A looming trade war on top of conflict in Gaza and Ukraine that has laid bare the limitations of multilateral institutions could usher in a worldwide reset, with blocs such as the Global South poised for bigger roles.
The first signs of this emerging trend were seen over the weekend in Turkey at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, where world leaders called for greater democratisation of bodies such as the UN and its organs including the Security Council.
Analysts echo the theme stemming from the three-day platform, arguing such a push would have to be made through blocs such as the Brics grouping, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) or even the European Union, where reforms would allow voices from more economies besides those of major powers.
The veto powers of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council – the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France – needed to be expanded to the Global South or alternatively the powers of the UN General Assembly should be strengthened, they said.
Institutions such as the World Trade Organization – the only global body dealing with rules of trade between countries – had failed to effectively deal with recent challenges such as the tariff war launched by American President Donald Trump, they warned.
Neither had the UN charter been successful in its pledge to remove the scourge of war, according to experts, who noted the institution was now 80 years old and needed to vastly improve despite its track record in humanitarian aid through agencies such as the Food and Agriculture Organization and Unicef.
