Leaders of emerging and developing countries (the global South) have been stepping up their voices at the G20 summit, which opens on September 9, to bolster their position in the group. The goal is to make its voice more strongly reflected in the international community.
On September 9, “This will make the G20 stronger and the voice of the global South louder”, G20, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X (former Twitter) that the African Union’s (AU) participation in the G20 framework has reached an agreement, which he advocated at the start of the G20 summit.
The AU represents the voice of 55 African countries and territories. The voices of Africa’s emerging and developing countries will be reflected in the G20 discussions through the African Union, thus increasing the weight of the global South’s advocacy in the G20.
The G20 is split equally between Western developed countries and regions (including the G7 countries such as Japan, the United States and Europe) and emerging and developing countries (also including China and Russia). Modi strongly believes that emerging and developing countries, which account for more than half of the global population, should take the initiative.
The same leaders from the global south also backed Modi. Indonesian President Joko Widodo stressed that “we will continue to convey the voices and interests of the countries of the Global South.” We encourage representation of the wider region, “he said, welcoming the African Union’s participation in the G20.
The best example of cooperation among the countries of the global South is the response to the G20 Summit Declaration. It was difficult to agree on a summit declaration because of differences among participating countries over Russia’s aggression in Ukraine. India toned down its criticism of Russia and pushed for the summit declaration to be adopted on the first day of the meeting.
India’s External Affairs Minister P. Jaishankar said at a press conference on September 9 that emerging countries, in particular, played a leading role in reaching the summit declaration. “I would like to remind you that the developing countries of Indonesia, India, Brazil, South Africa have successively become the summit countries,” he stressed.
The countries of the global South do not share the common values of democracy and human rights that Western countries do, and lack cohesion. Political systems are also diverse. However, many countries are strongly aware that they have lagged behind in terms of economic growth as a result of past colonial rule and are therefore more likely to rally against developed countries. Climate change is also seen as a cost to economic growth in developed countries.
During discussions at the G20 summit, Joko criticized the stagnation of financial assistance from developed countries to developing countries to combat climate change. In response to global warming, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva posted on X that “if we do not act quickly, the impact will be irreversible.”
Since the Ukraine crisis, both sides have scrambled to intervene in a global south distinct from the West and China and Russia. On September 9, the US government issued a joint statement with India, South Africa and Brazil, positioning the G20 as the most important framework for international economic cooperation.
Bilateral diplomacy within the global South is also active. Lula met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and offered to expand trade and defense cooperation. On the afternoon of September 10, after the G20 summit, Modi will hold “marathon talks” with Turkey, Brazil and other countries.