For developing countries, the challenge is to engage meaningfully in global AI governance while preserving national policy space and advancing sustainable development priorities.
This policy brief examines the evolving landscape of AI governance, focusing on its institutional fragmentation and the competing conceptions of regulation advanced through the UN, G20, BRICS, and other fora. It argues that coherent, development-oriented AI governance requires strengthening UN-anchored processes and linking AI regulation to industrial policy, innovation systems and data sovereignty. The brief concludes that inclusive, sustainable and responsible AI governance should support governments in enhancing their capacities to harness AI and emerging technologies to shape their digital transformation.
Leveraging the ICJ Opinion to Secure a Just Climate Future for the South during COP30
By Daniel Uribe Terán
The 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) in Belém converges with the recent International Court of Justice (ICJ) Advisory Opinion on Climate Change, creating a critical inflexion point for global climate action. This policy brief analyses how the ICJ Opinion has the potential to reframe climate commitments, transforming them from political aspirations into legally binding obligations. The Opinion establishes objective standards for ‘due diligence’, integrates the CBDR-RC principle as a legal criterion for ambition, and inextricably links climate action with human rights. The ICJ Opinion confirms that a breach of these obligations triggers a duty of ‘full reparation.’ This policy brief recommends a strategy for developing countries to leverage this new legal framework at COP30.
