State Futures in the Global South

The document establishes a conceptual framework for analyzing the future of state governance in the Global South. It defines state governance as the structures and processes used to exercise authority and manage resources, emphasizing a shift away from Global North-centric democratic models toward 'accountable governance'. The research employs a foresight-driven approach to investigate how technology, economic transitions, and geopolitical shifts influence governance trajectories across seven defined regions of the Global South.

• The research challenges the Global North's perspective that state governance is a linear progression from non-democratic to democratic systems, arguing that this view ignores indigenous governance systems often suppressed by colonialism and imperialism.
• For many countries in the Global South, the primary objective for governance development is the achievement of accountable governance and the creation of structures that support responsible governance, rather than the adoption of Western-style democracy.
• The analysis identifies several key drivers and forces that are reshaping governance models in the Global South, specifically technology, economic transitions, geopolitical shifts, and the role of non-state actors.

APA

Cilliers, J., & van Rooyen, M. (2026). State Futures in the Global South. Institute for Security Studies. https://futures.issafrica.org/thematic/guide.pdf?thematic=20-futures-of-the-state-in-the-global-south&topic=01-introduction

Chicago

Cilliers, Jakkie, and Michelle van Rooyen. State Futures in the Global South. Institute for Security Studies, 2026. https://futures.issafrica.org/thematic/guide.pdf?thematic=20-futures-of-the-state-in-the-global-south&topic=01-introduction.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Cilliers |first1=Jakkie |last2=van Rooyen |first2=Michelle |title=State Futures in the Global South |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=29 March 2026 |url=https://futures.issafrica.org/thematic/guide.pdf?thematic=20-futures-of-the-state-in-the-global-south&topic=01-introduction |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cilliers2026state, author = {Cilliers, Jakkie and van Rooyen, Michelle}, title = {{State Futures in the Global South}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2026}, month = mar, url = {https://futures.issafrica.org/thematic/guide.pdf?thematic=20-futures-of-the-state-in-the-global-south&topic=01-introduction}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }