United Nations System

SouthViews No. 285, 28 March 2025

Advancing International Cooperation under the Global Digital Compact

By Danish

Bridging the global digital divide in new and emerging technologies, particularly Artificial Intelligence, will require developing countries to strongly leverage international cooperation to build digital skills, knowledge and gain access to these technologies which can accelerate their digital transformation and sustainable development. This emphasis on international cooperation is also deeply embedded in the Global Digital Compact, which was adopted as part of the Pact for the Future. This paper therefore looks at how international cooperation modalities have been included in the GDC across the different issue areas, how developing countries are already engaging with the GDC through their national initiatives, and provides some useful considerations going forward.

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Policy Brief 138, 27 March 2025

Will the Global Digital Compact ensure an equitable future for Developing Countries?

By Daniel Uribe

The Global Digital Compact (GDC), adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2024, aims to establish a framework for equitable digital transformation, particularly for developing countries. While the GDC acknowledges the importance of human rights, bridging the digital divide, and ensuring a just transition, it faces significant challenges in addressing structural inequalities and implementing robust accountability mechanisms. This paper examines the GDC’s potential to foster an inclusive digital future, highlighting the necessity of addressing fundamental rights, promoting business accountability through a legally binding instrument, and recognising the interconnectedness of digital inclusion with access to essential resources like energy, education, and healthcare.

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Research Paper 216, 27 February 2025

Will the Pact for the Future Advance a Common Global Agenda on the Challenges Facing Humanity?

By Viviana Munoz Tellez, Danish, Abdul Muheet Chowdhary, Nirmalya Syam, Daniel Uribe

At a time when multilateralism is needed more than ever to address the global challenges and rising geopolitical tensions, paradoxically, the capacity and delegated power of the United Nations (UN) to uphold a rule-based order to keep peace and security is being weakened. Even in an increasingly multipolar world, a retreat towards unilateralism by world powers masked as national sovereignty is dangerous and highly unfavourable for developing countries. In this light, the United Nations Pact for the Future, a new forward-looking agenda of commitments adopted by consensus by UN Member States in September 2024, is a welcome initiative. The Pact for the Future, nonetheless, is short in delivering commitments on transformative changes in global governance and solutions to the most pressing global challenges. This document briefly examines some of the actions and high-level commitments in the Pact of the Future to strengthen multilateral cooperation and provides recommendations for their implementation.

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SC Statement at FOGGS event, 24 October 2024

A RAFT FOR THE FUTURE: Can the Pact for the Future Deliver the Multilateral Titanic?

South Centre Statement

24 October 2024

The South Centre participated in the Foundation for Global Governance and Sustainability (FOGGS) event evaluating the Pact For The Future. The Pact is a crucial step but needs a concrete roadmap with clear actions & timelines to find solutions central to developing countries.

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South Centre Comments to the GDC 3rd Rev, August 2024

Comments to the Global Digital Compact Third Revision

South Centre

Geneva, August 2024

The Global Digital Compact to be agreed in September 2024 is a step towards equitable digital transformation.

Implementation of the Global Digital Compact will require inclusive, strengthened multilateralism, international cooperation and financing to close digital divides.

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SouthViews No. 273, 22 August 2024

The United Nations Call to Enhance International Cooperation for Capacity-Building on Artificial Intelligence

By Carlos M. Correa

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has rapidly evolved into a transformative technology that permeates various facets of modern life, ranging from healthcare and education to finance and national security. Recognizing the profound implications and global nature of AI, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted Resolution A/78/311 which aims at fostering international cooperation regarding capacity-building in AI and ensuring that its development and deployment are ethical, equitable, and beneficial to all.

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SouthViews No. 271, 31 July 2024

UNCTAD at 60: Reflections on six decades of promoting economic development for the Global South

By Yuefen Li and Danish

The United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD) celebrated its 60th anniversary in June 2024 in Geneva, holding a high-level Global Leaders Forum that brought together ministers, officials and experts to discuss the multidimensional challenges facing countries, and strategies for advancing the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It highlighted the need for innovative solutions to address current global crises that can promote resilience, economic growth and sustainable development.

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SouthViews No. 269, 16 July 2024

UNGA adopts first resolution on Artificial Intelligence

By Viviana Munoz Tellez

The United Nations recently approved a first resolution on Artificial Intelligence (AI). It contains a number of important principles and objectives that if achieved can help to leverage the potential of AI systems in all countries and control their risks. However, issues of critical importance for developing countries, such as bridging the digital divide in the use of AI, capacity building, ethics, bias and unfair data exploitation, are not adequately covered.

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Research Paper 200, 26 June 2024

Transforming the Non-Military Structures of Global Governance

 Assessing Priorities for Chapter 5 of the Pact for the Future

 By Harris Gleckman, PhD

Published by South Centre and Transnational Institute

The complex web of challenges confronting humanity – climate change, pandemics, economic inequality, and violent conflict – demands a robust global governance system. However, the current architecture, centred on the United Nations, is widely considered inadequate. This document delves into this debate, analysing proposed reforms for the UN system in the Summit of the Future context. At the centre of the discussion is the need for an update to the UN System, particularly strengthening its effectiveness, efficiency, and democratic representation. The document recognises the need for prioritisation, focusing on reforms that tackle the “triple crisis” – climate change, inequality, and conflict – while remaining politically achievable. The document also highlights the disconnect between economic and political institutions, arguing for a more unified approach. Reform proposals encompass a wide spectrum, including institutional changes, consultative practices, decision-making rules and financing. The reforms proposed aim to empower the UN to take decisive action on pressing global issues, looking at past reform efforts, assessing the feasibility of current proposals, and prioritising those most likely to yield tangible results. This publication aims to serve as a roadmap for navigating the complexities of UN reform and providing a comprehensive overview of proposed changes towards shaping a more effective and democratic global governance system for the future.

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SouthViews No. 262, 24 April 2024

The Global Digital Compact we need for people and the planet

 by Anita Gurumurthy, Nandini Chami, Shreeja Sen, Merrin Muhammed Ashraf of IT for Change

The Zero Draft of the Global Digital Compact (GDC) to be adopted at the Summit of the Future is crucial to international digital cooperation under a transformative vision of global digital governance. It should identify the means for achieving equitable participation, sustainable development, gender equality, increased local capacity, public ownership of core digital infrastructure and address the concentration of power in the digital economy. This SouthViews considers some of the shortcomings of the draft GDC, particularly in attaining equitable international data governance and democratic participation in a digital multistakeholder scenario to avoid data monopolies and ensure inclusive policy-making processes, while recentering the objectives of Internet governance for inclusive and development-oriented information societies.

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Dialogue with the G77+China Countries, 11 April 2024

A Dialogue with the G77+China Countries

Summit of the Future: risk and opportunities for developing countries

Co-organised by South Centre & Transnational Institute

11 April 2024, 13:00-15:00 (CET)

Geneva, Switzerland

Venue: International Environment House II, Chemin de Balexert 7-9, 1219 Vernier

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