At the opening ceremony of the forum, Meng Zhongjie, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of East China Normal University, pointed out that Global South countries are playing an increasingly important role in furthering human progress and emphasized that China has always been a member of the Global South, stating that advancing the international order toward greater justice and equity is the sacred historical mission of Global South nations. He expressed hope that the forum would serve as a platform for building consensus and fostering innovation in academic research, ensuring the “voice of the Global South” is heard loudly and clearly around the world. Vijay Prashad, Executive Director of the Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research, noted that there is “a new mood” in the Global South, rooted in long-standing struggles against imperialism and colonialism, and called on Global South nations to forge new solidarities amid a rapidly evolving world order
. Narayan Kaji Shrestha, former Deputy Prime Minister of Nepal and Senior Vice Chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre), emphasized that the Global South must not replicate the industrialized models of Europe and North America on its path to shared modernization. Instead, it should reflect the unique demands, aspirations, and cultural characteristics of Global South countries, ensuring development is both inclusive and sustainable, and that they should pursue collective development through regional cooperation, actively building a just and inclusive global order that promotes social justice and addresses systemic inequalities.
