Why the world needs a 'Global Security Initiative'

As the United States becomes embroiled in the geopolitical morass it has created for decades, the security vacuum it is leaving in its wake is expanding. But nature abhors a vacuum. In the increasing global challenges not experienced in a century, there is a need for a stability lighthouse lest the world runs aground from lack of direction.

The unilateral approach taken by the US and Western allies in matters of global security is no longer tenable, even feasible. For instance, the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine has made this clear. It is a backlash that will be played out regularly in the coming years as the role of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) becomes subjugated in addressing the myriad global security challenges.

The UNSC mandate has been usurped by the West for obvious reasons. The rule of international law is anachronistic to the bloc’s hegemonic ambitions because it (former) requires dialogue and negotiations, and an outcome of give and take. The predominant winner-take-all scenario, however, is leading the world back to geopolitical tensions to the Cold War that characterized both unilateral and multilateral relations after World War II.

The foregoing was a moot point noted by Chinese President Xi Jinping on April 21 during his video address to the just-concluded Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2022. “The Cold War mentality would only wreck the global peace framework, hegemonism and power politics would only endanger world peace, and bloc confrontation would only exacerbate security challenges in the 21st century.” To handle these and more challenges, President Xi proposed formation of the Global Security Initiative (GSI).

Xi’s vision is not a physical structure but an ideology that the world can adopt to secure peace and prosperity for humanity. In essence it is, among other values, respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of other countries, abiding by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, respecting the legitimate security concerns of all countries, and working together to address global challenges such as terrorism, climate change, cybersecurity and biosecurity.

China’s proposal comes in the backdrop of the UN International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace to be celebrated on April 24. The country has remained steadfast even in the face of blatant provocation in cases like the West’s blatant meddling in cases like the Taiwan and Hong Kong territorial controversies. China has always advocated for restraint and dialogue, which are the main principles celebrated in the world multilateralism day.

The country has actually become the default solutions provider for the world’s burgeoning insurmountable challenges. The reason is quite clear, particularly on the issue of security. While many powerful countries are perennially flexing their military muscle to intimidate both their real and perceived enemies, China is not on record, unless on the justifiably rare occasion of being on the defensive, of standing off with any country or entity.

While global security basically refers to lack of violence and peaceful co-existence between countries, it encompasses more spheres of governance ranging from economic stability to environmental protection. Even lack of food security and lack of water can trigger serious bleaches to our shared security arising from the toxic chain reactions.

The GSI extends its thinking beyond traditional militarisation aimed at protecting national security to address overarching global challenges as mentioned by UN Secretary-General António Guterres - the climate crisis to the multiplication of conflicts, the governance of weapons of mass destruction particularly nuclear power, health emergencies like the Covid-19 pandemic, and the global refugee protection regime.  

Experts are of the view that the GSI is based on Nayef Al-Rodhan’s "multi-sum security principle", which postulates that "in a globalised world, security can no longer be thought of as a zero-sum game involving states alone. Nayef attributes global security to five dimensions that include human, environmental, national, transnational, and transcultural security. For these to be achieved, there must be good governance at all levels that guarantees security through justice for all individuals, states, and cultures.

If realised as envisaged, China’s grand security initiative will be a boon for the prospects of vulnerable developing countries, who always get the short end of the stick in globalization initiatives. It will give them more leeway to manoeuvre as they explore their options towards achieving their goals both individually and collectively.

Ultimately, China is recalibrating the world’s balance of power by advocating the latter’s sharing across the socio-economic and political strata. We should not have a couple of countries that are omnipresent, while the majority do not register in any sphere of influence. In Xi’s words, “countries around the world are like passengers aboard the same ship who share the same destiny… Acts to remove any single part will cause serious problems to its operation.”

The writer is the Executive Director of South-South Dialogues, a Nairobi based research and development communication think tank.