Interview: Global South plays growing role in shaping global agenda, says Kazakh expert

ALMATY, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- The Global South is evolving from a position largely influenced by external actors to one that increasingly shapes the global agenda and sets the terms of discussions on development, a Kazakh expert has said.

This shift is not about replacing the existing world order but gradually moving toward multipolarity, with middle powers, including Kazakhstan, assuming a more prominent role, said Gulnar Shaimergenova, director of the China Studies Centre in Astana, in an interview with Xinhua.

According to Shaimergenova, Global South countries are increasingly influencing the substantive agenda at forums such as the Group of 20 (G20) summit, climate negotiations, and discussions on reforming international financial institutions.

She highlighted that alternative platforms, particularly BRICS, are gaining momentum, with the bloc's expansion creating a platform whose economic weight, in her view, is comparable to that of traditional groupings of advanced economies.

"BRICS offers an alternative framework for developing countries to advance principles such as sovereign development choices and respect for cultural diversity while maintaining cooperation with partners around the world," she added.

For Kazakhstan, Shaimergenova stressed, BRICS serves as one of the building blocks of an inclusive multipolar framework, strengthening North-South and East-West ties and providing greater space for middle powers in global governance.

She identified demographic growth, industrialization and digital transformation as key structural drivers behind the Global South's economic rise, noting that these trends are boosting competitiveness and expanding consumer markets.

Growing dissatisfaction with certain aspects of the Western-centric order, including sanctions and unilateral trade restrictions, is also prompting states to pursue greater diversification of their economic relations, the expert said.

The rising influence of the Global South, she said, presents an opportunity to revitalize multilateral institutions on the basis of inclusivity, equality, and respect for international law.

Positioning itself as a responsible middle power and Eurasia's transport and logistics hub, Kazakhstan sees the rise of the Global South as an opportunity to strengthen trade, transit and industrial cooperation, said Shaimergenova.

She noted that Kazakhstan remains committed to deeper South-South cooperation and upholding the central role of the United Nations and that progress should be achieved through dialogue and mutual compromise to enhance predictability and build trust in international relations. ■