The United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) convened Member States, UN entities, and development partners at UN Headquarters to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the UN Fund for South-South Cooperation (UNFSSC). The event celebrated the Fund’s transformation from a voluntary trust fund established by the UN General Assembly in 1995 into a leading UN platform advancing Southern-led development, knowledge exchange, and innovation.
More than 200 participants registered for the commemoration, representing over 30 Member States, 24 UN agencies, regional organizations, academia, and technical partners. The gathering also featured the co-launch of three flagship publications and highlighted new programmatic milestones, including the operationalization of the China-UN Global South-South Development Facility and the expansion of the Triangular Cooperation Window.
The event was moderated by UNOSSC Trust Fund Director Ms. Xiaojun Grace Wang, who emphasized that the Fund’s enduring value “lies in its diversity of contributors, its convening power, and its commitment to co-creation and mutual learning.”
Reflecting on Three Decades of Southern-Led Cooperation
UNOSSC Director Ms. Dima Al-Khatib opened the commemoration by highlighting the Fund’s achievements. Over the past 30 years, UNFSSC-supported initiatives have benefitted people in 155 countries and have been implemented with 45 UN entities, supported by more than 40 governments and organizations. She noted that the Fund is now entering a new phase focused on digital transformation, climate action, food systems resilience, innovation ecosystems, and youth leadership. A commemorative video showcased the Fund’s evolution and its global footprint.
UNDP Associate Administrator Haoliang Xu reaffirmed UNDP’s long-standing partnership with UNOSSC and its stewardship of the Fund since 1995. He praised the UNFSSC as a systemwide mechanism that has generated practical and scalable solutions across governance, climate, poverty reduction, and digital innovation. He reiterated UNDP’s commitment to working with UNOSSC to expand Southern-led development pathways.
UN Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs Felipe Paullier welcomed UNOSSC’s new Youth Footprint portfolio and emphasized the importance of investing in youth-led innovation across the Global South. He highlighted the unique role of South-South cooperation in expanding learning, mobility, and co-creation opportunities for young people.
Reaffirm Shared Priorities
A distinguished group of Member States delivered interventions underscoring the growing importance of South-South and triangular cooperation in addressing climate fragility, food insecurity, inequalities, and widening technological divides.
President of the UN General Assembly, H.E. Ms. Annalena Baerbock, commended the Fund for enabling “practical development solutions rooted in national priorities” and encouraged the international community to reinforce financing mechanisms that ensure developing countries are not left behind.
Statements were also delivered by representatives from The Gambia, Morocco, China, the Russian Federation, Thailand, Colombia, Spain, Portugal, South Africa, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, and Azerbaijan. Speakers highlighted national experiences with the Fund and reaffirmed its importance in facilitating knowledge exchange, partnership-building, and regionally tailored solutions.
China’s Deputy Permanent Representative H.E. Ambassador Sun Lei emphasized UNOSSC’s “irreplaceable and indispensable” role and highlighted the establishment of the China–UN Global South-South Development Facility as a major step in advancing Southern-led cooperation. Samoa’s Permanent Representative H.E. Fatumanava-o-Upolu III Pa’olelei Luteru called for deepening collaboration in climate resilience, digital innovation, and South-South investment mechanisms.
Additional statements were delivered by delegations from Tajikistan, the State of Palestine, Malawi, the Republic of Korea, Moldova, and several others, who emphasized the need to strengthen technology transfer, multi-stakeholder partnerships, and locally adapted solutions.
Technical Sessions Showcase Innovation
A series of technical presentations demonstrated how South-South and triangular cooperation are generating practical, evidence-based solutions:
- China-UN Global South-South Development Facility (CICETE): Ms. Shuyin Li presented the Facility’s new 2025–2030 vision, building on 15 years of collaboration that produced more than 200 knowledge products and supported small grants and pilot initiatives in over 50 countries.
- ROK-UNOSSC Triangular Facility (STEPI): Dr. Hwanil Park highlighted innovations in the Lower Mekong Basin, including AI-enabled water management, renewable desalination, digital flood forecasting, and integrated agriculture-water systems.
- Portugal’s Triangular Blue Economy Initiative (Camões IP): The programme advances coastal resilience and blue economy livelihoods in Angola, Chile, and Jamaica through scientific cooperation and community-centered approaches.
- FAO-Russian Federation Portfolio: Regional programmes in the Sahel and Central Asia have supported climate-resilient agriculture, farmer training, and regional exchanges across similar agro-ecological zones. UNESCO: The South-South University Cooperation Network now links more than 80 universities collaborating on STEM, sustainability, and climate innovation.
