Global South Leaders Redesigning International Cooperation

More than 30 governments from the Global South have formed the Coalition of Governments on Global Public Investment to address a crisis in international financing, according to officials involved in the initiative. The coalition, co-chaired by Senegal and Colombia, aims to establish a framework for shared responsibility in tackling global challenges like pandemics and climate change.

What is the Coalition of Governments on Global Public Investment?

Launched in July 2025 at the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4), the coalition includes 33 member states and emphasizes a shift from traditional donor-recipient models to a “horizontal, inclusive” approach. “All countries, regardless of development level, have both contributions to make and legitimate expectations to express,” said Cheikh Niang, Senegal’s foreign minister.

The coalition’s founding members include Ghana, Kenya, and Panama, with plans to expand partnerships in the Global North. “We are not looking for sympathy. What we want is an equal partnership,” emphasized Ghana’s foreign minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.

Why is This Initiative Significant?

The coalition emerged after a “sudden collapse” in global financing for cooperation, which commentators say left the world “more vulnerable to shocks.” Martín Clavijo, director of Uruguay’s Agency for International Cooperation, stated, “Our challenges are shared; our risks are shared; and increasingly, our solutions must also be shared.”

Members argue that relying on private sector funding or “doing more with less” risks exacerbating inequality and failing to address systemic threats. “Global public investment is the smart, 21st-century answer,” said Colombia’s foreign minister, Rosa Yolanda Villavicencio Mapy. The group has held meetings in Bogotá, Nairobi, and New York, with plans to finalize a 2030 roadmap.

How Does This Compare to Past Models?

The coalition contrasts sharply with historical financing systems, which critics say prioritized donor control over equitable participation. “We need more and better public money to solve our collective challenges,” said Lesotho’s foreign minister, Limpho Tau. Unlike previous frameworks, the coalition seeks to “govern resources under more representative and effective structures.”

Experts note the initiative aligns with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 17 on partnerships. However, its success hinges on persuading wealthier nations to adopt a “shared responsibility” model rather than maintaining asymmetrical power dynamics.

What Are the Next Steps?

The coalition plans to present its proposals at the 2026 UN General Assembly, with a focus on reimagining global financial architecture. “Do we want to be the generation that managed a crisis — or the generation that transformed the course of global cooperation?” asked Panama’s foreign minister, Javier Eduardo Martínez-Acha Vásquez.

Civil society groups, including the Club de Madrid, have endorsed the approach. “The leaders coming together are pioneers renewing and remaking multilateralism,” said María Elena Agüero, the group’s secretary general. The coalition’s roadmap includes mechanisms to ensure “all countries have a voice and a stake.”