What is ‘South-South Cooperation’?

The United Nations General Assembly, in 1974, through the resolution 3251(XXIX), endorsed the establishment of a unit within the United Nations Development Program- United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC). The South-South Cooperation is a term used to describe the technical cooperation, exchange of resources, supporting local capabilities, institutes, expertise and human capital, in contribution of national development policies, of the Global South.

The term Global South has emerged in postcolonial studies that refer to the ‘Third World’. It is for the ‘developing countries,’ which also share interconnected histories of colonialism and neo-imperialism.

Member States:

The member states of the South-South Cooperation are primarily located in the Southern Hemisphere, including Asia (with the exception of Japan, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan), Central America, South America, Mexico, Africa, and the Middle-East (with the exception of Israel).

Guiding Principles:

Guided by the principles of national sovereignty, national ownership and independence, equality, non-conditionality, non-interference in domestic affairs and mutual benefit; the South-South cooperation was manifested on the solidarity among people and nations. It contributes to the well-being, national and collective self-reliance and the attainment of internationally agreed development goals including the ‘2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,’ by the member states.

Origin of the South-South Cooperation:

The history of South-South Cooperation can be analyzed through a time frame of four periods:

• First Period (1945-1978): The ‘Bandung Conference’ of 1955, is a milestone event in the conception of the South-South Cooperation. The preceding  ‘Arab League’ (1945) and the  ‘Colombo Plan’ (1950), that led the independence processes in the Middle East and introduced the seven countries of the Commonwealth in Southeast Asia respectively, laid the plan for the SSC. It steered to the beginning of partnerships between the developing nations promoted by the  ‘Non-Alignment Movement’ and the  Group of 77(G77). It also established a ‘New International Economic Order’ (NIEO), by Southern countries that demanded more support from the developed countries.

• Second Period (1978-2000): The ‘Buenos Aires Plan of Action for Promoting and Implementing Technical Co-operation’  among developing nations in 1978, boosted progress towards solidification of the commission. The period witnessed America emerging as a hegemony and the world crawling its way out of a ‘Bipolar World.’ The discontent in the developing nations against the GATT rounds, led to the negotiations for the  ‘General System of Trade Preferences,’ as an alternate. The origin of the  ‘South Commission’ within ‘Non-Alignment Movement’ due to the failure of ‘NIEO’, met several times to produce recommendations for the South countries. Hence, it was only in the beginning of the 1980s that the expression South-South Cooperation became common but was only consolidated in the following decade.

• Third Period (2000-2009): The ‘Millennium Declaration’ of 2000 and ‘Monterrey Consensus on Development Financing’ (2002), encouraged states to contribute to the developing nations and guarantee development. This decade saw a period of economic prosperity for both the developing and developed nations. It witnessed a keen involvement of the South-South Cooperation in international political forums. The South became heterogeneous as it earned a different identity of ‘Least Developed Countries’ and varied definition than the ‘Middle Income Countries’. The implementation of the ‘Declaration of Paris,’ was the official recognition of the SSC, as a mechanism for technical cooperation.

• Fourth Period (2009-2013): The ‘Nairobi Conference’ on the South-South Cooperation (2009), commemorated the 30th  anniversary of the adoption of the ‘Buenos Aries Plan of Action’. This period of renewed strength witnessed the final incorporation of the cooperation into the ‘Aid Effectiveness Agenda’ and a step forward in the political and economic dimension of the international discussions. The Economic Crisis of 2008 and its affects were felt differently by the developed and the developing nations. The reduction of the aid from the developed nations to the Middle-Income Countries and the constant economic growth of the LDCs, fostered the economic stand of the cooperation in the international forums. Lastly, the first ‘Economic Commission for Latin American and the Caribbean (ECLAC)’ Summit in 2013, formed the important framework for the South-South Cooperation.

The recognition of the South-South Cooperation by the United Nations and its various institutions, formed the ‘four’ governing bodies within UN-

The High-Level Committee on South -South Cooperation:  The main policy making body on SSC that initially comprised of representatives of all countries. The functions include reviewing the progress in implementation, policymaking, availability of financial resources and ensuring coordination and promotion.

The General Assembly:  Occupying the central position in the UN, it acts as a chief deliberative, policymaking and a representative organ.

The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC):  It was established under the UN charter to coordinate economic, social and related work of the 14 UN specialized agencies, functional commissions and regional commissions.

UNDP/UNFPA:  Comprising of representatives from 36 countries, it supports the UNDP and ensures the organization remains responsive to the evolving needs of the countries.

There is ample ground affirming the positive impact of the South-South Cooperation but rapid globalization underscores the need for a strategic approach to SSC. The efforts to expand the scope of SSC and  Triangular Partnerships  and increase monetary and financial corporations are encouraging developments that should be strengthened. The cooperation should step actively forward in the global forums, while raising and attracting attention to the needs of the Global South. The opportunity of celebrating ‘12th September‘ as an ‘International Day for South-South Cooperation’ is an encouraging leap towards sustained and ensured development.

The underlying table shows a list of the member states of the South-South Cooperation:

Know more:

• Third-World nations
• Country’s ranks on inclusive-development

• The Global-North and Global-South
• Least Developing Countries

Related maps: