South-South Cooperation

South-South cooperation is collaboration among developing countries to advance their development through shared knowledge, skills, resources and experience. It is conceived as a partnership among equals, guided by solidarity and mutual benefit, rather than a conventional donor-recipient relationship.

Respect for sovereignty and national ownership

The central principle is that developing countries should determine their own development priorities. Cooperation should support those choices rather than impose an external development model.

• Respect for sovereignty and non-interference means that cooperation should respect each partner's independence and domestic policy choices.
• National ownership means that partner countries lead the identification of their development needs and priorities.
• Demand-driven cooperation responds to requests and priorities expressed by the partner country, rather than being determined solely by the provider.
• Non-conditionality means that assistance should not be made contingent on externally prescribed political or economic policy reforms.

Equality, solidarity and mutual benefit

South-South cooperation treats developing countries as partners capable of contributing development knowledge, not merely as recipients of assistance. Their different capacities do not negate the principle of equality.

• Solidarity reflects a commitment to addressing shared development challenges through collective effort.
• Mutual benefit means that cooperation should create value for participating countries, although their contributions and gains need not be identical.
• Cooperation is voluntary and rests on arrangements agreed upon by participating countries.
• Knowledge-sharing should recognise local experience and adapt solutions to the partner country's circumstances rather than mechanically replicate another country's model.

Development purpose and practical application

The purpose is to strengthen development capabilities through activities such as technical training, institution-building, technology-sharing and infrastructure support. Capacity-building helps partners sustain development outcomes beyond an individual project.

• South-South cooperation complements North-South cooperation; it does not replace the development responsibilities of developed countries.
• India describes its development partnership approach as demand-driven, respectful of sovereignty and aligned with partner-country priorities.
• Non-conditionality does not mean that projects lack agreed implementation terms: financing, procurement and repayment arrangements can still carry contractual obligations.