The Global Report on South-South and Triangular Cooperation 2025: Bridging Horizons and Continents – Forging Transformative Pathways in South-South and Triangular Cooperation, by the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC), represents a significant milestone as the third edition in a series that has become an essential resource for understanding the evolving dynamics of cooperation among countries of the Global South. It arrives at a juncture of profound global transitions.
The report aims to contribute to the evolution of SSC as a more effective, credible and impactful approach to development collaboration. SSC has emerged as a vital paradigm in international development, offering an alternative to traditional North-South cooperation by emphasizing horizontal relationships, mutual benefit and solidarity among developing countries.
While it has made significant strides in fostering solidarity and collaboration among developing countries, the evolving global landscape, marked by increasingly complex challenges, presents a pressing adaptation challenge that threatens its effectiveness and credibility. Failure to address these limitations and continue with a “business-as-usual” approach risks undermining the relevance, credibility and potential of SSC to contribute meaningfully to sustainable development in the Global South. This report explores how SSC mechanisms can adapt to changing contexts and emerging needs to enhance their effectiveness, concluding with actionable recommendations to strengthen the role of SSC in global development.
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Download Background Papers: Poverty and Vulnerabilities in the Global South | The State of Science, Technology and Innovation in the Global South | Climate Change and its Impact on the Countries of the Global South | Financing for Development | Youth Perceptions of South-South and Triangular Cooperation:Realities and Prospects
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The Launch Event:
The 2025 UNOSSC Global Report was officially launched during a High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) side event held on 17 July 2025 in New York. The hybrid event brought together over 100 participants from various sectors including policymakers, UN agencies, development practitioners, civil society organizations, academia, and private sector representatives. The launch event featured a comprehensive presentation of the report’s key findings, and a high-level panel discussion exploring how to integrate South-South and triangular cooperation into national and regional development strategies.
The event emphasized the catalytic role of triangular cooperation and partnerships in building trust and advancing inter- and intra-regional solidarity, while calling for greater political support and investment in South-South cooperation as a strategic vehicle for achieving the SDGs.
The report was authored by Adel Abdellatif, a distinguished international development expert with over four decades of experience spanning diplomacy, multilateral organizations, and strategic advisory roles. He most recently served as Director a.i. of the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC), where he led the development of the first UN System-Wide Strategy on South-South Cooperation. Previously, as Deputy Director and Senior Strategic Advisor at UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Arab States, he coordinated operations across 16 country offices, oversaw the flagship Arab Human Development Report series (2007-2020), and launched key regional initiatives covering governance, climate resilience, and women’s empowerment. Before joining UNDP in 1998, he served two decades in Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, achieving the rank of Ambassador. Dr. Abdellatif holds a Ph.D. in Political Economy from The Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva and currently serves on Egypt’s Advisory Board on Human Development, while continuing his work as a senior consultant on international development cooperation.
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The Advisory Board
Sachin Chaturvedi
Director General, Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS)
Riad Ragueb Ahmed
Director, Group General Secretariat, IsDB
Justin Yifu Lin
Director, Institute of New Structural Economics, Peking University
Karim El Aynaoui
Executive President, Policy Center for the New South
Sebastian Haug
Senior Researcher, German Institute Of Development And Sustainability (IDOS)
George Gray Molina
Chief Economist and Head of Inclusive Growth, UNDP’s Global Policy Bureau
Yuefen Li
Senior Advisor On South-South Cooperation And Development Finance, South Centre
Emma Mawdsley
Director, Margaret Anstee Centre For Global Studies, University Of Cambridge
Neissan Besharati
Director of the Pan-African Financing for Development Institute
Elizabeth Sidiropoulos
Chief Executive, South African Institute of International Affairs
Pedro Conceição
Director, Human Development Report Office, UNDP
Adedeji Adeniran
Director Of Research, Centre For The Study Of The Economies Of Africa
Laura Trajber Waisbich
Director Of The Brazilian Studies Programme, Oxford School Of Global And Area Studies
Debapriya Bhattacharya
Distinguished Fellow, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD)
