Experts Urge Fresh Development Strategies as Global Order Shifts
Amid rapid geopolitical shifts and declining traditional aid flows, scholars and policymakers gathered in Addis Ababa on the 13th of November for a high-level roundtable on “Rethinking Development in a Multipolar Era: Challenges and Opportunities for the Global South.” The event was hosted by the Centre for Sustainable Development (CSD) at Addis Ababa University, the University of Oslo’s Centre for Global Sustainability (GLOBE), and the University of Malawi.
Setting the Stage: A Call for New Thinking
Opening the discussion, Dr. Aklilu Amsalu, Head of CSD, stressed that the Global South must reassess its role as rising powers reshape development cooperation. He called for deeper analysis of whether new actors—such as China and India—are offering alternative models distinct from traditional Western aid.
Prof. Dan Banik noted that declining donor support from the Global North, coupled with climate pressures, energy insecurity, AI-driven disruptions, and growing geopolitical competition, has made old development assumptions untenable. These pressures, he argued, require not only adaptive policymaking but also ambitious regional cooperation.
Session I: Rethinking development in a multipolar era
Moderating the first session, Dr. Debebe Ero posed fundamental questions: Is a multipolar order truly emerging, and what does it mean for development, aid, and global governance? Participants began by questioning whether the term “Global South” still captures the diversity of political and economic realities across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. While many countries continue to rely on external assistance, participants stressed that dependency does not define the Global South’s aspirations or emerging capacities.
A recurring theme was governance and stability in Africa, raised strongly by Prof. Merera Gudina, who warned that sustainable development is impossible without peace, credible elections, accountable institutions, and meaningful economic transformation. Weak governance structures, he argued, continue to undermine Africa’s ability to leverage global geopolitical shifts.
Participants also discussed shifts in global aid, noting that emerging geopolitical rivalries—especially between the U.S. and China—are reshaping donor priorities. Conditionalities tied to security interests or political influence were cited as examples of how development programs increasingly serve strategic objectives rather than long-term development needs.
Session II: Challenges and opportunities for the Global South
The second session, chaired by Prof. Happy Kayuni of the University of Malawi, focused on charting concrete pathways toward greater leadership and agency for the Global South. Participants debated whether South–South cooperation—often seen as a counterbalance to Western influence—has demonstrated genuine transformative potential or remains primarily symbolic.
A central dilemma raised was the relationship between development and democracy, and whether one must precede the other. The growing influence of global governance structures and emerging technologies, including AI, threatens to shape political processes in ways that may not always align with local aspirations. Prof. Banik posed a critical question: Which development model should guide the Global South—Rwanda’s state-led approach, China’s authoritarian-driven growth, or the liberal market model of the United States?
Speakers also argued that development must be redefined from within, urging governments to recognize local resources and capacities rather than relying on external prescriptions, emphasizing that genuine transformation must originate internally.
Two overarching priorities emerged:
- The Global South must secure stronger representation in global governance platforms.
- Regional institutions must be strengthened through evidence-based policy engagement, especially given the limited effectiveness of current integration efforts.
Participants also highlighted the need for deeper collaboration between academia, think tanks, and government. Reliable, locally grounded research—described as “prescriptive” in nature—has the potential to influence policy agendas and challenge entrenched priorities. Building trust in academic institutions, they argued, is essential to shaping the bold, forward-looking development strategies needed in a multipolar world.
Closing Reflections
The roundtable concluded with consensus that the Global South stands at a crossroads. As multipolarity reshapes global power, speakers urged governments to shift from aid dependency to strategically negotiated partnerships and to champion homegrown solutions grounded in accountable governance and robust institutions.