Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko has stated that the global balance of power is gradually shifting towards a more equitable and multilateral order, driven in part by initiatives from the Global South and rising influence of groups like BRICS.
Speaking in an interview with China Media Group (CMG) during the 2025 Summer Davos Forum in Tianjin, China, Sonko criticized what he described as the longstanding dominance of certain powerful nations in shaping international rules to serve their own interests.
“The concepts of international order and global rules are losing their meaning,” Sonko said. “Historically, powerful countries have taken it upon themselves to set rules that benefited them, often at the expense of others. But today, the global order is becoming more balanced.”
He specifically pointed to U.S. tariff hikes on trade partners as examples of unilateral actions that undermine multilateral cooperation. Sonko argued that many of the same countries that established the current international framework are now disregarding those rules when they no longer serve their strategic interests.
According to him, the rise of alternative platforms—particularly among emerging economies in the Global South—signals a growing pushback against this unequal system.
“What is being done today within the Global South, and especially through BRICS, is very important,” he said. “This momentum must continue to build a more balanced and cooperative world. Africa, in particular, must seize the opportunity presented by this shift.”
The 2025 Summer Davos Forum, hosted in Tianjin in late June, brought together more than 1,700 leaders from over 90 countries and regions to explore how innovation, entrepreneurship, and technology can shape more resilient global economies.
