Every year, September 12 is observed as the United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation (SSC). The United Nations General Assembly established the day to underline a radical framework for developmental partnerships between countries beyond classical North-South engagement.
The concept of cooperation among developing countries originated from the Afro-Asian Conference held in Bandung in 1955. This Conference led to the establishment of the Non-Aligned Movement in 1961 and the creation of the Group of 77 (G-77) in 1964. The G-77 mainly promoted South-South Cooperation in the 1960s and 1970s.
‘The SSTC’s impact extends across various sectors, from agriculture and health to education and technology’ | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
This article highlights its continuing relevance and the urgency of leveraging it in a world witnessing the crises of climate change, conflict, and growing food insecurity. I draw from India’s emerging leadership or a global voice on collaboration and solutions — technical and policy — that adheres to the essential traits of SSC: inclusive, context-driven, unconditional, and locally owned.
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has actively facilitated SSC worldwide, enabling governments and stakeholders to find long-term solutions to create food security and enhance social protection mechanisms. Such engagements add the aspect of what is called the South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC), implying collaboration involving multilateral bodies.
A collaborative development pact
Over the past decades, countries of the global South have emerged as leading voices in global governance, champions of new platforms and institutions, and agents of development action to realise the 2030 Agenda. SSC is contributing to transforming the norms and principles of international cooperation.
This collaborative approach involves developing countries sharing knowledge, skills, and resources to achieve common development goals while partnering with developed countries and multilateral organisations. The SSTC’s impact extends across various sectors, from agriculture and health to education and technology, and its success stories inspire hope for a more inclusive and equitable global development landscape.
One of SSTC’s critical strengths lies in its foundation of mutual benefit, respect for national sovereignty, and non-conditionality. These partnerships foster a sense of empowerment, self-reliance, and shared learning among participating nations, ultimately contributing to more resilient and sustainable societies.
WFP and the SSTC
Since 2019, the WFP’s headquarters has tapped into several funding mechanisms, including the South-South Trust Fund which is managed by the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation, namely, the India-UN Development Partnership Fund, the India, Brazil and South Africa Facility for Poverty and Hunger Alleviation (IBSA Fund). The SSTC Trust Fund is administered by the WFP ($9.75 million).
Driven by rising interest in collaboration among countries, the WFP has increased its engagement in supporting governments through the SSTC. For instance, in 2023, 60 of 85 WFP’s Annual Country Reports indicate engagement in facilitating and supporting collaboration among southern nations. This marks a significant increase compared with 2021 and 2022, demonstrating a growing recognition of SSTC as a means to strengthen national capacities.
The engagement involves a direct exchange of knowledge, experiences, skills, resources, and technical know-how among developing countries, often assisted by a donor or an organisation such as the WFP. This triangular cooperation may include funding, training, technical assistance, and other types of support.
These include social protection and safety nets, nutrition and food fortification, empowering smallholder farmers and connecting them to markets, rural development and poverty alleviation, post-harvest loss management, disaster risk reduction, climate adaptation, early warning emergency preparedness and response to strengthen resilience and build supply chains.
Harnessing WFP’s extensive field presence in over 80 countries, the WFP has facilitated over 70 SSTC initiatives to date, driven by the demands of our host governments. These initiatives have generated benefits for the most vulnerable people at risk of hunger and malnutrition in 69 countries worldwide.
India’s leadership narrative
India has been at the forefront of SSTC, with notable initiatives such as the Pan-African e-Network Project, the India-Brazil-South Africa Fund, and the International Solar Alliance (ISA). These initiatives underscore India’s unwavering dedication to sharing its expertise and resources with other developing countries, translating into tangible improvements in education, health care, agriculture, and renewable energy initiatives. India has been practising SSTC since 1947, investing about $107 billion.
India has achieved remarkable food and nutrition security through robust policies and implementation mechanisms. It has one of the world’s largest food safety nets, reaching a billion people, and a national-level fortification programme. Additionally, India has introduced innovation in its supply chain for public distribution systems and is focused on the most vulnerable people. These experiences inspire other southern countries and have led to a tangible transformation in food safety nets and supply chain innovation.
In 2022, the WFP facilitated an SSTC exchange on food security between Nepal and India. This allowed Nepalese officials to learn about India’s implementation of food rights and security laws. As a result, Nepal recognised the Rights to Food (RtF) Act as a framework for transforming its food systems. This positively impacted food security and led to the incorporation of food systems actions by most provincial governments for the fiscal year 2023-24.
To strengthen SSTC, some aspects that need to be focused on include innovative financing mechanisms and diversified funding sources, a demand-driven approach focusing on the priorities of the participating countries, knowledge sharing of best practices, experiences, and innovations, and sustainability of environmental, social, and economic dimensions.
The emergence of countries in the global South as leading voices in global governance and agents of development action signifies a significant shift in the norms and principles of international cooperation. Their active involvement in championing new platforms and institutions and the impactful strides made through SSTC signals a promising trajectory towards achieving the ambitious targets outlined in the 2030 Agenda.
Elisabeth Faure is Representative and India Country Director, United Nations World Food Programme
Published - September 12, 2024 02:00 am IST
