Global South Policy Hub

Introducing the Global South Policy Hub.🌏 A new nonpartisan #thinktank based in #WashingtonDC, dedicated to amplifying the perspectives, expertise, and priorities of the #GlobalSouth in international policy spaces. We're launching soon! Follow us for more insights and updates!

Resisting international reform may cost U.S. foreign policy. Nonresident Fellow Ana Saggioro Garcia argues that while the U.S. government’s efforts to block changes to global governance and international organizations' rules may preserve U.S. influence today, they may accelerate its erosion tomorrow. When reform stalls, Global South countries look elsewhere and are strengthening alternative institutions. Garcia further states that the United States faces a strategic choice: negotiate change now and shape a more balanced global order or face a fragmented system later where U.S. influence is harder to sustain. Read the full brief for Garcia’s insights on why meaningful reform is a geopolitical imperative. gsphub.org/publications/glob… @UFRRJ #GlobalSouth #GlobalGovernance #Multipolarity @Universidade Federal Rural do Rio De Janeiro

What does it take to get off a U.S. tariff list? Four Caribbean countries are still waiting for an answer. The Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, Guyana, and Trinidad and Tobago face open-ended U.S. forced-labor tariffs. Two have already moved to ban forced-labor imports, but there’s still no clear path to full relief. Nonresident Fellow Alicia Nicholls examines how clear benchmarks and faster reviews by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative could make the process work, and the oversight role Congress plays. Read more here: gsphub.org/publications/part… #InternationalTrade #Caribbean @LicyLaw

At the Global South Policy Hub, we champion the expertise, priorities, and lived realities of Global South populations to inform Global North policymaking spaces. Our mission: to advance a more equitable international order for all. For more about our work, visit: gsphub.org/ @AudeDarnal #GSPH #GlobalSouth

At the Global South Policy Hub, Global South expertise is not an afterthought—it is a driver of change. By creating opportunities for deeper South-North dialogue, we seek to inform debates on U.S. foreign policy and the wider international order. As we pursue this mission, we invite individuals and institutions that believe in a more equitable world order to partner with us and support our work. We are building South-North bridges to advance shared prosperity and security. Partner with us to ensure Global South perspectives inform the global policies that affect billions. Donate at gsphub.org/donate. #GSPH #GlobalSouth

In Lesotho, textiles make up about 80% of exports to the United States, and roughly 40,000 people work in the apparel sector, along with tens of thousands in Kenya, Madagascar, and Eswatini. Their jobs and livelihoods depend on the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), yet uncertainty surrounding its reform and long-term renewal continues to pose significant challenges. In her latest brief, Nonresident Fellow Ivory Kairo argues that the U.S. Congress should pass a long-term reauthorization, with rules of origin built together with African trade institutions. Read full analysis: gsphub.org/publications/how-…. @AFPHAfrica @_AfricanUnion @AfCFTA #InternationalTrade #Africa

International financial architecture, critical minerals, development cooperation, world order: the Global South Policy Hub's newsletter brings Global South expertise to the debates shaping global policy today. Subscribe to our concise, research-grounded, and pragmatic policy briefs delivered to your inbox. Sign up: gsphub.org/newsletter. #GSPH #GlobalSouth #ForeignPolicy

Three weeks ago, as part of the Global South Policy Hub’s first bipartisan U.S. congressional educational trip to South Africa, the delegation of senior staffers visited the platinum mining area in Marikana, at the heart of South Africa's critical minerals sector. The visit tied directly to one of the Hub's research areas — resources, energy, and critical minerals — and to a question with direct stakes for Washington’s business sector and national security: How to ensure that the critical mineral sector supports local development and supply chain stability, and what is at stake for foreign investment companies. @alaka_lugonzo @jmahumadaf @AudeDarnal @Siderop @SAIIA_info @DevReimagined #GSPH #CongressConnect #CriticalMinerals

Our Nonresident Fellow @alaka_lugonzo brought her voice to the table at the Global South Policy Hub inaugural educational trip in Johannesburg. She added depth, clarity, and experience to the discussion. At the intersection of community and stakeholder engagement, she helped ground the conversations in real-world impact and African perspectives. @alaka_lugonzo @Global_Witness @SAIIA_info #GSPH #GlobalSouth

Equitable and inclusive global governance depends on stronger cross-regional dialogue. The Global South Policy Hub is committed to building bridges between policy experts in the Global South and the Global North to advance shared prosperity and security. If you would like to support our mission, donate at gsphub.org/donate. #GSPH #GlobalSouth

Three weeks ago, at our inaugural bipartisan U.S. congressional educational trip to South Africa, we welcomed the contributions from Gustavo de Carvalho—Acting Programme Head for African Governance and Diplomacy at @saiia_info on the topic, “South Africa and Global South Perspectives on the Future World Order”. His contributions helped frame Africa’s strategic choices in a shifting global order, highlighting how governance, diplomacy, and regional agency shape today’s international landscape. It was a powerful addition to a week of deep, grounded dialogue. @gb_decarvalho #GSPH #CongressConnect

Reform AGOA. Rewrite the rules. Reimagine U.S.–Africa trade. With AGOA extended through 2028, U.S. policymakers can move beyond simple renewal and build a stronger U.S.–Africa trade partnership. That means co-designing reforms with African institutions like AfCFTA, supporting local value chains, and creating the conditions for long-term investment and growth. The goal isn't just more trade. It's better trade on shared terms. Read: gsphub.org/publications/how-… @AFPHAfrica @_AfricanUnion @AfCFTA #InternationalTrade #Africa

From development finance to multilateral reform and critical mineral strategies, our Nonresident Fellows are continuously analyzing the issues that matter most to the Global South and to international prosperity and security. Explore the latest insights and analyses from our fellows from Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, and Latin America by visiting our website: gsphub.org/publications #GSPH #GlobalSouth #Research #Publications

Representation with global institutions is critical, but not sufficient to fix the system. In her latest policy brief, Nonresident Fellow Ana Saggioro Garcia states that representation without redistribution of power is an incomplete reform. Garcia argues that a seat at the table isn’t enough if the table itself is built on unequal foundations. Read the brief: gsphub.org/publications/glob… #GlobalSouth #GlobalGovernance #WorldOrder @anasaggioro @UFRRJ @BRICSPolicy @IRI_PUCRio

Efficient, equitable, and fair global governance depends on stronger cross-regional dialogue. The Global South Policy Hub is committed to building bridges between policy experts in the Global South and in the Global North to advance shared prosperity and security. Get to know more at gsphub.org/. #GSPH #GlobalSouth

“Does AGOA still matter?” Nonresident Fellow Ivory Kairo argues that it needs to be improved to better align with Africa’s long-term development strategies and unlock a more balanced, mutually beneficial partnership with the United States. Watch Nonresident Fellow Ivory Kairo explain why. Read: gsphub.org/publications/how-… @DevReimagined @_AfricanUnion @AfCFTA #InternationalTrade #Africa

From global finance to critical minerals, the Hub's Nonresident Fellows bring Global South expertise directly into policy debates happening in Washington and the Global North. Our fellows are senior policy experts and scholars working across our four research areas: global governance and world order; international finance architecture; international development cooperation; and resources, energy, and critical minerals. Through publications and events, they bring their regions' priorities directly to the policymakers whose decisions affect those regions. Meet our nonresident fellows: gsphub.org/people #GSPH #GlobalSouth #GlobalSouthexperts @alaka_lugonzo @Siderop @LicyLaw @anasaggioro @Bhumika820 @ShuvaRaha

Resisting multilateral reform comes with long-term costs. Nonresident Fellow Ana Saggioro Garcia argues that Global North countries’ efforts to block changes in global institutions may preserve their influence today, but undermine those institutions’ legitimacy and these countries’ own interests. As Global South countries turn to alternative arrangements, stalled reform accelerates fragmentation in global governance. Read Garcia’s arguments in the policy brief: gsphub.org/publications/glob… @anasaggioro @UFRRJ @BRICSPolicy @IRI_PUCRio #GSPH #GlobalSouth #GlobalGovernance #WorldOrder

AGOA, a U.S. trade law that gives eligible sub-Saharan African countries duty-free access to the U.S. market, was recently extended to December 2028 by the U.S. Congress. But this isn’t enough, according to Nonresident Fellow Ivory Kairo, who argues that AGOA needs a new vision. For her, declining utilization signals the need for change. A long-term reauthorization of AGOA, phasing in stronger local-content requirements, and investing in regional trade infrastructure can help unlock more resilient and mutually beneficial trade relationships. Why does it matter for Washington? A stronger AGOA can support African industrialization while advancing U.S. economic and strategic interests. More insights from Nonresident Fellow Ivory Kairo: gsphub.org/publications/how-… @DevReimagined #InternationalTrade #Africa

At the Global South Policy Hub, we champion the expertise, priorities, and lived realities of Global South populations to inform Global North policymaking spaces. Our mission: to advance a more equitable international order for all. For more about our work, visit: gsphub.org/. #GSPH #GlobalSouth

Building U.S.–Africa trade on shared terms starts through the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) reform. In September, the U.S. Congress extended AGOA, the cornerstone of U.S.-Africa trade policy, to Dec. 31, 2028. How the U.S. Congress uses that time matters. In her new brief, Nonresident Fellow Ivory Kairo supports that setting new rules of origin without African input would repeat the top-down approach that the U.S. “trade over aid” policy aims to move beyond. While some critics call for moving away from AGOA, Kairo argues it needs reform. Read the brief: gsphub.org/publications/how-… @DevReimagined #InternationalTrade #Africa