The Global Governance Initiative Provides Development Opportunities and Cooperative Momentum for Global South Countries

The Global Governance Initiative is another major public good that China has contributed to the world following the "Three Major Initiatives." [1]1 The "Three Major Initiatives" refer to the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative, proposed by President Xi Jinping in 2021, 2022, and 2023 respectively. President Xi Jinping pointed out: "I proposed the Global Governance Initiative to encourage all countries to act together and build a more just and equitable global governance system." At present, the collective rise of the Global South has made it an indispensable force in the process of reforming the global governance system. The Global Governance Initiative provides new development opportunities and cooperative momentum for Global South countries, and is of great significance for promoting the development of the international political and economic order in a more democratic, just, and equitable direction.

全球治理倡议是继“三大倡议”之后我国为世界贡献的又一重大公共产品。习近平主席指出：“我提出全球治理倡议，旨在推动各国携手行动，构建更加公正合理的全球治理体系。”当前，全球南方群体性崛起，成为全球治理体系改革进程中不可或缺的重要力量。全球治理倡议为全球南方国家提供了新的发展机遇和合作动能，对于推动国际政治经济秩序朝着更加民主、公正、合理的方向发展具有重要意义。

Global governance mainly refers to regulating the behavior of states and maintaining the normal international political and economic order through the formulation of a series of binding international rules. Reforming and improving the global governance system is an objective requirement for the development and progress of human society. With the deepening of economic globalization, the Global South is playing an increasingly important role in international affairs. Currently, the economic aggregate of the Global South accounts for more than 40% of the world's total economy, and its contribution to world economic growth over the past 20 years has reached 80%. Its market potential and resource endowments are becoming important forces driving global development. However, the current global governance system is still mainly dominated by Western countries, failing to fully reflect this change, and the problems of inadaptation and mismatch are becoming increasingly prominent. At the same time, in the face of the rise of unilateralism, isolationism, and protectionism, the defects and drawbacks of the current global governance system are increasingly exposed, leading to long-term ineffective responses to global challenges such as climate change and public health crises. In contrast, Global South countries defend multilateralism through action, actively promoting the development of the global governance system in a more just and equitable direction through important platforms such as the BRICS cooperation mechanism and the "Group of 77 and China," becoming an important force driving global governance reform.

全球治理主要是指通过制定一系列具有约束力的国际规则来规范各国行为，维持正常国际政治经济秩序。改革和完善全球治理体系是人类社会发展进步的客观要求。随着经济全球化深入发展，全球南方在国际事务中发挥日益重要作用。当前全球南方经济总量占世界经济总量40%以上，过去20年对世界经济增长贡献率达80%，其市场潜力、资源禀赋等正在成为推动全球发展的重要力量。但现行全球治理体系仍主要由西方国家主导，未能充分反映这一变化，不适应、不匹配的问题愈发突出。同时，面对单边主义、孤立主义和保护主义抬头，现行全球治理体系的缺陷和弊端日益暴露，导致气候变化、公共卫生危机等全球性挑战长期得不到有效应对。与之形成对比，全球南方国家以行动捍卫多边主义，通过金砖国家合作机制、“77国集团和中国”等重要平台积极推动全球治理体系向更加公正合理的方向发展，成为推动全球治理变革的重要力量。

The proposal of the Global Governance Initiative conforms to the general trend of the times toward multipolarity and democratization of international relations, and responds to the common call of people of all countries for peace, development, and cooperation. It has received support and response from more than 150 countries and international organizations. The "Group of Friends for Global Governance" emerged at the United Nations, with more than 40 countries becoming founding members, fully demonstrating that this initiative is a powerful response to the strong call of the international community for reforming and improving the global governance system.

全球治理倡议的提出，顺应世界多极化、国际关系民主化的时代大势，顺应各国人民求和平、谋发展、促合作的共同呼声，已得到150多个国家和国际组织响应支持，“全球治理之友小组”在联合国应运而生，40多个国家成为创始成员，充分彰显了这一倡议对国际社会改革完善全球治理体系强烈呼声的有力回应。

The Global Governance Initiative emphasizes the five core concepts of upholding sovereign equality, abiding by international rule of law, practicing multilateralism, advocating people-centeredness, and focusing on action orientation. These concepts are not only a profound reflection on the multiple challenges facing the current international order and the global governance deficit, but also a positive response to the long-standing demands of Global South countries, providing a systematic plan for reforming and improving global governance. Sovereign equality is the primary prerequisite, emphasizing the right of all countries to participate equally in international affairs; international rule of law is the fundamental guarantee, insisting that all countries jointly uphold international law and the basic norms of international relations, ensuring the equal and uniform application of international norms; multilateralism is the basic path, adhering to the global governance concept of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, and resisting unilateralism and hegemonic acts; people-centeredness reflects the value orientation, emphasizing that the fruits of governance should benefit the people of all countries more and more fairly, achieving common development; action orientation, as an important principle, emphasizes that global governance should avoid empty talk, focus on practical results, and promote the improvement of the global governance system through pragmatic cooperation.

全球治理倡议强调奉行主权平等、遵守国际法治、践行多边主义、倡导以人为本、注重行动导向五大核心理念。这些理念不仅是对现行国际秩序面临的多重挑战和全球治理赤字的深刻反思，更是对全球南方国家长期诉求的积极回应，为改革完善全球治理提供了系统方案。主权平等是首要前提，强调各国享有平等参与国际事务的权利；国际法治是根本保障，坚持各国共同维护国际法和国际关系基本准则，确保国际规范平等统一适用；多边主义是基本路径，坚持共商共建共享的全球治理观，抵制单边主义和霸权行径；以人为本体现价值取向，强调治理成果应更多更公平惠及各国人民，实现共同发展；行动导向作为重要原则，强调全球治理应避免空谈，注重实际成效，以务实合作推动全球治理体系完善。

The Global Governance Initiative is conducive to better leveraging the important role of Global South countries as constructive forces in global governance, and will have a profound impact on promoting the reform of the global governance system. First, it can provide pragmatic development support for Global South countries. The Global South rises for development and thrives through development, actively committed to solving development problems and seeking an inclusive development environment. The Global Governance Initiative, by reforming and improving the global governance system, lays a solid foundation from the institutional and mechanism perspective for promoting Global South countries to share development opportunities and create a better future together. Second, it can promote closer unity and cooperation among Global South countries. In addressing global challenges, Global South countries help each other and strengthen themselves through unity, enhancing communication and collaboration on issues of common concern such as regional peace and stability and global environmental governance, and jointly seeking solutions. The Global Governance Initiative provides an important platform for this, capable of promoting the in-depth development of South-South cooperation and regional integration. Third, it can enhance the status and voice of Global South countries in the global governance system. Global South countries uphold peace, promote the strengthening of international security cooperation and global security governance, and jointly address various security challenges. The Global Governance Initiative promotes equal participation, equal decision-making, and equal benefit-sharing for all countries in the global governance process, bridging the "representation deficit," promoting a more balanced and effective global governance architecture, and injecting more stability into international affairs. Fourth, it can effectively promote the enhancement of mutual learning among civilizations in Global South countries. Diverse civilizations are the true nature of the world, and even more so an advantage of Global South countries. The Global Governance Initiative supports the Global South in actively enhancing communication and dialogue, supports each other in taking modernization paths that suit their national conditions, is committed to promoting mutual learning and common progress among different civilizations, and provides guidance for jointly building a community with a shared future for mankind.

全球治理倡议有利于更好发挥全球南方国家作为全球治理建设力量的重要作用，对推动全球治理体系改革产生深远影响。一是能够为全球南方国家提供务实的发展支持。全球南方为发展而起，因发展而兴，积极致力于破解发展难题、谋求具有包容性的发展环境。全球治理倡议通过改革完善全球治理体系，从制度和机制上为推动全球南方国家共享发展机遇、共创美好未来夯实基础。二是能够促进全球南方国家之间加强团结协作。全球南方国家在应对全球性挑战中守望相助、联合自强，围绕普遍关心的地区和平稳定、全球环境治理等议题加强沟通协作，共同寻求解决方案。全球治理倡议为此提供了重要平台，能够推动南南合作和区域一体化深入发展。三是能够提升全球南方国家在全球治理体系中的地位和话语权。全球南方国家坚守和平，推动加强国际安全合作和全球安全治理，携手应对各类安全挑战。全球治理倡议推动各国在全球治理进程中平等参与、平等决策、平等受益，弥合“代表性赤字”，推动全球治理架构更为均衡有效，为国际事务注入更多稳定性。四是能够有力推动全球南方国家加强文明互鉴。多样文明是世界的本色，更是全球南方国家的优势。全球治理倡议支持全球南方积极增进沟通对话，支持彼此走符合本国国情的现代化道路，致力于推动不同文明相互借鉴、共同进步，为携手构建人类命运共同体提供了指引。

China is not only the proposer of the Global Governance Initiative but also an active practitioner of it. As an important member of the Global South, China originates from the South, cares for the South, and is rooted in the South. Guided by the implementation of the Global Governance Initiative, it promotes the accelerated construction of a more just and equitable global governance system, demonstrating the capability and responsibility of a major responsible country. For example, in global economic governance, it promotes the high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative, and promotes the establishment of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the Silk Road Fund, and the BRICS New Development Bank; in addressing climate change and promoting global biodiversity governance, it actively promotes the entry into force and implementation of the Paris Agreement on climate change, and promotes the landmark "Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework"; in global security governance, it supports the United Nations in playing a greater role in global security affairs, and actively promotes the political settlement of hotspot issues; and so on. These measures and plans respond to the most realistic and urgent concerns of Global South countries, bring new development opportunities and cooperative momentum to Global South countries, promote better cooperation among Global South countries, and make greater contributions to achieving new results in the reform and construction of the global governance system and continuing to advance the noble cause of human peace and development.

中国既是全球治理倡议的提出者，也是全球治理倡议的积极践行者。作为全球南方的重要成员，中国出身南方、心系南方、扎根南方，以落实全球治理倡议为引领，推动加快构建更加公正合理的全球治理体系，展现了负责任大国的能力与担当。比如，在全球经济治理方面，推动高质量共建“一带一路”，推动设立亚洲基础设施投资银行、丝路基金、金砖国家新开发银行等；在应对气候变化和促进全球生物多样性治理方面，积极推动应对气候变化《巴黎协定》生效落实，推动达成具有里程碑意义的“昆明—蒙特利尔全球生物多样性框架”；在全球安全治理方面，支持联合国在全球安全事务中发挥更大作用，积极推动热点问题政治解决；等等。这些措施和方案，回应了全球南方国家最现实、最迫切的关切，为全球南方国家带来新的发展机遇和合作动能，推动全球南方国家更好携手合作，为全球治理体系改革和建设取得新的成果、接续推进人类和平与发展的崇高事业作出更大贡献。

(The author is Dean of the School of International Development and Cooperation, University of International Business and Economics)

（作者为对外经济贸易大学国际发展合作学院院长）