Illustration: Aerial view of Jakarta during the day (Source: AsiaTravel, Shutterstock)
South-South Cooperation (SSC) has emerged as an important pillar in the dynamics of international relations, especially between developing countries. The concept of cooperation which emphasizes solidarity and partnership among nations in the Global South has become increasingly relevant in the complex context of globalization.
SSC is realized through a broad framework of cooperation among Southern countries in the political, economic, social, cultural, environmental, and technical domains. This cooperation involves two or more developing countries and can occur bilaterally, regionally, intra-regionally, or inter-regionally.
Through South-South collaboration, developing countries share knowledge, skills, expertise, and resources to achieve their development goals through collective efforts.
The Concept of the Global South
Contrary to the literal geographical interpretation, the term South-South is not strictly limited to countries located in the Southern Hemisphere. Quoted from The Loop, the reference to the "South" first appeared in the United Nations in the 1960s, particularly after the Cold War. It refers to countries that experienced colonial rule, primarily in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
The concept of South-South cooperation has evolved into a cross-regional and multilateral framework, with reference to the 1955 Bandung Conference, the Non-Aligned Movement, and the Group of 77 at the UN. This tricontinental space and cooperative practice served as a counterforce to the dominance of former colonial powers.
Indonesia’s involvement in South-SouthCooperation began with its pioneering role in hosting the Asia-Africa Conference in Bandung in 1955. The results of this conference laid the foundation for solidarity and cooperation among developing countries which at that moment had just emerged from colonialism.
Today, South-South Cooperation is a mutual framework for collaboration among developing countries, realized through various bilateral and multilateral relationships.
The Goals and Objectives
Another modality of South-South Cooperation is the triangular cooperation, where traditional donor countries and multilateral organizations facilitate South-South initiatives by providing funding, training management, technology systems, as well as other forms of support.
According to the UN official website, the objectives of South-South Cooperation are:
Enhancing the self-reliance of developing countries by increasing their creative capacity to find solutions and technological capacity to address their development problems and formulate the necessary strategies to deal with them.
Fostering and strengthening collective self-reliance among developing countries through the exchange of experiences leading to greater awareness of common problems and wider access to available knowledge.
Recognizing and responding to the problems and needs of the least developed countries, landlocked developing countries, small island developing states, and countries most affected by, for example, natural disasters and other crises, and enabling them to achieve greater levels of participation in international economic activities.
These objectives also underlie the 2nd Indonesia-Africa Forum (IAF). The theme “Bandung Spirit for Africa’s Agenda 2063” was chosen for the 2nd IAF to signify the solidarity between Indonesia and African countries as part of the Global South, countries that are both developing.
According to Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Pahala Nugraha Mansury, the similarity of interest and values will distinguish Indonesia-Africa cooperation from collaborations with other countries. Pahala explained that the Asian-African Conference established a long-standing historical relationship between Indonesia and the African region. This spirit is expected to strengthen solidarity between the two regions in working together to achieve their respective agendas: 2045 Golden Indonesia Vision and Africa’s Agenda 2063.
In today’s geopolitical context, South-South cooperation plays an increasingly vital role. Amidst rising rivalries and tensions among major world powers, the 2nd IAF presents an opportunity to emphasize that global southern cooperation does not need to align with any particular global superpower.
This stance aligns with Indonesia’s independent and active foreign policy. It is hoped that this event will demonstrate Indonesia’s ability to collaborate with all parties, including developed, developing, and competing countries, as well as other nations in the global south.