South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC)
Background
UN Day for SSTC: Observed on 12 September, marking the 1978 Buenos Aires Plan of Action (BAPA).
Principles: Solidarity, mutual respect, shared learning.
Relevance: Increasing importance due to geopolitical conflicts, climate change, inequalities, and declining aid flows.
Significance of SSTC
Complement to traditional aid: More cost-effective, replicable, and context-specific.
Better returns on investment: Especially vital as global humanitarian and development funding reduces.
Pathway to SDGs: Helps accelerate progress toward the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
India’s Role
Philosophy: Rooted in Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (world is one family).
Global South leadership:
Hosted Voice of the Global South Summits.
Championed African Union membership in G-20.
Established Development Partnership Administration in MEA.
Flagship Programmes:
Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC): Capacity building in 160+ countries.
India-UN Development Partnership Fund: 75+ projects across 56 developing nations.
Digital Public Infrastructure (Aadhaar, UPI): Promoted globally as models.
India-WFP Partnership
Duration: Over six decades.
Innovation hub: Joint development of scalable solutions.
Key projects:
Annapurti / Grain ATM.
Optimisation of PDS supply chains.
Women-led Take-Home Ration programme.
Rice fortification project.
Impact: Improved domestic food security, created replicable models for other developing countries.
Triangular Cooperation
Concept: Developing countries + traditional donors + emerging donors.
Advantages: Amplifies good practices, unlocks resources, builds trust and accountability.
Examples:
India-WFP SDG pool funds for rice fortification & supply chains in Nepal.
India-UN Fund projects in Lao PDR.
Global Contributions
UN Fund for South-South Cooperation: Supported 70+ countries, 155 nations benefited.
India-UN Fund (since 2017): Financing demand-driven, transformative projects in LDCs & SIDS.
WFP (2024): Mobilised $10.9 million from Global South & private sector for SSTC aligned to SDG 2: Zero Hunger.
Theme 2025
“New Opportunities and Innovation through SSTC”.
Emphasises:
Strong institutions.
Adequate financing.
Innovation and knowledge-sharing.
Accountability and learning mechanisms.
Buenos Aires Plan of Action (BAPA), 1978
Adopted by: 138 states in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Context: First UN framework for Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries (TCDC), later forming the backbone of South-South Cooperation (SSC).
BAPA+40 Conference (2019)
Marked the 40th anniversary in Buenos Aires.
High-level UN conference reaffirmed SSC’s importance in a changing global order.
Outcome: Global Partnership Initiative (GPI) to
Collect and analyse SSC data,
Enhance dialogues,
Integrate Triangular Cooperation (developed + developing nations) into global development.
Contribution to Development Goals
SSC as a driver of capacity-building, mutual learning, and solidarity.
Supports achievement of 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Global South, SSC, and SSTC
Global South
Refers to economically less developed countries of Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
Common features:
Colonial exploitation and historical marginalization.
Shared struggles against unequal global economic structures.
Evolved as a successor to “Third World” (less pejorative, more collaborative).
Increasing relevance due to:
Rising economic power of emerging economies.
Greater political visibility in global governance.
Example: Voice of the Global South Summit hosted by India (2023, 2024).
South-South Cooperation (SSC)
Definition: Collaboration among Global South countries to exchange knowledge, skills, technology, and resources.
Guiding principles:
Mutual benefit.
Respect for sovereignty.
Solidarity and equality.
Key objectives:
Promote collective self-reliance.
Share best practices.
Tackle common challenges (climate change, health, poverty).
Strengthen economic and technical capacity.
Example: India’s ITEC Programme, Pan-African e-Network.
South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC)
Definition: Partnership model involving at least:
Two or more Global South countries (sharing expertise/solutions).
One developed country or multilateral body (financial/technical support).
Triangular nature:
South ↔ South (knowledge/resource exchange).
North/UN/other donor provides enabling support.
Significance:
Bridges resources from the North with contextual solutions from the South.
Promotes sustainable development and trust-building.
Examples:
India-UN Development Partnership Fund (projects in 56 countries).
Brazil-FAO school feeding programmes in Africa.