What is Global South?
Global South
The “Global South” is a geopolitical grouping of nations, often formerly colonized, that are disproportionately exposed to global risks and underrepresented in international governance. The material tracks how the term is used to describe structural inequities in areas such as space security, climate finance, and historical colonial legacies.
How it developed
- May 2025 - Bill Bishop said many in the Global South do not appreciate that China itself was colonized by the same powers, a shared colonial history increasingly invoked in Chinese statements.
- May 2026 - Tzeporah Berman said 98% of climate finance last year did not go to the Global South because of interest rates.
- May 2026 - Berman added that many countries are dramatically increasing fossil fuel production just to service their debt.
- Sep 2026 - An unnamed speaker noted Global South nations are disproportionately exposed to cyber risks due to aging ground station infrastructure and have the least capacity to absorb incidents, while having the least voice in UN bodies like the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.
In the evidence
Every line below is attributed to a named speaker.
Global South nations bear disproportionate exposure to space cyber incidents due to aging ground station infrastructure and low absorption capacity, yet hold the least voice in COPUOS negotiations on space rules.
“Global south nations are disproportionately exposed. You know, they're more reliant on those aging ground station infrastructures and they typically have the least capacity to absorb a cyber incident. but they have the least voices in bodies like the United Nations committee on peaceful uses of outer space.”<UNKNOWN> · 13 Sep 2026
China's rhetoric invoking its own colonial history is now systematically deployed to build solidarity with the Global South, a messaging dimension many observers underappreciate.
“A lot of people don't appreciate in the global south that China itself was colonized by the same people that colonized them. And that is a touch point that you're seeing now come up a lot more in Chinese readouts, and Chinese statements that, you know, the shared colonial history.”Bill Bishop · 30 May 2025
Many Global South countries are expanding fossil fuel production not for development goals but purely to service foreign debt obligations.
“There are a lot of countries out there that are dramatically increasing fossil fuel production just to feed their debt.”Tzeporah Berman · 28 May 2026
98% of renewable energy capital last year did not flow to the Global South, attributed to high interest rates.
“Ninety eight percent last year didn't go to the Global South because of interest rates.”Tzeporah Berman · 28 May 2026