South–South cooperation
The term South is defined as regions in the world that have similar political, social and economic histories that are rooted in disparities that occurred during the colonial or imperialist era.
The South is understood as an ideological expression of the concerns facing developing regions, which are increasingly diverse in economic and political experience.
In the past, south-south cooperation focused on sharing knowledge and building capacities, but the countries of the Global South and new financial institutions have recently also become increasingly active in development finance.
[2] This collaboration refers to the long-term historical project of liberating communities and nations from the remnants of colonialism, poverty, oppression and backwardness.
This cooperation becomes the main organizing concept and set of practices in achieving historical change through a vision of mutual benefit and solidarity among groups that can be said to be 'disadvantaged' in the world system.
This conveys the hope that cooperation through the development sector can be achieved by these 'disadvantaged' communities through their mutual assistance to each other, and the entire world order is transformed to reflect their shared interests from the domination of the Northern countries.
Nevertheless the Bandung Conference was distinctive and facilitated the formation of SSC because it was the first time that the countries in attendance were no longer colonies of distant European powers.
"[4] The conference was sponsored by Burma, Ceylon, India, Indonesia, and Pakistan, and was attended by these 29 independent countries: Afghanistan, Burma, Cambodia, Ceylon, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gold Coast, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Jordan, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, the Sudan, Syria, Thailand, Turkey, the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, the State of Vietnam, and the Kingdom of Yemen.
[8][9] 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.
[10] 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.
This includes the oil and natural gas reserves in Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Venezuela, Algeria, Angola, Libya, Nigeria, Chad, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.
A Contingency Reserve Agreement (CRA) has been concluded in parallel to provide the BRICS countries with alternatives to the World Bank and International Monetary Fund in times of economic hardship, protect their national economies and strengthen their global position.
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in November 2014 endorsed the Beijing Roadmap for completing a feasibility study by late 2016.
[18] From 1990 to 2018, Chinese enterprises established eleven SEZs in sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East including: Nigeria (two), Zambia, Djibouti, Kenya, Mauritius, Mauritania, Egypt, Oman, and Algeria.
[19] As Professor Dawn C. Murphy summarizes, these zones "aim to transfer China's development successes to other countries, increase business opportunities for China manufacturing companies, avoid trade barriers by setting up zones in countries with preferential trade access to important markets, and create a positive business environment for Chinese small and medium-sized enterprises investing in these regions.
For example, the Russian Federation is developing co-operation with Asian partners within the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and the Eurasian Economic Union.
[20] In light of its ideological commitment to South-South Cooperation (and motivated by a pragmatic desire to increase food security) China has established a series of Agricultural Technology Demonstration Centers in Africa.
This cooperation stems from the Treaty on Good Neighbourliness, Friendship and Co-operation signed by the two countries in 2001, which has given rise to regular four-year plans for its implementation.
Other priority areas for co-operation include industrial and medical lasers, computer technology, energy, the environment and chemistry, geochemistry, catalytic processes and new materials.
[25]: 202 These projects have helped both Brazil and China develop their access to satellite imagery and promoted remote sending research.
[25]: 224 The Seychelles, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar have signed memorandums of understanding to develop low carbon demonstration zones.
