Global Governance Dynamics in Emerging Economies
Summary
Emerging economies are reshaping the architecture of global governance by pursuing greater representation in multilateral institutions, experimenting with alternative finance mechanisms and deepening South–South cooperation. As their economic weight grows, countries such as Brazil, India, China and South Africa have sought to influence decision-making at the United Nations, World Trade Organization and G20, advocating for rules that reflect diverse development trajectories. These actors deploy a mix of strategies—from coalition building and institutional reform to informal platforms—to balance established powers without resorting to coercion. Their engagement spans macro-economic policy coordination, development finance innovations and climate governance, illustrating how middle powers and rising states negotiate shared norms while safeguarding national interests. This evolving dynamic highlights a shift from unipolar rule-making towards a more pluralistic order in which emerging economies both contest and co-construct global regimes.
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Global Governance Dynamics in Emerging Economies publication trend
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Technical terms
Soft balancing: Strategies by states to constrain dominant powers through non-military tools such as coalition building and institutional engagement.
South–South cooperation: Collaborative frameworks among developing countries aimed at mutual support in economic, technical and political spheres.
Structural power: The capacity of actors to influence the rules, norms and frameworks that govern global interactions.
Institutional drift: The process by which established international institutions become less aligned with evolving political and economic realities.
References
- The evolution of soft balancing in informal institutions: the case of BRICS. International Affairs (2025).
- New Powers and the Distribution of Preferences in Global Trade Governance: From Deadlock and Drift to Fragmentation. New Political Economy (2018).
- Introduction: ‘The BRICS, Global Governance, and Challenges for South–South Cooperation in a Post-Western World’. International Political Science Review (2021).
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