Why the World Feels Different in 2023
From climate negotiations to sports to diplomacy, the global south is becoming more powerful.
JANUARY 12, 2023, 3:10 AM
By Ravi Agrawal, the editor in chief of Foreign Policy.
The most meaningful trend in global politics for 2023 is one that isn’t getting enough attention. The global south is becoming more visible—and influential—in every arena.
COP27, last year’s big climate summit, will be remembered for the breakthrough agreement of a “loss and damage” fund earmarked to help developing countries deal with the ravages of climate change. 2022’s biggest sporting event, the men’s soccer World Cup held in Qatar, marked the first time an Arab country played host and the first at which an African team, Morocco, advanced to the semifinals. (The tournament will also remain special for attendees from Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia, for whom it’s challenging to travel to sporting events in Europe and North America.) Or consider how, as Russia waged war in Ukraine, many countries in the developing world declined to participate in U.S.-led sanctions against Russia. The moral merits of such a decision can and should be debated. But leaving aside the thorny issue of ethics in foreign policy, leaders from New Delhi to Nairobi exhibited a growing confidence in asserting their own strategic interests instead of the West’s.
The non-Western world—the long-ignored global south, or the “Rest,” as it’s often called—is making its voice heard. These parts of the planet, younger and faster-growing than the West but also more vulnerable to climate change, are becoming increasingly powerful and more assertive stakeholders in global politics. Policymakers and businesses in the West will need to adapt.
FP - January 12, 2023
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