September 12
The United Nations Day for South South Cooperation
The United Nations Day for South South Cooperation is a day to celebrate the ever growing development and support that exists between developing countries or the ‘Global South Countries’. South-South cooperation is an important factor of worldwide collaboration for growth which offers practical possibilities for developing nations or countries with financial systems in conversion, in their individual and combined desire of continual economic growth and sustainable growth. The formation of South-South Cooperation (SSC) can be traced to the Asian–African Conference that took place in Bandung, Indonesia, in 1955 which is also known as the Bandung Conference. December 19 was initially declared by the United Nations General Assembly in 2003 as the UN Day for South-South Cooperation, which was later moved to September 12 in 2011 to commemorate the date when the United Nations General Assembly adopted a plan of action in 1978 to promote and implement technical cooperation among developing countries. South South Cooperation includes about 134 states with majority in Africa.
South South Cooperation is essential to developing Countries because it promotes integration, improves communication and strengthens the bonds of these developing states. These countries are able to achieve high level of participation in International economic, socio-cultural and technological activities and expand International cooperation for development. It encourages developing states to be more self-reliant and task themselves to find lasting solutions to their problems. The South-South collaboration shows unity among individuals and countries of the South that contributes to their national well-being, their combined self-reliance and the achievement of internationally agreed development goals, such as the 2030 Plan for Sustainable Development.
The Global South countries have established themselves as crucial members in the international socioeconomic field despite variation in the global market, there is noticeable increase in South-South foreign direct investment .There are more and more institutionalized forms of South-South cooperation in the economic and governmental areas which shows teamwork among developing nations . They now have an avenue to assist each other in times of crisis be it natural disaster or warfare with the existence of organizations like the Africa Union (AU) amongst others, developing countries are able to render assistance in various forms to themselves and less developing countries to strengthen each other.
The United Nations Day for South-South cooperation is a bold, innovative, and growing means to strengthen cooperation for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, the global plan of action for people, planet and prosperity to eradicate poverty. It is an opportunity to celebrate economic, social and political developments across the globe and now more than ever, we must take advantage of the 2030 Global Agenda to explore fresh opportunities to accelerate improvements in health, education, social welfare, in harnessing knowledge, experience, and in establishing critical partnerships which is instrumental to fast tracking the Sustainable Development Goals.
In these extraordinary times, global approaches to solve problems are needed and this can only be achieved through an effective cooperation between nations.
“Regional cooperation and global cooperation helps everybody, a rising tide lifts all the boats”
- Jin Liqun
