The rapidly evolving landscape of development cooperation has created innovative mechanisms to confront global threats posed by climate change, growing resource demands, food security, conflict, rising unemployment and poverty. Specifically, the South-South Cooperation (SSC) has emerged as a potent vehicle to foster collaboration between two or more developing countries on a bilateral, regional, sub-regional or inter-regional basis. It provides a platform for the participating countries to transfer knowledge, expertise, skills and resources in a mutually advantageous arrangement. By way of its design, this mechanism allows ‘horizontal partnerships’ to flourish built on equity, trust and collective benefits.

The benefits arising from SSC have been indicated below:

• Promotion of economic, scientific and technological self-reliance.

• Enhancement in know-how and capacities available in developing countries.

• Transfer of state-of-the-art technologies and best practices to recipient countries.

• Development of homegrown technologies and introduction of practices suited to local needs.

• Elevation in the overall positioning at the global stage thereby increasing negotiating power.

• Establishment of dedicated communication channels amongst partnering countries.

Due to its effectiveness, SSC is garnering an enhanced global recognition as the mechanism for facilitating collective action and enabling shared prosperity in the developing world. A survey conducted by the UN found that nearly 74% of developing countries engaged in some form of development cooperation, growing from 63% in 2015. So much so that many international treaties, plans and agendas have included leveraging the power of SSC in their operational framework. Specifically, it has been afforded a greater role in fulfilling certain goals of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda of the Third International Conference on Financing for Development among others. Moreover, it has been widely acknowledged as a significant contributor towards achieving global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and country-specific development ambitions. Consequently, the last two decades have seen a tremendous growth in both its magnitude and geographical scope, exhibited through a wide range of approaches, modalities and instruments.

The magnitude of SSC seen in terms of the aggregate concessional financing provided, has also grown substantially in recent years. In 2006, the total amount of assistance granted for development purposes was $7.9 billion, which increased nearly threefold to reach $26 billion in 2015. In contrast, the total quantity of Official Development Assistance (ODA) provided in the same year was $130.1 billion. The donor countries have been identified as “the new breed of development funders” which include the countries in the BRICS association, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, United Arab Emirates (UAE), South Korea and Turkey. There has been a rapid rise in contribution from these emerging donors - by the tune of 47% between 2010 and 2015. Consequently, these countries have been at the forefront of invoking the SSC as a means for engaging with other developing countries at the global level.

The above indicates that SSC is indeed a rising force, projected to play an ever-increasing role, in catalysing positive change for transfer of clean technologies in the global South. ■

References:

• https://www.southcentre.int/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/RP88_Assessment-of-South-South-Cooperation-and-the-Global-Narrative-on-the-Eve-ofBAPA40_EN-2.pdf

• https://developmentfinance.un.org/south-south-and-triangular-cooperation

• https://www.un.org/en/conf/ldc/pdf/background%20paper%20on%20south-south%20cooperation%20for%20ldcs%20development-final.pdf

• https://www.ifad.org/documents/38714174/40254177/The+growing+importance+of+South-South+Cooperation.pdf/c0626041-f4b7-4e47-9ff3-0a140642f4d5

Kranav Sharma
ksharma1@devalt.org