GenSouth 2026 Project Brief: New voices from the Global South for the future(s) of multilateralism

In February 2026, the Geneva-based think tank foraus with the support of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) hosted its GenSouth 2026 Programme, bringing together a cohort of 15 young academics and think tank researchers from the Global South to exchange ideas on the future of multilateralism with the aim to produce a joint project brief on that matter. The programme offers a space for emerging thought leaders to connect with key stakeholders of International Geneva and to develop concrete policy proposals grounded in perspectives that are too often underrepresented in global debates. At a time when multilateralism faces growing pressure and calls for reform GenSouth aims to channel Global South voices into the very discussions shaping the future of international cooperation. The FES Geneva Office teamed up with foraus and sponsored four participants in the 2026 GenSouth Programme to facilitate their engagement for multilateralism. We spoke with Fatima Zohra Dahmani an independent researcher from the Fonds pour les femmes en méditerranée (FFMed) think tank in Algeria and one of this year's participants about her contributions to the project brief, what a truly inclusive multilateralism could look like and where she sees the greatest need for reform in the multilateral system.

You work on public systems at the FFMed think tank and are dedicated to bridging science, policy, and community perspectives. What does it mean to you personally to have been part of the GenSouth Programme in Geneva and how does multilateralism connect to your day-to-day work and advocacy back home?

Fatima Zohra Dahmani (FD): Personally, being part of GenSouth26 affirmed that my voice carries political weight and a real drive for change. It reinforced the understanding that expertise does not only come from the Global North or from formal institutions. Being in Geneva and engaging in multilateral debates from a Global South feminist, intersectional and decolonial position made visible that lived experience, critical analysis, and collective knowledge are essential and must be taken seriously in policy work. It also reminded me that impact does not come from proximity to power alone, but from understanding that we all carry power, from the clarity and courage to speak from where one stands.

The GenSouth project brief aims to capture concrete political recommendations from a Global South perspective. You worked on the chapter of public systems. Could you describe the ideas or demands of this chapter and what was particularly important to you personally? 

FD: The chapter argues that public systems; particularly financial access and mobility; are not neutral policy domains, but political infrastructures shaped by colonial histories and ongoing extraction. These two systems function as structural gatekeepers to all other rights, determining who can access education, work, safety, political participation, and economic agency. We call for a reconfiguration of multilateralism that treats mobility and financial access as rights and public goods, co-governed with women and youth from the Global South. What mattered to me personally was translating everyday realities into policy language: That exclusion from finance and movement is not accidental, that reform must be redistributive rather than charitable, and that people must be given the agency to drive change. Writing from a Global South perspective was a way of asserting political authorship over our own futures.

GenSouth deliberately centres voices that are rarely heard in global debates. From your own experience – where do you see the biggest gaps or blind spots in today’s multilateral system, and what would need to change structurally for Global South countries to have a stronger say?

FD: One of the biggest blind spots in today’s multilateral system is the assumption that inclusion can happen without redistribution. Participation is often invited without any real shift in power, resources, or decision-making authority, leaving Global South voices structurally excluded and initiatives largely symbolic. Another major gap is the securitization of mobility, where movement from the Global South is framed as a threat rather than a condition for survival, learning, and contribution. Structurally, what needs to change is who sets agendas, who controls funding, and whose knowledge is considered legitimate. Without binding co-governance and accountability, Global South voices remain structurally excluded and multilateral programs remain symbolic rather than transformative. 

Now that the project brief is out – what are you taking back to your own work, and what would a meaningful response from policymakers or international institutions look like to you? Are there already specific ideas for how you want to maintain the connection to international Geneva going forward?

FD: I am taking back a clearer understanding of how Global North experts perceive our struggles and respond to our political repositioning. I am also taking back a practical way of translating lived realities into multilateral policy language without losing political integrity. A meaningful response from policymakers would not be another consultation, but concrete commitments to rethinking mobility regimes, restructuring financial instruments, and opening decision-making spaces to Global South women and youth. Going forward, I intend to maintain a connection to International Geneva through targeted collaboration, dialogue, and strategic engagement, not as an end in itself, but as a site where global responsibilities must be confronted and reimagined, without reproducing extractive logics or sacrificing some lives for the benefit of others.

ABOUT 

GenSouth is an annual programme that brings a cohort of young researchers and professionals from think tanks across the Global South to Geneva to exchange ideas on the future of multilateralism. Organised by Foraus, a Swiss participatory think tank on foreign policy, the programme connects participants with key actors in international Geneva while creating a dedicated space for voices that are too often absent from global policy debates. Its core aim is to foster lasting networks among emerging thinkers and to produce concrete policy ideas and recommendations - captured in a jointly authored project brief - that can meaningfully contribute to the future of the multilateral system.

Fatima Zohra Dahmani is a versatile scientist and researcher whose expertise spans marine ecology, gender studies, and education. As a contributor to the Fonds pour les femmes en méditerranée (FFMed) think tank, she focuses on environmental sustainability, maritime geopolitics, and gender equality. Her training in foreign policy and geopolitics through FES programmes equips her with both scientific knowledge and policy acumen. Driven by a commitment to inclusive development and feminist frameworks for addressing global issues, she works to connect science, policy, and community voices in pursuit of equitable and sustainable outcomes.