“As highlighted in the Pact for the Future, South-South and triangular cooperation can expand capacity in science, technology, and innovation,” said H.E. Philemon Yang, President of the United Nations General Assembly. “In today’s challenging global context, the potential of South-South cooperation to support implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is more relevant than ever.” The President of the United Nations General Assembly emphasized that scaling up support for South-South cooperation will help: Accelerate scientific and technological progress; Improve the enjoyment of human rights; and Promote gender equality, and the empowerment of women and girls.

“This session offers us a critical opportunity to review the progress made in implementing the foundational frameworks that guide South-South cooperation,” said H.E. Omar Hilale, Ambassador of Morocco and President of the 22nd session of the High-level Committee on South-South Cooperation. “Morocco’s leadership in this presidency is guided by a vision where the countries of the South, united by shared challenges and a common destiny, take the lead in crafting their development trajectories based on mutual support, partnership, and innovation.”

“As the Global South transforms – so must the model of development cooperation, beyond ODA,” said UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner during the opening, highlighting that South-South trade surpassed North-South trade in 2023: more than doubling over the past two decades – from $2.3 trillion to $5.6 trillion.

We need development cooperation that is more directly informed by the success of South-South cooperation, he said, noting that the report he submitted to the High-level Committee details many areas where countries and regions have collectively leveraged South-South cooperation – including leveraging the proximity of experience for solutions already proven to work in similar settings.

“Countries are reaffirming the central role of South-South and triangular cooperation in advancing trade, climate action, and digital transformation,” said UNOSSC Director Dima Al-Khatib. “Developing countries have increasingly integrated South-South cooperation into national and regional development strategies, supported by strengthened coordination, monitoring, and reporting mechanisms – embedding South-South cooperation as a long-term pillar of development.”

At the opening meeting – following interventions of The Group of 77 and China (Iraq), the Chair of LDC Group (Nepal), the Alliance of Small Island States Chair (Palau), Tuvalu on behalf of the Group of Pacific Small Islands Developing States, the Like-Minded Group for Middle-Income Countries Chair (Jamaica), and the EU delegation on behalf of the European Union and its Member States – over 70 Member States and partners took the floor to share achievements and challenges toward fully leveraging the potential of South-South and triangular cooperation to accelerate achievement of the 2030 Agenda.

Delegations came together in a powerful show of unity, reaffirming the critical importance of South-South and triangular cooperation in addressing global development challenges. Key takeaways of delegations interventions include:

• Identification of Future Focus Areas: Delegations prioritized renewable energy, AI, digital transformation, education, and climate change – calling these essential levers for unlocking development in a context-sensitive, innovative way.
• Reaffirmation of Shared Development Goals: Member States expressed strong commitment to joint action in health, smart agriculture, food security, climate action, and digitalization – emphasizing knowledge exchange and technology transfer as critical tools for achieving the 2030 Agenda.
• Urgent Needs of LDCs and SIDS: Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) highlighted their unique vulnerabilities, calling for targeted international support in areas like trade, digital access, climate resilience, and post-graduation sustainability.
• Commitment to a Unified Global South: Developing countries, especially the Group of 77 and China, strongly reaffirmed South-South cooperation as central to their development strategies and a key mechanism to tackle shared global challenges.
• Importance of Triangular Cooperation: Developed countries pledged continued support primarily via triangular cooperation – emphasizing inclusive, human-centered development models, digital transformation, gender equality, and human rights.
• Call for Scaled-Up UN Support: There was a collective push for increased institutional backing from the UN system, including strengthened support for the UN Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC).
• Middle-Income Countries Leading with Innovation: Middle-income nations advocated for tailored cooperation tools, flexible financing, and regionally driven initiatives – some also spotlighted new metrics for assessing cooperation impact.
• Broad Support for Capacity Building and Inclusion: Across all regions, countries stressed the need to build institutional capacities, foster inclusive participation – especially among youth and women—and strengthen regional and interregional partnerships.
• South-South Cooperation as Complement to North-South Cooperation: Member States reaffirmed that South-South cooperation is not a replacement, but a complement to North-South cooperation, rooted in solidarity and shared development experiences.
• Recognition of UNOSSC Support: Many countries recognized UNOSSC’s key role, and called for increased voluntary contributions and stronger institutional support to ensure UNOSSC continues to deliver on its mandate.

The Thematic Discussion focused on “Accelerating the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: South-South Cooperation as a Driver for Transformation”. The discussion highlighted the role of Science, Technology, and Innovation, including the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence, in addressing global development challenges and accelerating SDG achievements. Click here to read the Concept Note of the Thematic Discussion.

The Organizational Meeting of the High-level Committee on 24 April 2025 elected the Bureau of the session. H.E. Omar Hilale, Permanent Representative of Morocco to the United Nations, was named President of the session. Vice-Presidents include Mrs. Eleonora Betancur Gonzalez (Colombia), Mr. Duarte Valente (Portugal), and Mrs. Jelena Plakalović (Serbia). Click here to read a news article on the Organizational Meeting of the High-level Committee.

“South-South cooperation is more vital than ever to achieving our shared aspirations for sustainable development, resilience, and solidarity among nations of the Global South,” said H.E. Omar Hilale at the organizational session. He underscored that this is a crucial moment for developing countries to lead their own development trajectories, emphasizing South-South cooperation’s foundation in solidarity and mutual support.

UNOSSC Director Dima Al-Khatib highlighted the session’s significance amid a rapidly evolving development landscape marked by economic uncertainty, climate stress, and limited fiscal space. “South-South and triangular cooperation will be more important than ever,” she noted, pointing to their role in fostering collective action, mutual learning, and scalable, cost-effective development solutions.

Speaking during the Organizational Meeting, UNDP Associate Administrator Haoliang Xu emphasized the High-level Committee’s critical importance to the work of UNDP. He described the 22nd session as an opportunity to deepen solidarity and advance multilateral action in response to today’s pressing global issues.