Who or which institutions controls the world ?
International & regional bodies
The African Union Commission says the UN Security Council still reflects 'the geopolitical order of 1945'. It says Africa is shut out of permanent membership despite its demographic, political and economic weight.
Governments & official records
China's foreign ministry says today's institutions under-represent the Global South, are losing authority and are undermined by unilateral sanctions. It also describes China as a permanent Security Council member and the 'biggest developing country'. The UK accuses Russia and China of using their veto to shield Iran.
- Concept Paper on the Global Governance Initiative · mfa.gov.cn
- We deeply regret today's veto of the Iran Panel of Experts mandate renewal: UK Explanation of Vote at the UN Security Council · gov.uk
- BRICS New Delhi Declaration: Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability · pmindia.gov.in
Research institutes
Security Council Report finds that use of the veto by the five permanent members (the US, Russia, China, the UK and France) is rising, and that reforming the veto by amending the UN Charter is unlikely soon. SIPRI says military power is concentrated in nine nuclear-armed states that are enlarging and upgrading their arsenals.
- In Hindsight: Living with the Veto · securitycouncilreport.org
- Increasing focus on nuclear weapons amid heightened escalation risks—new SIPRI Yearbook out now · sipri.org
- India's BRICS Presidency: South Africa at a Diplomatic Crossroads · orfonline.org
News & reporting
An Al-Waie article argues that the US dollar, as the main reserve currency, lets the Federal Reserve 'export inflation' to poorer countries. It says capitalist states and international financial institutions steer other countries' inflation through interest rates and currency imbalances.
- Inflation and Monetary Dynamics Between International Influence and Alternatives from the Islamic System (Al-Waie 483, September 2026) · alwaie.org
- Iran thanks Russia, China for vetoing US anti-Iran sanctions resolution at UN · tass.com
- Nuclear weapons spending hits record high amid new 'arms race': studies · koreatimes.co.kr
Justice Council Political Analysis
No single actor controls the world. In order of weight, dominance rests on: (1) the veto held by the five permanent Security Council members, locked in by the UN Charter's amendment rule; (2) the US-centred dollar and creditor system; (3) the nuclear monopoly of nine states. All three are under pressure from Global South demands for representation and from rivalry among the big powers themselves.
Possible levers: an agreed limit on the veto in cases of mass atrocity; enlarging the Council along the lines of the African Union's Ezulwini model; and giving developing countries more voting weight at the IMF. All of these need the consent, or at least the abstention, of the five permanent members, so pressure on them has to be organised through General Assembly majorities.
Conclusion
The world's institutions are run by a small, divided group rather than one controller. Formal power sits with the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, who hold a veto that the UN Charter makes almost impossible to remove. Financial power rests with the US dollar and Western-led lenders such as the IMF. Military power lies with nine nuclear-armed states. Those excluded, led by the African Union, China's Global South diplomacy and BRICS, are contesting this order rather than replacing it.