The Global South Rises

By Mehmet Enes Beşer

The post-World War II international system, long founded on Western dominance, is being reshaped behind the scenes by a tide of economic ambition, political rise, and diplomatic realignment—led not by the old giants, but by a growing number of nations once confined to the margins. This new power, collectively known as the Global South, is now claiming its seat at the table not just as a participant, but as a shaper of the international system.

As the 21st century moves into a new phase of multipolarity, the Global South—constituted by nations throughout Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the Pacific—is no longer metaphorically heavy, but actually, measurably, and determining. With over 85% of the world’s population and a rapidly ascendant share of world GDP, they are no longer just “developing countries.” They are the constructors of a new world order, one based not on ideological domination but on sovereign equality, mutual respect, and cooperative development.

Economic Momentum and Institutional Transformation

The most vivid evidence of this rise is economic. According to the latest IMF projections, by 2030, three of the four largest economies—China, India, and Indonesia—will be part of the Global South. Meanwhile, BRICS nations have outpaced the G7 in GDP parity terms and are rapidly challenging the West’s institutional clout. Institution-building like the New Development Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank is an unequivocal reflection of where economic influence lies and in what direction it will be deployed.

Global South countries are no longer passive recipients of development aid. They are now creating financial products, forming economic partnerships, and negotiating trade deals that reflect their own development visions. South-South cooperation, previously a marginal idea, has become the primary axiom of world economic order. From energy-sharing plans to joint infrastructure projects, the Global South is now speaking on its own terms, outside the scripts of the Bretton Woods institutions.

Challenging the Western-Centric Norms of Governance

This assertiveness does not remain restricted to economics alone. Politically too, the Global South is insisting on an international governance balance. The inequities and imperfections present in the present system—chiefly in organizations like the United Nations Security Council, the IMF, and the World Bank—are under the magnifying glass. These institutions, traditionally blamed for preserving the existing order and exclusion of non-Western viewpoints, are being pressed not merely by words but through representation as well.

Think of the IMF’s constant failure to deliver on quota reforms, or the World Bank’s controversial leader selection processes. These are a reminder of a more profound problem: institutional legitimacy in a changing world. The Global South is demanding accountability—not just on how these institutions operate, but on whose interests they serve. That demand is growing louder year by year.

Ideological Autonomy in a Polarized World

Unlike Cold War-era models of alignment, the emergence of the Global South is not defined by ideological similarity. What binds these countries together is not political philosophy but a common striving for independence. They eschew the either/or of America/China, liberalism/authoritarianism in favor of creating a third path—grounded in non-alignment, pluralism, and pragmatic cooperation.

In Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America, leaders are increasingly expressing their unwillingness to be pawns in a new great power rivalry. Rather than aligning en masse with the West or China, they are choosing issue-based alignments, driven by national interest and development objectives. This independence is a dramatic departure from decades of dependence and foreign tutelage.

This is also reflected in the domain of global norms. While the West continues to promote concepts like “democracy promotion,” “human rights conditionality,” and “liberal peacebuilding,” the Global South perceives these as tools of ideological imperialism. Their own model is founded on sovereign equality, mutual respect, and non-interference. This is not just a philosophical difference—it is shaping how global crises, from climate change to conflict mediation, are addressed.

The South’s Security Awakening

The Ukraine crisis was a wake-up call for the majority of Global South nations. As Western powers were rushing headlong into sanctioning Russia, over 50 Global South nations declined to follow suit. Their position was not a vote of support for aggression but a reflection of an abiding skepticism of selective moral outrage and double standards.

This moment has brought on a new kind of geopolitical consciousness in the South. States once turned toward Western leadership on issues of security now are taking on diplomatic roles themselves. The African-led mediation attempt on the Ukraine crisis, or Indonesia and Brazil’s unilateral peace initiatives, are signs of a future where the Global South is not merely reacting to what happens in the world, but making it happen.

Also, the Israel-Palestine issue, once the hallmark of Western partiality in international diplomacy, is now another cause to celebrate Global South unity. In Africa, Asia, and Latin America, governments and civil society are coming together in support of a fair, rules-based order that does not selectively enforce justice or make human rights a tool of political calculation.

Conclusion: A New Order in the Making

The ascension of the Global South is no temporary aberration. It is a structural realignment with fundamental consequences for international order. We are entering a world where the distribution of power is determined no longer by warfare or economic might, but by demographic resistance, cultural richness, and capacity for offering alternative development and governance templates.

To resist or turn away from this transformation is to cling to a world in decline. The West must come to understand that the scripts it authored no longer have universal authority. In order to continue to survive and thrive, global institutions must become genuinely global—to speak for the values, priorities, and voices of the majority world.

At the same time, the Global South needs to ensure its rise does not replicate the exclusion it seeks to break down. This is an era of unprecedented agency. How it is exercised will determine whether the emerging order is truly inclusive, fair, and sustainable—or a mere re-tinkering of old hierarchies.

One thing is certain: the Global South is no longer knocking on world power’s door. It has already entered and is rearranging the furniture.