SOUTH-SOUTH and triangular cooperation harness locally adapted and peer-driven solutions, foster inclusive partnerships, and support innovative, scalable approaches. Covering areas such as digital transformation, climate resilience, health systems, and sustainable financing, these modalities are opening new pathways for development.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres sent a message for the 2025 United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation, which says: “… Yet we also recognize the responsibilities of developed countries to help address rising inequalities and advance sustainable development. As we mark this important day, let’s celebrate South-South collaboration as a catalyst for reinvigorated multilateralism and building a more inclusive, equitable world for all.”
The United Nations observes 12 September each year to highlight the enduring importance of South-South cooperation. The 2025 theme, “New Opportunities and Innovation through South-South and Triangular Cooperation,” emphasizes turning commitments into action and ensuring that no country is left behind. It highlights the ability of countries in the Global South to respond collectively to complex, transboundary challenges – not only as recipients, but also as sources of ideas, leadership, and resilience. It is vital for beefing up progress on the UN Sustainable Development Goals and for building a more just, peaceful, and sustainable world for all.
As the world moves beyond the midpoint of the 2030 Agenda and builds on the outcomes of the 2024 Summit of the Future, the global community faces pressing challenges. The Summit’s Pact for the Future has injected new momentum into multilateral reform, solidarity, and collective progress. Yet, as of 2025, more than 800 million people remain in extreme poverty, while many developing countries continue to spend more on debt repayments than on vital public services.
By the turn of the 21st century, stronger and more dynamic countries had emerged among the nations of the Global South, where the majority of the world’s population lives. These countries began pushing to reform the outdated global order that no longer reflects present realities. Nations that had once been oppressed under the old system, denied opportunities, treated unequally, or excluded altogether are now joining forces with the newly emerging powers to help shape a new global order.
They all have to implement the UN SDGs to improve themselves for lifting their people from poverty, as a priority, and join hands with each other to resolve different crises successfully. By building mutual understanding and goodwill among countries of the Global South and actively strengthening their collaborative efforts, they can help shape the new global order from a fresh perspective.
