The Global South, encompassing nations across Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia, is reshaping the international order through assertive leadership in health, trade, and diplomacy. As the world transitions from a unipolar to a multipolar system, regional organizations like the African Union (AU), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and Latin America’s Mercosur are leveraging South-South cooperation to address global challenges, reduce dependency on Western frameworks, and amplify their voices in international governance.
Health Leadership:
Regional Health Autonomy and South-South Cooperation
Global South nations are increasingly bypassing Western-dominated health institutions like the World Health Organization (WHO) to prioritize regional health security. The African Union’s Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has emerged as a cornerstone of this shift, coordinating responses to outbreaks like mpox and Ebola. In 2025, the Africa CDC secured $1.2 billion in pledges from AU member states and BRICS+ partners to expand vaccine manufacturing, reducing reliance on Western supplies. Similarly, ASEAN’s Centre for Public Health Emergencies and Emerging Diseases, established in 2023, enhances regional preparedness, with Indonesia and Thailand leading vaccine development partnerships.
Latin America’s Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) has revived health integration efforts, focusing on universal healthcare frameworks. Brazil and Argentina have spearheaded initiatives to produce generics for non-communicable diseases, addressing the region’s rising healthcare costs. These efforts reflect a broader trend of South-South cooperation, where nations share expertise and resources to build resilient health systems. For instance, India and South Africa’s 2021 push for a TRIPS waiver on COVID-19 vaccines at the WTO galvanized Global South advocacy for equitable access, a legacy continuing in 2025’s Pandemic Agreement negotiations.
Decolonizing Global Health
The Global South’s health leadership challenges the colonial underpinnings of global health governance. The Lancet notes that African diplomacy has elevated leaders like WHO’s Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and WTO’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, amplifying calls for equitable research funding and knowledge production. This shift addresses historical inequities, such as vaccine hoarding during COVID-19, which left African nations with less than 2% of global doses in 2021. By fostering regional health sovereignty, the Global South is redefining power dynamics, prioritizing local needs over Western agendas.
Angle: Health as Soft Power
Health initiatives serve as a form of soft power, enhancing the Global South’s global influence. China’s provision of 2.2 billion vaccine doses during the pandemic and Brazil’s leadership in the Amazon Fund demonstrate how health diplomacy strengthens geopolitical ties. These efforts position Global South nations as credible partners, countering narratives of dependency and fostering trust across regions.
Trade Integration: Economic Multi-Alignment
Regional Trade Blocs and Global South Commerce
The Global South is driving economic growth through robust trade networks, reducing reliance on Western markets. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), launched in 2018, connects 54 nations and is projected to boost intra-African trade by 52% by 2030. In 2025, AfCFTA’s implementation of digital trade protocols has attracted $500 million in fintech investments from ASEAN and BRICS+ partners. ASEAN’s Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), encompassing 15 Asia-Pacific nations, accounts for 30% of global GDP, with China-ASEAN trade growing 5.9% annually.
Latin America’s Mercosur, led by Brazil and Argentina, finalized a landmark EU-Mercosur trade pact in December 2024, expanding access to European markets while deepening ties with China through BRICS+. These trade blocs exemplify multi-alignment, as nations balance partnerships with the U.S., EU, and China to maximize economic leverage. India’s trade diversification, importing oil from Russia while expanding manufacturing with the U.S., illustrates this pragmatic approach.
Challenging Western Economic Dominance
The Global South’s trade initiatives challenge the U.S.-centric economic order. The BRICS+ bloc, representing 47% of the world’s population, advocates for de-dollarization and alternative financial structures like the New Development Bank. South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has criticized the IMF’s conditional lending, echoing calls for reform of Bretton Woods institutions. By fostering intra-regional trade and digital innovation, the Global South is creating a multipolar economic structure that prioritizes local growth over Western hegemony.
Angle: Economic Sovereignty as Empowerment
Trade integration empowers Global South nations to assert economic sovereignty. The AfCFTA’s focus on intra-African trade reduces dependency on volatile commodity markets, while ASEAN’s fintech advancements bridge digital divides. These initiatives signal a shift toward self-reliance, challenging the narrative that Global South economies are merely resource suppliers for the Global North.
Multi-Alignment and Global Advocacy
Regional Organizations as Diplomatic Platforms
The AU, ASEAN, and Mercosur are leveraging multilateral platforms to amplify Global South voices. The AU’s permanent G20 membership, secured in 2023, has elevated Africa’s role in global economic governance, with Saudi Arabia’s support during its G20 presidency. ASEAN’s 2025 chairmanship under Malaysia emphasizes “ASEAN centrality,” navigating U.S.-China tensions in the South China Sea through inclusive dialogue.
Latin America’s Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) has deepened ties with China via the China-CELAC Forum, with 22 of 33 members joining the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). These platforms enable multi-alignment, allowing nations to engage with competing powers without pledging exclusive loyalty. Indonesia’s ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific, for instance, promotes cooperation over containment, fostering stability amid regional rivalries.
Reforming Global Governance
Global South diplomacy seeks to reform outdated institutions like the UN Security Council and IMF to reflect contemporary realities. India’s “4R” proposal (respond, recognize, respect, reform) and Brazil’s advocacy for inequality-focused policies underscore this agenda. The Group of 77+China, led by nations like Indonesia, champions equitable representation, with China amplifying these efforts through initiatives like the Global Development Initiative.
Angle: Diplomacy as a Counterweight
The Global South’s diplomatic multi-alignment counters Western dominance by fostering alternative alliances. BRICS+ and ASEAN provide forums for collective action, enabling nations to negotiate from strength. This shift challenges the Euro-Atlantic order, as noted by Chatham House, which warns that Western institutions must engage Global South frameworks to remain relevant.
Implications for a Multipolar World
Opportunities and Challenges
The Global South’s leadership offers opportunities for equitable development but faces challenges like geopolitical tensions and resource disparities. The EU’s struggle to unify trade policies amid U.S.-China rivalry illustrates the complexities of a multipolar trade system. However, digital trade advancements and regional health investments present growth levers, as BCG notes, with Global South commerce bolstered by free-trade agreements.
A New Global Order
The rise of the Global South signals a multipolar world where power is dispersed across regions. Foreign Affairs highlights that nations like India and Brazil are embracing this shift, rejecting Western liberal internationalism for pragmatic diplomacy. By prioritizing health sovereignty, trade integration, and diplomatic multi-alignment, the Global South is not only challenging the status quo but also crafting a future where diverse voices shape global norms.
Conclusion
Africa, Latin America, and ASEAN are at the forefront of a multipolar shift, leveraging health, trade, and diplomacy to assert Global South leadership. Through regional health autonomy, robust trade blocs, and strategic multi-alignment, these regions are reducing dependency on Western systems and advocating for a fairer global order. As the world navigates this transition, the Global South’s collective action and pragmatic partnerships will define the contours of 21st-century geopolitics, offering a blueprint for inclusive and resilient global governance.
References
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BCG, “In a Multipolar World the Global South Finds Its Moment,” April 22, 2025.
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The Lancet, “Global Health Diplomacy: Reconstructing Power and Governance,” May 17, 2022.
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PMC, “Power Shifts in Global Health Diplomacy and New Models of Development,” 2022.
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Wilson Center, “Rising Global South Discontent Amid Strategic Competition,” August 9, 2024.
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ISS Africa, “Global South: Moving Off the Menu and to the Table?,” April 3, 2024.
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China Daily, “Joint Efforts with Global South Delivering Prosperity,” March 31, 2025.
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TRENDS Research & Advisory, “The Future of Global Trade in a Multipolar World,” November 29, 2024.
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BCG, “Great Powers, Geopolitics, and Global Trade,” January 13, 2025.
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GRC, “Strategic Alliances: The Gulf States and Africa in a Multilateral World,” April 10, 2025.
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Chatham House, “New Global Alliances Leave the West Behind,” February 2, 2024.
