India hosted 20 “like-minded” Global South nations, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly  2025, stressing unity amid global crises. 

EAM Jaishankar warned that multilateralism is weakening, urging stronger South-South cooperation.

• The United Nations International Day for South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) is observed annually on September 12, commemorating the adoption of the Buenos Aires Plan of Action (BAPA), 1978.
• Theme for 2025 UN Day for SSTC: “New Opportunities and Innovation through SSTC” 
  • The theme underlines the growing importance of cooperation among developing nations.
• With less than five years left to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, SSTC has gained urgency as an innovative model of global partnerships.

About South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC)

• South-South Cooperation (SSC): Collaboration among developing countries (Global South) based on shared experiences, solidarity, and common objectives.
• • Operational Mechanism:
    • Exchange of knowledge, skills, resources, technical know-how.
    • Conducted through bilateral, regional, interregional actions.
    • Involves governments, regional organizations, civil society, academia, private sector.

• • Nature: Complementary to North-South cooperation, not a substitute.
    • Promotes mutual benefit and respect for sovereignty & ownership, without conditionalities.
• Triangular Cooperation (TrC): Southern-driven partnerships between two or more developing countries, supported by a developed country or multilateral organization.
  • Purpose: Provides financial, technical, and institutional support to SSC projects.
  • Benefits: Southern partners gain extra expertise & resources & Northern partners increase impact of aid by leveraging multiple Southern actors.
  • Condition: Must remain led and owned by Southern countries.

India’s Role in South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC)

• Philosophical Foundation: Guided by Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (“The world is one family”), India champions solidarity, mutual respect, and inclusiveness in international cooperation  which are the values that underpin SSC.
• Capacity Building – ITEC Programme (1964): Through the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) scheme, India has trained professionals from 160+ countries in governance, IT, agriculture, and health, strengthening skills and institutions across the Global South.
• Institutional Framework – DPA (2012): India created the Development Partnership Administration within the Ministry of External Affairs to coordinate demand-driven projects, ensuring South-South Cooperation (SSC) efforts are structured, transparent, and aligned with partner countries’ needs.
• Convening Power: In September 2025, India hosted a high-level meeting of 20 “Like-Minded Global South” countries on the sidelines of UNGA, signalling its role as a bridge-builder within the South.
• Financing Mechanism – India-UN Development Partnership Fund (2017): India financed 75+ projects across 56 nations, with special focus on LDCs and SIDS, showcasing leadership in providing resources for South-South and Triangular Cooperation.
• Digital Diplomacy: Exporting Digital Public Infrastructure (Aadhaar, UPI, CoWIN) as scalable governance solutions; positioning technology as a global public good for developing nations.
• Voice for the Global South: Hosted Voice of the Global South Summits (2023 & 2024) to consolidate positions of 120+ countries.
  • Championed the African Union’s permanent membership in the G20 during its presidency, amplifying Southern representation in global decision-making.
• Partnership with Multilateral Institutions (Triangular Cooperation): Collaboration with the World Food Programme (WFP) produced innovations like Grain ATMs, rice fortification, and women-led ration programmes, first tested in India, now replicated abroad.
  • Recent India-WFP projects in Nepal (rice fortification, supply chains) and Laos (nutrition projects) demonstrate India’s leadership in SSTC through triangular models.
• Innovation Hub for SSC: India’s low-cost, scalable innovations in food security, digital governance, health systems, and climate resilience serve as replicable models for other developing nations.
• Regional & Global Cooperation: Beyond bilateral aid, India strengthens SSC through plurilateral platforms (BRICS, IBSA, International Solar Alliance, CDRI), embedding Global South concerns in global governance.

Challenges to South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC)

• Financing Constraints: Funding for humanitarian and development sectors is declining.
  • Many SSTC projects remain small-scale, with limited, fragmented resources compared to the vast needs of LDCs, LLDCs, and SIDS.
  • UNCTAD estimates an annual financing gap of approximately $4 trillion for developing countries to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030
• Institutional Weakness: While BAPA (1978) laid the foundation, no strong global institutional framework exists to coordinate, monitor, and evaluate SSC initiatives.
  • Accountability and transparency mechanisms are often weak.
• Geopolitical Rivalries: Competing models like India’s demand-driven cooperation vs China’s Belt & Road Initiative create tensions.
  • China’s BRI loans are estimated at $800 billion–$1 trillion cumulatively, making it one of the largest lenders globally.”
  • Colonial Shadows & Neo-Colonial Risks: SSC often does not fully address structural impacts of colonialism, and poorly designed projects risk replicating neo-colonial patterns of dependency.
• Climate and Development Vulnerabilities: Many Global South states face disproportionate climate shocks despite minimal per capita emissions.
  • Food insecurity, pandemics, and rising inequalities test the capacity of SSTC to deliver inclusive solutions.
  • African nations emit <4% of global CO₂ but face the highest climate risks (IPCC AR6 Report, 2022).
  • UN SDG Progress Report (2023) shows only 12% of SDG targets are on track, most lagging in Global South.
• Technological Divide: Only some Southern states (like India) have strong Digital Public Infrastructure (UPI, Aadhaar, CoWIN).
  • Others lag behind, creating uneven capacity to absorb technology transfers.
  • In 2023, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) reported that 2.6 billion people remained offline with the majority of these individuals residing in low-income countries.
• Multilateralism Under Strain: As EAM Jaishankar noted at UNGA 2025, the concept of multilateralism is under attack  as global institutions are being weakened or starved of resources (e.g., U.S. funding cuts to UN bodies like UNESCO, UNHRC).
• Resource Dependence: Critical minerals (lithium, cobalt, rare earths) are dominated by few players (e.g., China), restricting fair access for SSC partners.
  • China’s share of refining is around 35% for nickel, 50-70% for lithium and cobalt, and nearly 90% for rare earth elements
  • This concentration threatens equitable access to critical minerals for green transitions.
• Limited Global Voice: Despite collective strength, Global South remains underrepresented in UNSC, IMF, World Bank.
  • Global South has no permanent representation in UNSC, despite making up 85% of the world’s population.
  • Triangular cooperation often depends on Northern financing, limiting Southern autonomy.
• Internal Contradictions: Global South is not homogenous, disparities in governance, income, and strategic alignments make collective advocacy difficult.
  • Income disparities: Brazil’s GDP per capita > $10,000, while Burundi’s is < $300 (World Bank, 2023).
  • Political divides: South-South unity often splits in UN votes (e.g., Gaza resolution 2023, where Global South countries voted differently).

Way Forward for South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC)

• Bridging Financing Gaps: Expand South-South financial mechanisms (India-UN Fund, BRICS NDB, AIIB) to scale beyond small pilots.
  • Mobilise blended finance (Public + Private + Philanthropic) and innovative instruments like green bonds for SSC.
  • Push reforms in the IMF and World Bank to increase Southern access to liquidity; UNCTAD’s $4T SDG gap requires systemic solutions, not ad-hoc aid.
• Strengthening Institutions & Accountability: Upgrade UNOSSC with more funding and mandate for monitoring and evaluation.
  • Develop shared accountability frameworks for SSC projects like clear metrics, transparency, and reporting.
  • Institutionalise Voice of the Global South Summits as a permanent annual forum.
• Technology as a Public Good: Expand India’s Digital Public Infrastructure models across partner nations.
  • Create a global repository of best practices for scalable governance and innovation.
  • Expand platforms like South-South Galaxy for knowledge-sharing in AI, fintech, and health tech.
• Global Governance Reforms: UNSC Reform – Advocate for permanent seats for the Global South in the UN Security Council, with special emphasis on Africa and India.
  • IMF & WTO Reform: Push for revised IMF quota shares (Africa’s current ~5% share vs 17% population) is starkly unfair.
  • Reviving Multilateralism: India and other Southern leaders must push to reinvigorate the UN, WTO, IMF so they remain credible platforms for collective problem-solving.
• Overcoming Internal Contradictions: Build issue-based coalitions (climate justice, debt reform, technology transfer) even when political alignments differ.
  • Promote regional blocs (African Union, CARICOM, ECOWAS, Mercosur) to ensure solidarity and reduce fragmentation.
  • Regular South Consultations: Institutionalise “Like-Minded Global South” dialogues alongside the Voice of Global South Summits to sustain momentum and shared advocacy.
• Development and not Debt Diplomacy: Promote demand-driven, transparent financing as an alternative to debt-heavy models like BRI.
  • Create code-of-conduct principles for SSC to avoid hidden debt traps and ensure equity.
  • Encourage triangular cooperation (South + UN/West) to balance competition with collaboration.
• Climate and Food Security Leadership: Scale climate-resilient farming, rice fortification, and nutrition programmes tested in India.
  • Secure diversified supply chains for critical minerals essential for the green transition.

Conclusion

SSTC is no longer a slogan but a key pathway to inclusive and sustainable development. With limited time left for the 2030 Agenda, India’s philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam and its replicable models position it to lead the Global South’s transformation.

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