International Day for South-South Cooperation is observed to highlight cooperation among developing countries of the Global South, particularly through exchange of knowledge, technology, skills, resources and practical solutions to common development challenges.
- Date: 11 September 2026
- 2026 Theme: “Solidarity Rising: Global Alliance for Inclusive and Innovative Development”
- Focus: inclusive growth, sustainable development, innovation, knowledge-sharing and achievement of the SDGs.
The 2026 observance will also mark launch of the Global Alliance for South-South and Triangular Cooperation, a voluntary, UN-facilitated platform convened by the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC).
The Alliance will connect countries seeking solutions with partners offering expertise, technology, knowledge, resources and technical assistance, helping proven solutions reach more countries. Its relevance extends to renewable energy, digital technology, healthcare, sustainable agriculture, education, disaster management and public services.
Importance of South-South Cooperation
South-South cooperation enables developing countries to:
- Share knowledge and expertise and adapt successful experiences to local needs.
- Build national institutional and technical capacity to design and implement development programmes.
- Exchange affordable technologies and locally developed innovations, avoiding the need to develop solutions from scratch.
- Cooperate on climate change, food security, healthcare, energy access and digital development, supporting the SDGs.
- Strengthen trade and investment ties and increase the Global South’s role in the world economy.
- Develop collective solutions to interconnected challenges that cannot be effectively addressed by individual countries.
South-South vs Triangular Cooperation
South-South cooperation primarily involves developing countries sharing their knowledge, expertise and resources with one another.
Triangular cooperation adds a developed country or international organisation to this partnership, combining Southern experience and ownership with additional technical, financial or institutional support.
Background
- 1978: The UN General Assembly established the Special Unit for South-South Cooperation to promote, coordinate and support South-South and triangular cooperation globally. Two regional service centres one in Asia and one in Africa—support these efforts by pooling resources and providing services.
- 2003: The UN General Assembly designated 19 December as the UN Day for South-South Cooperation.
- 2011: The date was shifted to 12 September, commemorating the adoption of the Buenos Aires Plan of Action for Promoting and Implementing Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries.
- UN also urged its organisations and institutions to mainstream South-South cooperation into their programmes and consider greater resource allocation for such initiatives. Recent cooperation has included initiatives linked to tsunami relief projects.
Countries such as Brazil, China, India, Malaysia, South Africa and Thailand have emerged as notable fast-track performers in South-South cooperation, reflecting a broader shift towards developing countries sharing and scaling their own successful solutions.