The Global South and Japan

Abstract

The year 2023 will be remembered as the year in which the term Global South received a great deal of attention. This article explores the nature of the coalition of developing and emerging countries, what kind of unity exists within the coalition, what role the Global South can play in shaping the future world order, how the G7 should respond, and what role Japan, with its favorable relastionships with developing countries, should play.

Notes

1 Mexico may be counted among the leading countries in the Global South.

2 DPR Korea is not a recipient of ODA provided by JICA.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kitaoka Shinichi

Kitaoka Shinichi is Special Advisor to the President (2022–present) and former President (2015–2022) of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Professor of Modern Japanese Politics and Diplomacy at National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS), Chief Research Adviser at Nakasone Peace Institute (NPI), and Emeritus Professor at the University of Tokyo and Rikkyo University. He studied at the University of Tokyo (Ph.D. 1976), taught at Rikkyo University (1976–1997) and his alma mater (1997–2004; 2006–2012), and served as Ambassador to the United Nations (2004–2006) and President of International University of Japan (IUJ) (2012–2015). Dr. Kitaoka has served on advisory panels for many foreign ministers and prime ministers. He was Acting Chair of the Advisory Panel on the History of the 20th Century and on Japan’s Role and the World Order in the 21st Century (2015), the Acting Chair of the Advisory Panel on Reconstruction of the Legal Basis for National Security (2013–2014) and the Chair of the Advisory Panel on National Security and Defense Capabilities (2013). Previous appointments include Chairman of the Japanese scholars in the Japan-China joint study of history (2006–2009) and Chairman of the Committee to investigate the so-called Secret Pacts in the Japan-US Security Treaty (2009–2010). He has published many books and articles in English and Japanese on Japan’s military, diplomacy, party politics, and intellectuals. He received the Imperial Medal with Purple Ribbon in 2011.