South-South Cooperation
Encyclopedia
South-South Cooperation is a term historically used by policymakers and academics to describe the exchange of resources, technology, and knowledge between developing countries, also known as countries of the global South.
established the Unit for South-South Cooperation to promote South-South trade and collaboration within its agencies..
However, the idea of South-South Cooperation only started to influence the field of development in the late 1990s. Due to the geographical spectrum, the cooperation is now well known as South America-Africa (ASA) cooperation.
The ASA cooperation has so far held two summits. The first summit was held in Abuja, Nigeria in 2006 where 53 delegates from Africa
and 12 from South America
attended. The second and most recent one was held on the Margarita Island in Venezuela
in Sept 2009 where 49 heads of states from Africa and 12 heads of states from South America attended.
South-South Cooperation has been successful in decreasing dependence on the aid programs of developed countries and in creating a shift in the international balance of power.
sees the formation of this cooperation as the "beginning of the salvation of [the] people." and that it is a major anti-imperialism movement. Like President Hugo Chavez, the Ex-Libyan
Leader Muammar al-Gaddafi
was also very critical of the Western dominance of the "third world" nations.
The two continents have over one quarter of world's energy resources. This includes the oil and natural gas reserves in Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Venezuela, Algeria, Angola, Libya, Nigeria, Chad, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.
The most apparent critique is that there are just a few voices still heard. These voices are often from the comparatively rich and powerful states of the south (e.g. Brazil, South Africa and Venezuela).
History
In 1978, the United NationsUnited Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
established the Unit for South-South Cooperation to promote South-South trade and collaboration within its agencies..
However, the idea of South-South Cooperation only started to influence the field of development in the late 1990s. Due to the geographical spectrum, the cooperation is now well known as South America-Africa (ASA) cooperation.
The ASA cooperation has so far held two summits. The first summit was held in Abuja, Nigeria in 2006 where 53 delegates from Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
and 12 from South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
attended. The second and most recent one was held on the Margarita Island in Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
in Sept 2009 where 49 heads of states from Africa and 12 heads of states from South America attended.
South-South Cooperation has been successful in decreasing dependence on the aid programs of developed countries and in creating a shift in the international balance of power.
Direction
The Leaders of South American and African countries hope that this cooperation will bring a new world order and counter the existing Western dominance Socially, Economically and Politically. President Hugo ChavezHugo Chávez
Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías is the 56th and current President of Venezuela, having held that position since 1999. He was formerly the leader of the Fifth Republic Movement political party from its foundation in 1997 until 2007, when he became the leader of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela...
sees the formation of this cooperation as the "beginning of the salvation of [the] people." and that it is a major anti-imperialism movement. Like President Hugo Chavez, the Ex-Libyan
Libyan
A Libyan is a person or thing of, from, or related to Libya in North Africa.The term Libyan may also refer to:* A person from Libya, or of Libyan descent. For information about the Libyan people, see Demographics of Libya and Culture of Libya. For specific persons, see List of Libyans.* Libyan...
Leader Muammar al-Gaddafi
Muammar al-Gaddafi
Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar Gaddafi or "September 1942" 20 October 2011), commonly known as Muammar Gaddafi or Colonel Gaddafi, was the official ruler of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then the "Brother Leader" of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011.He seized power in a...
was also very critical of the Western dominance of the "third world" nations.
Economic alliance
One of the key goals of the cooperation is to strengthen and improve economical ties. Some of the areas which these "southern" nations look forward to improving further include joint investment in energy and oil, and a common bank. Among other regional trade agreements which were reached during the 2009 summit was Venezuela signing an oil agreement with South Africa and a memorandum of understanding with Sierra Leone to form a joint mining company. Meanwhile, Brazil has developed an increasingly successful model of overseas aid provision of over $1 billion annually (ahead of many traditional donors), which focuses on technical expertise and the transfer of knowledge and expertise. Brazil's form of South-South development aid has been called a 'global model in waiting'.The two continents have over one quarter of world's energy resources. This includes the oil and natural gas reserves in Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Venezuela, Algeria, Angola, Libya, Nigeria, Chad, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.
Security alliance
Peace and security responsibilities are also on the top of agenda of the cooperation. During the 2009 summit, Colonel Gaddafi proposed a defence alliance between the two continents. He calls the alliance "a Nato of the South." This type of alliance aims to act as an alternative to the Security Council none of whose permanent members is from the two continents.Political unity
Another area that some of the leaders intend to see big developments is in the political arena. This is to say that the cooperation will give the continents more political power when it comes to a global arena. Some leaders hope that the cooperation will offer a total freedom in choosing a political system. For example, Hugo Chavez hopes to use the South-South cooperation as a stage to get his message of what he calls "21st Century Socialism" across.Challenges and critique
Regardless a continuing interest of many states of the Africa and South America, the cooperation is still faced with capital challenges. One example of the challenges is a lack of a big enough capital to start a "South-South bank" (as an alternative to the IMF and the World Bank).The most apparent critique is that there are just a few voices still heard. These voices are often from the comparatively rich and powerful states of the south (e.g. Brazil, South Africa and Venezuela).
See also
- UNDP
- Developing countries
- MediaGlobalMediaGlobalMediaGlobal is a nonprofit news agency based at the United Nations in New York. MediaGlobal was launched in January 2006 to create awareness in the global media of issues impacting the global South.- History :...
- Least Developed CountriesLeast Developed CountriesLeast developed country is the name given to a country which, according to the United Nations, exhibits the lowest indicators of socioeconomic development, with the lowest Human Development Index ratings of all countries in the world...
- Group of 77Group of 77The Group of 77 at the United Nations is a loose coalition of developing nations, designed to promote its members' collective economic interests and create an enhanced joint negotiating capacity in the United Nations. There were 77 founding members of the organization, but the organization has...
- UNIDO
- North-South divideNorth-South divideThe north–south divide is a socio-economic and political division that exists between the wealthy developed countries, known collectively as "the north", and the poorer developing countries , or "the south." Although most nations comprising the "North" are in fact located in the Northern Hemisphere ,...
- Fair tradeFair tradeFair trade is an organized social movement and market-based approach that aims to help producers in developing countries make better trading conditions and promote sustainability. The movement advocates the payment of a higher price to producers as well as higher social and environmental standards...
- Second Africa-South America SummitSecond Africa-South America SummitThe Second Africa-South America Summit took place in September 2009 on Margarita Island, Venezuela, with the participation of Heads of state from 61 countries...
- Protocol on Trade NegotiationsProtocol on Trade NegotiationsThe Protocol on Trade Negotiations is a preferential trade agreement signed on 9 December 1971 with the aim of increasing trade between developing countries in the framework of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade...
of 1971 - Partners in South-South CooperationPartners in South-South CooperationPartners in South-South Cooperation, formerly Programme for South-South Cooperation PSC, is a development cooperation comprising several developing countries working together towards sustainable development and to fight poverty...
External links
- Partners in South-South CooperationPartners in South-South CooperationPartners in South-South Cooperation, formerly Programme for South-South Cooperation PSC, is a development cooperation comprising several developing countries working together towards sustainable development and to fight poverty...
- United Nations Unit for South-South Cooperation
- Task Team on South-South cooperation
- South-South cooperation in practice - Case stories
- South-South Voices
- Programme for Food Security
- Development Challenges, South-South Solutions
- Southern Innovator
- Southern Innovator Magazine Issue 1