The UN system is clearly caught between the powerful Global North and the weaker Global South. The status quo, however, can no longer continue as if it were business as usual.
Image: Denis Balibouse | Reuters
THIS week, China’s State Council Information Office released a white paper pointedly titled More Just and Equitable Global Governance: China’s Principles, Proposals and Actions.
This 37-page white paper is not a consequence of accidental curiosity. Instead, I find it thought-provoking, timely and a source of discomfort for the hijackers of the founding principles of the UN Charter that are premised on the ethos of consensus-seeking mechanisms and multilateralism.
China’s motivation for the development of this white paper is crystal clear. It notes explicitly, confirming what geopolitical scholars have often argued, saying: “In recent times unilateralism, protectionism, and hegemonism have been spreading unchecked, while deficits in peace, development, security, and trust continue to expand.”
There can be no basis to argue against the facts as stated above. A brief perusal of the UN archives will reveal the constant and continuous campaign, especially by the Global South nations that have been crying out for the reforms of the UN Security Council.
Our international governance system has been hijacked by the domineering Global North nations that have, since the formation of the UN 80 years ago, continued to hunt in packs like a pride of lions on the prowl.
The domination of Western hegemony in international affairs — laced with unabating traits of neo-colonialism across the former European colonies in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean and everywhere — has given birth to revolutionary anti-imperial theoretical counter-thoughts such as China’s white paper.
Instances of unilateralism have destabilised international peace and stability for far too long. The genocide in Gaza, the invasion and occupation of Southern Lebanon, and the intimidating imposition of sanctions against weaker opponents that include global institutions such as the International Criminal Court — all these are but a few examples of a world gone rogue, thanks to the nefarious ways of the Global North regimes.
China has emerged in recent years as a great power that no one can dare ignore. Officially, the People’s Republic of China is regarded as the world’s 2nd-largest economy, second only to the US. Some Afrocentric scholars believe that the economic gap between Beijing and Washington is so minute it is almost impossible to call.
China’s military muscle has also become a matter of grave concern to the West. Eighty years of unfettered dominance of global affairs, the West is feeling the heat of the former colonies, who are led by China in fathoming and implementing the reconfiguration of a new world order.
“Global governance is a common endeavour that bears on the wellbeing of all humanity, and building a just and equitable global governance system is a shared vision long pursued by people from across the world,” the white paper reads.
Indeed, nothing can be further from the truth: The Majority World demands an equitable global governance system, not the current kangaroo court system that George Orwell probably had in mind when he wrote his seminal novel Animal Farm: “All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.”
Such has been not only China’s observation of the global disordered faults of progress but, in truth, the lived experience of the so-called developing nations. With great thanks to China as a catalyst for global reforms, Western hegemony stands on the precipice.
Demand for the UN reforms has become a standing agenda item despite a vehement pushback by the Western powers. Some wheels have already turned, and China continues to lead the Global South in a collective effort to effect greater and meaningful changes to the international world order where cosmetic reforms continue to be outed for what they are.
“China has always been an active participant in, contributor to, and builder of global governance. In the new era, President Xi Jinping put forward the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity,” the white paper read further.
This is China’s international leadership on display for all to see, to dissect, to critique, or simply imbibe, as I do. The white paper is presented as a way of urgent intervention. It is released during a time of great uncertainty in global relations.
The trust deficit is indeed on the rise. The UN system is clearly caught between the powerful Global North and the weaker Global South. The status quo, however, can no longer continue as if it were business as usual.
Flourishing South-South relations continue to expedite the rapid fall of imperialism. Iran has just displayed the consequence of the value of political consciousness and the worthiness of adherence to patriotism, sticking with the flag and understanding the fullness of the meaning of sovereignty.
China has called for more Global South voices to be heard. “The Global South is a vital force in seeking peace, pursuing development, and promoting development, and its collective rise represents human progress,” reads the white paper.
Furthermore, the white paper argues that “the world today faces severe and complex challenges. Our world has entered an era marked by profound change on a scale unseen in a century.”
It adds: “Currently, the international landscape is undergoing profound changes on an unprecedented scale, with turmoil and upheaval more intense and pronounced.”
In my view, a clear example is President Donald Trump’s imposition of tariffs globally and getting away with it. Similarly, the dominance of the Western leading economies, better known as the G7, has become a parallel authority to the UN, and the wish has become a command amid the ensuing undermining of international law.
As the UN authority continues to decline, geopolitical tensions incline. Armed conflicts have become ubiquitous. According to the white paper, the Global Peace Index is on a downward spiral. “In 2025, the number of armed conflicts reached a new high after World War II, with 50 countries directly embroiled in conflict or war,” the white paper reads.
The paper offers both warnings and also hope and a roadmap to a desirable future. “This is an era of challenges. But it is also one of hope. An era where a bright future beckons, provided we work continuously for the good of generations to come,” reads the paper, before concluding: “China stands ready to work hand in hand with all other countries to implement the initiative under the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits. Together, we can expand the scope and influence of multilateralism, let the light of fairness and justice illuminate the world, and bring the achievements of global governance to all nations.”
Indeed, when the international community works together in harmony and as equals before international law, we can truly create a brighter future for humanity and enhance the progress of human civilisation throughout every corner of the world.
The universe deserves our protection, not destruction. China’s white paper offers an inspired way forward that is based on international cooperation, not military might and power that uses arrogance and, oftentimes, ignorance as oxygen.
* Abbey Makoe is the founder and editor-in-chief of the Global South Media Network. Views expressed are personal.
** The views expressed here do not reflect those of the Sunday Independent, Independent Media, or IOL.
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China’s latest white paper offers a roadmap to a ‘shared future’ – sundayindependent.co.za
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