United Nations (UN)’s International Day for South-South Cooperation is annually observed on 12 September to highlight the importance of collaboration among people and economic, social, cultural, environmental, technical, and political cooperation among developing countries in the Global South.
Theme:
i.The 2024 theme of International Day for South-South Cooperation is, “A Better Tomorrow through South-South Cooperation.”
ii.The 2024 theme emphasises SSC as a critical tool for fostering solidarity, knowledge exchange, and partnership among Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs).
Background:
i.On 23rd December 2003, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/58/220, proclaiming 19th December of every year as the United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation.
ii.The first-ever UN Day for SSC was observed on 19 December 2004.
Why 19 December?
The date of the observance (19th December) commemorates the day on which the UNGA endorsed the Buenos Aires Plan of Action (BAPA) for Promoting and Implementing Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries in 1978.
Change in the Date of Observance:
i.In 2011, the UNGA decided to change the observance of the International Day for SSC from 19 December to 12 September, to mark the day in 1978, when the UN Conference of the Global South on TCDC adopted the BAPA for Promoting and Implementing TCDC, one of the main pillars for SSC.
ii.The conference of the Global South on TCDC was held on 12 September 1978 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where delegations from 138 States adopted the BAPA.
Formation of UNOSSC:
i.In 1974, the UNGA approved the formation of a special unit within the UN Development Programme (UNDP) to promote technical cooperation among developing countries.
ii.In 2013, this unit became the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC).
iii.The UNOSSC receives policy directives and guidance from the UNGA and through its subsidiary body, the High-level Committee on South-South Cooperation (HLCSSC).
iv.UNOSSC’s South-South Galaxy is a global knowledge-sharing and partnership platform launched in 2019.
- It features over 950 solutions from over 190 countries and 600 partner organisations, providing access to a rich repository of SSTC good practices, knowledge products, and data from around the world.
South-South Cooperation(SSC):
i.South-South Cooperation (SSC) refers to the exchange of resources, technology, and knowledge between developing countries in the Global South to meet their development goals through cooperative efforts.
ii.The UN Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) promotes and facilitates South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) for the development on a global and UN system-wide basis.
iii.It can occur on bilateral, regional, intraregional, or interregional levels.
iv.SSC is key to achieving the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 17, focusing on revitalizing the global partnership for sustainable development.
- It also supports SDG 11, which aims to make cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.
Key Objectives of SSC:
i.Enhance the self-reliance of developing countries’ capacity to solve their problems.
ii.Promote and strengthen collective self-reliance among developing countries to foster the exchange of experiences and knowledge.
iii.Address the needs of least developed and crisis-affected nations, enabling them to achieve greater participation in international economic activities.
About the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC):
Director– Dima Al-Khatib
Headquarters– New York, the United States of America (USA)
Established– 1974
