South-South and Triangular Cooperation | 01 Oct 2025

In a rapidly shifting global order, traditional aid frameworks alone can no longer address the intertwined challenges of inequality, climate change, and fragile development financing. South-South and Triangular Cooperation has emerged as a powerful platform of solidarity, mutual learning, and innovation, offering cost-effective and context-specific solutions. Yet, despite its promise, gaps in financing, institutional capacity, and broad-based partnerships highlight the urgent need to strengthen this model for a more equitable and sustainable future.

What is South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC)?

• About: It is a partnership among developing countries (Global South) based on solidarity and mutual benefit, involving the exchange of knowledge, skills, resources, technology, and expertise to promote development. 
  • It complements traditional North-South aid, adhering to principles of national sovereignty, equality, non-conditionality, and mutual accountability.
  • Triangular Cooperation (TrC): A collaborative model where two or more developing countries partner, supported by a developed country or multilateral organisation. 
    • It combines the contextual experience of Southern partners with the financial and technical support of Northern/multilateral partners for effective project implementation.
• Origin: The 1978 Buenos Aires Plan of Action (BAPA) formally defined South-South Cooperation, highlighting priority areas and support for least developed, landlocked, and small island developing countries. 
  • Over time, SSTC evolved to include Triangular Cooperation, where developed countries or multilateral organisations provide financial and technical support alongside Southern partners.
  • The United Nations has adopted September 12 as the International Day for South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC).
• Guiding Principles of South-South Cooperation:
  • Solidarity-driven: Rooted in cooperation among developing countries to enhance national well-being and self-reliance.
  • Development-oriented: Supports the attainment of internationally agreed development goals, including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
  • South-led agenda: Initiatives are determined by countries of the South themselves, ensuring autonomy in priorities.
  • Core Principles: Guided by respect for national sovereignty, national ownership and independence, equality among partners, non-conditionality (assistance without imposing conditions), non-interference in domestic affairs, and mutual benefit through win-win cooperation.

How is SSTC Transforming Global Development Cooperation?

• Empowerment through Solidarity and Equality: SSTC is based on principles of mutual respect, solidarity, equality, and shared learning among developing countries. 
  • Unlike traditional aid models, it respects national sovereignty and ownership without conditionalities, fostering genuine partnerships among equals. 
  • This approach builds political and economic self-reliance in the Global South, a key principle since the 1978 Buenos Aires Plan of Action.
• Driving Global Economic Growth: Countries of the Global South have contributed to over half of the recent global economic growth. 
  • Intra-South trade now accounts for more than one-quarter of world trade, and foreign direct investment (FDI) outflows from the South represent a third of global flows. 
  •   SSTC harnesses these dynamics for shared development outcomes.
• Cost-effective, Scalable, and Context-specific Development Solutions: SSTC offers locally tailored solutions to pressing challenges like climate change, health, and digital finance. 
  • The cooperation enables replication of cost-effective innovations such as India’s Aadhaar digital ID system and UPI payments model shared with other developing countries. 
  • Such solutions are grounded in local realities and foster sustainable development.
• Enhancing Institutional and Technical Capacities:  South-South partnerships strengthen institutional capacities, technical knowledge, and resource mobilisation.
  • For instance, the India-UN Development Partnership Fund has backed 75 projects in 56 countries, advancing areas like food security (rice fortification), supply chains in Nepal and Laos, and digital governance innovations.
  • Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, and Germany collaborate through a triangular partnership on coral reef restoration, combining finance, technical expertise, and community practices to boost reef resilience and marine biodiversity in the Caribbean region.
• Complementing and Expanding Traditional North-South Cooperation: SSTC is a supplement, not a substitute, for North-South cooperation. 
  • Triangular cooperation involves Southern partners working with developed countries or multilateral support, leveraging combined resources for greater impact. 
    • India, France, and the UAE have formed a trilateral partnership focusing on solar and nuclear energy, climate change, biodiversity conservation, and defence cooperation in the Indian Ocean region, leveraging combined resources for greater regional impact.
  • It enables capacity building and innovation scaling in a way that respects Southern leadership and priorities.
• Mainstreaming SSTC within Global Development Agendas: SSTC is increasingly institutionalised in UN policies and development frameworks, with over 60 resolutions and outcome documents recognising its importance. 
  • United Nations entities are integrating SSTC strategies globally to support member states in areas such as health, climate action, social protection, and more, reflecting rising demand from developing countries.
• Fostering Regional Integration and South-South Networks:  SSTC promotes regional integration and cooperation among the Global South through enhanced trade, technology exchange, and collective action. 
  • It creates collaborative networks that amplify shared knowledge and development solutions, which is critical amid geopolitical instability and global challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic.

What Role does India play in Advancing South-South and Triangular Cooperation?

• Leadership in Capacity Building and Knowledge Sharing:  India launched the India-UN Global Capacity-Building Initiative to share Indian best practices with other Global South nations. 
  • It facilitates skills training, knowledge exchanges, pilot projects, and institutional cooperation to accelerate the SDGs. 
  • Indian technical cooperation programs now support over 75 projects in 56 countries, particularly in least developed countries and small island states.
• Contributions through the India-UN Development Partnership Fund: Established in 2017 with a contribution of $150 million, the fund backs demand-driven, transformational projects across the Global South. 
  • Thematic areas include climate resilience, renewable energy, health, and gender equality. 
  • Funded projects span Africa, the Caribbean, and Southeast Asia, reflecting India’s financial and developmental commitment.
• Promotion of Digital Public Infrastructure for Equitable Development:  India leverages scalable digital tools like Aadhaar and UPI to support digital finance in partner countries. 
  • Initiatives include digital health platforms in Zambia and Lao PDR, and supply chain innovations in Nepal, showcasing India’s technological leadership in inclusive development.
  • Several Global South countries have adopted or piloted UPI integrations, including Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Maldives, and the UAE, with ongoing expansions to Qatar, Singapore, and Malaysia.
• Institutionalising and Strengthening Regional Networks: India hosts Voice of the Global South Summits, reinforcing its role as a voice for developing countries.
  • During its G20 presidency, India secured the African Union’s permanent membership in the G20, enhancing the political and economic influence of Africa and other southern countries.
• Innovative Agricultural and Food Security Initiatives:  Through partnerships with ICRISAT and DAKSHIN (Development and Knowledge Sharing Initiative), India promotes agricultural innovation and climate-smart farming. 
  • Projects on rice fortification, supply chain improvements, and sustainable dryland farming demonstrate India’s contribution to food security and agricultural resilience across the Global South.
  • For instance, in collaboration with Germany, India acts as the knowledge provider for agriculture and climate resilience projects in Africa.
• Advocacy for Global South Priorities in Multilateral Forums: India actively promotes initiatives such as the UN Day for South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC), emphasising innovative collaborations, climate resilience, and socio-economic development. 
  • It advocates for increased funding and inclusive governance, proposing dedicated development funds with allocations exceeding $2.5 million for trade policy support.
    • For instance, India was the first country to provide written financial assurances to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to support Sri Lanka's debt restructuring plan in January 2023.

What are the Major Challenges Constraining the Effectiveness of SSTC?

• Fragmentation and Lack of Coordination: SSTC efforts often suffer from fragmented initiatives due to diverse political systems, economic priorities, and historical contexts among participating countries. 
  • This fragmentation leads to a lack of cohesive strategies, weak synergy among projects, and diluted impact on global development goals. 
  • Shifts in national priorities or leadership changes can disrupt ongoing SSTC projects or stall new proposals, affecting long-term planning and implementation.
    • For instance, the Asia-Africa Growth Corridor (AAGC) initiated by India and Japan was derailed due to reduced political will following the change in government in Japan.
• Limited Institutional and Technical Capacity:  Many developing countries lack adequate financial, technical, and institutional ability to design, implement, and sustain SSTC programs. 
  • Capacity constraints hamper effective project execution and scalability. 
  • Fiscal constraints, combined with geopolitical shifts, create serious challenges for coordinated and sustained collective action across the Global South.
    • India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS), a platform for India-Africa partnership, has faced significant scheduling delays, notably not being held since the third summit in 2015.
• Funding and Resource Gaps: SSTC largely depends on trust funds, voluntary contributions, and limited financial mechanisms such as the India-UN Development Partnership Fund or the IBSA Fund. 
  • These sources are often unpredictable and insufficient to meet rising developmental demands, particularly in priority sectors like climate resilience, health, and digital infrastructure.
• Geopolitical Tensions and Global Power Dynamics: Rising geopolitical tensions and competition for influence between major powers pose risks to the solidarity underpinning SSTC. 
  • External pressures and alliances often complicate autonomous and horizontal cooperation among Southern countries, threatening the mutual respect and equal footing SSTC seeks to uphold.
  • China’s expanding economic and security footprint in Africa contrasts with the U.S.’s strategic moves in West Asia, complicating South-South Cooperation’s goal of fostering autonomous and equal partnerships.
• Digital Divide and Technological Gaps: Despite progress in digital public goods shared in SSTC (e.g., India’s Aadhaar, UPI), significant disparities remain in technology access and innovation capacity. 
  • Many least developed countries and small island developing states (SIDS) face challenges in digital infrastructure, connectivity, and skilled human resources, limiting their participation and benefits from SSTC-led technological cooperation.
• Limited Integration of SSTC into Global Development Agendas:  Integrating SSTC into national policies, UN frameworks, and multilateral development strategies remains an ongoing challenge. 
  • While SSTC's prominence is rising with UN resolutions and growing projects, consistent mainstreaming with adequate funding, reporting, and evaluation mechanisms is required to solidify its role alongside North-South cooperation.
    • For instance, developed countries failed to meet their 2009 pledge to provide $100 billion annually to the Global South for climate finance.

What Measures Can Enhance the Effectiveness of South-South and Triangular Cooperation?

• Establishment of a South-South and Triangular Cooperation Solutions Lab: The UNOSSC Strategic Framework 2022–2025 advocates creating a dedicated Solutions Lab to facilitate coordination, co-design, and scaling of initiatives. 
  • This Lab fosters innovation, knowledge exchange, capacity building, and technology transfer, aligned with the SDGs.
  •  It will help overcome fragmentation by integrating expertise and resources regionally and globally.
• Tailored Financing Mechanisms and Blended Finance: To address funding gaps, SSC stakeholders emphasise the creation of tailored financial instruments such as blended finance, debt swaps, and sustainable financing models. 
  • Funding modalities like the India-UN Development Partnership Fund and the IBSA Fund, which mobilise predictability and scale, especially for climate resilience, health, and digital infrastructure projects.
  • Strengthening Institutional and Technical Capacities: Capacity building is key to enhancing project design, implementation, and sustainability. 
  • UN agencies have launched large-scale training programs leveraging SSTC to enhance technical know-how, such as joint certifications in disaster risk reduction, health emergency response, and digital governance, engaging thousands of participants globally.
• Mainstreaming SSTC into the Global Development Framework: Integrating SSTC  international development agendas enhances alignment, coherence, and effectiveness. 
  • Progressive inclusion is seen in many UN resolutions and strategic plans by UN agencies, promoting SSTC as a complementary approach alongside traditional development cooperation.
• Expansion of Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships: Building partnerships beyond governments to include the private sector, civil society, and academia expands resources, innovation, and outreach. 
  • Examples include collaborative digital platforms and renewable energy partnerships presented by countries like Türkiye and Portugal, showcasing tech-driven initiatives and scaling up impact.
• Digital Innovation and Technology Transfer:  Scaling digital public goods and technology transfer addresses digital divides. 
  • Indian digital identity (Aadhaar) and payments (UPI) models shared with partners illustrate successful SSTC technological cooperation. 
  • Increased emphasis on digital infrastructure and inclusive data governance enhances development outcomes in less-connected regions.
• Empowerment of Women, Youth, and Vulnerable Groups: Targeting inclusion-focused SSTC  programs will foster leadership, digital skills, and participation of marginalised groups.
  • Programs targeting youth empowerment and women’s leadership leverage SSTC for wider socio-economic benefits, ensuring cooperation is equitable and sustainable.
  • Special emphasis should be given to Small Island Developing States (SIDS)  and the least developed countries, which are most vulnerable to climate and economic shocks.

Conclusion: 

South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) embodies solidarity and shared innovation among developing countries, crucial for advancing sustainable and resilient development aligned with the SDGs. As environmental expert Dima Al-Khatib, Director of UNOSSC, observed, “Through cooperative efforts, we can pool our resources and expertise to better adapt to the consequences of climate change and pursue sustainable energy alternatives.” Moving forward, strengthening institutional capacities, scaling nature-positive solutions, and fostering inclusive partnerships remain vital to harness SSTC’s full potential for a greener, equitable future.