In a significant analysis of recent global developments, Ram Madhav, president of India Foundation and BJP member, has articulated a compelling case for India to assume leadership of the Global South following the outcomes of two major international summits.
Summit Diplomacy Reveals Shifting Global Dynamics
The past week witnessed two crucial global gatherings hosted in important Global South nations - the G20 summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, and COP30 in Belém, Brazil. The Belém climate summit emerged as the largest in three decades, attracting over 56,000 delegates from more than 190 countries. Simultaneously, the prestigious G20 summit brought together leaders from 20 member nations, including 13 heads of state.
Despite successful optics, both events revealed an underlying reality of diminishing big power engagement. The United States, under President Donald Trump's noted aversion to the Paris Agreement, was conspicuously absent. China, Russia, and India maintained relatively low-key presences, signaling broader geopolitical shifts.
Inadequate Outcomes and Missed Opportunities
The summits largely failed to address pressing global challenges effectively. The Belém Declaration notably omitted any mention of phasing out fossil fuels, despite more than 80 countries advocating for stricter controls. This omission gains significance considering that successive COP summits since 2023 have been hosted by petroleum-exporting states - Egypt (2022), UAE (2023), Azerbaijan (2024), Brazil (2025), with Turkey scheduled for COP31.
Climate commitments fell substantially short of requirements for containing global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2035. The regulatory framework for verifying and monitoring greenhouse emissions under the Paris Agreement remained weak, while governance of critical minerals was entirely removed from the agenda.
The G20 outcomes proved equally underwhelming. The 30-page, 122-point Johannesburg Leaders Declaration faced American boycott and Argentine opposition. Adopted unusually at the summit's commencement rather than conclusion, the declaration represented the weakest in recent memory, avoiding substantive engagement with contentious geopolitical issues like the Ukraine-Russia conflict and using vague language regarding Gaza and Middle East tensions.
India's Contrasting Leadership and Strategic Opportunity
India's performance stood in stark contrast to the overall summit outcomes. During the Johannesburg gathering, India played a proactive role by introducing several transformative proposals to the declaration, including the Global Traditional Knowledge Digital Repository, Global Healthcare Rapid Response Team, Open Satellite Data Partnership, Critical Minerals Circularity Initiative, and a global initiative to counter the drug-terror nexus.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi emerged as a central figure, conducting individual meetings with eight national leaders and establishing multiple bilateral and trilateral forums on critical issues. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa acknowledged India's prominent role, stating that India under Prime Minister Modi's leadership rightfully captured maximum limelight at the G20 summit.
This contrast highlights a crucial geopolitical reality: major multilateral forums representing Global South interests are increasingly losing relevance as powerful nations like the US and China demonstrate discomfort with the emergence of a multipolar world order. President Trump's recent social media post referencing a G2 concept with China has further alarmed many nations, including India, EU countries, and African states.
The Imperative for Indian Leadership
Ram Madhav argues that India must take this challenge seriously. To ensure the survival of multipolarity, India needs to leverage its substantial status and international goodwill to lead the Global South from the front. The BRICS leadership mantle that India assumes next year presents an excellent opportunity to resist the resurgence of hegemonic politics and promote genuine multipolarity in global affairs.
As global power dynamics continue to evolve, India's strategic positioning and diplomatic acumen will be crucial in shaping a more equitable international order that genuinely represents the interests and aspirations of developing nations across the Global South.
