World order changing, says Finnish Prez as PM opens Raisina Dialogue

Addressing the inaugural session as the chief guest, Stubb said the world was witnessing a shift in the global balance of power and argued that the Global South — with India playing a central role — would significantly shape the emerging international order.

“The Global South will decide what the next world order will look like. India, as a major power, will be a major force in deciding whether the world tilts towards conflictual multipolarity or towards a cooperative and representative multilateral order,” he said.

Stubb cautioned that rising geopolitical tensions and regional conflicts risked gradually turning global if left unchecked. Referring to ongoing crises in West Asia, Ukraine and Sudan, he said the international community must work to preserve institutions, rules and norms that underpin the existing system.

“The rules-based order is under pressure, but it is not dead,” he said, arguing that abandoning international norms would create dangerous power vacuums filled by “raw power and predatory behaviour”.

Stubb also called for structural reforms in global governance institutions, including the United Nations Security Council, and said countries of the Global South should receive greater representation. “Clearly, India should hold a seat,” he said while proposing additional permanent seats for Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Post Stubb's address, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said the gathering was taking place at a time of intense geopolitical turbulence.

“That we are in turbulent times was already recognised, but that it could be intense enough to even impact participation here says a lot,” Jaishankar said, adding that recent global developments validated PM Modi’s emphasis on India maintaining a sharp awareness of global trends while ensuring the world remained equally aware of India.

The three-day conference, jointly organised by the Observer Research Foundation and the Ministry of External Affairs, is India’s flagship forum on geopolitics and geo-economics.

This year’s edition, themed “Saṁskāra – Assertion, Accommodation, Advancement”, will bring together around 2,700 participants from more than 110 countries, including ministers, former heads of state and government, military commanders, industry leaders, academics, journalists and strategic affairs experts.

Over the next three days, the dialogue will host discussions across six thematic pillars, covering issues such as geopolitical competition, climate change, technology governance, global trade tensions and reforms of multilateral institutions.

The proceedings of the forum are expected to be watched by millions across the world through digital platforms, reinforcing the Raisina Dialogue’s emergence as one of the leading global platforms for strategic debate and international policy engagement.