United Nations officials met with H.E. Annalena Baerbock, President of the 80th Session of the UN General Assembly (PGA), to discuss strengthening South-South cooperation and triangular cooperation across the UN system and aligning shared priorities with the forthcoming UN80 reform agenda. The meeting brought together the President of the High-level Committee on South-South Cooperation (HLC), H.E. Ambassador Omar Hilale of Morocco, the Director of the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC), and advisers from the PGA’s Office.
The discussion centered on UNOSSC’s upcoming strategic framework for 2026–2029, the mandate and functions of the High-level Committee on South-South Cooperation, preparations for the upcoming review of the Second High-level United Nations Conference on South-South Cooperation (BAPA+40) outcome document, and opportunities to reinforce South-South cooperation and triangular cooperation within the broader UN reform landscape.
Ambassador Hilale opened the exchange by expressing appreciation for the PGA’s leadership during the 80th session and for the opportunity to deepen dialogue on shared priorities. He highlighted the close convergence between the PGA’s priorities – including strengthening multilateralism, promoting peace, advancing the 2030 Agenda, and addressing climate change and digital transformation – and the overarching aims of South-South cooperation and triangular cooperation.
He underscored the importance of ensuring that South-South cooperation and triangular cooperation feature prominently within the UN80 process, noting their pivotal role in fostering nationally driven solutions and mutual learning among developing countries. Ambassador Hilale also reaffirmed his commitment to further enhancing the work of the High-level Committee, following the outcomes of its 22nd session, where Member States and UN entities reiterated the value of South-South cooperation as a complement to North-South cooperation and an essential mechanism for delivering context-sensitive development results.
Briefing the PGA on ongoing efforts, Ambassador Hilale highlighted the Bureau’s intensified engagement with regional groups and intergovernmental processes, aimed at strengthening political coordination and expanding the visibility of the Committee’s contributions within the wider UN system. He encouraged continued collaboration with the General Assembly and its subsidiary bodies to consolidate a system-wide approach.
UNOSSC Director Ms. Dima Al-Khatib underscored the strategic importance of the BAPA+40 review as an opportunity to take stock of six years of implementation, renew political commitment, and articulate a forward-looking vision aligned with global development challenges and the UN80 reform trajectory. She noted that countries of the Global South increasingly rely on South-South cooperation and triangular cooperation to address climate vulnerability, digital inequalities, fragility, and development setbacks – making the review a critical moment to elevate these modalities as central means of implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Ms. Al-Khatib emphasized that systematically embedding South-South cooperation and triangular cooperation into the UN80 reform process across intergovernmental outcomes, programming coherence, and operational modalities at global, regional, and country levels will be essential to ensuring impact and sustainability.
The PGA welcomed the briefing and commended Ambassador Hilale and Ms. Al-Khatib for their leadership and continued engagement. She acknowledged the unique value of South-South cooperation and triangular cooperation as practical, adaptable, and country-driven modalities that can strengthen the UN system’s overall delivery and contribute meaningfully to reform efforts aimed at enhancing coherence, breaking silos, and improving development impact.
