South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC)

• South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) has become a key tool for promoting development, solidarity, and innovative solutions amid declining traditional aid and global inequalities.
• With the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development nearing its deadline, India is leveraging South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) to strengthen development partnerships among Global South countries.

About South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC)

• South-South Cooperation is a framework for collaboration and exchange among developing countries in political, economic, social, cultural, environmental, and technical domains.
• Triangular Cooperation is a Southern-driven partnership between two or more developing countries, supported by a developed country or multilateral organisation.
• It is based on Principles of Mutual respect for sovereignty, equality, non-interference, mutual benefit, solidarity, and peaceful coexistence.

Evolution of South-South and Triangular Cooperation

• The United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) was created on 1974 to promote economic cooperation among developing countries.
• Buenos Aires Plan of Action (BAPA) 1978, adopted by 138 UN member states, establishing the first framework for SSC and emphasising solidarity, mutual respect, and shared learning.
• Nairobi Outcome Document (2009) expanded SSC beyond technical cooperation to political, institutional, and infrastructural collaboration.
• India-UN Development Partnership Fund (2017) was established to finance demand-driven SSTC projects across developing countries.
• The United Nations declared “New Opportunities and Innovation through SSTC” as the theme for the 2025 UN Day for South-South and Triangular Cooperation

Contemporary Relevance of SSTC

• Empowerment and Solidarity: Strengthens self-reliance, mutual respect, and shared learning while avoiding the conditionalities often linked to North-South aid
• Tackling Global Challenges: Provides collective solutions to poverty, rising inequalities, climate change, and shrinking traditional aid.
• Driver of SDGs: Acts as a major force for achieving the 2030 Agenda, particularly SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), through affordable, locally driven innovations.
• Multi-Sectoral Role: Supports progress in agriculture, health, education, digital economy, climate resilience, social protection, and urban development.

India’s Role in SSTC

• Philosophy: Aligned with India’s philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (“The world is one family”).
• Institutional Mechanisms:
  • Development Partnership Administration: Key agency within the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Central body for planning and implementing SSTC projects.
  • Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC): Capacity-building program in 160+ countries.
  • India-UN Development Partnership Fund: Supports 75+ demand-driven projects in 56 countries, focusing on Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
• Technological Leadership: Shares digital public infrastructure like Aadhaar and UPI for cost-effective, replicable solutions globally.
• Regional Advocacy: Hosted Voice of the Global South Summits to amplify Southern priorities and advocated for permanent African Union membership in G20.
• World Food Programme (WFP): Piloted Annapurti (Grain ATMs), women-led Take-Home Ration, and rice fortification for improving food security in other developing countries.

Challenges Associated

• Fragmentation: Diverse political systems, economic priorities, and historical contexts often lead to scattered efforts, diluting impact and hindering cohesive collaboration.
• Funding Gaps: SSTC largely depends on trust funds and voluntary contributions (e.g. IBSA Fund), which are often unpredictable and insufficient.
• Political Will: Inconsistent commitment and delayed initiatives weaken trust among partners.
• Triangular Cooperation Complexities: Involvement of developed countries or multilateral organisations introduces bureaucracy and power asymmetries, which may compromise Southern leadership.
• Monitoring Gaps: Absence of a common framework results in weak evaluation, limited transparency, and difficulty in scaling successful projects.

Way Forward

• Foster Innovation: Building on the 2025 UN Day theme, countries should promote creative, locally relevant solutions and support pilot projects with strong institutional frameworks.
• Enhance Financing: Increase funding for demand-driven initiatives and embed monitoring to strengthen transparency, effectiveness, and replication.
• Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships to include civil society, private sector, academia, and grassroots communities, ensuring cooperation remains people-centred and contextually relevant.
• High-Impact Sectors: Prioritise food security, nutrition, climate resilience, health systems, and education, where Southern innovations can be scaled and replicated across similar contexts.
• Knowledge Sharing: Strengthen regional and global knowledge platforms, facilitate training programs, and share best practices to enhance learning across countries.
• Align with SDGs: Design projects with measurable development outcomes, linking SSTC initiatives to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for maximum impact.