United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation 2023: Date, Theme, Significance

The United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation is celebrated every year on September 12. The aim behind observing this day is to spread awareness of the economic, social and political developments made by the countries in the South. South-South cooperation contribute to the well-being, self-reliance and the attainment of internationally agreed development goals of every country involved, independently as well as collectively. The day also highlights the efforts of the United Nations to work on technical cooperation among the developing countries.

United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation 2023 Date

Below mentioned are the upcoming dates for United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation for the next 5 years.

United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation 2023 Overview

What is South-South Cooperation?

The South-South cooperation is simply an alliance between certain countries of south, i.e., countries and regions below the equator line, made for the exchange of resources, technology and knowledge to achieve equal opportunities for development of each other. The countries of South–South cooperation are also known as the countries of the Global South.

Other than helping each other with their development, the Global South has also made significant contributions to the global development. The main goal of this cooperation is to advance in the field of finance and strengthen economic ties with each other. The key area of improvement includes joint investment in energy and oil and a common bank for all participating countries.

United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation Significance

Countries of the world, especially the ones that are self-developing, are facing an uncertain future shaped by economic and social crises. With pandemic residing for over a year and a half, the pace of development has also slowed down drastically. Through South-South cooperation the challenges can be overcome and goals listed in Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can be achieved.

The cooperation can play a major role in breaking the cycle of poverty, instability and development inequalities while promoting at the same time, the principle of effective ownership of national development strategies. With this in mind, United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation 2023 will be observed with great enthusiasm.

History of United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation Observation

The history of United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation goes back to 1949 when the UN technical aid program was established by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Following the creation of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in 1965, the United Nations in its General Assembly in 1974 endorsed “the establishment of a special unit within the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to promote technical co-operation among developing countries.”

Later in 1978, a conference of the Global South was held in Buenos Aires to adopt the Buenos Aires Plan of Action (BAPA). Its aim was to promote and implement Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries (TCDC) which came to be one of the main pillars for South-South cooperation. Finally in 2013, cooperation was renamed as the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation and the United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation began to be observed.

United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation Celebration

Many events and conferences are organized by governments, local and national, on the occasion of United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation. If any such event or meeting is held in your region, you can participate in them to support the cause.

As an individual, there are other ways too to observe this special day. Find out more about the day, its significance and you can also contact local associations to know how you can help more.

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