The Evolution of South-South Cooperation: A Personal Reflection

 Developing countries stand to gain from South-South cooperation in particular when confronting a common problem, even if the countries concerned are at different stages in tackling the problem.  Because of the growing economic diversity and vast difference in the size of the countries of the South, no standard models of South-South cooperation have emerged. Some of these countries – notably the larger economies – have begun to see SouthSouth cooperation as a component of their foreign and economic policy in their relations with the smaller economies of the South.  South-South cooperation would seem to be most successful when it focuses on technical cooperation and knowledge transfer rather than more traditional donor-based projects, programmes or budget support.  For the smaller countries, South-South cooperation is not a substitute for North-South cooperation, but a useful complement for promoting development and trade. Abstract