Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang has called on the international community to ensure global climate policies reflect the differing economic conditions and development priorities of countries in the Global South.
She said developing nations needed a stronger role in shaping international decisions, particularly those affecting economic growth, climate action and efforts to improve living standards.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang was speaking on Saturday, October 17, 2026, in Shanghai, China, where she delivered the opening address at the Global South Academic Forum. The event is being held under the theme “Global South Political Parties, Governance and Modernization.”
She said countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean should not remain limited to implementing decisions made by more powerful states. Instead, they should have a greater role in setting global priorities.
Although the Global South represents a significant share of the world’s population and natural resources and makes an important contribution to the global economy, the Vice President said developing countries continued to face questions over their representation and influence within international institutions.
She said global decision-making needed to take better account of the different pressures facing developing economies. Those challenges include securing the resources needed to achieve sustainable development while also responding to climate change.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang also supported changes to the international financial system, arguing that it should enable development without increasing the economic vulnerability of poorer countries.
She urged countries in the Global South to deepen cooperation through partnerships that expand domestic productive capacity, support research and innovation, and create more opportunities for young people.
Developing countries, she said, could draw lessons from one another’s experiences without assuming that they needed to follow the same political structures or development models.
The Vice President further called for stronger links between universities and research institutions, particularly in science, technology and artificial intelligence. Such collaboration, she said, could help countries develop solutions aligned with their own circumstances and priorities.
Political parties and democratic institutions
Turning to governance, Professor Opoku-Agyemang said political parties had an important responsibility in shaping national development and protecting democratic institutions.
She said their role should extend beyond mobilising citizens to gain political power. Political parties should also improve policy development, provide political education, promote democratic accountability and increase the participation of women and young people.
The forum was initiated by the International Communication Research Institute of East China Normal University. It brings together scholars, policymakers and media professionals from Africa, Asia and Latin America to discuss governance, political development and modernisation across the Global South.
Its discussions are intended to help participants examine how developing countries can strengthen cooperation, play a greater part in global policy debates and pursue development strategies that reflect their own national conditions.
