WHO Needs More Than a New Leader, It Needs a Global South Reset
“The upcoming WHO election is not merely about selecting a Director-General. It is an opportunity to build a more representative system of global governance for an increasingly multipolar world”.
By Teguh Anantawikrama - Vice Chairman for Technology and Digital Transformation, Kadin Indonesia
INVESTORTRUST - The upcoming election of the next Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) is being viewed by many as a contest between individuals. It is not. It is a test of whether global institutions can adapt to a world that has fundamentally changed.
For decades, the architecture of global governance was shaped by a relatively small group of nations that possessed the financial resources, institutional influence and geopolitical leverage to set international priorities. That model is increasingly under strain. Economic gravity is shifting. Demographic growth is concentrated in emerging economies. Climate vulnerability, pandemic risks and development challenges are disproportionately borne by countries across Asia, Africa and Latin America. Yet representation within many global institutions has not evolved at the same pace.
The WHO finds itself at the center of this transformation.
The organization is confronting one of the most difficult periods in its history. A multibillion-dollar funding challenge, declining development assistance, growing geopolitical fragmentation, persistent pandemic threats and the disruptive emergence of artificial intelligence are forcing the institution to rethink not only how it operates, but also how it remains relevant in an increasingly multipolar world.
This is why the election of the next WHO Director-General matters far beyond public health.
The question before member states is not merely who possesses the strongest medical credentials or the deepest familiarity with WHO’s internal bureaucracy. The larger question is what type of leadership is required to restore confidence in multilateralism itself. The next Director-General must be capable of bridging geopolitical divides, mobilizing new coalitions of support, attracting sustainable financing and ensuring that the voices of developing nations are reflected more meaningfully in global decision-making.
In that respect, this election represents an important moment for the Global South.
The Global South today is no longer simply a recipient of international development programs. It is becoming an increasingly important source of economic growth, innovation, investment and policy solutions. Countries across the Global South are contributing more to global prosperity, carrying a larger share of the world’s population and confronting many of the challenges that will define the twenty-first century. It is therefore reasonable to expect that their perspectives should play a greater role in shaping international institutions.
Indonesia exemplifies this evolution.
As the largest economy in Southeast Asia, a member of the G20 and BRICS, and one of the world’s largest democracies, Indonesia occupies a unique strategic position. It maintains constructive relationships across geopolitical divides and has consistently pursued an independent and active foreign policy that prioritizes dialogue over confrontation. This ability to engage with multiple centers of power has become increasingly valuable in a fragmented world.
For Indonesia, the WHO election is not primarily about national prestige. Nor should it be viewed solely through the lens of any individual candidate. Rather, it is an opportunity to demonstrate how emerging powers can contribute to strengthening global institutions at a time when many of them face declining trust and growing uncertainty.
The debate surrounding Indonesia’s Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin illustrates this broader shift. Discussions often focus on whether a global health institution should be led by a physician, a public health specialist or an executive with extensive management experience. While those questions are legitimate, they may overlook the deeper challenge confronting the WHO today.
The organization’s difficulties are no longer purely technical or biomedical. They are increasingly institutional, financial and geopolitical. Managing such complexity requires leadership capable of navigating governments, international organizations, private sector stakeholders, philanthropic institutions and emerging technologies simultaneously. The future of global health governance may depend as much on coalition-building and institutional transformation as on scientific expertise.
This is precisely why representation matters.
The world does not need a WHO that reflects the realities of the twentieth century. It needs a WHO capable of responding to the realities of the twenty-first. A more representative institution is not only a matter of fairness; it is a matter of effectiveness. Solutions designed without sufficient participation from the regions most affected by global health challenges are unlikely to achieve sustainable outcomes.
For decades, Indonesia has positioned itself as a bridge-builder. From Bandung to ASEAN, from the G20 to BRICS, Indonesia has consistently sought to reduce divisions rather than deepen them. That diplomatic tradition remains highly relevant today.
The future of multilateralism will not be determined by whether power shifts from one bloc to another. It will be determined by whether global institutions become more inclusive, more representative and more capable of addressing shared challenges. The WHO election offers an opportunity to advance that objective.
Ultimately, the world does not merely need a new WHO leader.
It needs a Global South reset.
Not to replace one form of dominance with another, but to create a healthier balance of perspectives, responsibilities and leadership in the institutions that govern our collective future. In an era defined by fragmentation, that may be the most important prescription of all.