Rallying call for collective endeavor

Over its eight-decade history, the United Nations has observed profound shifts in the international system — from Cold War divisions to waves of globalization. Throughout this period, it has furnished essential institutional frameworks for averting worldwide conflicts, fostering economic growth and advancing human rights. Nevertheless, the current global governance framework faces serious challenges: a resurgence of unilateralism, protectionism and bloc-based rivalry; the inadequate representation and influence of developing nations; and the sluggishness of international institutions in responding to new issues, all of which impede effective collective action. Against this increasingly complex and unpredictable global landscape, reshaping a more equitable, inclusive and effective global governance system has become an urgent priority for the international community.

It is against this backdrop that the Global Governance Initiative was proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Tianjin Summit on Sept 1. The initiative embodies a systematic approach to reforming global governance. This initiative not only preserves and revitalizes the spirit of the UN Charter but also proactively guides the profound transformation of the modern international order. Centered on five core principles — sovereign equality, international rule of law, multilateralism, the people-centered approach and real results — it strives to empower the international community to move beyond ideological divides and geopolitical tensions, cultivating a new model rooted in win-win cooperation. As such, the initiative serves both as an institutional platform for developing nations to articulate their interests and as a source of new intellectual energy for UN reform and the rebalancing of multilateral frameworks.

Since its inception, the UN has played a monumental role in safeguarding international peace and security while advancing cooperative development. Its very existence is a direct outcome of humanity's pursuit of institutional rationality and a hard-won consensus forged by the international community after two world wars.

Yet its structural deficiencies have grown more apparent with time: the Security Council's static membership curtails the representation of emerging market nations, while key international bodies have become increasingly politicized and instrumentalized, fragmenting governance on pivotal global issues. In areas such as climate change, artificial intelligence ethics, public health emergencies and refugee affairs — key transnational issues of our time — the existing mechanisms have frequently fallen short, proving insufficient to meet the requirements of global cooperation. While these shortcomings have not invalidated the UN's legitimacy, they highlight the system's struggle to adapt to a rapidly reconfiguring global order.

Reform is therefore essential — and such reform must both reaffirm the UN's central role and amplify the Global South's voice and participation in the architecture of global governance.

The Global Governance Initiative makes its fundamental contribution by championing the principle of extensive consultation and joint contribution for shared benefits, thereby subverting the traditional governance model in which the strong lay down the rules while the weak abide by them. China upholds that all nations, irrespective of their size, strength or wealth, ought to engage as equals in global decision-making — a position that not only reasserts the tenet of sovereign equality but also serves as an institutional remedy to present-day international disparities.

The initiative calls for an international order grounded in the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and rejects any effort to replace this Charter-based system with a so-called rules-based order. This posture demonstrates China's dedication to the spirit of international rule of law and highlights its commitment to fostering greater democratization and legalization in international relations.

In practice, effective governance is defined not by institutions, but by tangible progress in human wellbeing. Across poverty alleviation, education development and health security, China has translated the sustainable development agenda into concrete practice. Through the frameworks of the Belt and Road Initiative and South-South cooperation, it has delivered scalable, replicable public goods to developing countries, demonstrating what "action-oriented" governance means in reality. Departing from traditional approaches of institutional export or conventional aid, China's partnership model prioritizes mutual benefit and equal standing — a cooperation-driven logic that directly addresses the structural disadvantage long faced by the Global South.

This approach is reflected in China's evolving foreign assistance strategy. "Small yet beautiful" livelihood projects are receiving growing emphasis, with over 1,700 human resource development programs launched in 2024 alone. Looking ahead, China plans to provide 100,000 training opportunities to Global South countries. Its artemisinin-based assistance programs to fight malaria have reached approximately 240 million people across sub-Saharan Africa. Within the SCO, China has established three cooperation platforms covering energy, green industry and the digital economy, alongside specialized centers for scientific innovation, higher education and vocational training.

Over the next five years, China and the other SCO countries will collaborate to develop tens of millions of kilowatts in new photovoltaic and wind power capacity, translating governance principles into concrete action.

Amid a multipolar world and increasingly complex governance challenges, China's Global Governance Initiative constitutes an integral part of a cohesive and mutually reinforcing system that also encompasses the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative. Taken together, these initiatives present a systematic framework embodying China's vision of a community with a shared future for humanity. At the heart of this vision lies the commitment to shaping a future international order founded on cooperation rather than confrontation, and mutual gain instead of zero-sum logic. The Global Governance Initiative translates principles into institutional practice and turns aspirations into tangible action.

China's proposals address not only the pressing demands for UN reform but also resonate with the Global South's shared aspiration for a stronger voice in shaping international rules. A growing number of developing countries now see China's initiatives as crucial pathways to a more equitable global governance architecture. Across multilateral settings — from the UN General Assembly and BRICS to the SCO and the G77 — China has consistently championed a spirit of cooperation rooted in openness, inclusiveness and equality. These efforts are progressively reshaping the discourse of global governance, elevating ideas such as "co-governance and shared benefits" into a broadening international consensus.

Reforming global governance does not mean starting from scratch. Rather, it requires building on past achievements while pursuing innovation through continuous improvement. The Global Governance Initiative exemplifies this balanced approach — preserving core institutions while encouraging renewal. It reaffirms the UN's central role while promoting the development of more inclusive and innovative cooperation mechanisms. This pathway helps avoid institutional fragmentation and reduces inefficiency, thereby infusing global governance with forward momentum and enduring stability. Looking ahead, China will continue to work with the international community to deepen practical cooperation under the UN framework in key areas such as digital governance, green development, AI applications and climate action, guiding global governance toward a human-centered, cooperation-driven future.

The author is the director of the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. The author contributed this article to China Watch, a think tank powered by China Daily.

The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

Contact the editor at editor@chinawatch.cn.