As we conclude a momentous year, we look back at how far this community has come together. Guided by the goals of our strategic implementation plan  – informing global debates and tackling knowledge asymmetries – the past months and our 2025 Conference have carried us to new heights. Here we revisit the milestones that shaped this year.

We began the year by continuing our work on the Challenge Fund for Evidence Use, in partnership with the Institute of Development Studies (IDS). By supporting innovative collaborations between researchers and evidence users in the Global South, the fund aimed to unlock Southern-led knowledge and to ensure evidence informs decision-making where it matters most. Six projects received support through this initiative, marking our first experience acting as a funding intermediary.

New initiatives expanded the visibility of our network’s collective knowledge:

In 2025, we launched the Global South Perspectives, a peer-reviewed publication examining how global challenges uniquely affect Southern nations.

To expand the reach of our members’ work, we also debuted SV Talks, a space for discussion that brings their research into public conversation.

The first series, comprising three virtual events and one in-person gathering, explored themes from our Global South Perspectives project. Click the link to watch the three virtual events in full.

We were also excited to launch our new Network Database, a tool that brings together our community of 71 think tanks in one accessible and easy-to-navigate space.

Together with IDS and AERC, we advanced a new research initiative funded through the British Academy’s Evidence-Informed Policymaking Programme. With the participation of 14 network members, our winning proposal, ‘Strengthening Resilience of Low- and Middle-Income Country Research Institutions in the Global Evidence Ecosystem’, will examine how to bolster the capacity, sustainability, and influence of LMIC research institutions in global knowledge systems.

Our commitment to meaningful advocacy also grew stronger:

Five members joined us in the 1 for 8 Billion Campaign, in which we serve as a Steering Committee member, calling for the selection of a woman as the next UN Secretary-General and for a more transparent process overall.

On the heels of the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4), our network published a joint statement with contributions from across our membership. The statement outlines recommendations to international stakeholders and national governments on reforms and actions to place sustainable development within reach.

Southern Voice also played a central role in this year’s T20, serving as co-chair of Task Force 4 (Solidarity and SDGs), while two of our South African members, SAIIA and the Institute for Global Dialogue (IGD), co-hosted the process. Their leadership contributed to the development of this year’s T20 Communiqué, a milestone that reflects the collective strength of our network.

At the same time, our presence at COP30 in Brazil was strong, with seven member organisations amplifying Global South priorities on the climate stage. In connection to this effort, we look forward to advancing our Global South Climate Change Agenda in the year ahead. You can read all about our and the network’s participation at COP30 and T20 here.

All of this work came together at our 2025 Southern Voice Conference in São Paulo, Brazil, this last October. It was held under the theme “Reimagining the Global Development Architecture” and in partnership with our Brazilian members Institute for Applied Economic Research (IPEA) and Plataforma CIPÓ, and with the official partnership of the São Paulo City Hall. This was a defining moment for the network. Together, we drew on our evidence base to help reshape global development agendas and transform multilateral systems so they better reflect Southern research, knowledge systems, and evidence-based approaches to cooperation. You can read our Conference Joint Statement here.

And just as the year drew to a close, we launched the call for the next round of our flagship initiative, Southern Voice on Global Development (formerly ‘SVSS’). This edition will examine the post-2030 agenda, and there is much more to come on this in 2026.

This year’s achievements would not have been possible without the commitment, insight, and collaboration of our member institutions, partners, funders and the community at large. Your engagement and support continue to shape the strength and direction of this network.

Wishing you all a restful holiday season and a New Year filled with renewed purpose.

The Southern Voice Secretariat

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