- World
- Sep 12
What is ‘South-South cooperation’?
• The United Nations observes International Day for South-South Cooperation on September 12.
• This year’s theme — “New Opportunities and Innovation through South-South and Triangular Cooperation” — calls for turning promises into progress.
• It highlights the growing role of the Global South in tackling shared problems; from strengthening health systems and adapting to climate change to driving digital innovation and sustainable finance.
• South–South Cooperation is a phrase traditionally used to describe the exchange of resources, technology, and knowledge between the countries of the Global South.
The division of “North” and “South”
• Countries of the Global South used to be described as the “Third World”, then identified as “developing countries”.
• The division of “North” and “South” is used to refer to the social, economic and political differences that exist between developed countries (North) and developing countries (South).
• Although most of the high income countries are indeed located in the northern hemisphere, it should be noted that the division is not totally faithful to the actual geographical division.
• A country is defined as North or South not by location, but depending on certain economic factors and the quality of life of its population.
• The term “South” started to be used and gained more acceptance with the publishing of the report of the Independent Commission on International Development Issues titled North-South: A Programme for Survival. The Commission was chaired by the former Chancellor of West Germany Willy Brandt.
• The Commission broadly categorised developing countries as those that occupy the southern hemisphere and developed countries as those that occupy the northern hemisphere, while acknowledging exceptions to this generalisation and emphasizing the common global economy within which all countries function.
• A distinction is drawn between the comparatively large human population that lives in relative poverty in the South compared to the smaller and more affluent population of the North.
• The countries that come under the term “Global South” are mainly developing economies.
• Most of the Global South countries fall into the categories of low-income economies, lower-middle-income economies and upper-middle-income economies.
• Few countries of the Global South are in the high-income economies category, and these are mainly oil-producing countries.
• North-South cooperation, which is the most traditional type of cooperation, occurs when a developed country supports economically or with another kind of resources a less favored one, for example, with financial aid during a natural disaster or a humanitarian crisis.
What is the importance of South-South cooperation?
• Three and half billion people, three quarters of all humanity, live in developing countries. Together the developing countries – accounting for more than two thirds of the earth’s land surface area – are often called the ‘Third World’.
• South-South cooperation has been gaining momentum in the last two decades. Since the beginning of this millennium, South-South cooperation has enjoyed a resurgence of interest due to a significant increase in South-South trade and the formation of such initiatives as BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa), the India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Dialogue Forum, the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), the India-Africa Forum Summit and China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
• It has become a prominent component of the complex architecture of the current landscape of development cooperation in which governments, multilateral agencies, regional organisations, non-governmental organisations and the private sectors intersect, and it is set to assume a greater role in the future.
• South-South cooperation offers itself as a modality that attempts to leverage a kind of development cooperation that is linked with people’s demands, values and lived realities
• Together with political dialogue and financial cooperation, South-South cooperation has promoted a large number of knowledge and expertise exchanges through programmes, projects and initiatives that have helped solve specific problems in the countries of the Global South.
• Today, South-South cooperation is more than a framework. It is a growing force behind sustainable development.
• The Global South now drives over half of the world’s economic growth, fuels expanding trade and investment, and leads countless innovative initiatives.
The UN as a bridge to cooperation through UNOSSC
• The UN history of South-South cooperation dates back to 1949 with the establishment of the first UN technical aid programme by the Economic and Social Council and the creation of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in 1965.
• In 1974, the United Nations General Assembly endorsed "the establishment of a special unit within the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to promote technical co-operation among developing countries."
• This special unit would become the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC), the main office tasked to coordinate South-South and triangular cooperation globally and within the UN system.
• In 1978 the conference of the Global South on TCDC was held in Buenos Aires, resulting in the adoption of the Buenos Aires Plan of Action (BAPA) for Promoting and Implementing Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries (TCDC), one of the main pillars for South-South cooperation.
• BAPA laid out principles like equality, non-interference, and mutual benefit, and called for practical structures — legal frameworks, financing mechanisms, and shared tools — to make cooperation sustainable.
• With this endorsement, the Special Unit was strengthened in order to fulfil its primary mandate, set forth in BAPA.
• Finally, in 2013, this Unit was renamed the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC).
Group of 77 (G-77)
• The year 2024 marked the 60th anniversary of the Group of 77 (G-77), the coalition of developing countries that has played a pivotal role in advocating for the interests of the Global South.
• The G-77 was established on June 15, 1964 by 77 developing countries signatories of the “Joint Declaration of the Seventy-Seven Developing Countries” issued at the end of the first session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in Geneva.
• India is a founding member of the G-77.
• The G-77 serves as a representative body for the Global South. Although the members of the G-77 have increased to 134 countries, comprising 80 per cent of the global population, the original name was retained due to its historic significance.
• With respect to membership, the G-77 is the second biggest international organisation in the world after the UN.
• The G-77 principles for South-South cooperation serve as a foundational guide for fostering solidarity, mutual benefit and collective self-reliance among countries of the Global South.
• Rooted in the Yamoussoukro Consensus and articulated through key declarations such as the 2009 Ministerial Declaration, these principles emphasize the unique context and aspirations of developing countries in shaping their own development paths.
• Additionally, 2025 commemorates the 70th anniversary of the Bandung Conference, a historic event that laid the groundwork for South-South cooperation and solidarity among African and Asian countries.