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Diplomacy
OpinionComment
Tetsushi Sonobe
Syed Munir Khasru
Tetsushi SonobeandSyed Munir Khasru

Opinion | G7 and G20, with Japan and India at the helm, must ensure Global South has a voice at the table

  • The twin presidencies of Japan and India are a chance to foster North-South cooperation in vital areas such as climate change, energy, food and infrastructure
  • A joint Kishida-Modi diplomatic effort could see both leaders brokering peace in Moscow and Kyiv

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Tetsushi SonobeandSyed Munir Khasru
Traditionally, the Global South and middle powers have been under-represented in multilateral deliberations. But this year, Asian countries are at the helm of two powerful global platforms, with the Group of Seven led by the Japan and the G20 led by India.
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Under India’s presidency, three prioritised G20 agendas are terrorism, pandemics and climate change. Similarly, Japan’s G7 presidency emphasises economic recovery, climate change mitigation, public health and nuclear non-proliferation. Their presidencies provide an opportunity to foster North-South cooperation led by Asia.

Japan and India have a strong relationship. The late Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe personally led in strengthening ties by persuading India, traditionally a cautious operator, to embrace his Indo-Pacific vision. The relationship continues to deepen after current Prime Minister Fumio Kishida chose India for his first bilateral visit.
Across the world, despite development gains lifting millions out of abject poverty, inequality is growing between the world’s richest and poorest nations. The G7 elite – Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Britain and the United States – accounted for 27 per cent of global gross domestic product and 14 per cent of growth in the past decade.

In contrast, for least-developed countries, a 7 per cent growth target was unreachable for most, even before the pandemic. The economic and social advantages of artificial intelligence, technological infrastructure, a clean energy transition and food security are still largely restricted to the Global North.

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For most resource-constrained nations, implementing cutting-edge technology, ensuring food security and achieving a just energy transition are a prohibitive expense, never mind long-term operation and maintenance. The developing Global South has also been disproportionately affected by the pandemic and war in Ukraine.

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