EDITORIAL ANALYSIS : Focus on Africa, the heart of the Global South

• Prelims: Current events of international importance, Global South, G20, Washington summit etc
• Mains GS Paper II: Bilateral, regional and global grouping involving India and Affecting India’s interests etc

• India, through the G20 presidency, intends to be remembered as the voice of the Global South at the heart of which is Africa.

Global South:

• The Global South is a term often used to identify regions within Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Oceania.
• It is one of a family of terms, including “Third World” and “Periphery“, that denote regions outside Europe and North America.
• Economies not fully developed: Global South is used to describe countries whose economies are not yet fully developed and which face challenges such as low per capita income, excessive unemployment, and a lack of valuable capital.
• Located in tropics: Although the majority of Global South countries are indeed located in the tropics or Southern Hemisphere, the term itself is strictly economic.
• Australia is “down under” but not part of the Global South.

Washington summit:

• The second S.-Africa summit was held in Washington.
• The leaders of 49 countries and the chair of the African Union (AU) participated from Africa.

Important discussion of the Summit:

• Political, security, and economic cooperation with Africa.
• Ways to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 and future pandemics
• Respond to the climate crisis
• Promote food security and deepen diasporic ties

US declaration during the summit:

• African voices, leadership and innovation are “all critical to addressing the most pressing global challenges” and realizing the vision of a free, open, prosperous and secure world.
• The U.S. is “all in on Africa and all in with Africa.

Decisions taken during the summit:

• Support for G20: The U.S announced its support for the AU to join the G20 as a permanent member.
• Fully supports” reforming the UN Security Council (UNSC) to include permanent representation for Africa.
• A promise for the president and the vice president to visit Africa next year.

Investments and Initiatives by the US in Africa:

• Investments and initiatives: $21 billion to the IMF to provide access to necessary financing for low-and middle-income countries
• $10 million for a pilot programme to boost the security capacity of its African partners.
• The administration indicated that it planned to invest $55 billion in Africa over the next three years.

China in Africa:

• It has emerged as the largest trading partner and the fourth largest investor in the African continent, ahead of the U.S
• China-Africa trade exchanges stood at $254 billion.
  • S.-Africa trade stood at $44.9 billion.
• China’s total investment in Africa of $4 billion in 2020.
  • The U.S. investment stock in Sub-Saharan Africa was $31 billion.
• Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC):
  • established in October 2000.
  • The FOCAC is composed of ministers and leaders of Africa and China who meet once in three years, alternately in Beijing and an African capital.
  • Support under FOCAC:
    • One-China Principle
    • Global Development Initiative
    • Belt and Road Initiative
    • vision of “a community with a shared future.
    • China-Africa community

India-Africa:

Way Forward

• To truly represent the South: It is essential to grasp the mood and changes in Africa, especially in its external partnerships.
  • This will determine the contribution India can make to advance the African agenda.
  • The outcome of the S.-Africa Leaders’ Summit needs a critical examination.
• FOCAC: S. and other nations can take a cue from the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC): established in October 2000.
  • The FOCAC is composed of ministers and leaders of Africa and China who meet once in three years, alternately in Beijing and an African capital.
• India’s equity in Africa is older and richer than that of China and the U.S., but that should not be a source of uncritical satisfaction.
• Political and economic partnership: India has striven hard to strengthen its political and economic partnership with Africa at the continental, regional and bilateral levels.
  • The government created a special momentum in arranging high-level exchanges and forging cooperation initiatives during the 2015-19 period.
• The G20 presidency: It is India’s opportunity to ensure that the AU becomes a permanent member of this grouping and to firmly reflect Africa’s Agenda 2063 for development.
• The fourth India-Africa Forum Summit should be held in early 2024, lest the third summit held in 2015 becomes a distant memory.

Source : InsightsOnIndia