Sept. 12 marks the United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation. With only five years remaining to achieve the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Global Report on South-South and Triangular Cooperation 2025: Beyond Horizons and Continents—Forging Transformative Pathways for South-South and Triangular Cooperation, released by the United Nations in June, highlights the rising influence of the Global South as a pivotal actor on the world stage, characterized by increasing economic dynamism, demographic weight, and political impact.

Expanded objectives, evolving concept

South-South Cooperation provides a framework for countries of the Global South to collaborate extensively across political, economic, social, cultural, environmental, and technological domains. It offers a vital pathway for nations, international organizations, academia, civil society, and the private sector to share knowledge, expertise, and resources across diverse fields.

The concept of South-South Cooperation dates back to the 1955 Bandung Conference, with its formal structure taking shape in 1978 when UN member states adopted the Buenos Aires Plan of Action. This plan established the first comprehensive framework for such cooperation, emphasizing principles including strict observance of national sovereignty, economic independence, equal rights, and non-interference in domestic affairs—a critical turning point for Global South countries.

In a recent interview with CSST, Nadia Helmy, an expert in Chinese and Asian Political Affairs and professor of political science at Beni Suef University in Egypt, noted that the 1978 Plan initially focused on technical exchange among developing countries, whereas today’s South-South Cooperation practices are focused on promoting collective self-reliance and enabling innovation.

“The most prominent practices of South-South Cooperation today include the following: Current values focus on empowering developing countries to innovate their own solutions and share expertise to enhance their self-reliance; initiatives today aim to expand cooperation to include the exchange of knowledge, skills, and resources between different countries and civil societies, not just technical exchange; and priority is given to meeting the needs of least developed

countries, small island states, and landlocked countries facing special challenges,” Helmy explained.

Compared with the 1978 Plan, she summarized, South-South Cooperation has seen expanded objectives and an evolving conceptual framework. While the 1978 Plan laid the foundation for technical cooperation, today’s approach covers multiple aspects of development. Governance has also become more autonomous for developing countries, which now manage their own initiatives rather than merely serving as beneficiaries of technical programs.

“Today, South-South Cooperation is no longer just a conceptual framework; it is a growing force driving sustainable development,” Helmy affirmed.

Strengthened autonomy

The theme of the 2025 United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation is “New Opportunities and Innovation through South-South and Triangular Cooperation.” Helmy emphasized that South-South and Triangular Cooperation aims to promote collective self-sufficiency and solidarity among countries in the Global South through the exchange of knowledge, experience, and successful solutions.

“While the Triangular Cooperation involves a developed country that supports existing South-South Cooperation initiatives, it is considered a partner that supports development solutions led by countries in the South,” Helmy clarified.

She added that this year’s theme expresses an urgent call to translate promises into achievements and highlights the growing role of the Global South in addressing shared challenges—from strengthening healthcare systems and adapting to climate change to advancing digital innovation and sustainable finance. This cooperation brings countries together so that decision-makers can share knowledge, disseminate successful experience, and build more inclusive and equitable partnerships.

“By harnessing this collective power, we can accelerate progress toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and building a just and sustainable future,” she asserted.

In Helmy’s opinion, the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) serves as a model for cooperation between China and developing countries in the Global South, as well as for the Triangular Cooperation. “The BRI represents a new Chinese journey toward modernization, the advancement of a community with a shared future between China and the Global South, and a new chapter in the friendship between the Chinese people and the peoples of developing countries, generating strong momentum for global modernization.”