Kazakh expert advocates vision of shared future for humanity

By Zhang Heling and Lyu Junwen

Countries must work together to solve major challenges like climate change, pandemics and economic inequality because no nation can tackle them alone, a Kazakh expert told a BRICS governance forum on June 30.

Speaking at the BRICS Seminar on Governance and Cultural Exchange Forum, Gulnar Shaimergenova, director of Kazakhstan's China Studies Center, called for building a community with a shared future for humanity as the foundation for fair and effective global governance in a world of growing interdependence.

She said this vision, as proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping, is essential for tackling global challenges — including climate change, pandemics, cyber security threats and economic inequality— that no single country can resolve alone.

Gulnar Shaimergenova, director of Kazakhstan's China Studies Center, speaks at the BRICS Seminar on Governance and Cultural Exchange Forum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, June 30, 2025. [Photo courtesy of the event organizer]

She said the approach required respecting different political systems, cultural traditions and historical contexts; giving all countries an equal voice in setting global rules; promoting openness to remove unfair barriers to cooperation; and sharing responsibility for protecting the planet and common goods.

To translate this vision into reality, Shaimergenova proposed reforming existing multilateral institutions, including granting regional organizations greater decision-making powers, and creating global forums to set equitable standards for data protection and artificial intelligence. She also urged multilateral banks to channel development financing toward green infrastructure, social safety nets and capacity building in under-resourced areas.

She acknowledged significant obstacles, including unilateralism, protectionism, conflicting domestic priorities and a lack of trust among major powers. Overcoming these, she said, would require "strategic guidance" from leaders, coalitions spanning governments, businesses, academia and civil society, and cross-cultural education emphasizing shared human values.

"We stand at a crossroads: one path leads to fragmented competition and escalating crises; the other to united action rooted in empathy and shared future," she said. "The choice is ours — and the future of our planet depends on our willingness to embrace the principles and practices of a community with a shared future for humanity."

The BRICS forum, co-hosted by the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, China International Communications Group and the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.