The Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) has been formally invited to join and participate in one of the most important intellectual and strategic forums for emerging countries: the Third Global South Think Tanks Dialogue, convened by the Global South Think Tanks Alliance (GSTTA). GFDD’s representation will be led by Dr. Víctor Alejandro Villanueva, Director of Special Projects of the institution, who will attend on behalf of the president of GFDD and former President of the Dominican Republic, Dr. Leonel Fernández.
The meeting will be held from December 3 to 4, 2025, in Shanghai, China, under the theme “Seeking Strength Through Unity: Responsibility and Action of the Global South.” Delegations from more than one hundred countries and over two hundred think tanks and universities that make up the Alliance are expected to participate. The platform was created in 2024 to promote intellectual cooperation, academic exchange, and consensus-building among the nations of the Global South.
The invitation sent to GFDD by the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China underscores the strategic role of think tanks in an international scenario characterized by geopolitical tensions, challenges to the multilateral order, protectionism, and structural inequalities. In this context, the GSTTA seeks to “strengthen the unity of the Global South, defend the inherent right to development, promote equity and justice, and jointly address the major risks and challenges of our time.”
The Alliance, which brings together institutions such as the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Tsinghua University, Fudan University, Renmin University of China, and more than 110 other think tanks and universities from developing countries, is conceived as an open, non-binding mechanism based on the principles of equality, openness, and cooperation. Its central mission is to generate intellectual public goods, provide input for policymaking, foster South-South cooperation, and enhance understanding of the Global South’s role in global governance.
GFDD’s participation carries special significance, as the institution has historically served as a bridge between the Dominican Republic and global debates on democracy, development, innovation, and international cooperation. Dr. Villanueva will participate in thematic sessions addressing:
- Pathways to modernization in the Global South;
- Perspectives on reforming international governance;
- New opportunities for South-South cooperation;
- Mechanisms for dialogue and balance between the Global South and the Global North.
“The invitation to this strategic dialogue recognizes GFDD’s role as a key actor in knowledge production and in the international projection of the Dominican Republic,” Villanueva stated prior to his participation. He also emphasized that the Alliance represents “an opportunity to strengthen partnerships, share experiences, and actively contribute to designing collective solutions to the common challenges of the 21st century.”
With this participation, GFDD reaffirms its commitment to knowledge diplomacy, international cooperation, and building bridges between the country and the leading currents of global thought.
