Strengthening collaboration & Expanding opportunities to scale successful solutions.

 

Across the Global South – 134 countries that are home to 80 percent of the world’s population – solidarity is rising. Countries are increasingly turning to one another to exchange innovative ideas, expertise, and effective solutions. From renewable energy and digital innovation to public health and sustainable agriculture, successful approaches are being shared, adapted and scaled in ways that improve lives. What unites these efforts is the growing recognition that progress is strongest when knowledge, experience and opportunity are shared. This momentum is building against a difficult backdrop. For example, developing countries paid a record US$921 billion to service external debt in 2024, and UNCTAD estimates that 3.4 billion people now live in countries that spend more on interest payments than on health or education. Communities are confronting droughts, floods and extreme weather. Young people are seeking opportunities in a rapidly changing digital economy. Countries are striving to improve health care, education, energy access and economic growth while navigating increasing uncertainty. No country can solve these challenges alone. Yet there is reason for optimism. South-South trade alone reached US$7.2 trillion in 2025, from the 1995 baselineOf $0.5 trillion. Today, more than half of all exports from developing countries are destined for other developing economies, compared to just 38 per cent three decades ago. Similarly, South-South investment has become an increasingly important force in the global economy. Since the 1990s, foreign direct investment (FDI) flows among developing countries have quadrupled, with their share of global FDI rising from just 9% to 32% in the period 2020– 2023. Today, the Global South generates more than 40% of global economic output, accounts for nearly half of worldmerchandise trade, and attracts over half of global investment inflows. These shifts and trends highlight the growing economic weight and influence of developing countries, as well as the growing economic interconnectedness of the Global South and its increasing role in shaping global trade patterns. Farmers are adapting techniques pioneered elsewhere to strengthen food security. Cities are applying lessons from peers to build safer and more resilient communities. Governments are drawing on experiences from other countries to initiate and/or expand access to renewable energy, improve public services and strengthen disaster preparedness. These exchanges are helping countries leapfrog traditional development pathways by drawing on proven successes. This is the essence of South-South and triangular cooperation: building on shared experiences to pave pathways of shared progress. The United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation celebrates this spirit of solidarity and collaboration. It recognizes that every country has something valuable to offer and that solutions emerge from every region of the world. It is about sharing ideas, building trust and learning from one another.

This year’s theme, “Solidarity Rising: Global Alliance for Inclusive and Innovative Development”, reflects a simple reality: today’s challenges are shared, and so are the solutions. Across regions, countries are connecting expertise, innovation and experience to address common priorities. The theme reflects how collective actions and collaboration are shaping a more inclusive, resilient and sustainable future. This growing momentum is documented in the Global Report on South-South and Triangular Cooperation, which highlights how countries of the Global South are increasingly driving innovation, sharing solutions and forging new partnerships to address complex development challenges. The report points to a future in which South-South and triangular cooperation play an even greater role in accelerating sustainable development and strengthening international cooperation. A similar trend is evident across the current generation of United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Frameworks. Increasingly, South-South and triangular cooperation are being positioned not as stand-alone areas of work, but as strategic means of implementation for advancing nationally owned SDG priorities. Countries are using these approaches to mobilize expertise, strengthen institutional capacities, scale proven solutions and diversify partnerships. In several cases, Cooperation Frameworks identify stronger South-South and triangular cooperation networks and platforms as an important means of maintaining development progress amid growing geopolitical uncertainty and fragmentation. Recent international gatherings have also highlighted both the urgency of these challenges and the power of cooperation to address them. During the 22nd Session of the High-level Committee on South-South Cooperation, which drew more than 130 countries and stakeholders – the highest level of engagement in the Committee’s history – Member States reaffirmed the importance of countries working together to accelerate sustainable development and strengthen international solidarity. Discussions underscored the growing role of South-South and triangular cooperation in responding to emerging challenges and advancing shared development priorities. During the Dushanbe Water Conference, leaders and experts emphasized that water security is one of the defining challenges of our time. It is no longer solely an environmental issue, but a major socio-economic, peace and security priority directly linked to sustainable growth, inclusive prosperity, and resilience of countries and communities. Countries shared practical experiences on managing water resources, building resilience to water-related stresses and disasters, and strengthening cooperation across borders to protect communities, livelihoods and ecosystems. In Baku, at the World Urban Forum, governments, cities and partners explored how cooperation can help create more sustainable, inclusive and resilient communities across the rural-urban continuum, particularly in the rapidly urbanizing Global South. Discussions explored approaches to housing, infrastructure, climate resilience and urban planning, demonstrating the value of learning from one another’s experiences.

The 2026 observance of the United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation will mark the launch of the Global Alliance for South-South and Triangular Cooperation, a new platform designed to connect countries seeking solutions with partners that can contribute expertise, experience and catalytic support. The Global Alliance will help transform shared knowledge into practical action by facilitating partnerships, strengthening collaboration and expanding opportunities to scale successful solutions. Supported by UNOSSC’s South-South Galaxy+, the Global Alliance will enable countries and partners to connect more easily, identify opportunities for cooperation and share experiences across regions and sectors. By bringing together governments, United Nations entities, development partners, financial institutions, academia, civil society and the private sector, the Global Alliance will strengthen collective action for sustainable development. As the international community looks ahead to important discussions on the future of South-South cooperation during the eighty-first session of the General Assembly, the United Nations Day and the launch of the Global Alliance for South-South and Triangular Cooperation arrive at a pivotal moment, not only to celebrate progress, but to set the course for what comes next.

The message is unmistakable: solutions, expertise, and innovation are already at hand. Across the Global South, countries are leading the way by showcasing proven models of success. The task before us is to connect these solutions, strengthen partnerships and scale impact so that more people can benefit from the knowledge and experience that already exists. Rising solidarity provides an opportunity to transform shared challenges into shared progress. United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation 2026 is therefore more than a celebration. It is a call to action. It is an opportunity to strengthen partnerships, share solutions and reaffirm a simple principle that remains as important today as ever: when countries work together, everyone benefits. Join the Global Alliance for South-South and Triangular Cooperation. Together, we can move solutions further, faster