Brussels (GNP): Dr Farhat Asif, Chairperson of the Diplomatic Insight Group (DIG) and President of the Institute of Peace and Diplomatic Studies (IPDS), called for fairer and more inclusive global governance while addressing members of the European Parliament on Wednesday.
She spoke at a session titled “The Future of Global Governance”, co-organised by Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) Ondřej Dostál and Michael von der Schulenburg. Ambassadors from China, Nepal, Tanzania, Pakistan, Nicaragua and Indonesia attended, along with diplomatic representatives from Malaysia and Kenya.
Pakistan’s Ambassador to Belgium, Rahim Hayat, also addressed the gathering. According to a post shared by the Embassy on X, he reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to multilateralism with the United Nations (UN) at its centre.
He stressed that stronger cooperation was needed so that treaties and agreements are respected as the foundation of the rules-based international order.
He also underlined the importance of an inclusive international financial system and closer collaboration on climate change and emerging technologies.
Building on that theme, Dr Asif told the audience that the world does not lack international institutions. In her view, it lacks trust, equal representation and collective responsibility. She argued that economic and political influence is spreading across more countries, yet global governance structures have not kept pace.
She said multilateralism is weakened when decisions rest with a small group of powerful actors. The real task, she added, is not just to manage a multipolar world but to make multipolarity work for humanity.
Dr Asif said China’s contribution to this debate deserved serious attention. She pointed to President Xi Jinping’s Global Governance Initiative, introduced in September 2025, which rests on five principles. These are sovereign equality, international rule of law, multilateralism, a people-centred approach and practical action.
She said these principles speak to developing countries’ concerns about fairness and representation, and merit constructive engagement, rigorous discussion and practical implementation. At the same time, she cautioned against replacing one dominant power with another. Global governance, she said, should create a system where every nation has dignity, every region has a voice and every institution carries responsibility.
She described the European Union (EU) as living evidence that countries with different histories and interests can build institutions for collective progress. She suggested that Europe’s institutional experience and China’s development capabilities could complement each other on climate change, development finance, technology governance, trade and global health.
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Turning to Pakistan, Dr Asif described its partnerships with China, including the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, and with the EU, including the Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) trade framework, as complementary rather than competing.
Drawing on her doctoral research on the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, she called for a sustained Europe-Asia dialogue. She said it should bring together parliamentarians, scholars, diplomatic institutions and emerging voices from the Global South. She added that international law must apply consistently, and that a developing country’s voice must not shrink because its economic or military power is smaller.
She closed with three reflections. Multipolarity without cooperation will deepen divisions, multilateralism without equality will lose legitimacy, and global governance without justice will lose the trust of humanity. Dr Asif said Pakistan was ready to contribute, “not merely as an observer of global change, but as a partner in shaping it.”
Managing Editor at Global News Pakistan (GNP), with a Bachelor's degree in International Relations from Riphah International University, graduated with a Gold Medal. Reach out at sabahtareengnp@gmail.com
