CPNN

Last month, it was the people of Europe, North America and the Middle East who took to the streets in protest against the wars and militarism of their countries.

This month, it is the countries of the Global South who provide an alternative to the culture of war of the North.

President Lula da Silva of Brazil opened the summit of the BRICS countries by urging countries to shift spending away from military efforts and toward the implementation of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda—not toward war.

He criticized explicitly the decision of NATO to increase military spending.

“We are before an unprecedented number of conflicts since World War II. NATO’s recent decision feeds the arms race. It is easier to designate 5% of the GDP to military spending than to allocate the 0.7% that has been promised for Official Development Assistance. This demonstrates that the resources for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda do exist; however, they are not available due to a lack of political priority. It is always easier to invest in war than in peace.

Lula called for a deep transformation of the UN Security Council: “To overcome the trust crisis we are immersed in, we must promote deep transformations in the Security Council. Increase its legitimacy, representativeness, effectiveness, and democratic character. Include new permanent members from Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

The final declaration of the BRICS summit reflected the same approach: “The leaders express concern over the current trend of sharply rising global military expenditures at the expense of adequate financing for the development of emerging countries. . . . The document also calls for the increased participation of developing countries, particularly those in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, in global decision-making processes and structures.”

Another important summit meeting took place in Bogota, Colombia, on July 15, bringing together ministerial delegates from more than 30 nations to end Israel’s U.S.-backed genocide in Gaza. The final declaration, calling for the prevention of the transfer of arms to Israel, was signed by 12 countries from the Global South, including Colombia, Indonesia, and South Africa.

Leadership of the Global South was also evident last month in the new coalition to tax the super-rich launched by Brazil and South Africa, along with Spain. The announcement was welcomed by Oxfam, who said “Taxation of the super-rich is a vital tool to secure sustainable development and fight inequalities. The wealth of the richest 1% has surged $33.9 trillion since 2015, enough to end annual poverty 22 times, yet billionaires only pay around 0.3% in real taxes.”

Brazil, Colombia and South Africa come from regions that have declared themselves to be nuclear-free zones, and South Africa is the only country in history to have made nuclear weapons and then renounced them. If they were to become permanent members of the UN Security Council, as suggested above, it would provide some balance to its domination by the nuclear powers with their culture of war.