The United Nations Office for South-South Cooperations defines South-South cooperation as a common endeavour of peoples and countries of the South, born out of shared experiences and sympathies, based on their common objectives and solidarity, and guided by, inter alia, the principles of respect for national sovereignty and ownership, free from any conditionalities.
- South-South cooperation is a collaborative process between two or more developing nations. It aims to enhance their capacity development objectives.
- The cooperation involves the exchange of knowledge, skills, resources, and technical know-how.
- It includes collective regional and interregional actions.
- Partnerships can involve governments, regional organisations, civil society, academia, and the private sector.
- The cooperation is for the individual and/or mutual benefit of the countries involved.
- South-South cooperation is not a replacement for North-South cooperation, but complements it.
- This definition provides a unified understanding of South-South cooperation within the United Nations system.
Triangular Cooperation
- Triangular cooperation, as defined by the United Nations, refers to the formation of partnerships between developing countries, driven by the South, with support from developed countries or multilateral organisations.
- These partnerships are established to effectively implement development cooperation programs and projects.
- Evidence indicates that in many cases, Southern partners in development cooperation require financial and technical support as well as expertise from multilateral and/or developed-country partners while assisting other developing nations.
- Northern partners also benefit by capitalising on increased institutional capacity in the South and maximising the impact of their aid disbursements through the resources of multiple Southern partners.
- Developed countries have demonstrated growing support for this development approach and a willingness to share their experiences and lessons learned, provided that the triangular cooperation process is led and owned by Southern actors to achieve development outcomes.
Guiding Principles Of South-South Cooperation
- South-South cooperation is a collaboration between Southern nations. It aims to:
- Enhance the well-being of their people.
- Strengthen national and shared self-sufficiency.
- Achieve globally recognised development objectives, like the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.
Key principles guiding South-South cooperation include:
- Respect for national sovereignty.
- Upholding national ownership and autonomy.
- Equal treatment of all nations involved.
- Absence of conditions imposed on cooperation.
- Non-interference in domestic matters.
- Mutual benefits for all participating countries.
- These principles and initiatives are decided by the Southern countries themselves.
Objectives Of South-South Cooperation
The fundamental goals of South-South collaboration, as outlined in the Buenos Aires Plan of Action (BAPA) for Promoting and Implementing Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries, which was endorsed by the General Assembly in 1978 (resolution 33/134), are as follows:
- Boost interaction and sharing of experiences and resources among developing nations.
- Build their ability to identify key development issues, plan strategies, and work together to solve them.
- Improve international development cooperation by pooling resources and enhancing their effectiveness.
- Develop and strengthen the technological abilities of these nations to better adapt technology and skills to their specific needs.
- Enhance communication between these countries, leading to more awareness of common problems and shared knowledge.
- Pay special attention to the needs of the least developed countries, landlocked developing countries, small island developing states, and those severely affected by crises such as natural disasters.
- Facilitate greater participation by developing countries in international economic activities and expand international cooperation for their development.
UN Day For South-South Cooperation
In recognition of the significance of South-South cooperation, and in commemoration of the day in 1978 when the United Nations Conference on Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries adopted the Buenos Aires Plan of Action for Promoting and Implementing Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries (A/C.2/66/L.48), the General Assembly designated 12 September as the United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation.
UN Day For South-South Cooperation 2023
The theme of the 2023 United Nations Day is “Solidarity, Equity and Partnership: Unlocking South-South Cooperation to Achieve the SDGs”.