By Prof Sheriff Ghali Ibrahim
The term Global Governance Initiative (GGI) is the newly born concept in a series of philosophical enunciations by President Xi Jinping in what can be described as “growing China’s influence from domestic to international.”
It is incremental in ambience from the national policies of ‘Reform and Opening Up,’ ‘Three Represents,’ ‘Scientific Development’ and ‘Socialism with Chinese Characteristics.’ China began to go international as it pursues building a global community with a shared future for humanity. This came at a time when big powers envisage traditional policy of nationalism, protectionism and by exemplification, Trump’s policy of “America First” which punishes the world (allies, neighbors and regional blocs).
The series of international initiatives for a shared future constitute: the Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative and Global Civilization Initiative. These are apt, timely and what the international system requires to exhale. The need for security and development are vital, while mutual learning among civilizations is a tool to achieving global security and development.
Global Governance Initiative, just like GCI, is also a tool to achieving global security and development. Global Governance Initiative is all encompassing in international politics as it dwells on: Regulations intended for organization and centralization of human societies on a global scale. Global governance has also been defined as “the complex of formal and informal institutions, mechanisms, relationships, and processes between and among states, markets, citizens and organizations, both inter- and non governmental, through which collective interests on the global plane are articulated, rights and obligations are established, and differences are mediated.
President Xi Jinping enunciated the concept of GGI on the 2nd of September in Tianjin, China, calling on countries to work in concert for a more just and equitable global governance system. It was propounded in President Xi’s address to world leaders, when chairing the “Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Plus” meeting in north China’s port city of Tianjin, where the SCO held the largest summit in its 24-year history, attended by leaders from more than 20 countries and heads of 10 international organizations.
It was historical, philosophical and theoretically advanced to ensure inclusiveness, fairness, equity and rule of law in the international governance system. It is also a “cooperative problem-solving arrangement” of global governance that is formal, which takes the shape of laws or formally constituted institutions for a variety of actors (such as state authorities, intergovernmental organizations (IGOs), non-governmental organizations (NGOs), private sector entities, civil society actors) to manage collective affairs. It may also be informal (as in the case of practices or guidelines) or ad hoc entities (as in the case of coalitions).
President Xi in his description of the ambiance of the GGI and what constitute its practicability, designated five major principles or features of the GGI and what it seeks to achieve, which are namely, adhering to sovereign equality of states, abiding by international rule of law, practicing multilateralism among states, advocating the people-centered approach, and focusing on taking real actions.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s Tianjin Summit has come to reveal the true imagery and political personality of President Xi Jinping: a problem solver, a leader and the only world leader that plans for the world what the world desires. Not only advocating for the GGI, but a call for immediate action to adopt it and implement its principles for a better international system.
President Xi in this theoretical and philosophical exploit, has fulfilled all the complexities of international governance which ideally deal with: agenda setting, policy making, implementation and enforcement, and finally, evaluation, monitoring and adjudication. President Xi has set up the agenda, has formulated it as an international policy, and called for its implementation, which by extension, will be monitored and evaluated.
President Xi has also brought out the rationale behind this initiative when he argued that: “while the historical trends of peace, development, cooperation and mutual benefit remain unchanged, the Cold War mentality, hegemonism and protectionism continue to haunt the world…new threats and challenges have been only increasing, and the world has found itself in a new period of turbulence and transformation.” consequently, “global governance has come to a new crossroads,” President Xi designated.
President Xi posited that, this year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War and the founding of the United Nations. He recommended vehemently the move towards safeguarding the status and authority of the UN, and ensuring its irreplaceable and key role in global governance. In other areas of recommendation, President Xi stressed that: all countries, regardless of size, strength and wealth, are equal participants, decision-makers, and beneficiaries in global governance. “There should be no double standards, and the house rules of a few countries must not be imposed upon others,” Xi noted.
The birth of the GGI is not an idea for China alone, but a framework of action for the entire world. President Xi is not only a Chinese leader, but a leader to the world, exhibited in his character, personality and resolve to solving global problems for humanity. It is to this effect that President Xi urged efforts to better tackle the common challenges for mankind, better narrow the North-South gap, and better safeguard the common interests of all countries.
In the institutional framework for implementation, there has to be a leading institution in the delivery of the principles of the GGI. In line with this, President Xi obliged that the SCO should step up to play a leading role and set an example in carrying out the GGI, and remain a force for stability in this volatile world.
Founded in Shanghai in June 2001, the SCO has expanded from six founding members to Ten member states currently, which is called the SCO+. The current Ten member states are: China, Russia, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Iran, and Belarus. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has turned into the world’s largest regional organization with cooperation covering more than 50 areas and a combined economic output of nearly 30 trillion U.S. dollars.
The GGI is exclusively hinged on building a global community with a shared future for humanity, devoid of domination, exclusion and hegemonic tendencies. This is evident in President Xi’s speech when he urged the organization to push for open cooperation across the globe.
“We should continue to dismantle walls, not erect them; we should seek integration, not decoupling. We should advance high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and push for a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization.”
In Global Governance, sharing benefits and cooption of others remains key to global leadership and effective governance. That is why China under President Xi believes in a shared future and inclusiveness. President Xi highlighted at the SCO summit that, China will readily share the opportunities of its vast market, and continue to implement the action plan for high-quality development of economic and trade cooperation within the SCO family.
China’s investment stock in other SCO member states has exceeded 84 billion U.S. dollars, and its annual bilateral trade with other SCO member states has surpassed 500 billion U.S. dollars.
In particular, Xi mentioned sharing the dividends of progress in artificial intelligence. He also invited countries with relevant capacities to take part in the International Lunar Research Station project.
Prof. Sheriff Ghali Ibrahim is the Director of the Centre for Contemporary China-Africa Research in Nigeria and the Head of the International Centre at the University of Abuja.
