KUNMING, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Standing at a critical inflection point in history, Global South media and think tanks should build on a unified framework for navigating the new global era through South-South cooperation, Erastus Mwencha, former deputy chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission, said here on Friday.
Mwencha made the remarks when attending the 2025 Global South Media and Think Tank Forum. The event, which runs from Sept. 5 to 9 held in China's Yunnan Province, gathers approximately 500 representatives from over 260 media outlets, think tanks and government agencies from 110 countries and regions, as well as international and regional organizations.
The shift toward a multipolar world is marked by geopolitical tensions, economic nationalism, climate disruptions, technological revolution and economic realignment, the former AU official said.
In this context, Mwencha said, media, think tanks and other state actors from the Global South should "take a posture of strategic agency," and "root for and safeguard a reformed multilateralism system starting with the UN Security Council and the global financial architecture in general."
To this end, media and think tanks from the Global South should develop their own analytical capabilities, and strive to craft homegrown solutions, he noted.
At the vanguard of global South-South cooperation, China has proposed innovative initiatives, such as the Belt and Road Initiative, to promote shared prosperity, Mwencha added.
Under the theme of "Empowering Global South, Navigating Global Changes," the forum serves as a key platform for extensive dialogues and in-depth discussions.
This year's event is the second edition of the forum, which is co-organized by Xinhua News Agency, the Communist Party of China Yunnan Provincial Committee and the People's Government of Yunnan Province. ■
