It’s important to be in the front row at the decision-making table… Jaishankar’s big message on the Global South

At the high-level ministerial meeting of Global South countries, Jaishankar presented India’s position on the role of developing countries and their priorities in the global system. He said that today the Global South is on the front lines of global crises, but on the back lines of decision-making. Jaishankar said that the existing global institutions reflect the power structure of the past and now they need to change.

Jaishankar said the world is currently going through challenges such as conflicts, geopolitical tensions, supply chain disruptions, rising trade barriers, investment dispersal and climate crisis. He said international rules and institutions are also under pressure.

A direct impact of increased conflict on the Global South

The foreign minister said that the number of active conflicts in the world has increased in the last one year. These conflicts pose increasing risks to the global economy and have a particular impact on countries in the global South. He said that at a time when the world should be moving towards multilateralism, its weakness is showing. He said the Global South should not accept or legitimize such choke points in supply chains, finance and connectivity, which could affect the economic activities of countries.

Don’t turn energy security into a political weapon

Jaishankar described energy security as the center of development. He said that energy availability and its prices should not be controlled or influenced for political purposes. Describing food security as a common goal, he expressed the need to quickly overcome challenges related to the supply of food grains and fertilizers.

Develop production capacity, not just the market

The External Affairs Minister emphasized the need for fair economic and trade arrangements. He said there should be policies that strengthen the productive capacity of the Global South and not keep these countries as mere consumers. He said that the right to industrialization should not be denied.

Safety of sea lanes and safety of seafarers is essential

Jaishankar stressed on protecting the maritime commons, complying with international law and ensuring the safety of seafarers and commercial shipping. This is a particularly important issue for India as a large share of global trade is carried out by sea.

AI should not create a new digital divide

Referring to the rapid changes taking place in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Jaishankar said AI should not create new global divisions. India suggested sharing indigenously developed AI tools and frameworks among countries in the Global South. Jaishankar also stressed on keeping AI human-centric.

He suggested sharing indigenous AI tools and frameworks among countries in the Global South. The foreign minister said that the Global South should have effective participation in decision-making bodies on issues that directly affect the future of the Global South.

The use of existing platforms from the Global South should be increased

Jaishankar suggested that the Global South should use its existing multilateral forums to highlight its concerns, so that these issues are not pushed to the back of the global agenda. He said that closer economic cooperation between the countries of the Global South is necessary, so that the impact of the crisis on each other at the global level can be avoided.

Emphasis on India-led Platform for Climate Action

Jaishankar said the Global South should not rely solely on the Global North for climate action. He expressed the need to advance platforms like the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI). The foreign minister called for reforms in the United Nations and the broader multilateral system to address the priorities of the Global South.

Increase the voice and participation of the Global South

The central message of Jaishankar’s address was that developing countries, which have been most affected by the current global crisis, should gain a more effective role in the global decision-making process. For this, India has put forward economic cooperation, energy and food security, maritime security, AI cooperation, climate action and UN reform as key priorities.