The term Global South covers Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, developing parts of Asia (excluding Japan, Israel, and South Korea), and Oceania (excluding Australia and New Zealand). The Global South includes 134 countries that are home to about 80 per cent of the world’s population. Yet representation at the international level often does not reflect the growing importance and geopolitical power of the Global South. The UN reports that developing countries paid a record US$921 billion to service external debt in 2024. This level of external debt by the Global South is disempowering to governments in this region, stripping them of their economic power to adequately provide quality education and proper healthcare for their citizenry. This is problematic. As a result, many citizens who live in the Global South are skeptical of the true intention of the United Nations (UN). They often view the workings of the UN as exclusionary and more in favour of the Global North. The United Nation is very much aware of such cynical sentiments. Geopolitical shifts are always occurring. In many instances traditional Global North alliances are being revisited and are being replaced with new agreements in the Global South. South-South cooperation is a process where two or more countries from Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa and Asia exchange to share experience, knowledge, technology and resources, and is becoming an important way to tackle challenges such as climate change, food insecurity, public health, digital inequality and disaster risk.
In 1978, 138 UN Member States adopted the Buenos Aires Plan of Action, which laid out principles for cooperation among developing countries, including equality, mutual benefit and respect for national priorities. The United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation celebrates the growing solidarity, collaboration and exchange of practical solutions among countries of the Global South. It recognizes that every country has valuable knowledge, experience and innovation to share, and that progress is strongest when countries learn from one another. The first United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation was celebrated on December 19, 2004, following its declaration by the UN General Assembly in December 2003. In 2011, the UN moved the official observance date to September 12 to commemorate the adoption of the Buenos Aires Plan of Action (BAPA) in 1978. In 2026, the Day is observed under the theme “Solidarity Rising: Global Alliance for Inclusive and Innovative Development.” The theme highlights how South-South and triangular cooperation can help countries connect proven solutions with the partnerships, expertise and support needed to scale them. The theme underscores that no one country can solve the challenges of this time. Additionally, the theme is reflective in how collective actions and collaboration are shaping a more inclusive, resilient and sustainable future.
A Changing Landscape
There is no disputing the growing importance of the Global South to the stability of the global economic system as well as peace. Developing countries are navigating complex and interconnected challenges, including climate change, food insecurity, widening digital gaps, financing constraints and growing vulnerabilities. At the same time, countries of the Global South are increasingly driving innovation, expanding trade and investment, and sharing practical solutions. The UN states that South-South trade reached US$6.8 trillion in 2025. More than half of exports from developing countries are now destined for other developing economies, compared with 38 per cent three decades ago. Foreign direct investment flows among developing countries have also quadrupled since the 1990s, with their share of global foreign direct investment rising from 9 per cent to 32 per cent during the period 2020–2023.
The United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation 2026 is therefore more than a celebration. It is a call to action. It provides a platform to strengthen partnerships and share solutions.
On this the United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation let us be reminded of the transformative power of working together on shared visions as the international community thrive to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues.
@WayneCamo
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