Developing nations, as suggested by Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi, are most affected by ineffective institutions and are most prone to debt crises, while also facing unfulfilled funding pledges from developed countries.

On Tuesday, the 78th UNGA officially commenced with a grim note from UN secretary-general António Guterres, who bemoaned the “deepening divide [between] North and South, East and West”. He also called on the need for a “deep reform” of the UN’s diplomatic mechanisms to better deal with the current geopolitical landscape.

Guterres’ message of reform was reminiscent of the Indonesian delegation’s address at the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Summit on Monday on the sidelines of the UN week, where Retno labeled the current global order “unfit” and inherently unfair for developing countries.

The Indonesian delegation, led by Retno, has been scheduled to deliver an address at the UNGA on Saturday. Until then, dozens of bilateral talks have been scheduled, a significant proportion of which consist of dialogues with developing countries.

Diplomats who are close to the issue told reporters that solidifying and consolidating the voices of the Global South would be among Indonesia’s overarching themes during the busy week. The message of solidarity among developing nations has and will be featured in both bilateral talks and multilateral debates.

The term “Global South” in the past several decades has gained traction as a catchall phrase to describe usually developing countries and emerging powers and encompasses more than one hundred heterogeneous countries in Africa, the Middle East, South Asia and the Pacific Islands.

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