JOHANNESBURG, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- The Global South Media and Think Tank Forum China-Africa Partnership Conference concluded here on Friday, with participants reaching consensus on enhancing cooperation and elevating the Global South's voice in international governance. Participants engaged in in-depth discussions on how the West has long dominated the global governance system, overlooking the Global South's interests and concerns in agenda-setting, rule-making and resource allocation -- a pattern that urgently needs to change amid the collective rise of the Global South. South Africa's Independent Media Executive Chairman Iqbal Surve told Xinhua that the call by Global South countries to claim their rightful place in international narratives should not be ignored, noting that this forum, which brings together senior government, media and academic representatives from across Africa and China, demonstrates the Global South's growing cohesion and voice. Didier Kebongo, publisher of the Democratic Republic of the Congo's Forum des As newspaper, said the forum has provided a platform for Global South countries to build trust and discuss cooperation, sending a strong signal on the eve of the G20 Leaders' Summit that the Global South is calling for a fairer and more equitable global governance system. He noted that Western media have long dominated agenda-setting, causing a structural imbalance in the current global governance system. The forum sets to encourage the Global South to tell its own stories, jointly set agendas, share content and build common standards, said Kebongo. The two-day event gathered more than 200 representatives from over 160 media outlets, think tanks, government organizations and other institutions from China and 41 African countries, as well as the African Union (AU). In addition to launching the United in Heart, Path and Action -- 2026 China-Africa Partnership Empowerment Action Plan, the forum also published a think tank report titled Jointly Building a New Model of Global Leadership -- Work Together in Pursuit of a More Just and Rational Global Governance System. Participants voiced strong support for the report's call to build a new model of global leadership and urged media and think tanks to strengthen bilateral cooperation and coordination under multilateral mechanisms to help lead the Global South's narrative. The Global South must not speak in fragments. Our strength lies in unity, said Leslie Richer, director of information and communication at the AU, stressing that the priority is to align efforts into a unified strategic voice that shapes global decision-making rather than merely reacting to it. Erastus Mwencha, member of the Advisory Council of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation and former deputy chairperson of the AU Commission, said the success of mechanisms such as the Global South Media and Think Tank Forum, the World Media Summit, and the BRICS Media Think Tank Forum reflects a broader shift toward the Global South in global development priorities. Global South countries have the capacity to bring about change and development that is sustainable, he added. Over the past two days, participants also held discussions on such topics as China-Africa commitments to global governance reform, China-Africa action for Global South revitalization, and China-Africa exchanges in global civilizational coexistence. They also attend a series of side activities, including a cultural exchange event between China's Hunan Province and its African partners. Liu Hongwu, director of the Institute of African Studies at China's Zhejiang Normal University, said that the rise of the Global South signals the emergence of a more balanced, diverse and inclusive governance model, and that China-Africa cooperation offers a good example for global governance. China-Africa cooperation is not one-way aid but a partnership built on equality, mutual support and win-win outcomes, demonstrating that global affairs should be governed collectively by all countries, rather than led by a few, said Liu. Najeh Missaoui, chairman and chief executive officer of the Tunis Africa News Agency, said he hoped that practical cooperation in news reporting and information exchange under both bilateral and multilateral mechanisms would be strengthened. The holding of this forum is a clear affirmation of China's commitment to strengthening South-South cooperation and supporting the causes of development and lasting peace on the basis of mutual respect and shared interests, he said. Participants also expressed their hope that the consensus reached during the event could be translated into tangible cooperation outcomes, calling for stronger collaboration in areas such as clean energy transition, industrial connectivity, talent development and co-creation and joint dissemination of content, which would help promote a more just and equitable global governance. Increasingly, African and Chinese entrepreneurs are co-creating solutions in renewable energy, e-commerce and digital technology, showing how shared progress can emerge from shared learning, said Fikresus Amahazion, research analyst at Eritrean Center for Strategic Studies. Across our continents, these exchanges are thriving, the analyst said. Confidence Musariri, chief commercial officer of the Namibia Press Agency, believed that as the Global South's contribution to the world economy continues to grow, media and think tanks should step up collaboration to strengthen their collective voice, deepening cooperation in news sharing, training and new-media applications. Media cooperation must advance rapidly to avoid becoming an 'endangered species' in the era of artificial intelligence (AI), he said, urging media colleagues to leverage technologies like AI and big data to enhance digitalization and distribution efficiency. Drummond Mafuta, president of the Board of Directors of Angola's Edicoes Novembro, said that this forum provides an important platform for media organizations to engage and for countries to more proactively tell their own stories. This forum is a meeting place, a space for consultation among all of us, where new ideas may emerge and cooperation agreements between our institutions may also be formed, Mafuta said.
