The rise of the ‘Global South’

Global players: Bank of Japan governor Haruhiko Kuroda (right), Japan’s finance minister Shunichi Suzuki and vice-minister Masato Kanda at the G20 meeting in India last month. – AFP

A YEAR has passed since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. As divisions involving Europe, Russia and the United States have deepened, the Asian nations of India and Indonesia are rapidly increasing their presence in the world.

The keyword that brings these two countries into focus is “Global South”. There is no clear definition, but it has been used frequently by government officials and the media in recent times. The term refers to emerging and developing countries located primarily in or near the southern hemisphere, such as those of Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East.