OPINION: Rise of Global South challenges narrative of ‘rules-based world order’

By Ko Ko

In international politics, language is not just communication - it is power, whether real or virtual.

The growing use of the phrase "rules-based world order" by pro-Western public relations practitioners, journalists, and policymakers reflects a deeper strategic and tricky shift: an effort to rebrand the fading unipolar world order established after the Cold War. The essence remains the same, but the words are entirely different.

This phrase is not simply a description of global governance; it is a defensive rhetorical shield - one that seeks not only to protect a system where Western powers, particularly the US, once dictated the terms with little effective challenge, but also to hide the darker side of unipolarity and Western dominance.

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the 1990s saw the birth of a unipolar world. The US, as the sole superpower, shaped global norms, led international institutions, and enforced economic and security policies largely aligned with its own interests. As Charles Krauthammer, a prominent political columnist, once put it, the term "unipolar moment" captured the US' peak position in the world at the time.

For a while, this ambition seemed achievable. But over the past decades, the unipolar dream frayed. As Western primacy eroded, openly defending the unipolar order lost strategic coherence. A new, softer narrative was needed - thus, the rise of the "rules-based world order." At first glance, a "rules-based world order" suggests a neutral, fair, and universally beneficial system. But in practice, it serves as a selective and self-serving framework.

The meaning of "rules" is often vague and poorly defined. The so-called "rules" typically refer to norms crafted primarily by Western powers during their period of dominance. Adherence is demanded from rivals, while violations by the West itself. 

Thus, the "rules-based order" narrative operates less as a commitment to global fairness and more as a means to sustain advantages and perpetuate bullying behavior established during the unipolar era. Western media outlets have been instrumental in reinforcing this framework.

Through the repeated, uncritical use of the term "rules-based order," journalists normalize the assumption that Western leadership inherently defends global norms and practices.

The risk of clinging to the "rules-based order" rhetoric is profound. Many nations in the Global South, long excluded from the formulation of these "rules," increasingly see through the narrative.

As Naledi Pandor, former minister of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa, rightly stated: "With a significant portion of the world's population, GDP, global trade and land mass, BRICS should continue to work ceaselessly to ensure that our voice is heard and that we also speak for those who need our support."

Illustration: Liu Xidan/GT

The emergence of BRICS, ASEAN's growing assertiveness and the expansion of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization are not merely strategic alignments - they reflect a growing rejection of a Western-dominated vision of world order.

By persisting in a language that disguises declining dominance, the West risks accelerating the very multipolar fragmentation it fears. The decline of the unipolar world order is not a forecast - it is a fact. The continued invocation of a "rules-based world order" may temporarily delay confronting this reality, but it cannot reverse it.

If Western leadership aspires to remain relevant and respected, it must move beyond managing narratives toward building genuinely inclusive structures - ones where "rules" are shaped collectively and reflect the diversity of the modern world. The new definition of "rules" must be forged through universal consent, not unilateral imposition.

The time has come to acknowledge that language cannot be a substitute for legitimacy. The future global order will not be based on selective "rules" written in the twilight of unipolarity - but on a new, shared vision of cooperation, fairness and mutual respect in a multipolar world.

The author is a well-known media personality and the Chairman of Yangon Media Group in Myanmar, and the Chairman of the Myanmar Narrative Think Tank. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn

Editor's note: The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of Sino-Carib News. The article was published by Global Times. All rights belong to that agency.

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