{"id":1719,"date":"2026-04-28T09:52:19","date_gmt":"2026-04-28T09:52:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/the-secularist.com\/?p=1719"},"modified":"2026-04-28T10:34:18","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T10:34:18","slug":"in-a-fractured-world-order-where-does-the-global-south-fit-in","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/the-secularist.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/28\/in-a-fractured-world-order-where-does-the-global-south-fit-in\/","title":{"rendered":"In a fractured world order, where does the global south fit\u00a0in?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney was one of the first world leaders to speak out about the \u201cruptured\u201d world order caused by the Trump administration in the United States. He called<\/a> for middle powers to band together to safeguard what\u2019s left of the liberal world order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what role will the global south play in all of this?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some believe it will be decisive. Earlier this year, Finland\u2019s president, Alexander Stubb, said at a conference in India<\/a>, \u201cthe global south will decide what the next world order will look like\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\n “The global balance of power has shifted. The global south has both demography and economy on its side. \n The era of a Western-dominated world order is over. This is obvious, but it will take some time to sink in across the West.”\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

So, how can the global south influence which direction the world takes?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is the global south?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It may be too early to declare the end of the Western-dominated world order. While the war in Iran may be leading some countries to question the current system \u2013 in which might appears to make right \u2013 the global south is far from a unified bloc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, there is no agreed definition or scope<\/a> of the \u201cglobal south\u201d. The name infers countries located in the southern hemisphere, but many global south countries are north of the equator, while Australia and New Zealand are considered part of the \u201cglobal north\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some lump Africa, Latin America and Asia together in the global south grouping, but this is too simplistic. And what to make of a major economy like China? Some include it in the global south, while others do not<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An important feature of the global south is there is no single state widely accepted as its leader, nor is there strong support for such leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While China is influential in parts of the developing world through its \u201cnon-interference\u201d foreign policy approach, India, with its strong ties to the West, is unlikely to accept Chinese global leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Economic classification of the world\u2019s countries and territories by the UN Conference on Trade and Development in 2023. It\u2019s important to note there is disagreement about which countries belong in this framework. Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The global south and the Iran war<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Whatever definition one uses, the behaviour of some states in the global south shows they are trying to conduct foreign policy with multiple players, joining different clubs to pursue their national interests above all else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These groups, however, haven\u2019t proven to be very effective or united in responding to recent conflicts, raising questions about their level of influence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take the BRICS<\/a>, for example. The coalition has expanded in recent years to ten countries, including Iran and the United Arab Emirates (which has been attacked by Iran in the current war).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet the group has failed to take a unified position on the war. China and Russia have condemned the US\u2013Israeli attacks on Iran, while other members such as India have taken a cautious approach, calling for de-escalation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some commentators have noted<\/a> a central problem: the BRICS members remain divided on many core strategic issues, without a central platform to resolve disputes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I thought BRICS was supposed to enable Global South countries to help each other, sans the US or West. And yet, since the start of the Iran war, India-led BRICS has had no unified response.https:\/\/t.co\/izxveYpWrx<\/a><\/p>— Derek J. Grossman (@DerekJGrossman) March 24, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote>